JERSEY CITY, N.J. — BHI, a full-service commercial bank that is the U.S division of Israel’s Bank Hapoalim, has provided a $36 million construction loan for 144 First Street, an 84-unit multifamily project in Jersey City. The 115,000-square-foot, transit-served property will be located in the Powerhouse Arts District. The borrower is locally based developer EPIRE. Fogarty Finger is the project architect, and Molfetta Corp. is the general contractor. Completion is slated for June 2023.
The multifamily investment sales sector had well-documented success in 2021 with a record volume of over $220 billion in transaction activity. Factors driving competition for transactions within the sector included: increasing home prices, widespread interest in renting and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions bringing renters back into the nation’s cities, all of which drove the average, nationwide multifamily occupancy rate above 97 percent. With firmly rooted fundamentals, investor interest across the spectrum of multifamily has been intense. Traditionally popular core investment products (stabilized and value-add assets located in primary and secondary markets) were the clear winners with investors. Some multifamily REIT stocks increased by 75 to 100 percent in 2021, explains Arthur Milston, senior managing director with NAI Global and co-head of the company’s Capital Markets Group. Milston sat down with REBusinessOnline to explain where NAI Global sees growth and opportunities in 2022. REBusiness: Who are the primary investor groups acquiring multifamily? What types/locations are they attracted to? Milston: Historically, multifamily has always had very fragmented ownership compared to other asset classes. Currently, the dominant players are the large aggregators of product, whether it be REITs or institutional investors that are buying, typically in conjunction with an operating partner. Pension …
PLANO, TEXAS — Ohio-based developer MVAH Partners LLC is underway on construction of K Avenue Lofts, a 226-unit mixed-income housing project in the northern Dallas suburb of Plano. Within the five-story building, 79 percent of the units will be reserved for households earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI). The remaining residences will be rented at market rates. Amenities will include a leasing office/clubhouse, crafts room, fitness center, business center, media room, pet park, playground and a pool. Completion is slated for summer 2023. David Lacki and Alton Tinker of KeyBank originated a $39.6 million construction loan for the project. The Plano Housing Authority issued $19 million in bonds that were sold by KeyBanc Capital Markets, and $19 million of KeyBank’s construction loan will serve as collateral for the bondholders. In addition, The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs awarded Low Income Housing Tax Credits for the deal.
GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS — New York City-based Dwight Capital has provided a $32.4 million HUD construction loan for The Gibson, a 199-unit apartment community in the central metroplex city of Grand Prairie. The five-story building will be situated on a 4.4-acre site and will house studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Amenities will include a clubhouse, dog park and a rooftop terrace. Josh Sasouness of Dwight Capital originated the financing on behalf of the undisclosed borrower. Completion is slated for the first half of 2023.
HOUSTON — Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. (MMCC) has arranged an $18.5 million acquisition loan for a portfolio of three industrial buildings totaling 225,000 square feet in Houston. The portfolio was built in phases, with the most current component delivered in 2019, and is occupied by metal products supplier G&H Diversified Manufacturing. Frank Montalto and Dean Giannakopoulos of MMCC arranged the 10-year loan, which carried a 65 percent loan-to-value ratio and five years of interest-only payments. The borrower was not disclosed.
PHILADELPHIA — Los Angeles-based PCCP LLC has provided a $500 million loan to fund the redevelopment of the former PES oil refinery in South Philadelphia into a 15 million-square-foot logistics and life sciences campus that will be known as The Bellwether District. The borrower, a joint venture led by Hilco Redevelopment Partners, acquired the 1,300-acre property in 2020 out of bankruptcy. The transformation of the site includes the decommissioning of the refinery and significant demolition and remediation work, including the abatement of roughly 30,000 tons of asbestos. Redevelopment efforts initially commenced in June 2020. Site work and vertical construction are expected to commence this year, with the first tenants expected to occupy buildings in 2023.
WEST NEW YORK, N.J. — CBRE has arranged a $135 million loan for the refinancing of The Capstone at Port Imperial, a 360-unit apartment community located across the Hudson River from Manhattan in West New York. Completed in January 2021, the property features studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units, as well as retail space and a 570-space parking deck. Amenities include a pool, indoor and outdoor fitness areas, movie theater and a rooftop lounge. Michael Sherman, Shawn Rosenthal and Jake Salkovitz of CBRE arranged the loan through U.S. Bank on behalf of the borrower, a partnership between Veris Residential Inc. and an undisclosed global investment manager.
INDIANAPOLIS — Lument has provided a $43.2 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Gardens of Canal Court in Indianapolis. The 421-unit, garden-style apartment community consists of 18 buildings with three pools and 654 parking spaces. The property is 97 percent occupied. James Kress and Jim Croft of Lument originated the loan, which features a 12-year term with one year of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The undisclosed borrower currently owns about 5,000 multifamily units, most of which are located in the Indianapolis area.
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILL. — Associated Bank has arranged a $36.8 million loan for the acquisition and expansion of Oakbrook Estates in Crystal Lake, about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The age-restricted manufactured housing community includes 300 homes. The sale includes excess land on which another 114 homes will be built. Associated Bank served as lead arranger and administrative agent, working with Great Southern Bank. Edward Notz of Associated Bank handled the loan arrangements and closing. The borrower was a partnership between Marc Realty and Ravinia Communities.
The small balance multifamily lending industry is antiquated, leaving thousands of prospective borrowers behind in a booming market. Multifamily property owners need access to fast, reliable quotes and a streamlined approach to financing. The current industry practice of quoting from rate sheets does not present a holistic or dynamic picture for borrowers or lenders. Walker & Dunlop is offering an alternative approach with a new digital lending platform that utilizes machine learning to quickly provide customized quotes for small balance multifamily acquisition and refinance loans. The rapid pace of lending means that borrowers need strategic partnerships with small balance loan experts that provide personalized customer experience backed by the data science capabilities to pull comparables, as well as online tools that can both streamline and inform processes. Sponsored: As the #1 multifamily lender in the U.S., Walker & Dunlop is launching a digital lending platform that will deliver tailored quotes in minutes for acquisitions and refinances. The platform uses machine learning powered by millions of data points from Walker & Dunlop’s proprietary property database to offer clients accuracy, transparency and confidence from kickoff to closing. The State of Small Balance Lending Small multifamily properties account for roughly 85 percent of …
