Features

Brian Cornell Hotel to Mulitfamily conversion

Underutilized Hotel Properties Present Conversion Opportunities for Multifamily, Affordable Housing

by Sarah Daniels June 27, 2023

Walker & Dunlop is finding financial success while helping to provide high-demand, affordable housing in key markets by converting hotel assets into multifamily buildings. Brian Cornell, managing director at Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (WDIP), says his firm is identifying hotels that are already built out and can accommodate market-rate multifamily use. Extended-stay hotels have the best layout for this type of conversion because their footprint already includes the floor plans and many of the amenities that multifamily residents expect. “The units are typically one-bedroom, but with some two-bedroom suites and studios,” he outlines. “This creates a variety of unit types within the existing physical build-out of the property, and these assets can operate as true multifamily without having to combine walls and do extensive capital renovations.” When it comes to location, Cornell explains, “We prefer infill locations that have strong employment drivers and a dearth of affordable housing.” Underutilized Properties, Multifamily Strategies The three investments Walker & Dunlop has done in the past two years are in the heart of commercial corridors, in areas where there are limited multifamily projects within a two-to-three-mile radius offering rents that can support an 80 percent area median income (AMI) threshold. One is …

June 27, 2023

Features Hospitality

Hotel Sector Soars on Longer Stays, Increased Demand

by Jeff Shaw June 23, 2023

By Ryan Kawai Sanchez The average length of stay in hotels has undergone a notable shift since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many travelers have opted to extend their hotel stays for longer durations. According to industry reports, the average length of stay in hotels has increased by approximately 20 to 25 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. This trend has been observed across various hospitality industry segments, including leisure and business travel. According to forecasts, the hotel industry in the United States is expected to surpass its pre-pandemic record with 1.3 billion occupied room nights in 2023. This projection indicates a significant increase of 56.9 percent from the lowest point in 2020, which was 831.64 million occupied room nights. From 2021 to 2022, the demand for hotels experienced an improvement of 11.1 percent. In April 2020, over 75 percent of hotel rooms in the country were unoccupied, as reported by STR. However, three years later, the hotel industry has significantly recovered and is expected to continue this positive trend in the coming year. The average hotel occupancy rate in the United States is projected to be 63.8 percent in 2023, a remarkable improvement from the historic low of 43.9 …

June 23, 2023

Content Partner Development Features Leasing Activity Midwest NAI Northeast Retail Southeast Texas Western

Retailers Eager to Expand Despite Higher Rental Rates, Development Slowdowns

by Sarah Daniels June 22, 2023

Retailers, developers and leasing agents who attended the ICSC LAS VEGAS 2023 conference in May left the show cautiously upbeat about the state of retail. It was only the second consecutive gathering since the pandemic shut down the annual show in 2020 and 2021, and many brands made known their intent to remain in expansion mode, especially fast-casual restaurants, car washes, coffee shops, auto parts stores, entertainment concepts and medical services. The only obstacle stopping them at this point is the higher rental rates that they may have to pay as a consequence of higher construction costs, says George Macoubray, vice president of retail brokerage for NAI Elliott in Portland, Oregon. “A lot of these concepts are doing well,” declares Macoubray, whose Northwest Retail Advisors team represents landlords and regional and national tenants throughout Oregon and Washington. “We’ll see how far these tenants can go in terms of what they pay to fill new projects, but the enthusiasm and willingness to grow is definitely there.” Practicing Vigilance The same can’t be said for ICSC conference attendees who are on the capital markets side of the business. Higher interest rates have fueled a bid-ask spread between buyers and lenders, while regulatory …

June 22, 2023

Affordable Housing Build-to-Rent Conference Coverage Features Multifamily North Carolina Single-Family Rental South Carolina Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Suburbs Are King for Carolinas Multifamily Market, Say InterFace Panelists

by John Nelson June 21, 2023

Suburban markets in the Carolinas are the big winners in the current multifamily landscape, both from a new development and rent growth perspective, according to the various panelists at the InterFace Carolinas Multifamily conference. Hosted by InterFace Conference Group and Southeast Real Estate Business, the annual event took place on May 25 at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown hotel. At the end of the leasing and operations panel, moderator Mike Susen, senior director of real estate at Greystar, asked the property managers on stage if they could manage any product type in any Carolinas market, which they would choose. The consensus was their dream assignments lie in the suburbs. “Let’s do mid-rise suburbs, something out toward Matthews or the Mint Hill area,” said Amanda Kitts, senior vice president of property management at Northwood Ravin, referring to the suburbs of Charlotte. “I’d want to do product that those markets haven’t seen yet.” “Suburban product is still really strong right now,” added Bob Moore, co-founder and CEO of FCA Management LLC. “Tertiary markets are going to surprise you. You’ll see opportunities to do some deals where there has been a lot lower supply.” Property managers are keen to handle suburban communities because those …

June 21, 2023

Jeff Salladin Nervous Financing Market quote

Acquisitions Content Partner Features Loans Midwest Multifamily Northeast Southeast Texas Western

Borrowers Looking to Debt Funds in a Nervous Financing Market

by Sarah Daniels June 20, 2023

For real estate investors who have an acquisition teed up or who need to refinance, the prospects of finding debt today are arguably the bleakest they have been since the financial crisis 15 years ago. Higher interest rates and concerns over growing distress convinced banks and other lenders to move to the sidelines several months ago, thwarting commercial real estate investment sales. In turn, that is fueling broad uncertainty over what properties are really worth, which only begets more unease among banks. But private debt funds, which typically provide short-term rate bridge loans, are more likely to make deals when banks will not, says Jeff Salladin, a managing director with Dallas-based debt fund Revere Capital. That’s because debt funds like Revere raise capital from sophisticated investors to fund their loans, he says, while banks rely on deposits. That subjects banks to stringent regulatory oversight, which is especially intense in today’s debt climate. “All investors dislike uncertainty, and banks are investors by another definition,” states Salladin, who oversees real estate lending for Revere. “As a result, we could be in the first inning of a golden era for debt funds like ourselves, because we’re more flexible in way banks can’t be.” …

June 20, 2023

Build-to-Rent Features Single-Family Rental

RentCafe: Number of New Build-to-Rent Projects is Skyrocketing

by Jeff Shaw June 15, 2023

The construction of new build-to-rent (BTR) homes hit a record in 2022, with more than 14,500 houses completed, according to a RentCafe analysis of Yardi Matrix data. This is a 47 percent increase in deliveries from 2021. Now, approximately 44,700 BTR homes are under construction across America, triple the number of new homes completed in 2022. Prior to 2020, RentCafe notes, only about 6,000 BTR units were completed annually. RentCafe cited data from the firm’s sister company, Yardi Matrix. The data includes properties defined as single-family homes for rent that are in build-to-rent, professionally managed communities covered by Yardi Matrix research. The study is based on data related to BTR communities comprising at least 50 units. “In the wake of the 2008 housing crisis, the number of renter-occupied single-family houses in the United States increased by more than 2.5 million between 2009 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,” comments Doug Ressler, manager of business intelligence at Yardi Matrix. “Institutional SFR (single-family rental) growth remains focused on BTR product, as home sales have declined in recent months due to lack of inventory and rising mortgage rates,” continues Ressler. “Although home prices have remained surprisingly firm, the number of homes on the market for …

June 15, 2023

Content Partner Features Industrial Leasing Activity Midwest NAI Northeast Southeast Texas Western

Rewards, Risk Mitigation Fuel Cell Tower Lease Sales

by Sarah Daniels June 14, 2023

A rapidly evolving connectivity frontier is shaping the future of cell tower lease sales and encouraging many commercial property owners who rent space to tower companies to sell their leases at values at the top of the market. Telecom carriers have considerably slowed their buildouts for 5G networks and are already preparing for 6G mobile networks, expected to roll out around 2024. Brokers are seeking to amend and renegotiate old cell tower leases in the face of predicted wireless infrastructure obsolescence and connectivity innovations, which may negate some physical infrastructure needs entirely. The key to maximizing sale proceeds in this landscape is to secure landlord-friendly terms and ensure clarity in a new lease or renewal. Among other elements, building owners must insist on strong insurance indemnities and well-defined subordination, non-disturbance and attornment (SDNA) in the amended agreements. But no landlord demand may be more important to future value than denying the tenant a right of first refusal to purchase the lease, says David Moore, CEO and principal of NAI Global Wireless, a Redlands, California-based national wireless real estate brokerage that represents landlords. Cell tower leases in which tenants don’t have right of first refusal are more appealing to buyers, a …

June 14, 2023

Features Multifamily

Large-Scale Apartment Renovations: Five Tips to Create a Positive Resident Experience

by Taylor Williams June 13, 2023

By Ron Fanish, co-owner, Rainbow International Restoration of Westchester Operating an apartment complex is no easy task. Property managers must juggle a long list of duties, from serving current residents and recruiting new tenants to maintaining buildings. Among the most challenging of these tasks is implementing large-scale apartment renovations. These undertakings comprise many complicated moving parts — managing contractors, overseeing budgets and ensuring the project does not significantly disrupt residents’ quality of life. This last element is especially important. Apartment renovations have the potential to be majorly disruptive by generating noise, clutter and limited access to utilities. In some cases, residents may even be temporarily displaced from their homes. For this reason, it’s essential for property managers to prioritize positive resident experiences during the renovation process. Here are five strategies for doing precisely this. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Since large-scale apartment renovations can have such significant impacts on residents’ day-to-day lives, there’s no such thing as over-communication. Start by giving advance notice about the project as soon as possible and providing thorough details on duration, potential noise and other disturbances. Also, operators must ensure that they’re communicating across multiple channels so residents don’t miss any updates. Use email, paper bulletins, text …

June 13, 2023

Features Retail

Buyer, Seller Disconnect Continues Amid Challenging Retail Lending Environment

by Katie Sloan June 8, 2023

When comparing this year’s retail investment sales market to last year’s, the main difference is the dramatic increase in the cost of capital. Naturally, this has led to a decrease in transaction activity and a disconnect between buyers and sellers. Over the past year, the Federal Reserve has raised the federal funds rate nine times for a total of 475 basis points to tame inflation. These actions have led to a sharp rise in commercial mortgage rates, which have a significant impact on pricing. The average mortgage rate on loans closed in the fourth quarter of 2022 across all commercial real estate asset classes was 5.3 percent, according to CBRE, up from 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021. Additionally, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), 2023 represents the largest year in bank failures in terms of total assets since 2008. In March, the FDIC took the reins at two regional banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, after massive bank runs. “Many would-be sellers are on the sidelines due to the downward pressure on pricing, leading to lower transaction velocity,” says Matt Hazelton, senior director with JLL Capital Markets in Minneapolis. “Property values have decreased about …

June 8, 2023

Features Student Housing

How to Reduce Student Housing Property Tax Assessments Post-Pandemic

by Katie Sloan June 6, 2023

Not long ago, assessors’ student housing properties valuations generally struggled keeping pace with the rising market. College enrollment was high, rent growth outpaced expenses and student expectations lined up with most newer facility amenities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout changed the game. Property taxes are often the single highest expense on a property’s profit and loss statement. When market changes make student housing less profitable, the tax burden should not be allowed to remain high. When this occurs, the assessor’s property valuation needs to be challenged and reduced. Projecting Income: Look Forward, Not Back Many jurisdictions assess student housing properties’ value using a cost approach. A computer system estimates the cost to build the property new, then deducts physical depreciation based on the property’s age. Due to skyrocketing construction costs, those depreciation deductions are outpaced by base cost increases. It is common to see cost-based values increase despite struggles facing the real estate market. Owners can combat increases by appealing the assessor’s value. When a student housing property owner files an assessment appeal, the appeal review board often evaluates the three prior years’ operating income. This allows the appeal board to develop an income model intended to represent …

June 6, 2023

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