MPS wins class-action lawsuit
<img src='http://assets.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/MPSAdminBuilding540-0-28-454-317*100.jpg?v=1'>The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled in favor of Milwaukee Public Schools in a landmark, long-fought lawsuit over how the district identifies students in need of special education services. The suit, filed in 2001 and often referred to as the ?Jamie S. case,? alleged that a student named Jamie and several other students were denied or delayed entry to special services in MPS. The ruling overturns a lower court?s contention that MPS and the Department of Public Instruction had some ?systemic? violations in how they identified special education students...<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=BaV1KQyIPLc:CLDDU-Mc-ps:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div>
Hispanic chamber to create business loan fund with state grant
<img src='http://assets.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/print-edition/PG1PaulJadin_01-45-0-336-373*100.jpg?v=1'>The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin received $100,000 from the state to loan money for growth in small businesses. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. announced the grant Friday. The organization also has given money to the American Indian Chamber of Commerce for a business loan program, and also is working with the African American Chamber of Commerce to create one. The Hispanic chamber will use the grant money to start a revolving loan fund. ?Besides the fact that not enough financial programs are serving minority communities, the management of this fund by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce can address the cultural and language barriers faced by some Hispanic businesses,? said Paul Jadin, CEO and secretary of the WEDC.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=EkZNBOqT6Yc:-O2H5U31BC4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div>
Buffalo Wild Wings opens on south side of Milwaukee
<img src='http://assets.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2010/08/BuffaloWildWings*100.jpg?v=1'>Milwaukee?s newest Buffalo Wild Wings will celebrate its grand opening Monday, according to a news release. The restaurant will open at 3636 S. 27th St, Milwaukee, as part of the redevelopment of the former Foster Pontiac site. Terraco Inc., Skokie, Ill., and Frontline Real Estate Brokers, Northbrook, Ill., are working on a $3 million to $3.5 million development at the site to include three buildings: an 8,000-square-foot building housing Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy Johns and two retail buildings...<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=mc6JFray67g:301Q7hZDngU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div>
U.S. News ranks top Wisconsin hotels
<img src='http://assets.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/PG1IronHorse01*100.jpg?v=1'>A new ranking of Wisconsin?s top hotels from U.S. News &amp; World Report has a couple of surprises. Several standards are on the list of course, including The American Club in Kohler, The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee and the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva. Topping the list was The Iron Horse Hotel, the trendy boutique in Milwaukee?s Walker?s Point. If you?re like much of the newsroom here, you?ve never heard of the second hotel on the list, Canoe Bay in Chetek, a city in the far northwest of the state...<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?i=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?a=GzAAP-jSQV4:1Wvfh9zWOp0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/bizj_milwaukee?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div>


a difficult buyer/seller, can take you for all that you've got.

We have a saying around our office, which is “Hire the best attorney you can't afford.” A good commercial real estate attorney can keep your business, investments and personal assets safe from any problems that might arise. Whether you use paid legal, or have an attorney that you work with closely all the time, get a good, and yes, expensive attorney to get the job done right the first time. This is an area in which you must not compromise.

Top Mistake #3: Performing Tasks You are Not Qualified to Do

Commercial real estate investors just starting out and those who are seasoned must never do the work of a professional to whom you can pay small amounts of money when compared to the amount of money that can be made on a single deal. It is very tempting to save every dollar possible and do the work of an appraiser, accountant, attorney, property manager and other such real estate professionals.

Leave these items to the professionals, and focus on what you do best: locate deals, put them under contract, and reap the return on your investment. Leave these otherwise mundane tasks to the professionals that make your life much easier. You must position yourself properly in this business, and doing the work of 20 people is not the right approach. You are an investor. Act like a commercial real estate investor, and perform the duties of a commercial real estate investor. The small amount of money you pay to the other professionals to ensure that your business operates properly is well worth it.

Top Mistake #4: Personally Guaranteeing Large Loans

Non-recourse is the only way to go in commercial real estate, unless, of course, you have millions of dollars to lose by personally guaranteeing large loans. Even if you have millions of dollars to personally guarantee large loans, I don't think you really want to risk losing it to a deal gone bad.

Luckily for us, both public and private lenders understand that personally guaranteeing a $3,000,000.00 loan is a very risky event. That is why the property itself is usually what guarantees the loan. The property is what has the equity and value, not necessarily the person who owns it. If you do personally guarantee a loan, and the deal goes bad, you could literally lose everything! A simple rule: don't personally guarantee a loan you can't cover if something goes wrong because things will go wrong. Almost every lender will negotiate non-recourse with a valuable property. With private lenders it may be a little more difficult. If that is the case, avoid the risk, and find another lender who will work with you.

Top Mistake #5: Falling for Sales Pitches

It is very tempting to listen and hang onto every word a broker, agent, or even an owner speaks about their property in the hottest location, with a super motivated seller, and a great upside potential. Really, none of these reasons are worth any value until they are verified.

Always perform a thorough investigation and verify all claims made by the broker, agent or owner. Never move into a deal too quickly without doing the research! You will be sorry because something will go wrong.

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of www.maverickrei.com specialize in commercial and investment real estate. As of May, 2006, they and their partners are managing over $600 million dollars worth of new projects.

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