$34,000,000 Dallas Multifamily Acquisition Fixed at 5.15% w/Full Term Interest Only

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners identified a national balance sheet lender with an intimate knowledge of the Hayward submarket and arranged $8,400,000 in acquisition and bridge financing for the purchase and reposition of a currently 50% occupied, 1960’s-built apartment complex located in Hayward, CA. The Sponsor placed the portfolio under contract during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The loan includes $1,350,000 of future funding for extensive renovations of unit interiors and exterior upgrades, including an earthquake retrofit. Interest is not charged on the holdback until funds are drawn. This Capital Provider also structured and capitalized an interest reserve to cover the shortfall of cash flow during repositions. Sized to 76% of the total capitalization, the three-year bridge loan is interest only for 36 months and carries a floating rate of LIBOR + 4.25% and include two extension options for up to a term of five-years.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners arranged acquisition bridge financing for a value-add multifamily property in the Arlington Heights Neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The 11-unit, 1960’s vintage property had significant deferred maintenance and below market rents. The Sponsor’s business plan was to reposition the Property, buyout tenants and release the units at market rents. Sized to 72.5% of total project cost, the loan includes 100% of future funding for tenant buyouts, a full gut renovation of unit interiors and an exterior upgrade.

The two-year bridge loan is interest only and floats at a rate of Prime plus 0.50% (5.75% today) with no floor rate, which is important in a declining interest rate environment. The loan carries no prepayment penalty, and interest is not charged on the holdback until funds are drawn. The lender fee was negotiated down to 0.5%.

Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners secured $5,060,000 of non-recourse acquisition debt for the purchase of a 19-unit multifamily property in Los Angeles. The loan has interest only payments at a fixed rate of 3.92% for the first 5 years, before switching to a 30-year amortization. The lender provided non-recourse execution and a short prepayment penalty structure.

Challenges:
The property is located in a prime Los Angeles location, but low tenant turnover had resulted in one third of the tenants paying less than 50% of market rent. As a result, the property was income constrained. Many lenders stressed their cash flow at a rate higher than their current note rate, resulting in limited proceeds. The seller had upgraded several units and classified the cost as an operating expense on historical P&Ls. The property had a minor deferred maintenance issue that created some uncertainty during the appraisal inspection.

Solution:
GSP identified a Capital Provider that sized their proceeds at the actual note rate, rather than a stressed underwriting rate. The selected lender was also able to underwrite down to a 1.15 DCR, compared to the 1.20 constraint offered by other institutional providers. This resulted in considerably higher proceeds. Invoices were obtained for the unit upgrades which allowed the exact amount of capital expenditures to be deducted from operating expenses. It was confirmed that the deferred maintenance issue was disclosed to potential buyers during the bidding process, thus establishing that the sale price was inclusive of the cost of the repair.