• Brookdale Occupancy Stalls

    Brookdale Senior Living released its November occupancy results, and its census growth has stalled this Fall. In its consolidated portfolio, weighted average occupancy fell by 10 basis points from 82.6% in October to 82.5% in November, while month-end occupancy dropped more significantly from 83.7% to 83.4%. Same-community results were not... Read More »
  • Well-Performing Facility Sells for Strong Price

    A rare skilled nursing and behavioral health facility in Tucson, Arizona, sold for a strong price to a partnership between a regional healthcare equity investor and a national skilled nursing operator. Featuring more than 140 beds, the facility is licensed by the state for both medical and behavioral health services, being the only SNF in the... Read More »
  • AL Community with Attached SNF Trades

    An assisted living community with an attached, vacant 65-bed skilled nursing facility in Faribault, Minnesota, sold with the help of Ray Giannini of Marcus & Millichap. Built in 1998, Pleasant View Estates features 36 units and a 75% elderly waiver census. The community was well-occupied and operated at a strong margin. It was previously... Read More »
  • Regional Bank Funds Dallas Development

    Construction projects, although rare, can still get done these days. Tremper Capital Group successfully secured an $84 million non-recourse loan from a regional bank to fund a development in the Dallas, Texas MSA. The 164-unit independent living, assisted living and memory care project is being built by Harbert South Bay Partners in the... Read More »
  • UMRH Expands Two CCRCs in North Carolina

    Ziegler closed The United Methodist Retirement Homes’ (UMRH) $92.125 million Series 2025A, 2025B and 2025C bonds. UMRH is a North Carolina-based not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates three CCRCs in North Carolina: Croasdaile Village Retirement Community in Durham, Wesley Pines Retirement Community in Lumberton, and Cypress Glen... Read More »
Second Quarter Occupancy Results

Second Quarter Occupancy Results

NIC MAP just released its second-quarter occupancy trends results, and unfortunately, it was not what the industry had hoped for. For the overall seniors housing industry, average occupancy remained flat at 78.7% from the first quarter to the second quarter.   Given the reports of bottoming out by March for several of the large operators and the REITs with large operating portfolios, and strong census increases in April and May, we were a bit surprised that the quarter-to-quarter change was stagnant. We figured maybe at least a 50-basis point increase or higher. The one thing this tells us is that the early spring momentum did not carry over into June. Or possibly it was the... Read More »
Seniors Housing Rates: Actual vs. Asking

Seniors Housing Rates: Actual vs. Asking

For years, NIC MAP has been presenting quarterly changes in seniors housing asking rates, but it is now trying to get beyond that and get the actual rental rates. That will add a lot more needed transparency. As many of you know, NIC is working hard to develop its database of actual rents in seniors housing as opposed to the “asking” rents that have been used in their NIC Map numbers for years. This is very important because not until the market sees the actual rents communities are getting will we have a better understanding of the extent of price discounting in various markets.  We have been a little vocal about the asking rent number because when times are tough, like they... Read More »

NIC MAP Q3 Occupancy Results Fall Short Of Expectations

In more normal times, whatever that may be, the third quarter is supposed to be a good one for occupancy increases, perhaps the best quarter of the year. Not so in the past three years, however. NIC MAP has reported yet another slow month for seniors housing occupancy, which does not bode well for the rest of the year or for early 2018. The modest (10 basis points) increase in assisted living occupancy, combined with the modest decrease (-10 basis points) for independent living, does not bode well for the fourth quarter, when recent weather-related events will surely have a negative impact. Following that will be the first quarter flu season problems, which in 2017 lasted well into the... 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 »

Seniors Housing Occupancy Continues Its Decline

As many people expected, seniors housing occupancy levels declined in the first quarter this year, with assisted living posting larger declines than independent living. According to the recently released NIC MAP data, primarily assisted living communities in the 31 primary markets posted a sequential drop in occupancy of 50 basis points to 87.2%, and a year-over-year drop of 100 basis points. Even though these numbers were sort of expected, there was some hope that the sector was starting to turn things around in the quarter. Not yet. It was a little surprising that half the year-over-year drop came in one quarter, however. On the independent living side, occupancy in the top 31 markets... Read More »