Dear CCIM Colleagues,

Did you read Tenel Tayar’s  profound words in his article submitted for the 2021 CCIM Commercial Real Estate Forecast Competition, “Retail: Where Our Heart Is”?  Here’s an excerpt: 

“In one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Byblos, Lebanon, street retail has survived continuously for over 7,000 years. As traders and fishermen arrived from the sea, the community gathered in the souk to shop and to be together. And, to this day, those shops in the souk exist where they have always been.”

Doesn’t that put our current economic environment into perspective?  It did for me.

The 2021 CCIM Commercial Real Estate Forecast Competition was our first hybrid event, and our challengers, moderators, sponsors and members made it a grand success!  Over 200 people joined this noteworthy event at the Norris Conference Center, at CityCentre, and virtually, via Zoom.  Thank you, again, to our Forecasting Committee:  Jim Sinclair (Chair), Kristen Wiehe (President Elect), Jonathan Sanders and Ginger Coleman for all of your hard work planning this event.

It is with a heavy heart that I want to let everyone know about the passing of Leigh McGaughy, CCIM.  He was the Chair of CCIM’s Membership Committee.  Leigh was a man of sincerity and compassion.  When COVID was upon us, he suggested calling all of the CCIM Members to see if everyone were okay.  He accomplished this task, and you may have received one of his caring calls.  Please keep Leigh and his family in your prayers.

If you are a CCIM member who recently made a noteworthy deal, please let Ginger Coleman (ginger@amc-texas.com) know about it.  We would like to feature CCIM members’ deals in the “Monthly Deals Done” section of our home webpage. 

And, speaking of deals, there are plans in the works to begin a quarterly “Deals and Drinks” virtual session with our Region IV CCIM Chapters (including Houston, Austin, Dallas and others).  This should be a great way to highlight your deal with other CCIMs in a larger, geographic area.  Look for more information to follow about this exciting opportunity!

Do you have your CCIM Pin?  If not, we are offering three more in-person classes in Houston this year as follows:

• ·         User Decision Analysis, (CI-103) June 15 - 25, 2021
• ·         Investment Analysis, (CI-104) August 30 – September 3, 2021
• ·         Financial Analysis, (CI-101) November 30 - December 3, 2021

As people slowly start to emerge to “roam about the cabin” again, we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events:  Young Professionals Historic Heights Bus Tour, May Luncheon and June Luncheon.

Kind regards,

D. Samantha Harris, CCIM
President