


Sitzman Sells Vacant Senior Living Assets
No residents? No problem for Amy Sitzman of Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors, who recently sold two vacant assisted living communities in Arizona for an undisclosed price. These were not recent vacancies, however, that the incoming owner can just open the doors and get along with business as usual. One asset, located in Peoria with 50 units, closed in 2008, while the second building in Mesa, also with 50 units, had been vacant since 2013. The seller looked to divest the assets, and ended up selling to two separate buyers. The purchaser of the Peoria property is a regional operator looking to expand its presence. Meanwhile, the Mesa buyer is a growing behavioral health group that... Read More »
How Old Is Too Old In Seniors Housing?
For the first time in our Senior Care Acquisition Report (with the 23rd Edition just published), we decided to take a look at how investors priced in the risk purchasing a newer seniors housing community, versus an older one. As many of you know, the assisted living product did not develop in earnest until the 1990s, when at the end of the 20th century, the industry experienced a boom in development, mostly on the assisted living side. Since then, the tastes of seniors have changed, and what may have been a luxury “A” property in 2000 may not be one now. We have also more recently undergone a development boom, once again primarily in the assisted living/memory care sector. Many of these... Read More »
MidCap Financial Arranges Acquisition Financing For Southwest Senior Living
MidCap Financial worked on behalf of Palatine Capital Partners Management to arrange financing for the purchase of a senior living community in the Southwest. Palatine, an investment firm focused on small- and mid-cap real estate assets, acquired a 145-unit senior living community that is roughly split evenly between independent living and assisted living. Well-located and purpose-built in the late 1990s, the community was in need of significant renovations. So, in addition to funding the acquisition, the $9.0 million floating rate loan will enable Palatine to implement a $2.5 million capital improvement plan at the community to renovate the exteriors, common areas and unit... Read More »
Immigration and Labor
The seniors housing and care industry needs more low-skill immigrants, but is that really the best long-term solution? The New York Times ran a full-page story Monday on why a constant flow of low-skill immigrants is important for the seniors housing and care industry. Apparently, it is getting increasingly difficult to find locals to fill the growing need for caregivers. I have two conclusions about what’s going on. First, many immigrants come from countries where there is a different attitude towards the elderly, call it more respect and more compassion. That is why they often make excellent caregivers. On the flip side, I think there is more ageism in this country than people are... Read More »
Tellatin, Inc. Joins Integra Realty Resources
Tellatin, Inc. and its six offices with 16 professionals has joined Integra Realty Resources (IRR), significantly expanding IRR’s national coverage in the seniors housing and care appraisal and feasibility business. Coming on board as new shareholders of IRR include Jim Tellatin, MAI, Victor Cremeens, MAI, Bradley Schopp, MAI and Mark Tracy. The professionals at Tellatin have completed assignments on more than 6,000 nursing facilities, 3,300 assisted and independent living communities, and 200 hospitals in every state with a total value in excess of $75 billion. Founder Jim Tellatin authored the book, The Appraisal of Nursing Facilities, which has become the bible of skilled nursing... Read More »
Another Portfolio Deal From Blueprint
Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors didn’t have to go far to close its next portfolio deal. Michael Segal and Ben Firestone worked together out of the firm’s Chicago headquarters to sell three skilled nursing facilities in central Illinois. Totaling over 450 licensed beds, the portfolio was operating slightly above breakeven, with occupancy in the mid-80s. An experienced investor in the space and a Chicago-based operator teamed up to acquire and operate the portfolio, paying an undisclosed price. The deal follows Blueprint’s successful sale of three seniors housing properties in Utah to SmartStop Asset Management, arranged by Jacob Gehl, Amy Sitzman and Giancarlo Riso. It also comes... Read More »
HHC Finance Closes Illinois HUD Refinance
Housing & Healthcare Finance recently closed four HUD loans on behalf of a portfolio of four supportive living facilities in Illinois, totaling $55.3 million. Built in the early- to mid-2000s, the facilities will soon receive some renovations in order to increase their appeal and competitiveness, which the financing will facilitate. They total 536 units geared towards low-income residents that do not need full medical care. The transaction refinanced the experienced borrowers’ existing bank and partnership debt, along with supporting the renovations. Read More »
Merrill Commercial Real Estate Sells Nevada Memory Care
Tyler Merrill of Merrill Commercial Real Estate sold a 44-unit memory care community in Sparks, Nevada, representing a single-asset owner/operator in the disposition. This was the seller’s last seniors housing asset, as it was looking to focus on a less operations-intensive real estate class. However, it appears they are exiting at the right time, and at a good price. Mr. Merrill sold the community for $10 million, or $227,300 per unit. Built in 1996, it features 77 beds in 44 units, and was 86% occupied with a 100% private pay census. The seller had put $750,000 of capex into it in 2015, which almost certainly helped boost the price. A Northwest-based operator looking to expand their... Read More »
Pricing Age Into Seniors Housing Sales
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that in 2017, the oldest seniors housing properties (independent living and assisted living properties built before 2002) were valued the lowest and the newest properties (built after 2011) were valued the highest, according to the just-published 2018 Senior Care Acquisition Report. We see a similar correlation most years, but it is important to note that not all ages take into account renovations (and they would have to be substantial renovations and/or gut rehabs to change the effective age of the building) or additions (often of memory care units). However, it is generally true that in order to better compete in today’s senior living market, investors... Read More »