Inland American Lodging Group Inc. continues to add upper-upscale and luxury assets to its portfolio, acquiring five hotels in five states with a total of 2,302 rooms this week for about $393 million.

CBRE made four huge personnel pickups: Harold Holliday, John Fenoglio, David Aaronson and James Richards will join the firm as executive vice presidents. All four will be based in the Houston office and will work on debt and equity-financing deals for clients in the region.

Granite Properties has made two major office purchases in the last few days: Plaza Tower One in Denver and Cedar Maple Plaza in Dallas.

Bud Malone, CEO of Mortgages USA, comments on the recent surge in demand in the Texas markets and how such allays concerns about overbuilding. He also sheds light on which markets in the Lone Star State are the most popular and why.

Private-equity real estate fund manager BPG Properties Inc. has acquired the 223,605-square-foot, Class A Lincoln Towne Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., for $34.3 million from Lincoln Life Insurance Co.

Continuing on its pattern of purchasing high-quality data centers, Digital Realty Trust has made the acquisition of the 819,000-square-foot Convergence Business Park in Lewisville, Texas, just outside of Dallas. The 168-acre complex, which is fully operational and features office space, was purchased for $123 million.

In the wake of the announcement that Sears would be selling 11 stores to General Growth Properties and spinning off two of its brands, industry sources called the actions “a brilliant move.”

Midway Cos. and its joint venture partner, a pension fund client advised by L&B Realty Advisors, have sold part of the office segment of their 1.8 million-square-foot City Centre mixed-use development in Houston.

Pivotal Group, in a joint venture partnership with an institutional investor, just completed the purchase of a 21-property portfolio of Class B apartment communities from TRA Midland Properties in an off-market transaction.

KDC Real Estate Developments and Investments, in a partnership with Orlando-based Estein & Associates, has announced its plans to develop a 400,000-square-foot, 23-story office tower in Downtown Dallas.