NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, MASSACHUSETTS — An Oxford Economics study for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has found that 44 percent of hotel employees in every state have lost or are projected to lose their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. AHLA reports that hotel occupancy rates in some markets are below 20 percent following restrictions of air-travel and business shutdowns in many states, including New York. Of the state’s 112,897 direct hotel operations jobs, 49,674 have been lost or are projected to be lost in the coming weeks. Hotel job loss has also affected other major markets in the Northeast including New Jersey (52,490 jobs, 23,096 lost); Pennsylvania (65,229 jobs, 28,701 lost); and Massachusetts (40,562 jobs, 17,847 lost).
METUCHEN, N.J. — JLL has arranged the $29.6 million sale of The Hub at Metuchen, a Class A residential and retail property located southwest of New York City. Located at 656-660 Middlesex Ave., the property includes 79 apartment units and 11,203 square feet of retail space. Residential amenities include a fitness center and a resident lounge. Jose Cruz, Steve Simonelli and Michael Oliver led a JLL team that represented the seller, Renaissance Properties. A private buyer purchased the asset.
NORWELL, MASS. — Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) has brokered the sale of 42 Longwater Drive, a 104,000-square-foot office building in Norwell, located approximately 25 miles southeast of Boston. The property is situated within the 1 million-square-foot Assinippi Park office complex and is located in close proximity to several retail destinations, including Derby Street Shops, Merchant’s Row and the newly redeveloped Hanover Mall. Edward Maher, Matthew Pullen and Samantha Hallowell led an NKF team that represented the seller, The RMR Group. The buyer, waste management company Clean Harbors, has used the building as its headquarters since 2005. The sales price was undisclosed.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have separately announced nationwide initiatives to provide financial relief for their multifamily borrowers and tenants affected by the outbreak of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). The two government-sponsored enterprises are enacting programs that allow their borrowers to defer monthly payments for up to 90 days by showing hardship as a consequence of COVID-19 and by gaining lender approval. Additionally, participants in the program must agree to not evict their renters who are facing financial hardship due to the current health crisis. The agencies anticipate the initiatives could impact more than 54,000 apartment communities across the country. “This program is historic in its size, and it has the potential to provide relief to millions of families in multifamily rental homes financed through a Freddie Mac loan,” says Debby Jenkins, executive vice president and head of Freddie Mac Multifamily, which implemented a similar forbearance plan in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey in Houston. “Countless Americans are facing unimaginable hardships, and Freddie Mac is doing what we can to provide relief as our nation addresses this global pandemic,” says Jenkins. The outbreak of COVID-19 is likely to push the United States into a recession as the …
The U.S. economy’s continued expansion, combined with the migration of people from high-tax states in the Northeast and California, bodes well for multifamily real estate investment in metros across the Southeast and Texas. Many cities in the so-called “Sun Belt” will continue to experience strong demand for apartments thanks to the low cost of living and new jobs stemming from corporate investment across the region. The Fort Worth market has been a beneficiary of all of these dynamics, and there are a plethora of compelling reasons why multifamily investors are eager to invest in the Panther City. Population Boom Fort Worth’s population has seen considerable expansion over the past decade, serving as a catalyst for Texas to become a leader in this key fundamental. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that from 2010 to 2018, Texas led the nation in population growth with over 3.5 million new residents, 1 million of which moved to the DFW area between 2010 and 2019. Just this past year alone, Texas continued to be a national leader in population growth, with Tarrant County coming in at No. 3 for total new out-of-state residents, according to the Texas Association of Realtors®. In terms of how this …
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Texas Supreme Court voted late last week to delay residential evictions across the state through April 19 as part of the state’s response to the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The order includes limited exceptions in cases where a renter poses an imminent threat of physical harm to others or engages in criminal activity. In voicing its support of the decision, the Texas Apartment Association, which comprises some 12,000 member companies that own and operate more than 2.2 million rental homes, encouraged landlords and managers to waive late fees and negotiate payment plans to help keep residents in their homes.
DALLAS — Texas-based entertainment concept Studio Movie Grill will temporarily close all locations nationwide in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19. The company, which has 14 venues in Texas, said it would refund pre-purchased ticket sales and suspend billing on all subscription plans until its theaters have fully reopened. The company also pledged to actively maintain health insurance benefits for employees and to create a fund to support team members’ in dire financial circumstances.
ROWLETT, TEXAS — Barings Real Estate Capital has provided a loan of an undisclosed amount for the refinancing of Terra Lago, a 451-unit apartment community located in the northeastern Dallas suburb of Rowlett. The property features one-, two- and three-bedroom units and amenities such as a pool, fitness center, outdoor grilling areas, a business center and a bocce court. The borrower was a partnership between Transcontinental Realty Investors Inc. and Abode Properties.
HOUSTON — Belvoir Real Estate Group LLC has acquired a 110,529-square-foot office building located at 7660 Woodway Drive in Houston. The property was built in 1982 and was 90 percent occupied at the time of sale. Danny Miller and Marty Hogan of JLL represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Matthew Goldsby and Bradley Smith handled the acquisition for Belvoir Real Estate on an internal basis. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program.
PASADENA, TEXAS — Lee & Associates has negotiated a 29,954-square-foot industrial lease at 4111 Greenshadow Drive in Pasadena, an eastern suburb of Houston. Reed Vestal and Taylor Schmidt of Lee & Associates represented the landlord, Vigavi Zen LLC, in the lease negotiations. Carlton Anderson of CBRE represented the tenant, plastics fabricator Johnson Controls Inc.