HOUSTON – Houston news reporters have been recognized in the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) 65th Annual Journalism Awards.
Katherine Feser of the Houston Chronicle won a Silver Award in the Best Commercial Real Estate Story in a Daily Newspaper for her article investigating the booming market for self-storage facilities. The judges said Feser’s story “described how a changing sociological landscape has triggered a demand for self-storage facilities. The reporter showed how some developers were taking advantage of this trend in a blue-collar market segment and were profiting from it.”
In the Best Commercial Story category, Michelle Jarboe McFee of the Cleveland Plain Dealer took the Gold and Steve Raabe of the Denver Post received a Bronze Award.
Houston Chronicle real estate writer Nancy Sarnoff also received recognition in the prestigious journalism competition with an honorable mention for her comprehensive coverage of the new Exxon Mobil campus and its ramifications for Houston.
NAREE presented the awards on June 26 at its 49th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami.
NAREE’s Platinum Award for Best Individual Entry went to Sarah Kleiner Varble of The Virginian-Pilot for her reporting on the plight of homeowners with homes built with drywall imported from China. Varble grew up in the Houston area.
The judge’s said Varble’s work “was a clear overall winner. This is true global, social, and personal journalism: reporting on a genuine problem and not just a standard trend story. The writing was detailed and compelling, the interviews captured the human element, and the story performed a real public service.”
A panel of judges from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University selected all award winners. Professor Emeritus Patrick S. Washburn, a former news reporter and editor, chaired the judges panel.
The 2015 NAREE award winners in 25 categories include:
Category 1: Best Collection of Work by an Individual
Gold Award – David Migoya, The Denver Post
Silver Award – Willoughby Mariano, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bronze Award – Amy Gamerman, The Wall Street Journal – Mansion
Honorable Mention – Sanjay Bhatt, The Seattle Times
Honorable Mention – Katherine Clarke, The New York Daily News
Category 2: Best Column
Gold Award – Mary Beth Breckenridge, The Akron Beacon Journal
Silver Award – Ken Harney, Washington Post Writers Group and New Home Source
Bronze Award – Lew Sichelman, New Home Source
Honorable Mention – Michele Lerner, Freelance Writer, Bankrate.com
Category 3: Best Home & Design Story
Gold Award – Katy McLaughlin, The Wall Street Journal – Mansion
Silver Award – Camilla McLaughlin, Freelance Writer, New Home Source
Bronze Award – Francis Storrs, The Boston Globe
Honorable Mention – Stefanos Chen, The Wall Street Journal – Mansion
Category 4: Best Residential Real Estate Story in a Daily Newspaper
Gold Award – Julie Satow, Freelance Writer, The New York Times
Silver Award – Audrey Hoffer, Freelance Writer, The Washington Post
Bronze Award – Sue Doerfler, The Arizona Republic
Honorable Mention – Candace Jackson, The Wall Street Journal – Mansion
Category 5: Best Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story – Daily Newspaper
Gold Award – Joe Light, The Wall Street Journal
Silver Award – David Migoya, The Denver Post
Bronze Award – Chris Fleisher, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Honorable Mention – Sanjay Bhatt, The Seattle Times
Category 6: Best Commercial Real Estate Story – Daily Newspaper
Gold Award – Michelle Jarboe McFee, The Plain Dealer
Silver Award – Katherine Feser, Houston Chronicle
Bronze Award – Steve Raabe, The Denver Post
Honorable Mention – Nancy Sarnoff, Houston Chronicle
Category 7: Best Small Daily Newspaper Story
Gold Award – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Silver Award – June Fletcher, Naples Daily News
Bronze Award – Harold Bubil, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Category 8: Best Weekly Newspaper Story
Gold Award – Sam Black, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal
Silver Award – Candace Carlisle, The Dallas Business Journal
Category 9: Best Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Magazine Story, General Circulation
Gold Award – Al Barbarino, Real Estate Capital
Silver Award – Camilla McLaughlin, Freelance Writer, Unique Homes
Category 10: Best Trade Magazine Story
Gold Award – Ben Lane, HousingWire
Silver Award – Al Barbarino, Commercial Observer
Bronze Award – Marcie Geffner, Freelance Writer, New Home Source
Category 11: Best Commercial Trade Magazine Story
Gold Award – Rich Bockmann, The Real Deal Magazine
Silver Award – Anna Spiewak, Commercial Property Executive
Bronze Award – Elaine Misonzhnik, National Real Estate Investor
Honorable Mention – Mike Ratliff, Commercial Property Executive
Category 12: Best Online Residential, Mortgage or Financial Real Estate Story
Co-Gold Award – Deborah Nelson, Ryan McNeill and Duff Wilson, Reuters
Co-Gold Award – Michelle Conlin, Reuters
Silver Award – Andrea Brambila, Inman News
Bronze Award – Camilla McLaughlin, Freelance Writer, NewHomeSource
Category 13: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Story
Gold Award – Heather Perlberg, Bloomberg News
Silver Award – Randyl Drummer, CoStar News
Bronze Award – Nadja Brandt, Bloomberg News
Honorable Mention – David M. Levitt, Bloomberg News
Category 14: Best Blog
Gold Award – Polyana da Costa, Bankrate.com
Silver Award – Candace Evans, Candy’s Dirt
Bronze Award – Cory Weinberg, San Francisco Business Times
Category 15: Best Audio or Video Report—Broadcast or Online, Radio or Television
Gold Award – Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac Report
Silver Award – Kiel Hauck, Angie’s List Magazine
Category 16: Best Breaking News Story
Gold Award – Heather Perlberg, Nadja Brandt, and David M. Levitt, Bloomberg News
Silver Award – Kimberly Miller, The Palm Beach Post
Bronze Award- Ashley Gurbal Kritzer, Tampa Bay Business Journal
Honorable Mention – Susan Lundine, Meg Ribbens, Abraham Aboraya and Richard Bilbao, Orlando Business Journal
Category 17: Best Investigative Report or Investigative Series
Gold Award – Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette-Journal
Silver Award – Josh Salman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Bronze Award – Kimberly Miller, The Palm Beach Post
Honorable Mention – Dan Freed, TheStreet.com
Category 18: Best Series
Gold Award – Willoughby Mariano, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Silver Award – Kimberly Miller, The Palm Beach Post
Bronze Award – Aldo Svaldi, Steve Raabe and Mark Jaffe, The Denver Post
Honorable Mention – Teke Wiggin, Inman News
Category 19: Best Team Report
Gold Award – John Gittelsohn and Heather Perlberg, Bloomberg News
Silver Award – Anthony Effinger and Katherine Burton, Bloomberg News
Bronze Award – Neil Callanan and Patrick Gower, Bloomberg News
Honorable Mention – Arielle Kass and J. Scott Trubey, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Category 20: Best Design, Home or Shelter Magazine
Gold Award – Gail Ravgiala, Design New England
Silver Award – Dan DiClerico, Consumer Reports
Bronze Award – Melissa C. Gillespie, Ocean Home Magazine
Category 21: Best Residential Trade Magazine
Co-Gold Award – Denise Dersin, Professional Builder
Co-Gold Award – Matt Power, GreenBuilder Magazine
Bronze Award – Rania Efthemes and Will McDermott, Scotsman Guide, Residential
Category 22: Best Commercial Trade Magazine
Gold Award – Jennifer Molloy, The Institutional Real Estate Letter – Asia Pacific
Silver Award – Matt Valley, Seniors Housing Business
Bronze Award – Elaine Misonzhnik, David Bodamer, Susan Piperato and Kathy McGilvery, National Real Estate Investor
Category 23: Best Newsletter
Gold Award – Heather Ogilvie and Carol Johnson Perkins, Fair Housing Coach
Silver Award – Daren Blomquist, Housing News Report
Bronze Award – Patricia Garcia, New Home Source Home of the Week
Category 24: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section
Gold Award – Dan Beucke, Samantha Gowen, Jeff Collins, Marilyn Kalfus and Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register
Silver Award – Emily Gitter, Beth DeCarbo, Stephanie Capparell and Suein Hwang, The Wall Street Journal – Mansion
Bronze Award – Brenda Richardson, The Chicago Tribune
Category 25: Best Web Site
Gold Award – Matt Power, Melissa Smith, Mary Kestner, Heather Wallace and Catie O’Keefe, GreenBuilder Magazine
Silver Award – Katie Hamilton and Gene Hamilton, DIY Do it Yourself or Not – www.DIYornot.com
Bronze Award – Elaine Misonzhnik, David Bodamer, Susan Piperato and Kathy McGilvery, National Real Estate Investor
The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) is a non-profit journalism organization founded in 1929. www.NAREE.org.