Three people get to attend The Real Deal’s 6th annual forum at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 13 for free

Where am I? 47 West 12th Street!

The Real Deal kicked off a contest yesterday to identify the building in the photo with a prize — a free ticket to The Real Deal’s sixth annual forum, a $90 value — going to the first three people to answer correctly. Well, the winners are Bryan Rubin of Tribeca Associates, Jonathan Nachmani of the Jackson Group and Thomas Nakios of New York-based fashion line Lilla P. And the building address is 47 West 12th Street. The forum is being held Oct. 13 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. The theme this year: “The Road to Recovery.” Click here for more information about the forum. Panelists include Ian Schrager, chairman and CEO of Ian Schrager Company, Jeff Blau, president of Related Companies, Daniel Tishman, CEO of Tishman Construction and Howard Lorber, chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman. Fox Business News anchor Brian Sullivan will be moderating the event. TRD

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From left: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and the Rushmore

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched an investigation into the Rushmore condominium, amid allegations that the lawyers for the developer, Extell Development, held previously undisclosed meetings with state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office to prevent existing buyers from backing out of their apartment contracts.

HUD officials said that as of May 11, 2009, Extell “voluntarily suspended” the building’s registration under the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act (ILSA), a federal law that protects consumers in newly constructed condos with more than 99 units. The move would allegedly be a way for the developer to shield itself from ILSA-related claims.

HUD opened the probe after media reports mentioned that 34 buyers filed complaints with the AG’s office. While officials did not disclose why Extell would suspend, documents obtained by The Real Deal show the Rushmore developer was facing an ILSA-based lawsuit prior to the filing. [more]

Prior to The Real Deal‘s forum last week on distressed properties and real estate market recovery, moderator Brian Sullivan, of Fox Business News, spoke with Elad President Miki Naftali outside the forum venue about recovery in the New York hospitality industry. Naftali said that recovery will largely rely on the financial sector and whether lenders will begin loosening their tight grip on credit. “The problem is really more on the financial side,” Naftali said. “Any hotel owner that has a loan coming due has the almost impossible mission or task to refinance the property. That’s the biggest problem that we see right now.”

From left: Pamela Liebman of the Corcoran Group and Dolly Lenz of Prudential Douglas Elliman

Two new additions have been announced for The Real Deal’s fifth annual forum, “Distressed Opportunities: Taking advantage of distress and searching for a real estate recovery.” Dolly Lenz, vice chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman, and Pamela Liebman, president and CEO of the Corcoran Group, will join the all-star panel of real estate executives, analysts and economists. Other panelists include economist Nouriel Roubini, co-founder and chairman of RGE Monitor and NYU professor of economics; Coney Island developer Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities; Plaza developer Miki Naftali, president and CEO of the Elad Group, and Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. The event, to be held Oct. 14 at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, will be moderated by Brian Sullivan, an anchor at Fox Business News. The forum will kick off at 3 p.m. with a networking and exhibition period, followed by the main event at 6:30 p.m. More panelists will be announced. Seating is limited. Tickets cost $80 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling Centercharge at (212) 721-6500. TRD [more]

From left: Nouriel Roubini of RGE Monitor, Joseph Sitt of Thor Equities, Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com and Miki Naftali of the Elad Group

Looking to explore and identify opportunities in the distressed marketplace? At next month’s fifth annual The Real Deal forum, a panel of leading real estate experts and economists will debate what the future holds for the New York City real estate market and how they are coping with the downturn. The panel includes world famous economist Nouriel Roubini, co-founder and chairman of RGE Monitor and NYU professor of economics; Coney Island developer Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities; Plaza developer Miki Naftali, president and CEO of the Elad Group, and Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. The event, to be held Oct. 14 at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, will be moderated by Brian Sullivan, an anchor at Fox Business News. The forum will kick off at 3 p.m. with a networking and exhibition period, followed by the main event at 6:30 p.m. More panelists will be announced. Seating is limited. Tickets cost $80 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling Centercharge at (212) 721-6500. TRD
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