• The Saga of Genesis HealthCare Continues

    Genesis HealthCare was once one of the largest and most successful skilled nursing companies. But it grew too quickly, made some bad investments over the years (did we mention the billion-dollar merger with The MultiCare Companies?), and it always played the leverage game, whether with leases or debt, and usually both. Last summer, it filed for... Read More »
  • Blue Moon/StepStone Finalize Large Recapitalization

    Blue Moon Capital Partners completed a large recapitalization of five seniors housing communities that it developed over the years and were the last remaining assets within its fund, Blue Moon Senior Housing I. CBRE National Senior Housing acted as transaction advisor in the recap and arranged acquisition financing for the deal. StepStone Real... Read More »
  • Evans Closes Another High-Priced SNF Sale in NV

    Just a month after selling a skilled nursing facility in Nevada for the highest per-bed value ever seen in the state, Evans Senior Investments returned to sell another facility in the Las Vegas MSA for the second-highest per-bed price. That is some momentum. Little was disclosed on the deal, but the 1970s-built facility has approximately 150... Read More »
  • Seniors Housing Communities Secure Refinances

    Berkadia recently refinanced Allegro Parkland, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community in Parkland, Florida. A joint venture between Harrison Street Asset Management and Allegro Senior Living was the borrower. The community opened in March 2020 (perhaps not the best timing) and features 61 independent living, 88 assisted... Read More »
  • PACS Group Expands in Four States

    After Senior Living Investment Brokerage announced the sale of three assets in Soldotna and Kenai, Alaska, and Caldwell, Idaho, PACS Group announced its addition of three seniors housing communities in the same locations. The Utah-based provider purchased the real estate and operations of the Alaska properties, and closed on a lease option for... Read More »
Change Coming To Life Care Centers of America

Change Coming To Life Care Centers of America

What is happening at Life Care Centers of America is a great example of how not to establish a succession plan, especially when it involves one of the largest privately owned senior care companies in the country. The company was founded by Forest Preston nearly 75 years ago, and he remains the CEO and sole shareholder of a company that is purported to be worth close to $1.2 billion. But he really has not run it for years. I sat down with Forest about 15 years ago, when he agreed to do a long interview with me about his entire life and career. I could tell something was off, and he had a “minder” constantly by his side. But he was agreeable to do this with me, and seemed to look forward to... Read More »
Sonida Senior Living Keeps Pushing Census

Sonida Senior Living Keeps Pushing Census

We have been impressed by Sonida Senior Living management’s ability to get out of its census, cash flow and balance sheet difficulties over the past year. After some acquisitions this year, the company now operates 93 senior living communities, most of them owned.  In the third quarter, same-community occupancy for 61 communities increased by 210 basis points year over year to 87.0%. That is well ahead of many other operators, as well as higher than the NIC MAP census averages. They are well on their way to hitting the elusive goal of 90% occupancy. Speaking of 90% occupancy, management believes that when they reach it for their same-community portfolio, the NOI margin for these... Read More »
60 Seconds with Steve Monroe: The Election And Senior Care

60 Seconds with Steve Monroe: The Election And Senior Care

So, the 2024 election results are in, and many people were surprised, many shocked, some cried and some cheered, and many who did not vote wished they had. But wherever you are on the political spectrum, if you invest in seniors housing and care, the outlook for you may be better with the election outcome. I say that because Mr. Trump is more pro-business and pro-real estate than Ms. Harris, and the Biden/Harris administration was set to make some changes in staffing and PE investing which our sector was not too happy about. The proposed nursing home staffing mandate will most likely go out the window, and pressure on private equity investing in seniors housing may be put on the backburner... Read More »
Brookdale Q3 Results Disappoint

Brookdale Q3 Results Disappoint

Historically, and we are going back more than 12 years, the third quarter has been the best quarter of the year for occupancy increases, and usually cash flow increases based on those census jumps. This was certainly the case for Welltower and Ventas this year, the two largest owners of seniors housing communities. Unfortunately, Brookdale Senior Living, which continues to underperform the market and lags these two REITs, leaves investors disappointed and wondering what is wrong. And dare we say disillusioned with management’s forecasts, which have not panned out at all this year. Don’t get us wrong. Occupancy has increased, but not in the way investors expected, and “little” things like... Read More »
SHOP at National Health Investors Outperforms

SHOP at National Health Investors Outperforms

At National Health Investors, it seems to be all about SHOP, SHOP, SHOP. Although it is a small portfolio at just 15 properties, it is becoming mighty. September’s occupancy was 89.1%, compared with 81.2% a year ago, representing a 790-basis point increase. From July 2023, the increase was 1190 basis points. It is now the highest occupancy portfolio of the major property groups for NHI. The sequential increase from August was 60 basis points.  The SHOP NOI increased 30.4% year over year and represents the highest quarterly result since the portfolio’s formation in April 2022. As we have written previously, SHOP portfolios are performing well, and REITs are expanding them. All is not... Read More »
Welltower Continues To Outperform

Welltower Continues To Outperform

Welltower announced its third quarter earnings results, and they were better than even the most optimistic investors thought they would. Probably better than what CEO Shankh Mitra thought they would be six months ago.  Everything is up, and while not where the numbers were a few years before Covid, the performance is better than most. Same-community occupancy in their SHOP portfolio grew by 310 basis points year over year and RevPOR grew by 4.9%. And same-community NOI increased by 300 basis points.  The REIT completed $2.4 billion in gross investments, and it has an acquisition pipeline that would make the other REITs blush. But don’t forget, it has nothing to do with their cost... Read More »