Members of the Urban Land Institute’s Retail Product Council got a “behind the scenes” look at Nebraska Furniture Mart organized by our own Keri Samford, Director of The Colony’s Economic Development Corporation, and led by representatives from the retailing giant.

Involved in bringing Nebraska Furniture Mart and the Grandscape Development to The Colony since the project was conceived in 2011, Keri was able to offer valuable insight to the members who represent development companies, financial institutions, service and construction companies.

“The tour was very well received, and everyone had fantastic things to say about Nebraska Furniture Mart and Grandscape,” notes Keri, who was invited to join the ULI’s Retail Product Council this year.

The goal of the North Texas-based Council is to provide a forum for education, networking, and sharing of best practices among the spectrum of disciplines involved in North Texas real estate.

The Colony ranked among the Top 5 Healthiest Housing Markets in Texas, and placed among the Top 10 Housing Marketing in the U.S., according to a new study.

Five of the 10 healthiest U.S. housing markets are in North Texas, and all of Texas’ top home markets are also in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the report by SmartAsset.com.

The New York-based personal finance technology firm measured home housing markets across the country for factors including homeowner equity, the number of years owners stay in a property, the average time to sell a house and affordability.