NAREE's 6th Annual Bruss Real Estate Book Awards Winners

Atlanta (June 7, 2013) The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) has named the winners of the Sixth Annual Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards. The awards recognize excellence in books published in 2012 on the broad field of real estate.

Author Sheri Koones won the first place Gold Award in the Bruss competition for her book: "Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid," published by Abrams Books.

One of NAREE’s judges commented, "Again, Koones does a terrific job of crafting valuable information into an attractive package. Timely, helpful and beautiful."

"Beautifully illustrated coffee table book that makes me dream of building my own prefab mansion off the grid," said another judge.

For the first time in Bruss competition history, three books tied for the Silver Award. Gregg Lorberbaum took a NAREE Silver for "Leasing NYC: The Insider's Guide to Leasing office Space in Manhattan" with photographs by prominent photographer Adrian Wilson. "The book is clear and appealing … Chapter take-aways are very helpful. Photographs are beautiful," said one of the NAREE jurors.

Richard Peiser and David Hamilton also won a NAREE Silver for "Professional Real Estate Development: The ULI Guide to the Business," published by The Urban Land Institute. "Lots of great detail here, enlightening information about the development process. I enjoyed the case studies, especially the experience gained and the problems solved," said one NAREE judge.

"Housing America's Workforce: Case Studies and Lessons From the Experts," also received a Silver Award from the NAREE jurors. Written by Richard Rosan, Christina Rosan, Lynn Ross, Sandra Robles, Adrienne Schmitz and Theodore Thoerig, the book was published by the ULI Foundation. "Tackles an issue facing many jurisdictions and offers valuable case studies. Insights from industry leaders were particularly enlightening," commented one judge.

NAREE’s esteemed panel of judges has many decades of experience as editors and NAREE leaders. Allen Norwood, freelance editor, HGTV online, retired homes editor, Charlotte Observer and former NAREE vice president, judged the Bruss Book Competition along with two NAREE past presidents: Judith Stark, freelance editor/writer and retired real estate and homes editor, St. Petersburg Times and Earni Young, freelance journalist who retired from the Philadelphia Daily News as a columnist and reporter.

This year's winners demonstrate NAREE's broad reach in real estate from sustainable housing and affordable housing to urban planning and commercial real estate. The awards were presented June 7 at NAREE’s 47th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference in Atlanta. All of the award winners received cash prizes.

NAREE’s Bruss Book Awards program is named for the late Robert Bruss, syndicated real estate columnist, prolific writer and a longtime NAREE leader. Bruss, who died in 2007, frequently wrote reviews of realty books. The Bruss Book Awards are sponsored by NAREE presidents Leigh Robinson, founder of Express Publishing, and Brad Inman, founder of Inman News, with a special gift from Art Michaels, executor of the Bruss estate.

NAREE, a non-profit association of writers celebrating 84 years of service to real estate writers, was founded in 1929.

Contact: NAREE Executive Director, Mary Doyle-Kimball for more information at madkimba@aol.com or 561-391-3599.