The PipelineDECEmBER 2011

Mark J. Riedy, PhD

When the Burnham-Moores Center staff saw the photo below, someone remarked that nothing seems to hold us down. Ian Gill, chair of the Center’s Policy Advisory Board Executive Committee, who was hit by an automobile while on his bicycle, and I, who tripped on a boat dock in Burma, took turns hobbling this fall.

When I heard the “nothing seems to hold us down” comment, it occurred to me that since USD’s real estate program was founded in 1993, nothing has held us down. The real estate and financial services industries became strong partners with the real estate program, which contributed importantly to its ability to attract talented and dedicated faculty and staff, earn a great reputation for its academic and continuing education programs, design outstanding networking conferences whose agendas addressed major industry challenges and opportunities, and served more than 1,000 students with quality real estate education and excellent career results.

To assess our progress over time, we have put together a list of our milestone achievements over time. It is labeled the pathway to national recognition. While Ian and I might be limping temporarily down this pathway, the Burnham-Moores Center’s march toward greatness continues apace.

Business as usual: Riedy and Gill compare injuries

Dr. Mark J. Riedy
Executive Director

Doug Duncan, PhD, chief economist, Fannie Mae

The Burnham-Moores Center will host its 12th Annual Residential Real Estate Conference: Outlook 2012 on Dec. 13 on the University of San Diego campus.

The conference will feature keynote speaker Doug Duncan, PhD, chief economist at Fannie Mae. Other featured speakers will include USD professors Alan Gin, PhD, and Ryan Ratcliff, PhD. George Chamberlin, executive editor of The Daily Transcript, will moderate a panel comprised of: Rick Hoffman, president and COO, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; John Olinski, executive vice president, OneWest Bank; and Lorne Polger, senior managing director and co-founder, Pathfinder Partners.

The speakers will focus on the conditions, opportunities and challenges in the local, regional and national residential real estate markets and provide their economic and real estate forecasts for the upcoming year.

To register for the event, go here.

Lauralee Martin during her presentation at the Center’s inaugural Women in Real Estate Conference Nov. 13

Close to 200 people attended the Burnham-Moores Center’s inaugural Women in Real Estate Conference, held Nov. 9 on the University of San Diego campus. The audience was captivated by keynote speaker Lauralee Martin, CFO/COO of Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago. Martin provided her views on “The New World of Real Estate,” touching on global trends such as investment patterns, health care, urbanization, sustainability and smart buildings.

Martin’s presentation was followed by a panel of three women: Erin Stafford, senior vice president of Dominion Bancshares, Chicago; Nancy Scull, Esq., partner at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP, San Diego; and Sara Grootwassink Lewis, CEO and founder, Lewis Corporate Advisors LLC, San Diego. The panelists provided their views on the real estate market going forward and shared personal insights into their professional success.

To view the presentations from the event, go here.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors commended Gin (pictured, right with Supervisor Ron Roberts) Nov. 9

School of Business Administration Professor Alan Gin, PhD, was honored by the San Diego City Council Nov. 15 for his work on the University of San Diego Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators for San Diego County, which he created in 1991. In acknowledgement of the valuable contribution Gin has made to the San Diego region, the City Council declared Nov. 15 “Economic Indicators Day.”

On Nov. 8, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors commended Gin for “outstanding service, leadership and commitment to area residents” and declared Nov. 8 as “Alan Gin Economic Indicators Day” throughout the region.

The 20-year-old Index—or “Gindex” as it has come to be known—provides local measures of residential building permits, initial claims for unemployment insurance, stock prices, consumer confidence and help wanted advertising. The Index also includes in its calculations the national Index of Leading Economic Indicators, which is published by The Conference Board.

The University of San Diego Real Estate Alumni Association (REAA) is currently recruiting members for its REAA Executive Board. Appointments begin in January 2012 and continue for two years.

The association is seeking members who are focused on the goals of continued growth and improved service to alumni. Board members benefit from the opportunity to give back and to connect more closely with leading alumni and the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate. For requirements of the position, go here. For questions, contact Annie Grand at (619) 260-7619.

(Left to right)  MSRE students Skye Morland and Bryan Grissinger network with Young Entrepreneurs Council members Brian Gates ’11 (MSRE) and Justin Suiter and Policy Advisory Board Executive Committee member Barbara Cambon at the event

Policy Advisory Board Executive Committee member Barbara Cambon and Young Entrepreneurs Council member Justin Suiter hosted the second “Beer and Blue Jeans” event at Barra Barra Saloon in Old Town Nov. 14. The event provided a casual setting for MSRE students to network with members of both the PAB Executive Committee and Young Entrepreneurs Council, as well as with Burnham-Moores Center faculty, staff and other USD real estate alums.

Ryan Ratcliff, PhD

On Nov. 16, Mark Riedy was the working moderator of a real estate panel at the Financial Planning Association of San Diego’s 22nd Annual Symposium held on USD’s campus. The panel, which also included USD professors Norm Miller, PhD, and Ryan Ratcliff, PhD, discussed the causes of the systemic failure of the residential mortgage market and the lessons learned.

Vivek Sah, PhD

A paper co-authored by Burnham-Moores Center professors Vivek Sah, PhD, and Norm Miller, PhD, titled, “Correcting for the Effects of Seasonality on Home Prices,” has been accepted for publication by The Appraisal Journal. The paper shows the extent of seasonality in home prices in various markets around the United States and how appraisers should incorporate the seasonal effects in the adjustments of comparables when using them as a market approach to value.

The paper will appear in the journal in early 2012.

The MSRE Design and Construction Management class toured the new Central Library site in downtown San Diego Nov. 16

On Nov. 16, MSRE students in Ian Gill’s “Design and Construction Management” course visited the new Central Library site in downtown San Diego. The students learned about the history of the project from several of the team members from Turner Construction, including: Jeremy Coriale, superintendent and 3D coordination manager; Matt Ellenwood, superintendent; Carmen Vann, project executive; and Douglas Wenck, project manager. Students also received a presentation on how Turner is using Building Information Modeling on the project.

The new library, which is seeking LEED Silver certification, will include an outdoor plaza and café, a 350-seat auditorium, a three-story domed reading room, a 400-seat multi-purpose room, a teen center, a 10,244 square foot children’s library, a technology center and two levels of underground parking.

Jeff Shaffer, principal of McKinley Capital Partners, advises students on how to be proactive in their job searches at the Dec. 1 Real Estate Society meeting.

Undergraduate students attended the final Real Estate Society meeting of the fall semester Dec. 1, which featured a presentation called “Career Launch” by Jeff Shaffer, principal of McKinley Capital Partners. During the presentation, students learned about how to succeed in today’s work environment, how to prepare themselves for the transition from college to career and what to expect in the “real world.”

On Nov. 16, the Burnham-Moores Center hosted an informal networking lunch on campus for Real Estate Society members to connect with Center faculty and staff.

The Real Estate Society is a 200-plus member student organization that provides resources and information to undergraduate students interested in studying and pursuing careers in real estate. Meetings are held monthly and feature real estate professionals who share their industry experience and insights with students. Participation in Society meetings is designed to help students satisfy academic requirements as well as to introduce them to real-time industry challenges and career opportunities.

Norm Miller, PhD

Norm Miller, PhD, presented his thoughts on international real estate markets at the Nov. 26 “Real Surat Development Seminar 2011” held at the Taj Gateway Hotel in Surat, India. Miller’s presentation was transmitted via videoconference to the audience, which was comprised of 150 Realtors from Surat, which is one of the fastest-growing cities in India.

Miller also served as a panelist at the Nov. 8 ULI San Diego/Tijuana breakfast on the economy, capital markets, debt and the future of real estate capital. Miller was joined by fellow panelist and Policy Advisory Board Executive Committee member Kurt Huppert, senior vice president of  special assets for US Bank Commercial Real Estate, and moderator Burl East, CEO, American Assets Investment Management.