BOSTON — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.3 million sale of a 20-unit workforce housing building in the Dorchester area of Boston. The four-story building at 820-828 Blue Hill Ave. offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units across 21,410 square feet of space. Information on specific income restrictions was not disclosed. Evan Griffith and Tony Pepdjonovic of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller and procured the buyer, both of which requested anonymity, in the transaction.
MICHIGAN — District Capital has arranged a $7.7 million loan for the refinancing of a 108-bed student housing scattered site portfolio located on a Big Ten campus in Michigan. A life insurance company provided the 30-year loan, which features a 30-year amortization schedule. Dave Dismondy of District Capital arranged the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
WESTFORD, MASS. — Locally based investment firm Empire Management has purchased a 28,000-square-foot industrial flex building in Acton, a northwestern suburb of Boston, for $5.1 million. The building at 364 Littleton Road, which according to LoopNet Inc. was constructed in 1998, was fully leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Alpha Graphics, National Roofing Co. and ADVG Digital. The seller was Ryan Development. Bernard Gibbons of ABG Commercial Realty brokered the deal.
With elevated prices on everything from land to debt financing, insurance, building materials and labor, developers face an uphill climb attempting to pencil out multifamily projects at a profit. That’s why in 2024, developers are opting for practical and convenient amenities over luxury and choosing builder-friendly suburban locations over complex urban sites. And with diminishing room to raise rents on market-rate apartments, many investors and developers are shifting their attention to affordable and workforce housing, where incentives offset some expenses and, ideally, help position projects to deliver positive returns. “Market-rate developers in our region are starting to change their model to embrace more of an affordable product,” confirms Chad Riddle, Atlanta branch manager at Bohler. “Unfortunately, that puts them behind the eight ball because they may not know the tricks of the trade and they are competing with affordable housing developers that already know the business and are thriving.” There is no single strategy to pencil out a profitable multifamily project, but developers are achieving success by sticking to proven, cost-effective design elements and amenities, avoiding costly missteps and cutting down unnecessary spending throughout the development process. Drawing on affordable housing specialists and other in-house experts, Bohler helps clients avoid …
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — The Housing Authority of the City of Miami Beach and Atlantic Pacific Cos. have broken ground on Vista Breeze, a 119-unit affordable seniors housing development. situated near the Normandy Shores Golf Course at 280 S. Shore Drive. The property represents the largest affordable housing development to break ground in Miami Beach in 45 years, according to the developers. Vista Breeze will feature Miami modern (MiMo) architecture and include onsite parking, a community center and a business center. Units will be reserved for seniors earning no more than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The community is funded by $9 million of subordinate debt provided by the Florida Housing Finance Corp.; a $1 million HOME loan from City of Miami Beach; $6 million Surtax loan from Miami-Dade County; $11.9 million permanent loan issued by Citi Community Capital; debt and equity from Bank of America; and bonds issued by the Miami-Dade County Housing Finance Authority. Construction is expected to be complete at Vista Breeze by late-spring 2025.
JONESBORO, ARK. — Hillcrest Acquisitions has acquired Wolf Creek, a 192-unit student housing community located at 500 N. Caraway Road near the Arkansas State University campus in Jonesboro. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. The community is set to undergo $4.4 million in renovations and will be converted into conventional multifamily. Marc Tropp of Eastern Union secured $12.1 million in acquisition financing through Bay Vanguard on behalf of Hillcrest. The five-year loan features interest-only payments for 24 months during renovations and lease-up. Once the property is stabilized, the mortgage will convert to principal and interest payments based on an amortization period of 25 years. The transaction carries a 65 percent loan-to-cost ratio. Built in 2008, Wolf Creek offers two- and three-bedroom units on a 13-acre parcel.
SUWANEE, GA. — RangeWater Real Estate and Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate have purchased Provenza at Old Peachtree, a garden-style apartment community located at 1460 Distribution Drive in Suwanee. Situated northeast of Atlanta in Gwinnett County, the property will be rebranded as Echo Ridge Suwanee. Amenities include a pool with poolside grilling stations, outdoor patio with a fireplace, fitness center, clubroom, catering kitchen, car care center, business center with a private meeting space and a community pond with walking trails. RangeWater and Nippon Steel Kowa are contemplating adding a dog park and pet spa to round out the property’s amenity offerings, as well as updating unit interiors. The seller, sales price and unit count of Provenza at Old Peachtree were not disclosed.
TUPELO, MISS. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Feemster Lake Roads Apartments, a 130-unit apartment community located at 1537 Feemster Lake Road in Tupelo. Locally based Prosper Management Group purchased the property for an undisclosed price. Built in 1992 adjacent to Itawamba Community College, Feemster Lake Roads Apartments features one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 500 to 1,000 square feet. Preston Cooper, Wallace Schmuck and Matt Smith of Marcus & Millichap’s Birmingham office represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Mickey Davis served as Marcus & Millichap’s broker of record in Mississippi for the deal.
HOUSTON — A partnership between High Street Residential and Japanese homebuilder Daiwa House has topped out Rone Residences, a 12-story apartment building in Houston’s River Oaks/Upper Kirby area. Designed by Zeigler Cooper Architects and built by Hoar Construction, Rone Residences offers 209 units in one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans with an average size of roughly 1,400 square feet. Amenities include multiple pools, a fitness center, game lounge, coworking and private conference spaces, a pet park and tenant storage spaces. Rone Residences will also house 2,900 square feet of retail space. The first units are expected to be available for occupancy in early 2025.
TYLER, TEXAS — Texas-based private equity firm SPI Advisory has sold Parker Apartments, a 192-unit multifamily complex located about 100 miles east of Dallas in Tyler. According to Apartments.com, the property was built in 1974 and offers studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, clubhouse, business center and tennis courts. SPI Advisory acquired the property in 2018 in partnership with CR Capital and implemented a value-add program during its ownership period. The buyer was not disclosed.