AUSTIN, TEXAS — California-based Arrimus Capital has acquired Villas on 26th, a 182-bed student housing property serving the University of Texas at Austin. The seller, Texas-based Zucker Properties, developed the community in 2014, delivering 49 units in various formats from studio to six-bed residences. Each unit features granite countertops, walk-in closets and built-in washers and dryers. Communal amenities include a pool-sized hot tub, 24-hour fitness center and an outdoor lounge with TVs and stereo. The deal marks Arrimus Capital’s seventh student housing acquisition since 2017, yielding a $320 million portfolio spanning 3,894 beds.
CHAMPAIGN URBANA AND NORMAL, ILL. — Ready Capital has provided an $11.9 million loan for the acquisition and renovation of a 79-unit, 276-bed student housing portfolio at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University. The borrower plans to extensively renovate the unit interiors. The nonrecourse, fixed-rate loan features a three-year term.
RUSTON, LA. — The Annex Group is set to break ground on The Annex of Ruston, a 324-bed student housing community located near the Louisiana Tech University campus in Ruston. The development will be situated at 509 W. Line Ave. and will offer one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom, fully furnished units. Shared amenities will include a swimming pool, exercise room, study lounges and secured parking. KeyBank Real Estate Capital provided development financing for the project, which was designed in collaboration with the City of Ruston, KTGY Architecture and HGA Engineering. The community is set for delivery in August 2020.
AUSTIN AND LUBBOCK, TEXAS — A joint venture between TEXLA Housing Partners, Southeast Apartment Investors and a private real estate fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital has acquired two student housing communities in Texas. The joint venture acquired Thrive Lubbock, a 744-bed community located near Texas Tech University in Lubbock; and 21 Pearl, a 272-bed community located near the University of Texas at Austin. An affiliate of TEXLA will operate the communities, both of which will undergo multi-million dollar interior and exterior upgrades.
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. — Hunt Real Estate Capital has provided a $17.9 million loan to refinance a 12-building student housing portfolio in Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama. The properties include the seven-building Preston Place (240 beds) and the one-building Alexandria (22 beds), Georgian (20 beds), St. Charles (48 beds), St. George (24 beds) and 317 Reed (eight beds). The Freddie Mac loan has a 10-year term with five years of interest-only payments and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower is Roar IV LLC, which acquired the properties between 1994 and 1999. The assets were built between 1988 and 1992 and have undergone various renovations under multiple owners.
BOONE, N.C. — A public-private partnership between RISE: A Real Estate Co., Beyond Owners Group and Appalachian State University has closed on financing for the development of a 2,100-bed community on the university’s campus in Boone. The three-phase development will include the demolition and replacement of six existing residence halls totaling 1,800 beds, as well as the addition of 300 new beds and a 477-space parking deck. The communities will offer a mix of unit types ranging from apartments to shared suites primarily serving freshman students. Shared amenities will include 13,000 square feet of community space, living-learning programming, study rooms and lounge spaces. Construction began on Phase I of development in February, with full delivery scheduled for 2022. The project team includes architect Niles Bolton Associates; design consultant Jenkins-Peer Architects; general contractor Choate Construction; civil engineer Stanley D. Lindsey & Associates; and project management firm Brailsford & Dunlavey. The Public Finance Authority has issued tax-exempt project revenue bonds to the ownership group to fund the development. RBC Capital Markets was the bond underwriter.
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — HFF has arranged the $92.5 million sale of Fifty Twenty-Five, a 942-bed student housing community located near San Diego State University. Sean Deasy, Hunter Combs and Scott Clifton of HFF represented the seller, FPA Multifamily, and procured the buyer, Denver-based Cardinal Group Investments. Completed in 2010, the LEED-Gold certified property offers a mix of studio, two- and four-bedroom units. Shared amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center, study rooms, a computer center, coffee bar, tanning bed, shuttle service and 598-space parking garage.
The student housing sector continues to benefit from strong investor and consumer demand. Total annual deliveries nationally have averaged approximately 47,000 beds this cycle, according to data research firm RealPage. Proximity to campus is a major differentiator in student housing, as properties closer to campus historically have greater pre-leasing velocity and higher rents. Industry experts say that despite the current wave of construction, most college students live in dormitories or in rental housing near campus that weren’t designed to house students. That means the sector still has room to grow. During the recent MBA 2019 Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo in San Diego, REBusinessOnline sat down with Joe Stepchuk, managing director of student housing lending for New York City-based Greystone, to gain his insight on the state of the market. Stepchuk joined Greystone in 2016 from Fannie Mae, where he served as director for 10 years and oversaw $3 billion in annual multifamily loan production. As a father of five children, including twins, Stepchuk is also a consumer of student housing. One of his children attends the University of Florida in Gainesville, another is at Xavier University in Cincinnati. REBusinessOnline: How did 2018 play out for Greystone …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — California-based investment firm Nelson Partners has acquired Skyloft, a student housing property located one block from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, for $100 million. The newly built, 18-story community features 674 beds. Amenities include a rooftop pool, fitness center, marketplace, study lounges and full-meal vending machines. The property was 100 percent occupied at the time of sale and is 77 percent preleased for the 2019-2020 academic year. Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. arranged a $66.1 million acquisition loan that carried a 10-year term and a fixed interest rate of 4.5 percent, for the transaction.
LUBBOCK, TEXAS — Berkadia has provided a $48.6 million Freddie Mac loan for the refinancing of Capstone Cottages of Lubbock, a 969-bed student housing community in the West Texas city of Lubbock. Built in 2017. The property features 216 units in one-, two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom configurations. Amenities include a pool, business center, resident clubhouse, conference room and outdoor grilling and picnic area. Charles Foschini, Mitch Sinberg, Christoper Apone, Lourdes Carranza-Alvarez and Shannon Wilson of Berkadia placed the debt on behalf of the borrower, a partnership between Florida-based Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP and Alabama-based Capstone Collegiate Communities. The loan carried a floating interest rate, seven-year term and a 65 percent loan-to-value structure.