$8,540,000 Non-Recourse Acquisition and Reposition of a 151-Unit Orlando Apartment

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners sourced a $3,925,000 loan for the acquisition of a 21-unit property in West Los Angeles. The loan provided 65% leverage and is fixed at a rate of 3.15% for 3 years. The Lender gave the Borrower full credit for newly signed leases and was able to underwrite to the most recent month’s income. Net operating income was underwritten at the actual note rate, which resulted in higher proceeds compared to other lenders. The Property had some deferred maintenance, but the Lender was willing to have the Borrowers complete it after closing. The 3-year declining prepay fit with the Borrower’s value-add business plan.

Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners successfully placed a $4,680,000, 50% LTV loan to fund the acquisition of a 6.9-acre parcel of land located in North County, San Diego, California, and the funds needed to finalize the entitlements for 135 paper lot townhome subdivision.

When GSP became involved, the Borrower had already invested over $2,300,000 to secure a tentative map and development agreement while the land was under option. However, there were only ten days remaining on the purchase contract when the land lender with whom the Borrower had been dealing with directly, declined to proceed. When the Seller refused to grant the Buyer an extension on the purchase escrow, GSP was engaged to arrange the land acquisition financing to enable a timely closing.

GSP had several highly reliable alternative land lenders that could close within ten days. Strategically, GSP selected a lender that was not only willing to finance the land acquisition and final entitlements, but also was willing to give the Sponsor a strong indication that they would favorably consider funding the future stages of the project, including the grading, horizontal land, and infrastructure development as well as the vertical construction financing once the final map was achieved in approximately nine months.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $4,517,000 for the acquisition of a multi-tenant, retail center in Villa Park, Illinois. The non-recourse permanent loan is fixed at 3.75% for ten years with full-term interest only and a defeasance prepayment penalty structure.

One of the tenants was a newly opened gym franchise with no historical sales information for this center. Also, during the loan process, the Seller was finalizing a subdivision of the parking lot which required multiple levels of municipality approvals.

GSP identified a capital source who understood the strength of the asset, the experience of the Sponsor and its desirable suburb location, which is 20 miles outside of Downtown Chicago. The Capital Provider worked through the timing of the issuance of the subdivision approval and was able to close as soon as the approval was finalized. The efficiency of our Capital Provider allowed the Sponsor to be able to rate lock and close as soon as the approval was stamped, taking advantage of the low interest rate environment.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners placed a $10,900,000 non-recourse loan for the refinance of an underperforming stabilized 50-unit multifamily community in Los Angeles. The Sponsor recently acquired the asset at approximately 50% below market from an affiliate party and GSP was able to facilitate approximately $3,000,000in cash out proceeds at closing. A portion of the loan proceeds will be used to renovate units as they become vacant in order to achieve current market rents. GSP identified a non-institutional lender who was comfortable with the cash out proceeds and who understood the history and dynamics of this non-arms-length acquisition. The non-recourse loan is fixed for 1.5 years with a 7.99% interest rate and 4.99% pay rate.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners arranged $25,500,000 in non-recourse bridge financing for the acquisition of a 230,000 square foot Class A office building located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona’s Midtown District. Positioned on a heavily trafficked thoroughfare of a major professional corridor, the site benefits from its central location, proximity to Downtown Phoenix and abundance of local economic drivers. The Project, built in 1982, had been well-maintained but was running a below-market occupancy rate of 82% due to the recent expiration of a large tenant lease. This bridge facility allowed the Canadian-based Sponsor to purchase the asset and undergo a proposed renovation, bringing the design up to competitive market standards in order to successfully lease-up and stabilize the asset.

By focusing attention on sophisticated bridge lenders active in the local area, GSP identified a capital provider who understood the growth of the market. The selected Capital Provider structured around the Project’s current vacancy, recognizing the strength of the Sponsor and their ability to successfully execute on the intended business plan of value creation. The loan was structured with minimal cash management language and featured pari passu funding throughout the term. The interest only non-recourse bridge loan was priced at a spread of 350 basis points over the 30-Day LIBOR, with a three-year term and two 12-month extension options.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners successfully arranged a $2,800,000 non-recourse, short term acquisition loan for a 4.21-acre parcel near Stevenson Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley of California. The Sponsor needed financing in a very short timeframe. GSP was able to source a private lender who closed in three business days. The loan offers 60 days of bridge term while the Borrower seeks a construction-to-permanent solution for a fully entitled, six-building, 966-unit, climate controlled, Class-A self-storage facility expected to complete construction in late 2020. The loan is non-recourse and the Lender did not require an appraisal or other third-party reports, thanks to the low leverage and strength of the Sponsor.