


Buyers Paid Premium For Strong Operations in 2020
In 2020, there was yet again a perfect correlation between the average price per unit paid for seniors housing communities and their operating margins. Throughout 2020, as occupancy and cash flow at senior care facilities dropped and costs of financing rose, we wondered exactly how the pandemic would affect the pricing of these assets. Would it have a disparate effect on skilled nursing versus seniors housing properties, older properties versus new ones, or on stabilized facilities versus non stabilized. We are almost done compiling all these statistics in the 26th Edition of The Senior Care Acquisition Report, but we wanted to highlight a historical trend that continued even through... Read More »
Boosting Your Census Now
Occupancy levels continue to decline, yet demand seems to be increasing as customers are coming back to take a look. There is a disconnect between the seller and the buyer that needs to be fixed now. The public companies are about to start releasing their earnings and census reports, and it may not be pretty. But, it does not have to stay that way. My gut tells me that a lot of sales staff have been blaming the virus on their inability to sell and fill units. Makes sense, right? But what if how they are selling, and communicating, or not communicating with customers, is the real problem? Do you think management and salespeople have adapted to the new environment, the new mentality of... Read More »
Welltower Still Sees Opportunity
We all know that Welltower has been selling a few billion of seniors housing assets just like Healthpeak Properties has. But the difference is that Welltower is still buying. Not only that, they picked up a 790-unit portfolio operated by Harbor Retirement Associates for $132 million, or $167,000 per unit. The seller? Healthpeak (see story above). Even though the portfolio had negative lease coverage, we are sure Welltower is looking at that well-below-replacement-cost pricing. But Welltower needs to pay attention to its own operating portfolio, where occupancy continues to decline. The average census was 77.3% in November, falling to 76.3%... Read More »
Callison Moves To Sunrise Senior Living
Jack Callison Jr. has been named the new CEO of Sunrise Senior Living, after the December announcement that current CEO Chris Winkle was leaving effective April 1. Ferguson Partners led the executive search effort. Mr. Callison has spent the last seven and a half years as CEO of Enlivant, taking over the role concurrent with TPG’s take private acquisition of the company. However, he will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors at Enlivant, and current president and COO Dan Guill will take over as CEO. Before that, Mr. Callison spent five years in the CEO position at Holiday Retirement, some of which were a bit tumultuous. Running two different national seniors housing operating... Read More »