Here is a look at real-estate news in Wednesday’s WSJ:
Resorts Make Pitch for Mexico’s Reputation: To improve Mexico’s image as a drug-war-torn country, struggling resorts are hatching new marketing strategies ranging from sales parties in private homes to online campaigns in which customers tout the area’s safety.
Moody’s Veteran Cracks the Whip — Again: Tad Philipp, the veteran of Moody’s Investors Service’s commercial-mortgage group, who fought back against loose underwriting during the real-estate bubble, has drawn a new line in the sand against similar practices, leaving some Wall Street dealers miffed—and itching to take their business elsewhere.
A Truly Liquid Investment: As the scorching summer winds down, a Texas venture is poised to start building one of the few developments that stands to benefit from extreme heat: a new $70 million water park.
Plots and Ploys: Trump Organization is refinancing the retail and office space in its Trump Tower headquarters building at 725 Fifth Ave. in Midtown Manhattan, replacing an expiring $27 million mortgage with a $100 million mortgage. The upshot for Trump: a markedly lower interest rate—4.2%, down from 7.9%—and roughly $72.4 million in cash.
Defining An East Village Bar: Community leaders in New York’s East Village are grappling with defining the community’s nightlife as the area becomes home to more large bars and clubs catering to young people seeking a raucous night out.
U.K. Public Assets May Soon Hit Market: The U.K. government may shortly begin selling off real estate, following a report by a parliamentary watchdog that was highly critical of its property management.
A Slow Pace to Reconnect East and West: Despite efforts to rebuild in the path of the Berlin Wall, large development gaps remain.
Berlin Hotels Battle Apartment Owners for Tourists: Straying from the traditional hotel market, an estimated five million visitors to Berlin last year chose to stay in unregulated, privately rented vacation apartments instead of registered hotels, according to estimates by local industry and the city government.
Web Firms Find a Home in Berlin: Berlin built for an office-market boom that never took off. Its newfound status as Europe’s Internet start-up mecca, though, may be changing that.
After Stainless, Now What?: Appliance makers are betting on finishes that say “just different enough.”
House of the Day: This 19th-century brownstone on New York’s Upper West Side was restored by the current owners to a single-family home with a number of 21st-century green features.