Realtor Josh Friedman becomes College Real Estate Specialist

AUSTIN, Texas - December 13, 2007 – Josh Friedman, a Realtor with Tower Real Estate Inc. in Austin, has been named a College Real Estate Specialist by College Real Estate LLC, a company that recognizes the potential for property investments near U.S. college and university campuses. As a College Real Estate Specialist, Friedman helps connect students and their parents with residential real estate buying opportunities near the University of Texas campus. Friedman, who has about 13 years of experience in the Austin market, has an exclusive arrangement with College Real Estate’s nationwide network.

“When a parent or student seeks my guidance about buying property near the University of Texas campus, they can rest assured that they’re being served by a qualified, experienced College Real Estate Specialist,” Friedman says.

Stuart Frazier of Austin, co-founder and director of client relations at College Real Estate, says: “Josh Friedman is a member of a select group of College Real Estate Specialists who are equipped to deliver a higher degree of expertise and service than the majority of Realtors in college and university markets.”

On average, a student pays about $24,000 for housing while he or she is in college. College Real Estate was started on the premise of not wasting this money on rent, but investing it in property that can be a valuable long-term asset.

That asset is projected to become even more profitable in the near future.

According to Michael H. Zaransky, author of Profit by Investing in Student Housing (Kaplan Publishing, April 2006), student housing currently is one of the most robust niches in real estate investment. Why? The number of Americans who will reach college age – 18 – in the next decade is expected to hit 80 million. Meanwhile, many cash-strapped colleges and universities are running short of on-campus housing. This high-demand, low-supply formula produces enormous opportunities for real estate investors, according to Zaransky.

Enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities is predicted to climb from nearly 17.65 million in 2006 to nearly 18.75 million in 2010 to more than 19.87 million in 2015, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. From 2006 to 2015, that’s an enrollment increase of more than 12 percent.

“For parents of current and future college students, it makes perfect sense to buy housing near campuses as a convenience for their sons and daughters and as part of a solid investment strategy,” Frazier says.

For more information about College Real Estate, visit www.collegerealestate.com or call (866) 354-1915.

About College Real Estate LLC
College Real Estate was established in 2004 to help link students and their parents with experienced professionals in real estate markets near U.S. college and university campuses. The College Real Estate network is a resource for expertise and information related to student housing. Currently, College Real Estate operates in more than 20 U.S. markets, including Austin and San Marcos.