• 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 »
Ensign Adds Two Colorado Skilled Nursing Operators

Ensign Adds Two Colorado Skilled Nursing Operators

The Ensign Group added a couple of Colorado skilled nursing facilities to its portfolio. Both located in Commerce City (Denver area), the facilities include a 105-bed SNF (Ridgeview Post Acute) and an 83-bed SNF (Irondale Post Acute). The deal included just the operations of the facilities, bringing Ensign’s portfolio to 216 skilled nursing operations. The company has stated it wishes to own more of the real estate in its portfolio, and currently does at 91 facilities, but if a deal makes sense, why not? Ensign’s Colorado-based subsidiary Endura Healthcare took over management subject to long-term, triple-net leases effective March 1. Read More »
2019 Sets Senior Care M&A Record

2019 Sets Senior Care M&A Record

What a year it was. We have now recorded 447 publicly announced seniors housing and care transactions in 2019, which is not only a record, but is also still just a preliminary number. Coming off of another record-breaking year in 2018, with 430 deals, the industry has amazingly surpassed that level of activity, by a whopping 5%. That’s what a lot of cheap capital can do. A busy fourth quarter pushed the sector to that unprecedented total, with 110 deals announced. As has historically been the case, private senior care providers made up the majority of buyers, accounting for nearly 50% of all Q4 acquisitions. REITs and real estate investment... Read More »
Ensign Expands in North Texas

Ensign Expands in North Texas

The Ensign Group grew its skilled nursing portfolio by five facilities in two separate transactions, bringing its total holdings to 213 skilled nursing properties in 13 states. The larger transaction consisted of the operations of four facilities in North Texas that will be subject to long-term, triple-net leases and purchase options following year-five of the lease. Included in the purchase was a facility in Wills Point with 112 skilled nursing and 72 assisted living beds, a 190-bed SNF in Rockwall, a 150-bed facility in Rowlett and a 126-bed facility in Waxahachie. The properties will complement Ensign’s other operations in the Dallas market. Keystone Care LLC, Ensign’s Texas-based... Read More »
Ensign Expands in North Texas

The Ensign Group Acquires Again

The Ensign Group has been one of the most prolific acquirers in the senior care sector, and they have no intention of stopping. The company just announced a series of acquisitions in Texas for a total of six skilled nursing facilities with 794 beds. In one group, the facilities included a 110-bed SNF in Harlingen, a 146-bed facility in Keller, and a 162-bed nursing facility in New Braunfels. Both the operations and the real estate were purchased. The acquisitions were all effective November 1. In separate transactions on the same day, Ensign bought the real estate and operations of three skilled nursing facilities in San Antonio with a total of 376 beds. These also closed effective... Read More »
The Ensign Group Strikes Again

The Ensign Group Strikes Again

Ensign the Energizer Bunny, our pet name for several years now for one of two publicly traded companies that continue to make a GAAP profit, quarter after quarter, did it again. And they did it during what could have been a disruptive third quarter when they spun out their senior living operations and home health and hospice business into The Pennant Group. Obviously, it was not disruptive. To sum up some of the key numbers, there was a 33% year-over-year quarterly increase in income from operations, plus a 36% increase in net income to $27.8 million. This is after rent, depreciation and interest, or in other words, the real thing. And, net income per share increased by 25% year over year.... Read More »