Lynch notes that Arden already has acquisition directors in theMidwest and on the East Coast as part of the Direct Investmentsbusiness unit of Arden's parent, GE Real Estate. The office portionof the Direct Investments unit will be rolled into Arden as part ofthe national expansion.

"While the Arden name will be new in those places, we alreadyhave good people there who are experts, with good networks, so itshould be a fairly seamless proposition to move into thosemarkets," Lynch tells GlobeSt.com. He says that Arden will focus ontarget markets, explaining, "We are not going to be in everymarket. We will probably be more bi-coastal with key interiormarkets." Those markets will include, at minimum, Chicago, Denverand three Texas markets: Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Arden will be looking for buildings that present an opportunityto add value through leasing or physical repositioning, seeking"good product in good markets," Lynch says. Despite the economy,there are still some places where there are below-market rents thatcan be raised to add value, the Arden CIO points out, and he notesthat the West Los Angeles-based company has also added value tomany properties through initiatives like its energy managementgroup and other green building management practices.