CHICAGO — In order to recognize the unique and unprecedented conditions of COVID-19’s impact on its triple-net-leased seniors housing tenants, healthcare REIT Ventas has established a rent deferral program for those care providers for the month of April. Under the program, certain seniors housing care providers who are Ventas tenants can defer 25 percent of their April 2020 payment obligation until Oct. 1 or receipt of government assistance. All amounts deferred are required to be used for operating expenses to care for seniors at Ventas communities. Ventas says these tenants account for approximately 20 percent of its total portfolio by net operating income. Based on current expectations, Ventas estimates that the amount of payments deferred under the terms of this program for April could be in the range of $3 million to $9 million. As of March 28, out of the 740 communities within the Ventas portfolio, 33 communities have experienced at least one confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis affecting approximately 70 residents out of 70,000 and 25 staff out of 55,000. Ventas is based in Chicago.
WICHITA, KAN. — KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment has provided a $10 million construction-to-permanent loan to Steele Properties for the acquisition and renovation of Shadyway Plaza in Wichita. Steele Properties, based in Denver, is a real estate investment company that acquires, rehabilitates and constructs affordable housing. Built in 1979, Shadyway Plaza serves elderly and disabled residents. The seven-story building includes 100 one-bedroom units, all of which are income-restricted under low-income housing tax credit regulations at 60 percent of area median income. Monroe Group Ltd., Steele’s sister company, will manage the property. Steele plans to spend $3.7 million on renovations, including a new roof and doors as well as upgrades to the security features, HVAC system, community room and common area lighting. In addition to the $10 million loan, financing included 4 percent tax credits allocated by the Kansas Housing Resources Corp., tax-exempt bonds issued by the city of Wichita and $4 million of tax credit equity provided by the National Development Council. Sarah Geis of KeyBank structured the financing. The 4 percent tax credit is designed to subsidize 30 percent of the low-income unit costs in a project.
BEAVERTON, ORE. — Senior Living Investment Brokerage (SLIB) has arranged the sale of Murray Highland Memory Care in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland. The community features 18 memory care units totaling 24 beds. The 12,048-square-foot community was built in 2018 on a 0.7-acre plot. The average rent is $7,350 per month. The seller is a local owner exiting the seniors housing industry. The buyer is a regional operator with an existing portfolio in California, and looking to expand to Oregon. Jason Punzel, Brad Goodsell and Vince Viverito of SLIB handled the transaction. The price was not disclosed.
LEXINGTON, KY. — Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital LLC has provided a $36.3 million permanent loan through Fannie Mae’s seniors housing program for the refinancing of Legacy Reserve at Fritz Farm. The community opened in Lexington in summer 2017, featuring 144 independent living, 33 assisted living and 15 memory care units. The borrower is owner-operator Atlas Senior Living. John Powell of Bellwether’s Chicago office originated the 12-year, fixed-rate loan on behalf of Atlas. The property is situated across the street from Bayer Properties’ Summit at Fritz Farm mixed-use development.
Great uncertainties cloud the immediate outlook for the U.S. economy and the seniors housing industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing is certain: Unlike other industries that have been forced to shut down, senior living communities are open and continue to serve residents. With that framework in mind, a March 26 webinar sponsored by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) addressed the ongoing financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for operators, developers and capital providers. The webinar is the first in a series of NIC-hosted webinars to address industry challenges related to the pandemic. Webinar participants included Beth Mace, NIC chief economist; Jim Costello, senior vice president, Real Capital Analytics; Kurt Read, principal, RSF Partners; Matthew Ruark, senior vice president, head of commercial and healthcare mortgage production, KeyBank Real Estate Capital; and Kevin McMeen, president, real estate, MidCap Financial Services. Early impact The immediate financial repercussions of the pandemic include a stall in transactions, a rise in lender caution, confusion over valuations, and a search for clarity on how the disease will impact occupancies going forward. The most startling data point was noted by Mace at the outset. Weekly jobless claims March …
LAKEWOOD, COLO. — Evans Senior Investments (ESI) has arranged the sale of Lakewood Memory Care, a 46-unit memory care facility, for $8.5 million, or $185,000 per unit. Located 10 miles south of downtown Denver in Lakewood, the facility totals 52 beds. The property was built in 2016 and is 100 percent private pay. It was 75 percent occupied at the time of sale. ESI represented the seller in the transaction, an independent investor group that had partnered with a national operator. This was the investor group’s only seniors housing asset. The buyer was a nonprofit owner-operator with a regionally focused seniors housing portfolio in Colorado.
MINNEAPOLIS — Dougherty Mortgage has provided a $15.9 million HUD 221(d)(4) loan for the rehabilitation of Trinity Apartments, a 120-unit affordable seniors housing property in Minneapolis. All units at the eight-story building are restricted to heads of household over age 62 and are covered by a project-based Section 8 HAP contract. Under this program, the rents are subsidized by HUD. The borrower is Trinity Limited Partnership. The property will receive $6.7 million in renovation work, including dwelling unit and community space upgrades. In addition to the HUD-insured first mortgage, the project utilized low-income housing tax credits and tax-exempt bonds. Dougherty & Co., an affiliate of Dougherty Mortgage, underwrote the bonds. This is the second transaction to close under the new HUD 221(d)(4) pilot program through Minneapolis. The term is 40 years plus construction period with a 40-year amortization.
EUGENE, ORE. — Carnegie Capital has arranged a $7.4 million refinancing for a 60-unit memory care community in Eugene. The cash-out refinancing represents a 75 percent loan-to-value ratio, and bears an interest rate of 5.55 percent for three years. Residents at the community are approximately half private pay and half Medicaid. The borrower is a regional owner-operator. The lenders are a national bank and a private lender.
OGDEN, UTAH — Mountain West Commercial Real Estate has arranged the sale of a commercial land parcel located at 2961 S. Washington Blvd. in Ogden. Ogden No. 1, dba Flower Patch, sold the asset to Slow BLVD LLC for an undisclosed price. The land parcel currently features a vacant retail building. The buyer plans to develop a low-income seniors housing property on the two-acre site. The 78-unit proposed development has received Utah low income housing tax credits. Chris Monson of Mountain West represented the seller in the transaction.
GERMANTOWN, TENN. AND OLIVE BRANCH, MISS. — Greystone has provided two HUD refinancing loans to the same borrower for seniors housing communities in Germantown and Olive Branch. The loans total $29.4 million. The undisclosed borrower took out a $12.2 million loan for Germantown Plantation Senior Living, a 106-unit assisted living facility situated at 9293 Poplar Ave., 21 miles east of downtown Memphis. The other property is Silvercreek Senior Living Community, which is located at 6630 Crumpler Blvd. in Olive Branch, 22 miles southeast of downtown Memphis. Greystone provided a $17.2 million refinancing loan for the facility, which offers 99 studio, one- and two-bedroom units.