Tuesday, November 26, 2024
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Walker & Dunlop

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Content PartnerFeaturesIndustrialLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSoutheastTexasWalker & DunlopWestern

Walker & Dunlop: Excess Capital Makes for Competitive Lending Environment

by Sarah Daniels

The third quarter of 2020 was the beginning of a significant rebound for capital markets in commercial real estate. After banks and other lenders slowed their activity during the pandemic, lenders and equity investors regained their momentum — particularly in multifamily and industrial — a trend that has continued through the third quarter of 2021. It’s a good time to be a borrower, explains Mark Strauss, managing director of capital markets, and Rob Quarton, senior director of capital markets, with Walker & Dunlop’s Irvine, California, office. Vigorous Lending Markets Currently, Quarton explains, “Banks are really competitive. Debt funds are also aggressive — their funding mechanisms, like collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), have come back strong. Further, insurance companies are under allocated to real estate, which increases their annual volume targets and desire to win more business. Consumers have been purchasing more life insurance policies and insurance in general post pandemic, which provides dry powder for insurance companies to invest. In general, lending markets are very robust today, with ample options for lenders up and down the capital stack.” “Lenders have yearly production quotas, and I don’t think any of them hit their quotas last year,” adds Strauss. “This caused an overhang of …

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Valuations Czechowski
Content PartnerFeaturesLeasing ActivityMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSoutheastTexasWalker & DunlopWestern

Re-Evaluating Valuations: One Year Later

by Sarah Daniels

Four months into the pandemic, Meghan Czechowski, valuation lead for Apprise by Walker & Dunlop and managing director of the Midwest Region, advised multifamily appraisers not to jump to conclusions about the long-term impacts of the pandemic. “We did advise caution, and it ended up playing exactly the way we thought it would: results differed market by market and asset by asset. That’s how we approach valuation at Apprise to start with, and that approach is how most of the appraisal industry wound up valuing multifamily throughout the pandemic.” Over a year after her initial assessment, Meghan spoke again to REBusinessOnline about what has changed in the world of multifamily appraisals and where those changes are trending. Incorporating Valuation Data from 2020 Early in 2020, there was a general assumption that there would be a discount in multifamily values, but there were no sales to support that assumption until June/July of last year when sales comps appeared on properties in most markets. Now it is essential to ensure that the data Apprise collects reflects the current reality. Once the shutdowns ended, data collection became easier. Czechowski says that real-time information allowed for an even better way to understand, analyze and …

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LoansMichiganMidwestMultifamilyWalker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop Provides $12.2M Loan for Refinancing of Townhome Property in Metro Grand Rapids

by Kristin Harlow

LOWELL, MICH. — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has provided a $12.2 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Townhomes at Two Rivers in Lowell, located about 17 miles east of Grand Rapids. The 80-unit property features amenities such as a fitness center, enclosed dog park, covered picnic area and access to walking trails. Benjamin Krosin of Walker & Dunlop originated the 10-year loan on behalf of the borrower, Forest Hills Homes. Kari Zapolski of Inner Circle Holdings arranged the loan.

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Content PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesIllinoisIndustrialMidwestMultifamilyOhioWalker & DunlopWisconsin

Multifamily Sector Sees Positive Indicators from Healthy Midwest Economy

by Sarah Daniels

Focus on the Midwest Amid a global pandemic and its economic repercussions, the American Midwest has remained a place of comparative stability — and opportunity. Wide-open spaces and lower costs of living attract businesses and workers alike. Warehouses, distribution centers and transportation corridors bustle thanks to shifting supply chains and surges in deliveries. Educated workforces and leading universities and research centers nourish hubs in tech and life sciences. In short, there’s a lot in “flyover country” for the multifamily industry to like in 2021. An overview follows of the region stretching from Minnesota to Ohio and from Michigan to Kentucky. Why is the Midwest a good value for multifamily investors today and why is it well positioned for the post-COVID-19 recovery? Read on to learn more. Beneath-the-Radar Metropolitan Areas Blossom Even before COVID-19, Midwestern cities have been attracting people and businesses. Across industries, the Midwest hosts some of America’s largest employers: Kroger (Cincinnati), Salesforce (Indianapolis), Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, Honda of America (Columbus), as well as Target, U.S. Bancorp, General Mills, 3M and Medtronic (all in Minneapolis-St. Paul). Thirteen companies in the Fortune 1000 have set up shop in Milwaukee, and 15 have operations in Columbus. The region has much …

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AcquisitionsArizonaBuild-to-RentLoansMultifamilyWalker & DunlopWestern

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $37.6M Financing for Build-to-Rent Acquisition in Flagstaff

by Amy Works

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. — Walker & Dunlop has arranged debt and equity financing for the purchase of The Bungalows on Pine Cliff, a build-for-rent housing developing in Flagstaff. The structured transaction includes $37.6 million in bridge financing as part of a joint venture partnership. St. Clair Holdings is the borrower. Heather McClure of Walker & Dunlop’s Build-for-Rent (BFR) team advised the borrower and identified New York City-based Dome Equities as a capital partner for the project. Dave Hendrickson and Pat Modig of Walker & Dunlop’s Capital Markets group identified the opportunity and collaborated with the firm’s BFR and structured finance teams to provide the full capital solution. Developed in 2020, Bungalows on Pine Cliff features detached one-, two- and three-bedroom rental homes averaging 1,097 square feet. Community amenities include a leasing center, clubhouse, modern kitchen, fitness center, dog washing station, gas fire pits with seating areas, bocce ball court, dog park, barbecues and two electric car charging stations.

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Theobald 2021 transaction volume
Content PartnerFeaturesLeasing ActivityMidwestMultifamilyOfficeRetailSoutheastTexasWalker & DunlopWestern

Walker & Dunlop: U.S. Economy Displays Long-Term Signals for Recovery, Growth

by Sarah Daniels

Back to Normal? The U.S. economy has improved significantly since April 2020, the peak of the pandemic-induced recession. The national unemployment rate stood at 6.0 percent in March of this year, well below the peak of 14.8 percent in April 2020. Companies were effective in implementing work-from-home technology, keeping unemployment rates for office-based service sectors relatively low. For those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, unemployment rates were only 3.7 percent as of March 2021. In 2020, third-quarter GDP growth made up much of the second-quarter losses, followed by 4 percent annualized economic growth in the fourth quarter. Retail sales also rebounded quickly, returning to pre-pandemic levels by June and continuing to increase through the beginning of 2021. However, the U.S. economy is still far from “normal.” Of the 22 million people who lost jobs in March and April 2020, only 57.8 percent had regained employment by March 2021. Stronger growth should return jobs to industries hit hardest during the pandemic. In March of this year, restaurants and bars added 176,000 jobs; arts, entertainment and recreation venues added 64,000 jobs and accommodations added 40,000 jobs. Still, employment in the overall leisure and hospitality sector is down by 3.1 million, or 18.5 …

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Keaton Merrell BFR
Build-to-RentContent PartnerFeaturesLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSingle-Family RentalSoutheastTexasWalker & DunlopWestern

Build-for-Rent Space May Outperform Conventional Multifamily on Occupancy, Rents

by Sarah Daniels

The past few years have seen a surge in interest in single-family rental (SFR) and build-for-rent (BFR) spaces in commercial real estate. Traditionally the domain of small- and medium-sized investors, the SFR/BFR space has begun to attract institutional investors. BFR, in particular, can often offer higher occupancy levels and rents while promising lower capital and operating costs than traditional multifamily housing. Keaton Merrell, managing director, Capital Markets, Walker & Dunlop, spoke to REBusinessOnline about debt and equity in BFR, as well what to know when it comes to agency involvement. First, Merrell briefly clarifies the terminology: “Oftentimes, people use SFR and BFR interchangeably. They are two totally separate asset classes and are looked at differently by capital. SFR is defined as a cluster of homes in various geographies that are pooled together for investment purposes. BFR is purpose-built housing within contiguous rental communities, much like traditional multifamily properties.” For a more in-depth look at the SFR and BFR in general, read more on the asset class here. REBusinessOnline: What is the current state of debt and equity capital in the market when it comes to BFR? Merrell: I will start with equity and then move on to debt. The equity that is coming into the …

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Build-to-RentMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSingle-Family RentalSoutheastTexasVideoWalker & DunlopWebinarWestern

Webinar: Everything You Need to Know About the Single-Family Rental & Build-For-Rent Market

by Sarah Daniels

  On Apr. 7, France Media hosted the “Everything You Need to Know About the Single-Family Rental & Build-For-Rent Market” webinar, sponsored by Walker & Dunlop. The single-family rental (SFR) and build-for-rent (BFR) space has generated excitement throughout the commercial real estate world. This webinar brings together five expert panelists to answer the most pressing questions for this asset class: what to know about SFR and BFR verticals, issues and trends within the space, the sudden influx of institutional capital and where things might go from here. Click to hear more. See a list of some topics covered below: SFR and BFR markets definitions/size Factors driving growth (including changing demographic trends, COVID-19), occupancy levels and the most active markets SFR/BFR rental rates and the pipeline of new supply in the asset class Institutional capital/availability of financing/investment market layout for the SFR/BFR space Overview on managing and maintaining SFR/BFR products and portfolios Panelists: David Howard, National Rental Home Council (moderator) Keaton Merrell, Walker & Dunlop Mark Peterson, SVN | SFRhub Advisors Don Walker, John Burns Consulting Jon Ellenzweig, Tricon Residential Webinar sponsor: Walker & Dunlop strives to be the premier commercial real estate finance company in the country by providing financing solutions and investment sales to owners of …

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LoansMidwestMultifamilyOhioWalker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop Arranges $55.5M in Financing for Development of Multifamily Project in Columbus

by Kristin Harlow

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Walker & Dunlop Inc. has arranged $55.5 million in construction and permanent financing for the development of Quarry Trails Apartments and Quarry Trails Townhomes and Flats in Columbus. Thrive Cos. is developing the 293-unit multifamily and 100-unit townhome project within a decommissioned quarry. The development is positioned within a natural park and rests alongside a 60-foot waterfall, a 160-foot vertical rock face and more than two miles of riverfront trails. Plans also call for the development of an office building, 20,000 square feet of retail space and a community center. Jeff Morris, Chad Kiner and A.J. Mangan of Walker & Dunlop’s Ohio Capital Markets group arranged the financing through two local banks. A timeline for construction was not disclosed.

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Build-to-RentDevelopmentFinance InsightLeasing ActivityMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSingle-Family RentalSoutheastTexasVideoWalker & DunlopWestern

Walker & Dunlop: SFR/BFR Rapidly Growing Option for Rental Spaces

by Sarah Daniels

  The strength of multifamily has been well solidified over the past few years, but a new contender in the rental market is making waves, according to Kris Mikkelsen, executive vice president, Walker & Dunlop Investment Sales. Single-family rental (SFR) and build-for-rent (BFR) spaces are growing increasingly popular. An SFR is a group of homes-for-rent pooled together for investment purposes BFR properties are purpose-built housing operated as SFR investments “SFR is in the distributed model: individual homes managed by tech-driven management platforms that were the formation of the single-family REITs you see in existence today. The build-for-rent space existed pre-COVID but has really been accelerated post-COVID as the end consumer looks to de-densify,” says Mikkelsen. Much of the demand has been driven to more suburban markets, with COVID-19 creating a sudden and palpable need for space among renters. Other factors — including declining home ownership rates and the high demand for multifamily options — have all contributed to the growth of this asset class and subsequent interest from larger institutional investors. Watch Mikkelsen’s interview to learn about demand for SFR/BFR space and changing renter demographics accelerating the growth of this asset class. This article is posted as part of REBusinessOnline’s Finance Insight series. Click here to …

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