• Strawberry Fields REIT’s 2025 Growth

    Strawberry Fields REIT reported its 2025 operating results, noting that it was the best year since its inception more than 10 year ago. The company posted significant increases in FFO and AFFO, and it completed more than $110 million in several new acquisitions. Its portfolio now includes 131 skilled nursing facilities, 10 assisted living... Read More »
  • Owner/Operator Exits SNF Sector

    An independent owner/operator exited the skilled nursing sector through its divestment of Sunrise Country Manor, which has 80 beds in Milford, Nebraska, and features a mix of private and semi-private units. It maintained an 83% occupancy rate at the time of the sale. A regional operator looking to expand its footprint in Nebraska acquired the... Read More »
  • Assisted Living Providers Join Forces 

    Majestic Residences recently expanded its footprint, adding 17 assisted living communities and six in active development, through its acquisition of Avendelle Senior Living. Avendelle will be integrated into the Majestic Residences platform, with Avendelle’s corporate team retained. The combined organization will operate under the Majestic... Read More »
  • Investor Secures Financing and Acquires Class-A Community

    BWE’s Seniors Housing Capital Markets Team sold and financed The Capstone at Station Camp, which sits in the Nashville, Tennessee MSA. Built in 2021, the Class-A assisted living and memory care community comprises 100 units in Gallatin. It is operated by TerraBella Senior Living.  BWE represented the seller, Hunt Midwest. The buyer was a... Read More »
  • Multiple SNFs Sell in Separate Transactions

    A large skilled nursing company sold its 181-bed skilled nursing facility to a private investment firm based in New York, exiting South Carolina in the process. The buyer had an existing skilled nursing footprint, and will be leasing this facility to a regional operator. The building was older, built in the 1980s, and was around 80% occupied at... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

Cuts to Alaska’s elderly funding was front-page news recently. I figured it was fate when, on my first day on vacation in Alaska last week, the headline of the major newspaper talked about the elimination of senior benefits. Then, in the hotel lobby was a separate publication, Senior Voice, and a story about the ABCs of selecting an assisted living “home.” Let’s just say, I felt right at home. That lead story told how more than 13,000 Alaskan seniors would be losing a monthly benefit check of just under $200, with the governor vetoing a plan to restore it with just three days’ notice. Sounds like chump change, until you consider that many of these people relied on that and a social... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

The Skilled Nursing Rebound

Average prices per bed ticked up over the past four quarters, and Genesis Healthcare posted better results. In this month’s SeniorCare Investor, I talked about the recent rise in the average price per bed for skilled nursing facilities for the most recent trailing four quarters. A small rise, but up nonetheless. Perhaps the start of a SNF rebound. And then Genesis Healthcare reported its second quarter results, and while they still have a ways to go, they too have seen some improvement. Small, but we will take it. Compared with the year-ago quarter, occupancy was up 250 basis points to 86.6% and the EBITDAR margin was up 79 basis points to 13.6%. Now, some of this improvement most likely... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

The Great Development Slowdown

Everyone is talking about development slowing down, but over development is just part of the problem. We have been hearing it for a few months: seniors housing development is slowing down, based on fewer new construction starts. We have heard it from NIC MAP, from HCVenTower, and now Brookdale Senior Living. They are all saying that in many of their markets, they are seeing light at the end of the over-development tunnel. Maybe. It is one thing if new starts are declining, but it is quite another to fill the current empty units plus the new supply that is currently opening, and going to open. Let’s just say, we are not out of the woods yet, and census is only one part of the problem. Not... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

Land and Buildings Strikes Again

Still trying to get two board nominees, Land and Buildings steps up its criticism and need for change. Well, well, well. Jonathan Litt of Land and Buildings is at it again, this time with a six-page letter to Brookdale Senior Living shareholders, eviscerating Brookdale’s management and board, past and present, for the company’s severe underperformance over the past 10 years. So, what else is new? Look, management and much of the board has changed and the only ones who can be blamed for the disastrous Emeritus acquisition are the old management, the former board and perhaps their advisors, who should have known better.  Highlighted in his letter was the underperformance of Brookdale... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

Soaring With Seniors

Think about the thrill for your residents, flying in the cockpit of a two-seat biplane, soaring above the land, and free of charge. Imagine you are 90 years old and living in a senior living community, and maybe a war veteran. Life may not be as exciting as it was, especially if you are not very mobile. But also imagine if, free of charge, you could spend 15 to 20 minutes flying around in a 1940’s-vintage biplane. That is the mission of Ageless Aviation Dreams, founded in 2011 by Darryl and Carol Fisher (Mission Senior Living). So far, they have completed 3,940 “missions” in 45 states for these deserving residents of your senior living communities, at no cost to you, other than getting... Read More »
Is Alaska’s Problem A Look At Our Future?

Where Is the Seniors Housing Rebound?

Seniors housing occupancy rates still remain low despite an apparent slowdown in new development. Whether you look at the total market, or simply the stabilized properties, second quarter occupancy took a small dip, according to recent numbers from NIC. Truth be told, I was hoping for a slight increase after a relatively modest flu season, even though it did seem to linger. But NIC’s numbers are at the midpoint of the quarter, so things could be more positive by now.  It is still assisted living that is experiencing the continuing problems, dropping 20 basis points sequentially to 87.7% for stabilized communities, but 85.1% when the rest are included. One could look on the bright side and... Read More »