• Did Blackstone Sell Too Soon?

    According to recent media reports, real estate investor The Blackstone Group has sold and is in the process of selling about $1.8 billion in seniors housing assets. It wants to completely exit the seniors housing business which they claim has been a disaster for them. One report stated that they have lost upwards of $600 million across the... Read More »
  • Brookdale Continues Winning Streak

    The big question is, why did this not happen earlier? We are talking about Brookdale Senior Living’s occupancy recovery, and why the previous leadership seemed unable to move the needle, but as soon as they were gone, everything has been on an upward trend. Hmmmmm.  Things are not perfect at Brookdale, but they never were. However,... Read More »
  • National Health Investors Adjusts Its SHOP Portfolio

    National Health Investors, Inc. announced some adjustments to its SHOP portfolio, raising its full-year guidance for the third consecutive quarter due to the contribution of recently transitioned and newly acquired SHOP properties, along with continued strength in its investment pipeline. The REIT also had an update on its lease agreement with... Read More »
  • Strawberry Fields’ Three Separate SNF Transactions

    Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. announced three separate skilled nursing transactions that closed during the third quarter. Two previously announced acquisitions were in Missouri, and the recently announced purchase was in Oklahoma.  In July, the REIT completed the acquisition of nine skilled nursing facilities with 686 beds in Missouri. The... Read More »
  • Receivership Estate Sells in Alabama

    Kory Buzin and Steve Thomes of Blueprint handled another successful sale on behalf of a lender and special servicer, this time involving a receivership estate in Mobile, Alabama. Knollwood Point, a 2001-vintage, 46-unit assisted living and memory care community, struggled in recent years as a result of challenged occupancy and volatile staffing.... Read More »
The Audience Has Spoken

The Audience Has Spoken

On April 27, The SeniorCare Investor’s Steve Monroe moderated a webinar entitled “Investing in the CCRC and Independent Living Market,” with panelists Breck Collingsworth of Resort Lifestyle Communities, Adam Kane of Erickson Living and Rick Swartz of Cushman & Wakefield. During the wide-ranging 90-minute discussion, which you can listen to here, the panel tackled CCRC valuations, cap rates, the IL/CCRC development market, whether these property types will suffer in the next recession as much as the last one. We also brought in the audience a few times to get their insight. First, we asked which property should have a higher cap rate, 100% independent living or a mix of IL, assisted... Read More »
Independent Living Market Outperforms

Independent Living Market Outperforms

First quarter data from NIC MAP shows IL occupancy again exceeding assisted living, but with less new development. What is it about the independent living community market that keeps occupancy more stable than assisted living, yet sees a much lower level of new development? In the latest NIC MAP data on the first quarter, the IL market outperformed the AL market again, even though IL occupancy did slip a bit sequentially and year over year. I have a hard time understanding why there is not more development in the IL side of the business. Yes, they are larger properties that require more capital and a longer fill time, but it just seems they can be more tailored to any market’s particular... Read More »

HJ Sims Helps Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America partnered with HJ Sims to issue $39.73 million in tax-exempt bonds to refinance its 268-unit/bed CCRC in Anoka, Minnesota. Originally built in 2012 with 120 skilled nursing beds and 59 assisted/independent living units, this community added 65 IL units and 24 memory care units to the campus, in addition to converting the 59 AL/IL units to all-assisted living. The borrower is an affiliate of Volunteers of America, an interdenominational church and Christian human services organization that has been in operation since 1896. Series 2011 and Series 2014 bonds financed the development of both phases of the community, and the Series 2017 bonds will advance refund only the... Read More »

Berkadia Serves Up Agency Financings

Berkadia’s Seniors Housing and Healthcare team, led by Chris Honn, has been working at a furious pace since the end of last year, closing $288 million in financings in the past two months. First up on the agency side, Berkadia arranged a $36.7 million Freddie Mac loan, with a 10-year fixed-rate term, for a recently stabilized 131-unit independent living community in Birmingham, Michigan. Through Fannie Mae, the team also closed a $98 million, seven-year loan (with a fixed rate) on behalf of the owners of a 605-unit entrance-fee CCRC in Florida who were looking to cash out their equity. For a portfolio of five skilled nursing facilities, and 222 beds, in Arizona, Colorado and Utah, Berkadia... Read More »
Ziegler Soars

Ziegler Soars

Ziegler has been dominating the tax-exempt bond financing market for seniors housing, closing over $400 million in issuances since November. Its two most recent transactions involved a couple of not-for-profit CCRC operators. First (and the largest), Ziegler closed $126 million in non-rated, tax-exempt bonds, plus $3.8 million in non-rated, taxable, fixed-rate bonds for C.C. Young Memorial Home. The Texas-based not-for-profit was founded in 1922 by the State of Texas to care for the elderly, and now owns and operates a 20-acre campus in northeast Dallas. Included at the community are 223 independent living units in a number of buildings, 75 assisted living units, 30 memory care beds and a... Read More »