2021 was an exciting year in the multifamily financing market, and for Berkadia mortgage banking — we originated over $40 billion in volume for our clients across our various lender programs, an increase of 50 percent over our 2020 volumes. Every lender in the market demonstrated a strong appetite for originating loans and increased their holdings of mortgages, which was crucial given that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) lowered the caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $70 billion each. While the final numbers haven’t been released yet, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) projected the market would originate $578 billion of loans backed by commercial real estate in 2021, a 31 percent increase from 2020 ($442 billion) and just below 2019’s record volume of $601 billion. The fundamentals of the multifamily sector drove unbelievable rent growth, which in turn drove increased investor interest. In 2021, we advised on 762 investment sales transactions, totaling close to $27 billion in volume, a truly record-breaking year for us! This tremendous investor appetite brought about an enhanced need for financing, and often more creative financing. With the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) more limited, life companies and commercial banks answered the call, but the …
Midwest
A lot has changed in the world since the beginning days of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Fast forward to November 2021 and the world is a very different place. Over 46 million people have been infected in the United States alone with over 750,000 deaths officially attributed to the virus. Most businesses have been forced to shut down in-person work for some period of time and many have instituted remote work programs until the beginning of 2022. The real question on everyone’s mind is when will we return to normal and more specifically, what will the new normal look like? Although we will most certainly have to deal with the aftereffects of COVID-19 and any variants that surface, there is light at the end of the tunnel. To date, approximately 427 million doses of the vaccine have been administered with over 192 million people fully vaccinated. Recently, Pfizer announced that it has developed an easy-to-administer COVID-19 pill, which when used in combination with a widely used HIV drug, can cut the risk of hospitalizations or death by 89 percent in high-risk adults who have been exposed to the virus. Given the combination of vaccinations, natural immunity for those …
ITASCA, ILL. — Sovereign Partners LLC has acquired Two Pierce Place, a 25-story office tower in Itasca. Piedmont Office Realty Trust sold the asset for approximately $24 million, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. The 489,876-square-foot property is situated within the 300-acre Hamilton Lakes Business Park. Two Pierce Place was built in 1991 and formerly served as the headquarters of Gallagher Insurance. Crain’s reports that the building is now more than 60 percent vacant. Amenities include a deli, sundry shop, fitness center, tenant lounge, covered parking and access to lakes and walking trails. Matthew Schoenfeldt of JLL arranged acquisition financing through an insurance company.
ROCKFORD, ILL. — Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. has arranged the sale of Rockford Commons, an 89,000-square-foot shopping center in Rockford, for an undisclosed price. Ross Dress for Less and Best Buy anchor the property, which was fully leased at the time of sale. Chad Firsel of Quantum represented the seller, Chicago-based Core Acquisitions LLC. Daniel Waszak of Quantum represented the buyer, a Dallas-based REIT. The sale also included an outparcel for future development.
LANSING, MICH. — Ready Capital has closed a $7.7 million loan for the acquisition, renovation and stabilization of a two-property multifamily portfolio in Lansing. The portfolio totals 262 garden-style units. The undisclosed borrower plans to implement a capital improvement program to renovate unit interiors and address deferred maintenance. The nonrecourse loan features a three-year term, floating rate and interest-only payments.
JUSTICE, ILL. — Cawley Chicago has brokered the sale of a 45,000-square-foot medical office building in Justice, a southern suburb of Chicago. The sales price was undisclosed. Willow Springs Surgery Center anchors the two-story facility, which is located at 9050 W. 81st St. Rawly Lantz and Justin Harris of Cawley Chicago represented the seller, First Step Holdings, and will retain the leasing assignment moving forward. A private local investor was the buyer.
CLEVELAND — Bloomfield Capital has provided a $4 million senior bridge loan for a 100,000-square-foot industrial property in Cleveland. The undisclosed borrower has owned the building for several years and plans to utilize the loan to finalize interior renovations and upgrades to the property, which is more than 90 percent leased to retail and food processing tenants. The borrower plans to refinance the bridge loan with a conventional loan in 12 months.
HOPKINS, MINN. — Bridge Investment Group has purchased Excelsior Crossings in Hopkins near Minneapolis for an undisclosed price. The 508,590-square-foot office property, located on Excelsior Boulevard, consists of two Class A buildings that are each seven stories tall. Developed in 2008, Excelsior Crossings is 91 percent leased and recently underwent a $1.5 million amenity enhancement program. Bridge plans to invest an additional $6 million in capital and tenant improvements, including upgrades to the courtyard and common areas, kitchen, lobbies and elevator corridors. Current tenants include Element Fleet, Digi International and U.S. Bank’s Home Mortgage Division headquarters, which fully leases one of the buildings. Tom O’Brien of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Colony Capital. Bridge Commercial Real Estate LLC, Bridge’s office operating company, will oversee capital improvements and management.
DEARBORN, MICH. — KJ Commercial has brokered the sale of a 52,000-square-foot retail center in Dearborn for $10.5 million. Rite Aid and Goodwill anchor the fully leased property. Kevin Jappaya and David Jappaya of KJ Commercial represented the seller, the center’s original developer, as well as the buyer, a local real estate investor. The transaction marked the first time that the property traded hands.
FRIDLEY, MINN. — Monument Capital Management, an A-Rod Corp. company, has acquired LUX Apartments in Fridley, a northern suburb of Minneapolis, for $9.9 million. The 72-unit apartment community is located at 1230 Cheri Lane NE. This is the second acquisition in Minnesota within a week for the firm, which was founded by baseball star Alex Rodriguez and Ramon Corona in 2012. Built in 1963, LUX Apartments is spread across four buildings. Amenities include a barbecue area, dog park, laundry centers and garages. Monument plans to upgrade common areas and units. Ted Brickel of Colliers represented the seller, Quality Trusted Property Management. Monument purchased the asset in a joint venture with unnamed private investors. Monument now owns and manages seven multifamily properties in Minnesota totaling 819 units.