• Ventas Posts Strong 2025 Results and Continues SHOP Momentum

    One of the big REITs, Ventas, reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results, and its activity was impressive, with the company continuing to outperform many of its peers. A full comparison will have to wait for Welltower’s earnings release, but Ventas nonetheless posted a strong year.  In the fourth quarter, Ventas’ U.S. portfolio... Read More »
  • Ensign Delivers Strong Q4 and Full-Year 2025 Results

    The Ensign Group posted a strong fourth quarter and full-year 2025. The company reported that FFO was $75.2 million for 2025, an increase of 28.3% over 2024, and $20.4 million for the quarter, an increase of 33.9% over the prior year quarter. Same facilities and transitioning facilities occupancy for the year were 82.9% and 84.2%, increases of... Read More »
  • Omega Reports Continued Momentum

    Omega Healthcare Investors announced its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results, completing approximately $334 million in fourth quarter investments, which consisted of $52 million in real estate acquisitions, $16 million in real estate loans and $266 million in unconsolidated entities. In 2025 Omega completed $1.1 billion in new investments,... Read More »
  • Senior Lifestyle Recapitalizes Two Communities

    Senior Lifestyle participated with its capital partners in the recapitalization of North Shore Place in Northbrook, Illinois, and The Sheridan at Eastside in Snellville, Georgia. Both communities were developed by Senior Lifestyle and will continue to be operated by the company following the transaction. North Shore Place is a 188-unit assisted... Read More »
  • Berkadia Announces 2025 Activity and Latest Deal

    Berkadia recorded another successful year, with more than $2 billion in mortgage banking closings for the second consecutive year. In 2025, Berkadia’s financings were spread across 123 properties including active adult, independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing communities. Multiple lending sources were utilized, such... Read More »
Boosting Your Census Now

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

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

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 »
Boosting Your Census Now

Long-Term Care Insurance Moratorium?

In a lack of wisdom, North Dakota legislators are considering a bill to ban long-term care insurance policy sales for three years. Just as Medicaid funding is getting stretched and the need for long-term care services will be increasing, North Dakota is apparently considering a bill that would impose a three-year ban on the sale of long-term care insurance policies. Really? The sponsors want to study the market and the history of premium increases. Great, and they have every right to do so, but to ban sales for three years while you “study the market”? Come on, how big is the market in North Dakota? Spend a week. Look, long-term care insurance is not perfect, and there are Cadillac... Read More »
People on the Move

People on the Move

Early last year, we were surprised when Torey Riso told us he was leaving Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors, where he had been serving as President and CEO. He was brought in by the founders to add experience and his contacts to the growing firm. And grow it did. He figured he had done what was needed and it was a good time to leave. And then the pandemic hit, which we are sure altered his post-Blueprint plans.  It was just announced that he has joined Huron Consulting Group as a Managing Director specializing in healthcare services, but particularly the senior care market. He has helped small and mid-size operators scale their operations, and in particular will... Read More »
The Vaccine and Census

The Vaccine and Census

The COVID-19 vaccine was supposed to solve the census crisis brought on by the virus, but it is not happening fast enough. Optimism still exists, however. A lot has been riding on the success of the vaccine rollout, for everyone personally as well as for the entire senior care industry. But I am worried. When I hear that certain areas are running out of vaccines, when I hear that it may not be as effective with some of the new strains entering our country, when I hear from some providers that up to 50% of their staff have decided not to get vaccinated, well, what does that say about how and when we will recover from this devastating virus? There is some optimism out there, with one... Read More »