"Offers are picking up for that range of properties," says PeterJ. Hartnett, senior adviser for Hendricks & Partners in Dallas,who closed two back-to-back deals for 308 units in Irving andDallas. "The easy-to-sell deals are between $1 million to $4million. The main thing is the buyers have the equity to putdown."

The uptick also is bringing more local investors to the closingtable versus the scene a few months ago when class C deals weremostly won by 1031 exchange investors from California. "We areseeing a slowdown in California buyers in that the properties inCalifornia aren't selling as fast," Sean Bushe, loan officer of LaJolla Bank's Dallas region, tells GlobeSt.com. "The market here isgetting better and local investors are starting to go back into themarket." Bushe's closings for the recent flurry accounted for 101units in Irving and Mesquite.

Improved operating conditions across all classes are backing theexchanges, according to Tom Burns, also a senior adviser in Dallaswith Hendricks & Partners. "What we're seeing is operationsimprove for class A and B, but trickling down to class C," he says."Everyone's operations have improved across the board. Class C isstill weakest, but it's still doing good and coming up strong."Burns and Hendricks' colleague George Deuillet had the highest saleof the recent deals, getting fairly close to the $5.75-million askfor the 180-unit Cooper Park Apartments at 812 Cooper Square Circlein Arlington.