• 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 »
Jon Harder Gets Sentence Commuted

Jon Harder Gets Sentence Commuted

When was the last time anyone thought about Jon Harder, the founder and CEO of Sunwest Management who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the “misuse of investment funds during the real estate crisis” of 2007 to 2009? Well, that is an understatement if we ever saw one. At its height, Sunwest was one of the largest senior living companies in the country.  Back in the day, in the 2000s, when Mr. Harder was building his empire, overpaying for properties and then not properly managing them, people often wondered, “how is he doing it?” We heard from many brokers that the runner up bids were often 10% to 20% below what Sunwest was offering, not even close enough to ask anyone... Read More »
The Welltower Census Decline

The Welltower Census Decline

Welltower’s seniors housing partners continue to suffer from census declines and operating costs. We do appreciate the transparency that Welltower has been providing investors, but boy does it provide a window onto what is happening. In its monthly update, Welltower informed us that it suffered its worst monthly census decline since May. December’s SHOP occupancy fell 100 basis points from November, compared with -70 basis points in November and -170 basis points in May. With the pandemic spreading, census dropped another 85 basis points to just 75.3% as of January 15. Not looking forward to everyone’s fourth quarter earnings calls. Move-ins were the lowest in six months, and... Read More »
The Welltower Census Decline

Assisted Living Is Not A Nursing Home

The media continues to throw all seniors housing into the nursing home basket. It has to stop now, especially in this time of COVID. Here I go again, or better yet, here goes the uninformed New York Times again. In a story last week called, “Voices From Inside Nursing Homes,” I didn’t know whether these would be the voices of workers, or the residents who felt isolated with little social interaction. It was mostly neither. It was voices from children of residents, and in two cases, the resident; one “voice” was that of a staffer. The problem was that most were not voices from nursing homes. They were from a residential care facility, a seniors housing complex, an assisted living community,... Read More »
The Welltower Census Decline

Active Adult: Is Now The Time

The active adult market may fill a lot of voids in seniors housing, including price points and attracting younger “seniors.” Join our webinar as we dissect the market with industry leaders and see how these new properties are trading in the market. First of all, Happy New Year. It has got to be better than the last one. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly disrupted the senior living industry, at least for now. Are consumers going to be afraid of moving into a senior living community once the vaccine is widely distributed? Will cost become a more  important factor for choosing the type of community to move into? How about paying for what you only want or need? These will... Read More »
The Welltower Census Decline

Saying Goodbye To 2020

It’s time to put 2020 to rest, and in 2021 we will all do our best. If you happen to be listening to this on Christmas Eve Hopefully you will remember it came from Steve As you know, 2020 was a terrible year And in our industry, it brought little cheer What with shortages of tests and PPE Let’s not forget those of us who ran out of TP COVID was nasty, don’t we all know And it cost the providers a lot of dough Blame was cast by the media for sure But your resilience means we will all endure There’s no time to waste, the message still needs to get out That you are a safe place to live, there is no doubt So, as we journey into another year anew I wish you health and happiness in all you... Read More »
LTC Properties Provides Rent Relief

LTC Properties Provides Rent Relief

How do you spell relief in the pandemic? Reducing the rent escalators that REITs charge their tenants. That is precisely what LTC Properties has decided to do in 2021, and we wonder if a few other REITs may follow suit.   Several REITs already agreed to rent deferrals in 2020 as their tenants were struggling with census and operating costs. But those deferrals have to be paid back at some time, since they were simply “deferred.” But under LTC Properties’ plan, the 2021 rent escalator will be cut by 50% and presumably not have to be paid back.  While it may be painful for LTC and its shareholders in the short-term, it was the right thing to do because many tenants... Read More »