• Ziegler Handles Unique Operator Transition

    A high-end seniors housing community that caters to the Japanese-American population in the San Francisco, California, area completed a delicate operational transfer, with the help of Ziegler. Kokoro Assisted Living is located in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Japantown and is known for providing culturally sensitive care and an... Read More »
  • Brookdale’s Occupancy Keeps Improving

    It is a shame that Brookdale Senior Living did not do two years ago what it has been doing for the past nine months or so. Weighted average occupancy in August 2025 was 81.8%, up 70 basis points sequentially. This was the seventh month in a row the company posted an increase. Month-end occupancy in August was 83.2%, up 60 basis points... Read More »
  • Blueprint Closes Two Texas Portfolio Transactions

    During the NIC Fall conference in Austin, Blueprint announced a couple of portfolio transactions in Texas. First, Amy Sitzman and Giancarlo Riso facilitated the sale of five skilled nursing facilities located throughout the Texas Hill Country and Houston. All five facilities are within four hours of each other, offering scale and operational... Read More »
  • SLIB Handles Minnesota Receivership Sale

    A senior care campus in Pine Island, Minnesota, with some operational issues in the past has found a new owner thanks to Jake Anderson, Dan Geraghty and Ryan Saul of Senior Living Investment Brokerage. Set on 6.8 acres, the campus includes Pine Haven with 70 skilled nursing beds and Evergreen featuring 24 assisted living units. Pine Haven was... Read More »
  • PACS CFO Resigns

    PACS Group saw another potential setback to its public image, announcing that its CFO Derick Apt resigned on September 2 after it was determined that he had accepted a series of high-value items from individuals associated with a group of related entities with which PACS does business. The company was in the middle of its previously disclosed... Read More »
Ventas: Time For A Change?

Ventas: Time For A Change?

Ventas has been an incredible success story, both in terms of the company itself and its stock. But most of the “incredible” for the stock occurred many years ago. Ten years ago, its share price was about $70, and currently it is about $40. It has averaged close to $65 a share for much of the past 10 years. But if you bought it in March of 2020, when the senior care world was under attack, at its low of $13.35 per share, you would be considered a genius and would have pocketed a hefty return. But that would have taken brass ones. CEO Debbie Cafaro was recruited (against her better judgment at the time) nearly 25 years ago when the REIT’s only tenant, Vencor (later renamed Kindred... Read More »
Brookdale’s Occupancy Gets August Bump

Brookdale’s Occupancy Gets August Bump

Brookdale Senior Living just announced its August occupancy levels, and it has been a good summer so far. But the third quarter has always been the best quarter of the year for census increases for the entire sector, so we expected some good news. If not, that would have spelled trouble. Weighted average occupancy in August increased sequentially by 50 basis points to 77.6%, while census at the end of August increased sequentially by a larger 80 basis points to 79.3%. This is the first time that month-end occupancy has topped 79% since the recovery began.  A year ago, weighted average occupancy was 76.4%, so Brookdale has not seen a big jump since then, just 120 basis points. It has... Read More »
Two Florida Not-for-Profits Affiliate

Two Florida Not-for-Profits Affiliate

Florida Presbyterian Homes has agreed to affiliate with Westminster Communities of Florida, the largest not-for-profit senior care provider in the Sunshine State. The arrangement adds the 11th CCRC to Westminster’s portfolio while improving the financial stability of the standalone CCRC Florida Presbyterian Homes (FPH). State approval is still needed for the affiliation.  Once the affiliation is complete, Westminster Communities of Florida will operate the FPH community in Lakeland and will be responsible for governance of the organization, its assets and liabilities going forward. FPH has nearly 700 residents across independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing units. Its... Read More »
60 Seconds with Monroe: Is Joe Biden That Tone Deaf?

60 Seconds with Monroe: Is Joe Biden That Tone Deaf?

We already reported on the new proposed staffing requirements for nursing homes, coming at a time when most everyone in senior living is still struggling with finding enough staff, and paying for them. Coincident with the release of the proposed rules, USA Today published an opinion piece by President Biden. Now, if anyone thinks he actually wrote it, I have a bridge to sell you. My guess is that he did not even read it. This was a staff piece. Perhaps from Joe’s basement? I will say one thing, he has been consistent in his criticism of private equity in the nursing home business, but he still gets his facts and names wrong. Not many “private equity” firms have been buying up nursing homes... Read More »
Ziegler Closes $118.33 Million Financing

Ziegler Closes $118.33 Million Financing

Investment banking firm Ziegler just closed a $118.33 million bond financing for Emerald Heights, a not-for-profit CCRC in Redmond, Washington, with 333 independent living units (including apartments and cottages), 40 assisted living beds, 16 memory care units and 61 skilled nursing beds set on 38 acres. Emerald Heights was established in 1979.  The proceeds will be used to finance the construction and equipping of 54 new assisted living units and a sky bridge connecting these units to the main IL building, as well as to fund the construction of 42 new IL units. The remainder of the proceeds will go toward paying off existing debt and certain costs of the bond issuance. The tax-exempt... Read More »
Vote On Diversified Healthcare Trust Merger Postponed

Vote On Diversified Healthcare Trust Merger Postponed

While we are not surprised, the vote on the merger of Diversified Healthcare Trust and Office Properties Income Trust, scheduled for this past August 30, has been postponed until September 6, even though “the polls remain open.” With the three major proxy firms weighing in against the merger, as well as a holder of 9.8% of DHC stock, we assume the managements of the two merging firms realized they did not have the votes. We stated last week that we thought something fishy was going on, and we didn’t like the smell. There are just too many conflicts of interest, but we do not know what could happen between August 30 and this coming September 6, two days after the Labor Day holiday, to... Read More »