There may be uncertainties within the market and larger economy, but Tom Turnage, vice president of Bellwether Enterprise, believes much of the activity on which 2018 hung its hat will continue. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are coming off record years, as are companies like Bellwether. Turnage believes the multifamily and industrial markets will remain active…but so will competition. This means borrowers and lenders must approach this year with creativity and flexibility. Both will be key to success in this lending environment. Watch the video for insights from Turnage on the lending landscape in the coming year.
Ernie Katai, executive vice president and head of production, and Christopher Philipps, head of small loan originations at Berkadia, believe commercial real estate lending activity will continue with steady momentum through 2019. Katai was admittedly nervous about last year’s interest rate increases, but was happy to see his worry was for naught as the commercial market took it in stride. In Katai’s experience, investors have remained active. Most are willing to accept lower returns, which won’t keep them from buying in 2019. Philipps is focused on future growth. He notes Berkadia’s intention to utilize new small balance loan programs from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer a wider spectrum of resources to current clients, while introducing a new pool of borrowers to the firm. Watch the video for more insights from Katai and Philipps.
NEW YORK CITY — Greystone Bassuk has arranged a $59 million loan to refinance The Nicole, a 19-story, 149-unit multifamily building in the Midtown West neighborhood of Manhattan. Located at 400 W. 55th St., the property was completed in 2003 and is comprised of 149 residential units as well as 34,000 square feet of commercial space. Drew Fletcher, Matthew Klauer and Steven Deck of Greystone Bassuk secured a 15-year, fixed-rate loan on behalf of the borrower, Gotham Organization Inc., through lender Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital.
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — HFF has secured a $17.6 million acquisition loan for a mixed-use building, located at 1404-1408 Third St. in Santa Monica. The borrower is Blatteis & Schnur. Marc Schillinger and Paul Brindley of HFF arranged the floating-rate loan with a debt fund as the lender. Upon expiration of existing leasing and attainment of entitlements Blatteis & Schnur has plans to develop a new building on the site. The mixed-use building totals 14,584 square feet of two-story creative office space and ground-floor retail space, which is occupied by Lush and Chilli Beans.
PHOENIX — Hunt Real Estate Capital has provided a $7 million bridge loan for the acquisition of Hawthorne Court at Ahwatukee, a seniors housing property located in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix. The borrower is a joint venture partnership between Pasadena, Calif.-based CALCAP Real Estate Advisors and Greg Roderick, president and CEO of Frontier Management. Brady Johnson, Kathryn Burton Gary and Michael Jones of Hunt Real Estate Capital originated the 24-month loan, which features interest-only payments for the entire term. Built in 2000 and renovated in 2016, Hawthorne Court features 44 memory-care units in a mix of private and semi-private rooms, all with private bathrooms. On-site amenities include an outdoor courtyard and patio, dining room, lounge area, activity room, beauty salon and open-concept sitting space. The seller was Senior Resource Group, represented by Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors.
Chad Thomas Hagwood, senior managing director and Southeast regional manager at Hunt Real Estate Capital, believes times are changing. Hagwood asserts a change in perception is what originally made multifamily such a popular investment years ago. He believes another change is necessary to address our nation’s housing and affordability crises. Hagwood sees manufactured housing as being a partial solution to these challenges. Like the broader multifamily market, this specialty product has suffered from an image problem in the past. While lenders have been willing, borrowers haven’t always been sold on the product. Hagwood is confident that the industry will come around, however, as increased competition leads to creativity — and an opportunity may be staring investors right in the face. Watch the video to hear more about Hagwood’s predictions for 2019.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Arbor Realty Trust Inc. has provided a $61.2 million bridge loan for AT&T City Center, a 30-story office building in Birmingham. Joseph Charneski of Arbor Realty Trust originated the loan for VCP City Center, which bought the building in November 2018 for $31 million. The borrower plans to use the funds to convert the 617,453-square-foot building into a mixed-use building, offering residential, retail and office space. The loan also covered acquisition costs for the borrower.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hunt Real Estate Capital has provided a total of $21 million in acquisition and renovation financing for Village 1373, a 332-unit apartment complex in Greensboro. The asset consists of 17 two-story buildings that were built in 1987 and 1996. RJ Guttroff of Hunt Real Estate Capital said the undisclosed borrow plans to rebrand the property and implement more than $4 million worth of upgrades. Interior upgrades will include granite countertops, new cabinets, stainless steel appliances, wood-vinyl plank flooring, painting and new fixtures. Exterior improvements will include new signage, security gate, landscaping, replacing and painting exterior siding, replacing sliding glass doors and windows, asphalt repairs, roof access repairs and amenity upgrades to the fitness center, clubhouse and pool area, including the addition of a dining area with grills. The property was 90 percent occupied at the time of sale.
DEDHAM, MASS. — EagleBridge Capital has secured a $17.8 million construction loan for Dior, a four-story, mixed-use development in Dedham. Located at 910-928 Providence Highway, the 46,525-square-foot property consists of 48 one- and two-bedroom residential units as well as 9,700 square feet of street-level retail space. The apartments will feature Energy Star rated stainless steel appliances, drawer microwaves, custom cabinetry and quartz counters. Brian Sheehan and Ted Sidel of EagleBridge secured the financing on behalf of the undisclosed borrower through an undisclosed Massachusetts financial institution. Terms of the financing were not disclosed.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — HFF has arranged a $27.5 million loan for the refinancing of 100 Park at Century Square, a 249-unit multifamily community in College Station. The property is located near Texas A&M University within the 60-acre Century Square mixed-use development. Floor plans consist of studio, one- and two-bedroom units and amenities include a pool, fitness center and an outdoor lounge. Colby Mueck, Timothy Joyce, Stephen Skok and Stuart Hepler of HFF arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between Houston-based Midway Cos. and Chicago-based Harrison Street, through an affiliate of Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc.