• Sabra’s Q4 Deals Push 2025 New Investments to $450 Million

    Sabra Health Care REIT released its fourth quarter results. On a year-over-year basis, same-store cash NOI increased 12.6% for the fourth quarter of 2025, while the 2025 quarterly year-over-year average increase was 15.0%, inclusive of the stabilized facilities formerly operated by Holiday Retirement.  Its Q4 acquisitions brought the... Read More »
  • CareTrust Closes 2025 with 169 New Property Investments

    CareTrust REIT came out with its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 earnings and is continuing on its growth trajectory. In Q4, the REIT added 19 properties to its portfolio, comprising 14 triple-net leased skilled nursing facilities, two triple-net leased seniors housing communities and three SHOP communities, all totaling $561.5 million in... Read More »
  • Separate Sellers Divest in Florida

    Berkadia announced two seniors housing closings, both involving communities in the Sunshine State. First, Berkadia represented a Maryland-based private equity investment firm in its divestment of a 130-unit independent living, assisted living and memory care community in the Jacksonville, Florida MSA. The asset was built in 2015. Ross Sanders,... Read More »
  • Idaho IL/AL Community Receives HUD Financing

    Berkadia secured $27.5 million in financing for a seniors housing community in Idaho. The asset comprises 191 independent living and assisted living units, and was 97% occupied at the time of closing. Bianca Andujo and Steve Muth closed the financing through HUD’s 232/223(f) program for a first-time Berkadia client based in Tennessee. The loan... Read More »
  • Welltower Releases Strong Results, Again

    Welltower announced its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results, which reflected a strong year, as anticipated. Investors seemed to agree, with shares rising to an intraday high of 5.9% above the prior close the day following the release, before finishing up 3.5%.  In the fourth quarter, the REIT saw 400 basis points of average occupancy... Read More »

What to Pay For an “A” Quality Assisted Living Community

It is becoming increasingly apparent that there are two separate markets for assisted living properties between those we consider “A” properties and those that are “B” properties. We first separated out these two markets in 2012 (and did so again in our just-published 2017 Senior Care Acquisition Report) based on the properties’ age, size and location, and while there will likely be some “A” communities in with the “B” communities (and the other way around), it all evens out. The difference was stark in 2016, with “A” properties averaging $265,700 per unit, compared with $94,200 per unit for “B” properties. That difference of $171,500 per unit easily beats out 2015’s $110,100 per unit gap... Read More »
Record Skilled Nursing Prices Have Peaked

Record Skilled Nursing Prices Have Peaked

After setting record prices for four straight years, the 2016 record price may have some staying power. As you know, the average price per bed for skilled nursing facilities hit a record in 2016 for the fourth year in a row. The number of properties selling for more than $100,000 per bed, which used to be reserved for only the very best facilities, also hit a record. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I believe last year’s record average price may have some staying power. As I said last week, I have been accused of being Mr. Doom and Gloom, but realistically, when looking at the landscape, there is little positive that would push prices higher. Medicare Advantage is pushing down... Read More »

Investor Sentiment at the NIC Conference

Last week’s 60 Seconds with Steve video greeted everyone attending the NIC Conference in San Diego and asked what the sentiment might be during the conference. In years past, you could tell we were in a bull market with all the deal making going on in public, the exuberance of the crowds and the general noise level. Although the stated attendance was approximately 1,500, it did seem a little smaller than that, without the usual crowds in the lobby bar for one last nightcap and another round of industry gossip. The overall sentiment was one of caution, and this was especially true in the skilled nursing side of the business (see today’s 60 Seconds video). As we all know, the American Health... Read More »

Occupancy’s Impact on Skilled Nursing Facility Prices

The skilled nursing industry has experienced consistent declines in average occupancy over the past few years, sinking to a new low of 81.8% in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to NIC’s latest Skilled Nursing Data Report. It should be said that the actual level of occupancy has become less important for skilled nursing facilities because the focus has been centered on short-term-stay patients. Almost by definition, because of the high level of turnover with these patients, and the inability to consistently and constantly fill those beds on discharge, overall occupancy tends to suffer. But since these patients are more profitable than longer stay patients, providers have not worried as... Read More »
Record Skilled Nursing Prices Have Peaked

Seniors Housing Sentiment on Eve of NIC Conference

As we ready ourselves for attending the NIC Conference, it should be interesting from a sentiment perspective. Good morning San Diego! For those of you attending the NIC Conference I hope to be able to chat a little with you, maybe later tonight or Thursday night. You know where to find me. This will be an interesting conference from a sentiment perspective. Are people still on a high from some of the record pricing in the acquisition market of the past few years? Or will we be seeing continued caution from those worried about occupancy, labor, rising interest rates and the new community openings this year? The party is definitely not over, but if you were to balance out the positives with... Read More »
The Highs and Lows of Seniors Housing Prices

The Highs and Lows of Seniors Housing Prices

Last week, we examined the difference in price between the low and high ends of the skilled nursing M&A market. As opposed to just using the average or median, breaking down the market by quartile allows us to separate the higher end of the market from the lower end, since many sellers think the average has no meaning to their particular properties that may be newer, in better locations or just more profitable (and often all three). So, what about the seniors housing (independent and assisted living combined) market? Like the overall average seniors housing price in 2016, the upper quartile price in 2016 of $241,500 per unit rose from its 2015 level ($227,900 per unit) and was just off... Read More »