Continued Uncertainty At HCP
Lauralee Martin is out as CEO, but who will be in remains a mystery. The only thing surprising about the “sudden” announcement that Lauralee Martin stepped down as CEO of HCP, Inc. was that the effective date of her departure was also the announcement date. Now, we don’t want to read too many tea leaves into the situation, but remember that she came into the CEO position from the Board nearly three years ago in a tumultuous dumping of the previous CEO. She already had a top job at another real estate company and didn’t really need the aggravation. But she steered the REIT through another tumultuous period with, first the two lease adjustments, and then the in-process spin-off of the $6... Read More »Another Recession-hit CCRC sells
Nearly a decade on from the housing market collapse in 2007 and despite a relatively strong comeback in the sector, we are still writing about CCRCs just recovering from a drastic drop in entrance fee receipts in the throes of the Great Recession. That being said, three years after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a 223-unit CCRC located in the World Golf Village of St. Augustine, Florida, recently sold in auction to a partnership between LCS and HCP. Operated by LCPS Management, the not-for-profit CCRC opened in 2001 and reached 99% occupancy in 2006 and was 94% occupied in 2008 following a 15-cottage independent living expansion. However, during the Great Recession, more... Read More »
Controversy Among The REITs
Opinions and controversy are all part of the game, but sometimes it can go too far. Some people think I speak my mind a little too frequently, but after 30 years in the seniors housing and care sector, it is hard not to have a lot of opinions. I have always thought that with so much news out there, and so much rehashed news, people want to hear what someone really thinks. It may not be popular, but if it based on experience and a lot of thought, well, then maybe it is worth something. Controversial? Sometimes, at least I hope so. But perhaps not as controversial as the current spat among some healthcare REITs about their decisions to spin off their skilled nursing portfolios, or not. For... Read More »