Andre Shashaty, Editor
ashashaty@hanleywood.com

Opportunistic Thinking. Owners attending the Apartment Finance Today Conference in Phoenix last week heard plenty of sobering facts about the industry’s current challenges but they also learned where to look for new opportunities. The attendees, ranging from entrepreneurs with a few hundred units to the CEOs of some of the largest publicly traded firms, generally agreed that 2008 would be a challenging year, and that the economy was indeed in a recession. Still, they were positive about the future, and there was general agreement that the apartment market was suffering far less than other real estate sectors and that problems in making deals and getting workable loans would ease in the near future. Attendees were eager to find new ways to generate income and improve their operations. In conference sessions such as "Green Building" and "Building NOI," attendees participated in informative give-and-take discussions with our speakers. Highlights of the event included a candid and humorous presentation by Anthony Downs of the Brookings Institution, a very detailed look at apartment supply and demand by Linwood Thompson of Marcus & Millichap, and the lively give-and-take of our Apartment Industry Leadership Roundtable, featuring the Apartment Finance Today Editorial Advisory Board and special guests.