Overview
Sheldon Winkelman is a real estate attorney with more than 60 years of experience working on a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions.
- Represents a broad range of clients, including developers, lenders, property owners, property managers and investors in connection with the acquisition, renovation, construction, financing, syndication, management, operation and disposition of real estate developments with a particular emphasis on government-assisted financing for both market rate and affordable multifamily housing developments
- Regularly counsels clients in connection with housing developments financed through programs provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal National Mortgage Association, Freddie Mac, State Housing Development Authorities, and other governmental, quasi-governmental and private institutions
- Counsels clients with regard to qualifying for, obtaining and syndicating low-income housing and historic tax credits and regulatory compliance matters associated with such tax credits
- Lectures frequently on real estate topics
Services
Practice Areas
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented an affiliate of Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit in its acquisition of an aging affordable housing development and the renovation of the facility by the elimination of efficiency units and the conversion of the facility into 97 one-bedroom units funded by the syndication of low-income housing tax credits and both HUD-insured and conventional financing; transaction entailed the bifurcation of an existing HAP contract into multiple HAP contracts and the prepayment of a HUD Section 202 mortgage loan
- Represented The Wishcamper Companies in the acquisition of existing affordable housing developments in South Carolina and Connecticut containing approximately 300 units and the preservation of such developments as affordable housing; transactions were funded by the syndication of low-income housing tax credits and HUD-insured, state housing agency and tax-exempt bond financing
- Represented Evergreen Partners in the acquisition of an affordable housing development in Georgia that contained 200 units and the preservations of such development as affordable housing; transaction was funded by the syndication of federal and Georgia low-income housing and historic tax credits, along with a HUD-insured construction and permanent loan
- Obtained a judgment on behalf of a national HUD-insured lender resulting in the determination of lien priority and an order of foreclosure with respect to a mortgage which secured a HUD-insured defaulted construction and permanent loan which could not be assigned to HUD because of a claim of priority asserted by a general contractor seeking to foreclose a construction lien
- Represented a developer in the disposition of a portfolio of affordable housing communities located in multiple cities which involved, among other things, negating with and obtaining consents to each of such sales from multiple low income housing tax credit investors
Prior Experience
- Hyman, Gurwin, Nachman, Friedman & Winkelman, Southfield, Michigan, Partner, 1973-1988
- Friedman, Meyers & Keys, Detroit, Michigan, Associate and Partner, 1965-1973
- Krooth & Altman, Washington, D.C., Associate, 1963-1965
Credentials
Education
Wayne State University Law School, J.D.
- Wayne Law Review, 1961-1963
Wayne State University, B.S.
Admissions
- District of Columbia (inactive)
- Michigan
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Recognition
Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America,1983-2025
- Recognized in practice area of Real Estate Law
- Michigan Super Lawyers, 2006-2019
- DBusiness, Top Lawyers, 2010-2011, 2013-2017, 2022
- Law Bulletin Media
- Leading Lawyers, Real Estate Law: Commercial, 2017, 2023-2024
- Leading Lawyers, Real Estate Law: Finance, 2017, 2023-2024
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Professional & Community Involvement
- American Bar Association
- Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers, 1986-present
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Institute for Responsible Housing Preservation
- Michigan Housing Council
- Chairman, 2010-2012
- President, 2008-2010
- National Leased Housing Association
- State Bar of Michigan
- Committees on Syndications and Commercial Transactions, Chairman, 1977-1978
- Real Property Law Section Real Estate Section Council, 1989-1999
- The Greening of Detroit
- Board of Commissioners, 2010-2013
- Treasurer, 2012-2013
- Jewish Federation Apartments (now known as Jewish Senior Living of Metropolitan Detroit)
- Board of Directors, 1975-1980
- President, 1980-1983
- Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL)