$24,300,000 Cash-Out Refinance of a 3-Property Multifamily Portfolio During the COVID Pandemic; Los Angeles, CA

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners successfully arranged the cash-out refinance of a 200+ unit multifamily property. The loan is floating at a starting rate of 2.56% and allows the Sponsor to complete a value-add strategy to increase the NOI and refinance into a permanent loan at higher proceeds in 18-24 months.

While processing the loan, GSP worked with the Lender to understand the historical cash flow which was extremely choppy due to the inconsistent rent payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis resulted in a $3,000,000 increase to the loan amount and an additional year of interest only payments.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured senior permanent financing for a stabilized multifamily property in Los Angeles, CA. The non-recourse debt totaling $12,300,000 was utilized to refinance existing debt and return equity to the Ownership. The loan was structured with a 10-year term and interest only payments for the full duration. The loan was collateralized by a Class-A 34-Unit multifamily building, the Subject was 94% leased at closing and located in a highly desirable West Los Angeles neighborhood.

GSP selected a lender that was able to refinance the Sponsor’s existing debt, cover prepayment penalties and return a significant amount of equity to the Borrower, while simultaneously locking in interest only payments for the next ten years at a very desirable rate. GSP worked with the Lender to minimize debt service reserves while addressing Lender concerns for potential COVID related shortfalls; cash-out proceeds were secured on the loan despite several COVID related delinquencies.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $4,600,000 in proceeds for the cash-out refinance of a 38-unit multifamily property located near Seattle, WA. The Borrower has completed a value-add business plan over the past two years. The Lender gave full credit for the newly signed leases and higher net operating income at the Property. Only one month of stabilized operating history was required to underwrite to the in-place income. Proceeds were maximized by applying the debt coverage ratio constraint to the actual note rate, rather than using a higher underwriting rate.

The previous loan was originated during a cyclical peak in interest rates and carried a note rate of 4.70%. The new refinance loan lowered the Borrower’s interest rate by 140 basis points while simultaneously providing a return of equity. Fixed at 3.30% for five years, the first three years are interest only before rolling into a 30-year amortization schedule.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured senior construction financing for a new multifamily development in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The $10.5M loan will be utilized to complete the 81-unit project. The loan represents approximately 79% of the project cost and was structured with an 18-Month initial term and interest only payments for the duration. The Project will be comprised entirely of studio units configured at 540 square feet; each unit will include one bathroom, a full kitchen, modern appliances, and a washer and dryer. Amenities for the project include a roof top deck, barbeque area, gym & recreational room, bicycle storage, secured parking, and access to a swimming pool.

GSP secured a Lender that understood the future path of development and was comfortable with the emerging market; the current neighborhood is primarily industrial with limited residential product in proximity. The Lender accepted the Sponsor’s imputed equity from entitling the site; this increased leverage to 79% of cost while keeping pricing at a level accretive to the overall yield. The loan was structured with a shorter initial term to minimize upfront points and interest reserves. GSP worked with the Lender to resolve several budget issues that arose during diligence due to the rising price of lumber and concrete; proceeds were successfully increased by $250,000 to ensure the Project would be fully capitalized without additional equity.

Transaction Description:
George Smith Partners was retained to refinance a 2-Property multifamily portfolio. Sensing buying opportunities in the multifamily market, the Sponsor wanted to pull cash out of their existing multifamily portfolio to use as equity to purchase new properties. GSP obtained a fixed rate of 3.15% for the first 5 years of the 30-year term.

Challenge:
With the global pandemic and uncertainty in the market, it was critical to select a capital provider who could successfully close and provide the cash out for the additional purchases. Any delays would have been very costly because of penalties in the purchase contract. In addition, most lenders were overwhelmed with year-end financing requests as several other lenders pulled out of the market and forbearance requests from their current borrowers. There were complex issues around appraisals and inspections that required GSP’s daily oversight.

Solution:
Because of GSP’s strong relationship with this capital provider, we were confident that the loan officer would stay focused, close on time and keep the agreed rate and proceeds. GSP is in the debt market every day which gave us the ability to ensure that the selected Capital Provider was closing deals and meeting deadlines. GSP’s experience working with appraisers, inspectors and title/escrow during the COVID period was critical to getting this transaction completed in a timely manner. The loan closed on time and the Sponsor was able to utilize the cash-out to purchase another project. As is common during the COVID crisis, the Capital Provider wanted a 12-month payment reserve. GSP was able to convince the Capital Provider to only require 6-months and allow the reserve to be applied to the first 6-months of payments.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $8,750,000 in total financing comprised of a 60% LTV first mortgage and a 10% LTV second mortgage for a 35-unit multifamily property in San Jose, CA. The loans provided significant cash-out proceeds at a blended rate of 7.41%. Both loans have a 12-month term, interest-only payments and are open to prepayment without penalty. Recourse is limited to 50% of the second mortgage only. The Property has maintained full occupancy and rent collections despite the COVID-related impacts in the overall market. The Lender did not require reserves for potential COVID rental interruption. The Sponsor developed the Property in the 1980s and engaged GSP to provide a high leverage, quick-close financing solution. The financings closed within 8-days of the Lender’s issuance of term sheets.