Greetings all,

We have all been barraged by the national press telling us that recession is upon us and the end is near but here in North Texas the market for commercial real estate appears to be the one bright spot in a sea of volatility.

The question we ask is "Why North Texas?" The answer I find is that the job growth led by the Hillwood developed Alliance Texas free trade zone and the DFW free trade zones, as well as the huge economic impact of the Barnet Shale gas play, has provided a great influx of new residents into the area and the affordable housing available has given these residents a relatively high disposable income as evidenced by the boom in Retail developments.

If you have kept up with the news, this boom is just beginning and the corporations moving facilities to this area continues to increase. As investors, most of us have been kept out of the market by the high barrier to entry and the specialized knowledge required to develop significant retail and industrial projects. The good news is that there is a way in. Many investors are picking up the phone to hear that local developers are offering a limited chance to participate passively in this growth story in the form of Private Placements.

These often overlooked instruments were once the realm of the oil and gas community with a small percentage contributed by startups and other niche plays advancing their "High Risk" reputation but, there are, increasingly nuggets of gold for those willing to do a little homework.

My advice to the community of investors out there is non-standard assets are not just for the hedge funds and private equity guys anymore- with a little homework and an open mind you too can find the door to a world of stability and diversification. Walk through the door and you may find your piece of gold too.