WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) has issued a statement expressing its disappointment in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Trump Administration for ordering the temporary halt in residential evictions nationwide through the end of the year. “We are deeply disappointed that this moratorium is being enacted, particularly without the backup of a meaningful rental assistance program,” a statement from the Washington, D.C.-based organization read. The order, which was issued Tuesday, Sept. 1, applies to renters who make $99,000 or less per year or families making less than $198,000 per year. Additionally, to avoid eviction, renters must prove they are unable to pay rent due to COVID-19-related hardship and that being evicted would lead to them being homeless or living in close quarters with people from outside their household.
NORTHBROOK, ILL. — McShane Construction Co. has completed construction of The Elaine, a 304-unit luxury apartment complex in Northbrook, a northern suburb of Chicago. Finger Cos. was the developer and Niles Bolton Associates served as architect. Located at 1000 Skokie Blvd., the five-story property features a fitness center, business center, conference room, golf simulator, dog run, two pools and three courtyards. Floor plans range from 689 to 1,229 square feet.
CHICAGO — Guidepost Montessori has opened at Optima Signature, an apartment tower in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. The 14,000-square-foot elementary school will serve grades one through six. The new location is part of Guidepost Montessori’s larger growth in Chicago, with three new early childhood campuses opening in Lincoln Park, Schaumburg and Edgewater for a total of seven schools. Optima Inc. is the developer and owner for the 57-story, 490-unit Optima Signature. Other retail tenants at the property include Egg Harbor Café, GoodVets, Runaway Fitness and Bedazzled Nails & Spa.
HOUSTON — The NHP Foundation, a nonprofit developer based in New York City, will build a 149-unit affordable housing community at 3300 Caroline St. in the Midtown area of Houston. While all residences will be reserved for renters earning less than the area median income, 20 percent of the units will be set aside for homeless people going through transitional housing programs. Magnificat Houses Inc. is the landowner and NHP Foundation’s equity partner on the project. The City of Houston Department of Housing & Community Development has provided $15 million in financing for the project, which has a target completion date of December 2022.
OKLAHOMA — Carnegie Capital has arranged an $11.5 million loan for the refinancing for three skilled nursing facilities totaling 330 licensed beds in southern-central Oklahoma. The borrower is a local owner-operator, and the lender is an Arkansas-based regional bank. J.D. Stettin of Carnegie Capital arranged the loan, which features a fixed 3.99 percent interest rate for five years. The names of the facilities were not disclosed.
NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dwight Capital, a private commercial real estate lender based in New York City, has acquired Love Funding, the Washington, D.C.-based HUD lending subsidiary of Midland States Bank. As a result of this acquisition, Dwight Capital claims it is now the largest dedicated HUD multifamily and healthcare financing firm in the nation. The Love Funding platform will be integrated within Dwight Capital’s existing operating structure. Midland States Bank will retain the existing Love Funding servicing portfolio. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
BOSTON — MassHousing, an independent public agency that funds affordable housing properties in Massachusetts, has provided $25 million in financing for the renovation of Morse Apartments, a 99-unit community located in the Brookline neighborhood of Boston. The financing, which includes tax-exempt housing revenue bonds and Low Income Housing Tax Credits, will preserve the affordability of the community for another 75 years. The borrower was Brookline Housing Authority. Morse Apartments was constructed in 1973 at 90 Longwood Ave. and is reserved for low-income senior citizens. Renovations are expected to be complete by summer 2022.
HONOLULU — Lancaster Pollard Mortgage Co. has provided a $33 million refinancing for The Plaza at Punchbowl, a seniors housing community in Honolulu. Built in 2003 and renovated in 2017, The Plaza at Punchbowl is a Class A facility that features 68 independent living units, 20 assisted living units and 20 memory care units. It is one of six seniors housing communities that The Plaza Assisted Living operates in Hawaii. The borrower is MW Group. The Fannie Mae loan features a 10-year term and five years of interest-only payments. The Plaza at Punchbowl is located on the slopes of Punchbowl Crater, an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in the heart of the city. The Punchbowl Crater is known for being home to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a U.S. armed services memorial that draws millions of visitors each year.
CORNING, CALIF. — The Mogharebi Group (TMG) has arranged the sale of Spring Mountain, a multifamily property located at 240 Edith Ave. in Corning. A Southern California-based private investment group sold the asset to an undisclosed buyer for $14.4 million. Alex Mogharebi and Otto Ozen of TMG represented the seller in the deal. Built in 1986, Spring Mountain features 184 apartments spread across 15 buildings, totaling 174,972 square feet of rentable space. The property offers a resort-style swimming pool, clubhouse with a full kitchen, outdoor barbecue and entertainment area, leasing center, business center, fitness center, and mix of covered and surface parking.
By Chris Bruzas, Berkadia While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the commercial real estate industry, bright spots have emerged across the multifamily landscape. Nationally, secondary and tertiary markets demonstrate resilience and strong performance, despite challenging circumstances. One of these bright spots is Indiana. Since the start of the year, Berkadia’s investment sales and mortgage banking teams have closed more than $498 million in combined sales and financing across the state. While Indiana has long been a solid market in the Midwest, in recent years it has emerged as particularly attractive to investors for a few key reasons. Available scale The ability to acquire scale is increasingly important to investors looking to break into new markets and MSAs. Immediate scale is attractive for several reasons. For investors, acquisition at scale enhances geographic and unit diversification at the outset. It also allows investors, specifically those new to the region, to maximize business efficiencies on expenses. If a new buyer can acquire 1,000 units in proximity, they can reduce the burden of staff, construction costs and travel costs, to name a few. Additionally, it helps with leasing. If a prospective tenant tours a property that doesn’t have floor plans …