On the back of its purchase of four CCRCs in California last week, CareTrust REIT jumped back in the buyer pool to acquire a 150-bed skilled nursing facility in Santa Barbara. In the off-market transaction, CareTrust also retained the operator, California-based Covenant Care, under an assumed long-term lease. That brings CareTrust and Covenant’s relationship to eight facilities.
The REIT spent approximately $15.86 million (excluding around $40,000 of transaction costs), or $105,700 per bed on the facility. The existing lease, which has approximately four years left on its term, with two five-year renewal options, produces about $1.5 million in annual cash rent with 3.0% annual escalators. That results in a healthy 9.5% lease yield for the REIT. CareTrust funded the deal using its $600 million unsecured revolving credit facility.
