Liz Brooks
Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Belgravia Group
What indicators are you watching to keep up with the market and its changes as we move into next year? The same indicators we all have been watching for the past several years: U.S. economic, employment and housing indicators, which recently have all been in positive territory. The unforeseen financial conditions in Europe as well as the upcoming U.S. Presidential election will also impact the market in 2012. In addition, I found it interesting to see that Barclays recently upgraded and raised price targets, along with 2012 earnings-per-share estimates on a number of national homebuilders based on job creation in November, housing starts and improved homebuyer traffic in recent months.
What does Belgravia have planned for 2012? Belgravia Group continues to seek niche opportunities that fit the demands of today’s buyer, namely a well-built product that is value-priced and in a desirable location. As sales wind down at Belgravia’s 565 Quincy loft/condo development (only three units currently remain) and at Belgravia/Sandz’s 600 North Lake Shore Drive (18 homes currently remain), our upcoming plans include: the second phase of CA23, located at 16-20 N. Carpenter, where 24 more homes will be built on the adjacent site; building 14 single-family row homes, each with four bedrooms, an oversized private yard and a two-car garage, as a part of the Montana Homes, having signed a contract to purchase 14 vacant lots on the 1500 block of West Montana; and in conjunction with a proposed grocery-anchored retail complex, Nexstep LLC, a Belgravia Group company, recently presented plans for over 20, three-story walkup-style buildings comprising 162 rental units on approximately one half of the six-and-a-half-acre development site.
How is Belgravia adjusting its strategy for next year? Moving into 2012, Belgravia Realty Group will continue to expand its reach into residential brokerage. Offering a more personalized approach to real estate, Belgravia’s professional brokers are highly trained and possess the necessary expertise in guiding buyers and sellers in today’s complex market.