15 Things You Need to Know This Morning

Title: CEO, Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate.
Photo: Telluride, CO with wife.
On the job: Since ’92.
Organization: Members are 195 institutions—half are foreign real estate investors and half are their advisors, a ratio dictated by association bylaws. Foreign investors are institutions with average US portfolio size of $7.8B. Membership comes from 21 investing countries.
Top association issues: FIRPTA, FIRPTA, FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act).
Top cities for foreign investors: NY, London, LA, Berlin and San Fran. But DC is always on a foreign investor’s shopping list. Past few years DC slipped in appeal and came in last year at 15th among global cities. Recently moved up to 8th. 
Grew up: Pauls Valley, OK. (population 6,000).
Current home: Alexandria.
Schools: Oklahoma State University and Harvard Business School.
First job: Local supermarket produce department at age 15.
Job in another life: National Park ranger. 
Favorite app: Words with Friends.
Favorite movie: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Favorite restaurant: Rosemarino d’Italia.
Favorite band: AC/DC.
Favorite vacation spots: Telluride, CO and major national parks.
Coast, desert, mountain: Mountains.
Drink of choice: Manhattan with Maker’s Mark bourbon and a cherry.
Couldn’t live without: Visiting someplace for the first time.
Family: Married to Hallie Hays, fellow Okie and OSU grad; five adult children, eight grandchildren and one very old toy poodle.
Hobbies: Snow skiing and hiking.
Bucket list: Visit every National Park.
Current obsession: Reading every book about Mt. Everest climbing expeditions.
Biggest pet peeve: DC traffic.
Startling fact: Decorates house every Christmas with enough lights to compete with Clark Griswold. Built a 7.5 ft by 11 ft American flag out of Christmas lights that’s hung in front of house every year since 9/11.

Editor’s note: Jim will speak at Bisnow’s DC Region Economic Forecast & Real Estate Finance event on Jan. 27 at the Renaissance Washington Hotel starting at 7:30am. Sign up here.