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Category Archives: Environmental Due Diligence

Ten Takeaways from EBA June 2014 (1 Comment)

Entry by JoeDerhake Entry The Environmental Bankers Association’s June meeting in Seattle just wrapped up last week.  EBA continued its 20th anniversary celebration with great content as always and lively discussion on how our industry and EBA are changing and moving forward.   Here are 10 takeaway points:   1)      Vapor Intrusion Regulatory Drivers:  Richard…

Ten Takeaways from EBA June 2014 (2 Comments)

Entry by JoeDerhake Entry The Environmental Bankers Association’s June meeting in Seattle just wrapped up last week.  EBA continued its 20th anniversary celebration with great content as always and lively discussion on how our industry and EBA are changing and moving forward.   Here are 10 takeaway points:   1)      Vapor Intrusion Regulatory Drivers:  Richard…

What actually happens in a Vapor Intrusion Assessment?

Entry by JoeDerhake Entry There is a lot of conversation about vapor intrusion (VI) going around the real estate community including buyers, sellers and lenders.  Vapor Intrusion issues can have serious impacts on human health and on property values and as such is a significant concern to parties involved in a real estate transaction.  I’ve…

Assessing the Assessor – What Makes a Quality Phase I ESA?

What are the key pillars of the Phase I ESA process that determine the quality of the report? Jason Bates discusses important things to look out for when selecting your environmental consultant.

Due Diligence Changes in the Multifamily World

The multifamily lending world is changing.  Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have made some significant adjustments to their lending requirements so now is a good time for borrowers to reassess the best financing source for their multifamily investment.  I recently wrote a blog on Active Rain summarizing Freddie and Fannie’s changes, which explains the new…

How LEED Can Help You Qualify For SBA 504 Funding

The US Small Business Association (SBA) recently made some changes to its 504 Loan Program. The program, which offers loans with low down payments and low, fixed long-term interest rates, normally requires that borrowers have projects that will deliver certain public benefits such as job creation and a number of community development goals.  But, the…

Ready or Not, Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance Requires Action in 2014!

Partner Engineering and Science, Inc.’s Bob Geiger and Joanne Choi discuss Chicago’s new benchmarking ordinance and the requirements for compliance. In September 2013, the Chicago City Council approved the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance in Chapter 18-4 of the Chicago Municipal Code.  The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance became effective on September 21, 2013 and requires building owners with over 50,000…

How Did Environmental Contamination Become a Factor in the Appraisal World?

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Handbook on Commercial Real Estate published in 2013 mandates that environmental contamination should be discussed and considered in real estate appraisals.  In the same year the OCC updates were published, the Appraisal Institute released a document providing guidance to appraisers for how environmental contamination should be…

File reviews: digging to uncover business environmental risks

Under ASTM E1527-13, file reviews are a much more pertinent part of Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) to accurately identify the potential for Recognized Environmental Conditions (REC) and assess business environmental risk associated with a property.

Due Diligence in Motor City – why Phase I ESAs are different in Detroit

The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (or ESA), considered by many in the real estate and finance industries as the most essential form of environmental due diligence, can vary in complexity and challenge when conducted in a city with a storied industrial history known as the automotive capital of the world.  The development of Detroit…