• 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 »

Ventas SNF spin-off gets in the game

Just a couple of weeks after Care Capital Properties officially was spun out from Ventas and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the newly formed post-acute/skilled nursing facility REIT announced its first acquisition, and it was a big one. With eight skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living community and 1,174 beds in the Shreveport, Louisiana market, the portfolio featured an average occupancy of 88% and a 47% quality mix. Also included in the portfolio was a rehab therapy company, four hospice agencies and an interest in an affiliated pharmacy provider. CCP will triple-net lease the portfolio to pursuant to a 15-year master lease containing annual rent escalations... Read More »

CareTrust bucks the trend

Since its formation in June 2014 when it was spun out from The Ensign Group as a publicly traded REIT, CareTrust REIT has largely taken part in small one- to three-property acquisitions with prices as small as $6.6 million but never larger than $18 million. Then the REIT surprised us (and others we presume) by announcing a $175 million acquisition of 14 senior care properties, valued at $139,110 per bed/unit. The portfolio, owned and operated by Liberty Nursing Centers, includes 1,102 operating skilled nursing beds and 156 assisted living and independent living units throughout the state of Ohio. Stepping in to operate these facilities will be Indiana-based Pristine Senior Living, which... Read More »

The meaning of a move

So why does a successful CEO of a healthcare REIT leave to become the chief investment officer of a larger REIT? Since Justin Hutchens arrived at National Health Investors (NHI) in 2009, the REIT has posted positive returns in every year from 2010 on, including three years with total returns between 28.1% and 34.5%. And in 2010 it was the number one performing healthcare REIT. While we could joke that he yearned to return to the West Coast, the real reason had to be what his new employer, HCP, Inc., had to offer. He will be in charge of all the seniors housing and care portfolio, which is the majority of HCP and alone dwarfs the total NHI portfolio. Bottom line, it is a much bigger playing... Read More »