Features

Seniors Housing Sellers Are Highly Motivated Coming Out of COVID-19, Webinar Panel Concludes

by Jeff Shaw February 1, 2021

Seniors housing investors may be switching from development to acquisitions in the near term, as highly motivated sellers seek to unload existing properties at a lower price than the cost of building a new community. The prospect of highly motivated sellers has largely come as a result of the stresses of operating seniors housing during a global pandemic. “We’re starting to see valuations that are well below what we can develop for,” said Bill Pettit of R.D. Merrill Co. “If it’s the right business model and the right locations, we’ll be much more active on the acquisitions side moving forward.” Pettit’s comments came during a webinar entitled “Seniors Housing Valuation Outlook: What’s Ahead for 2021?” The event, held Thursday, Jan. 28, also included Rich Lerner of Housing & Healthcare Finance, Adam Heavenrich of Heavenrich & Co., Michelle Kelly of National Health Investors (NHI), Chris Kronenberger of Blue Moon Capital Partners and moderator JP LoMonaco of Valuation & Information Group. “Value by nature is a long-term concept,” said LoMonaco. “Value is created by the anticipated benefits of ownership over the long term. But short-term issues can cause short-term impacts on value.” LoMonaco noted that the acquisitions market for seniors housing was …

February 1, 2021

Features Hospitality Industrial Multifamily Office Retail Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

COVID-19 Takes Heavy Toll on Commercial Property Values

by John Nelson January 29, 2021

By Brian Morrissey, Esq. and Lisa Stuckey, Esq. of Ragsdale Beals Seigler Patterson & Gray LLP Few commercial properties emerged with unscathed values from the harsh economic climate of 2020. Yet Georgia and many jurisdictions like it valued commercial real estate for property taxation that year with a valuation date of Jan. 1, 2020 — nearly three months before COVID-19 thrust the U.S. economy into turmoil. This means governments taxed commercial properties for all of 2020 on values that ignored the severe economic consequences those properties endured for more than 75 percent of the calendar year. When property owners begin to receive notices of 2021 assessments, which Georgia assessors typically mail out in April through June each year, property owners can at last seek to lighten their tax burden by arguing for reduced assessments. The pandemic hurt some real estate types more than others, however, and with both short-term effects and some that may continue to depress asset values for years. For taxpayers contesting their assessments, the challenge will be to show the combination of COVID-19 consequences affecting their property, and the extent of resulting value losses. The experiences of 2020 can serve as a roadmap for valuations in the …

January 29, 2021

Brickhouse Walker Dunlop Multifamily Washington D.C.

Content Partner District of Columbia Multifamily Southeast Southeast Feature Archive Walker & Dunlop

Spotlight on D.C.: Apartment Assets Resist Economic Turbulence

by Sarah Daniels January 28, 2021

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area has been a perennial favorite for multifamily capital, particularly pension funds, life companies, family offices and other institutional investors and is often regarded as “recession-proof.” However, as we all know, 2020 was a year like no other. What impacts have COVID-19 and recent economic turmoil had on this market’s luster, and what do the prospects look like for investors, owners and operators in the long term? An Economy Buffered by Government and Technology The D.C. Metro’s response to the crisis has been one of the most robust, with local the economy currently 90 percent + open for business and no signs of a dip back into lockdown. From the initial shutdowns in March 2020 to the continued uncertainty of today, cities with heavy representation in retail, tourism and service sectors have experienced significant economic repercussions from COVID-19. In Washington, D.C., by contrast, having the federal government as the city’s largest employer has served as a major buffer. D.C. experienced a particularly acute government-mandated economic shutdown from March to May. While payroll performance in the District of Columbia’s leisure and hospitality sector declined nearly 60 percent from May 2019 to May 2020, jobs in this sector …

January 28, 2021

Features Hospitality Industrial Mixed-Use Multifamily New Jersey Northeast Office Property Type Restaurant Retail

US Commercial, Multifamily Construction Starts Down 20 Percent in 2020, Says Dodge Data

by John Nelson January 26, 2021

HAMILTON, N.J. —The value of commercial and multifamily construction starts in 2020 tumbled 20 percent to end the year at $193.4 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Within the top 20 metropolitan areas that the Hamilton-based research firm tracks, the fall was more severe as that group’s starts fell by 23 percent in value, or $111.1 billion. Overall, commercial real estate starts fell 26 percent in value to $104 billion, while multifamily building activity slid by 11 percent to $89.5 billion. Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Data, says that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on commercial and multifamily construction across the country with only a few markets seeing year-over-year increases in construction starts compared to 2019. “The construction sector will show signs of recovery in 2021, but, the road back to full recovery will be long and difficult. The effects of the pandemic on the U.S. economy and building markets will be felt for several years,” says Branch. “While some areas stabilized over the summer, the current wave of the virus has further hindered activity.” Only one metro area in Dodge Data’s top 10, Phoenix, reported a year-over increase in construction starts. The No. 7 …

January 26, 2021

Development Features Multifamily Seniors Housing

InterFace Panel: Seniors Housing Development Pushes Forward Despite Many COVID Delays

by Jeff Shaw January 22, 2021

Seniors housing construction has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic — but perhaps not on the developers’ original timelines. “We have seen just about every obstacle thrown at us, from government shutdowns to disruptions in the supply chain to subcontractors contracting COVID to inspectors not showing up,” said Charlie Jennings, chief development officer, Harbor Retirement Associates. “Every time I start to think the worst is behind us, there’s something waiting around the corner. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve gotten past that hump yet.” Harbor’s current seniors project under construction is now scheduled for completion about six months late due to COVID-19 complications, Jennings added. The comments came during a panel titled “The Development Outlook: Experts Analyze The Smartest Plays For Developers in 2021” during France Media’s InterFace Seniors Housing Investment, Development & Operations conference, held virtually in early December. Other panelists included Bryan Schachter, chief investment officer, Watermark Retirement Communities; Frank Muraca, president and senior planner, ARCH Consultants; Adam Kaplan, founder and CEO, Solera Senior Living; Chuck Hastings, vice president of finance and business development, Juniper Communities; and moderator Ryan Frederick, founder and CEO, SmartLiving 360. Schachter said that Watermark has seen development delays of four to six months for its …

January 22, 2021

Features

The Presentation Of Obsolescence Helps Commercial Property Owners Achieve Successful Tax Appeals

by Alex Tostado January 20, 2021

By Angela Adolph, Esq. Judith Viorst, author of the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, had nothing on 2020. By virtually every metric, 2020 was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Most states have some sort of catastrophe exemption for a property tax abatement or reduction tied to a defined disaster event. These statutes are state-specific, however, and few states had authority to address whether a property had to have sustained physical damage to qualify for catastrophe relief on property taxes. Most states, including Texas, eventually concluded that some form of physical damage was necessary for property values to be reduced following a disaster. Its neighbor, Louisiana, went the other direction, concluding that its disaster statute did not require physical damage, only that the property be inoperable due to a declaration of emergency by the governor. Accordingly, property values for the 2020 tax year could be reduced in Louisiana due to COVID-19-related economic losses. Pandemic paper trails Fortunately, 2021 gives all taxpayers a fresh start. Most states use Jan. 1 as the “lien date,” or valuation date for determining fair market value of property subject to ad valorem tax. For income-producing properties, …

January 20, 2021

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Distressed Property Outlook: Valbridge Forecasts 2021 Opportunities

by Sarah Daniels January 19, 2021

When the pandemic took hold and rents of commercial properties began to waver, many experts in the industry expected a flood of distressed properties to hit the market in mid- to late 2020. To date, however, that hasn’t happened to a large extent. Valuation firms assumed they would get busier as properties fell upon hard times. Karl Finkelstein is vice president of Business Development and senior managing director for Valbridge Property Advisors, an independent, commercial valuation and advisory services firm based in Naples, Fla. with 80 offices nationwide. Finkelstein spoke recently to REBusinessOnline and explains that while not many high-profile sales have happened, other factors have kept those in his area of the industry busy in recent times. Finkelstein covers likely outcomes for distressed properties in 2021 and which sectors are performing well. A flight to quality, low rates and a reevaluation of shifting pandemic timelines have meant that the valuation business has its work cut out for it. Asset Type Winners and Losers There isn’t much surprising in the list of property types experiencing difficulties at the moment. Lodging properties (especially those tied to conventions), fly-to resorts, urban retail and standalone restaurants (particularly those without drive-thrus) all experienced a …

January 19, 2021

Features Loans

What an Uncertain Commercial Real Estate Outlook in 2021 Means for Financing

by Jeff Shaw January 15, 2021

By Steven Caligor, BHI In these early days of 2021, there appears to be some cautious prospects of hope. A COVID-19 resurgence both internationally and domestically, further lockdowns, and even a new variant of the virus create uncertainty. However, the vaccine rollout has sparked market rallies, along with hopes of returning to a degree of normalcy toward the end of the year. We now have a stimulus package and a new presidential administration. Yet this scenario is tempered by a focus on the predicted winter COVID activity, thus creating further question marks. Even the economic forecasts present a mixed picture. The base case from the Conference Board calls for a 3.4 percent annual expansion of the U.S. economy in 2021. Yet the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that GDP will increase 4.2 percent in 2021, and the CBRE Real Estate Market Outlook forecasts 4.5 percent GDP growth this year. The ambiguity of where we are in the COVID crisis — whether there is an end in sight and when — will determine prospects for the real estate sector. In 2021, the real estate story will be all about asset class, density and geography. For each of these aspects, to paraphrase …

January 15, 2021

Content Partner Features Multifamily Walker & Dunlop

Multifamily Market Offers Resilience in the Face of Economic Pressures

by Sarah Daniels January 14, 2021

A Tale of Two Cities “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” More than 150 years later, the iconic Dickens quote still strikes a chord. While every recession is different, the pandemic-induced shelter-in-place rules quickly sent the U.S. economy into the deepest recession on record in the second quarter. Fortunately, economic recovery, at least thus far, is proving to be just as swift — in certain areas. While unemployment rates dropped quickly from 14.7 percent in April to 6.7 percent in December, a more detailed look shows widening inequality that has yet to be resolved. For those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, unemployment peaked at only 8.4 percent in April and has since fallen to 3.8 percent — a rate that was once thought to be near the point of equilibrium for the economy. Unemployment rates for those with less than a high school education peaked at 21.2 percent and for those with a high school education, at 17.7 percent. To add to the current volatile environment, the contentious U.S. presidential election kept investors on edge, assessing political as well as economic uncertainty, at least in the near-term. Volatility indices remain somewhat elevated, although …

January 14, 2021

Features Retail

Reduce High Retail Occupancy Costs by Ensuring Property Valuation Isn’t Excessive

by Jeff Shaw January 11, 2021

By Morris Ellison, Womble Bond Dickinson E-commerce was here to stay even before the pandemic devastated small businesses and placed an even greater premium on technology. In the changed landscape, lowering occupancy costs by reducing property taxes is one of the most important steps businesses can take to remain competitive. Stay-at-home orders still prevent many shoppers from visiting their favorite brick-and-mortar stores, while fear of contagion exacerbates consumers’ reluctance to shop in person. Regardless of customer traffic, however, retailers still incur fixed costs including insurance, enterprise software, property taxes and, arguably, rent. Online-only retailers’ occupancy costs are much lower, making it difficult for small brick-and-mortar businesses to compete. Put differently, sales taxes decline with reduced sales but property taxes do not. Landlords and tenants in triple net leases often fail to examine property taxes, but the survival of both may depend on reducing this cost. Other costs such as insurance and the enterprise software needed to run the business generally lie beyond a small business’ control and do not diminish with reduced business volume. The active 2020 hurricane season certainly has not reduced insurance costs. During the pandemic, some landlords have deferred or forgiven rent, but this forbearance provides no …

January 11, 2021

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