Houston

HOUSTON-Emser Tile of Los Angeles makes a second expansion move in two years, signing for a 112,000-sf warehouse owned by Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust. The commercial tile supplier more than doubles its warehouse space with the new deal.

HOUSTON-The 65,900-sf suburban office building lands tenants for 17,170 sf to nudge it close to the filled mark. Insurance Associates of the Southwest signed for 14,947 sf of One Woodbranch Center near the Energy Corridor.

HOUSTON-The Houston law firm of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue will move into 54,600 sf on the top two floors of the 689,000-sf CBD high-rise. The signing pushes the project to 56% pre-leased.

HOUSTON-A partnership of real estate companies from three states buys 3600 Woodchase, jumpstarting a renovation for repositioning. The seller, part of the Richman Group of Greenwich, CT was asking $7.7 million.

SUGAR LAND, TX-Mission Equities of Texas secures permanent financing through Ohio National Life Insurance Co. of Cincinnati, thanks to the efforts of a loan originator with Houston's Live Oak Capital. The office building is 95% occupied.

HOUSTON-New owner Sterling American has slid in a new property manager and is fine-tuning renovation plans for the complex at 9301 Dairy View Lane in Houston. Repositioning is in order since rent averages just $542 per month.

HOUSTON-TradeSpark moves into 18,748 sf at 1301 Fannin, a class A CBD property that's now 90% occupied. The tenant is an energy brokerage consortium with Cantor Fitzgerald as a lead player. In light of 9/11, it was decided to expand locally.

HOUSTON-Trimark Realty Investments' $48.2-million refinancing is driving a buying spree that has 1,400 units in Dallas-Fort Worth under contract and offers out on seven more Houston properties. Trimark says there's enough liquidity for 2,000 to 3,000 units.