$85,800,000 Senior Construction-to-Perm Financing for a 372-Unit Multifamily Project; Sacramento, CA

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $33,800,000 of senior construction financing for the development of an 83-unit ground-up multifamily building in an infill Los Angeles location. The 83 units will be comprised of 50% conventional units and 50% co-living units. While the property is in an A+ location, many lenders were uncomfortable with co-living in general. GSP was not only able to find a lender that was comfortable with the product type but was also able to get to almost 70% of total project cost. The lender also gave the borrower credit for the entitled value of the land as opposed to their acquisition cost from the year prior. The land equity contributed a significant portion of the total equity required.

The construction loan was priced at Prime + 0.75% and the loan term is 18 months plus one 6-month extension option.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $8,500,000 of senior construction financing for the development of a 35-unit ground-up multifamily building in Los Angeles, California. GSP was sourcing financing when banks were getting increasingly conservative in their underwriting, with leverage falling and compensating deposits required. Given the strong track record of the developer, GSP identified a bank that was able to maximize the leverage with no deposits held at the bank. The Sponsor was also able to use land equity in the capital stack.

The construction loan was priced at Prime + 1.25%. The loan term is 18 months plus one 6-month extension option.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners arranged permanent financing for the refinance of a stabilized 12-unit multifamily property in Los Angeles, California. The Sponsor finished construction on the Property in the middle of the current rate hike cycle. GSP identified a Capital Provider who allowed an early rate lock before Certificate of Occupancy was issued. The Lender allowed the borrower to go into application with very little lease up, but with the understanding that the property would be stabilized by closing. Although the closing took slightly longer than the 60 day term of the rate lock, the Lender held the rate for no additional charge. The bank did not require deposits to be held at their branch except for the subject property’s operating account.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners successfully arranged $57,900,000 in non-recourse, construction financing for a mid-rise, Class A, 187-unit multifamily development in Tempe, AZ. The Project will serve the rapidly developing area of north Tempe. The Property is located immediately adjacent to a Valley Metro light rail stop, offering residents convenient access to Downtown Tempe, Arizona State University, Sky Harbor Airport, and downtown Phoenix.

The Sponsor, headquartered in nearby Scottsdale with a successful track record of multifamily and commercial developments, engaged GSP in 2020 to source high-leverage, non-recourse financing. Despite being relatively early in the Project’s development stage, GSP sourced a Lender offering a 90% LTC loan, which includes a participating feature. This unique structure features the Lender sharing profits with the Sponsor in exchange for the high leverage financing.

The construction budget grew significantly during the longer than expected entitlement and permitting process. Fortunately, thanks to GSP’s close relationship with the Lender, a commensurate increase in market rents, and the strength of the Sponsor, the final loan amount was nearly 40% higher than that of the original loan application in 2021.

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners secured $9,000,000 of senior construction financing for the development of a 28-unit ground-up multifamily Building in Los Angeles, California. The Project will be a conventional 28-unit property with 4 stories, including 12 one-bedroom units and 16 two-bedroom units. The construction loan floats at a rate of Prime + 1%. The 75% loan-to-cost construction loan also comes with the option to convert to a 5-year mini-perm loan upon completion; based on the 5-Year Treasury plus a margin of 2.75%, with a 3.95% floor, eliminating any future financial risks. GSP sourced a Lender that was able to move efficiently and most importantly accommodate the Borrower’s development timeline and experience. 

Transaction Description:

George Smith Partners placed a $47,000,000 senior construction loan for the ground-up development of a mixed-use project in Azusa, CA. When complete, the 5-story project will consist of 127 apartment units and approximately 10,000 SF of 1st-floor commercial/retail/restaurant space. The Project is an integral component in the ongoing expansion of the City of Azusa’s Downtown district and is immediately adjacent to the Gold Line Station, which runs from Azusa Pacific University & Citrus College west to Downtown Los Angeles. This is the Sponsor’s second project in Azusa.

A lack of comparable projects within the submarket posed a challenge. GSP emphasized the supporting employment centers inside a ten-mile radius, including the two colleges and eighteen medical facilities. In addition, a detailed breakdown of the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) submarket helped showcase the presence of a proportionally higher share of younger households than statewide. Data depicting home values that had grown out of reach for those living in a three-mile radius helped the case for a rental project. Further support was provided by the SGV submarket experiencing minor economic impact during the last two years and during Covid.

GSP executed a full-time marketing campaign and identified the most economically beneficial capital stack scenario for the sponsorship with a stepdown in rate at Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO).