The math behind what we do

At this point in the cycle, when we consider a new deal, we spend a lot of time thinking about leverage. Mainly, we’re looking at how our pro forma unlevered yield (eg the cap rate we’re trying to hit post renovation) compares to the projected interest rate on the refinance we’ll do at that point. … Continue reading “The math behind what we do”

Anatomy of a homerun

Thought I’d share numbers for a deal we just stabilized. Not going to share the address, because I don’t want to tip anyone off re neighborhoods, etc. Anyway, here goes: Acquired in Spring 2015 Stabilized approx. 13 months later All in for ~$2.37MM Stabilized rent roll of $262k Implied GRM of 9x (!) Forecast NOI of $190k … Continue reading “Anatomy of a homerun”

Some mildly annoying numbers

Just finishing a 4plex in a really cool, up-and-coming neighborhood that we renovated on behalf of an outside investor. Was reviewing the original pro forma and revising in light of what I believe the rents will be… and got an annoying surprise. Based on the original pro forma, this was not a deal that we … Continue reading “Some mildly annoying numbers”

A minor epiphany about valuations for larger buildings

Just had a minor epiphany while walking over to the office from breakfast that I thought I’d share with you. It’s kind of embarrassing, in a “slap-myself-in-the-head-for-not-recognizing-this-earlier” kind of way, but I’m all about honesty on this blog, so here goes… Regular readers know I spend a lot of time thinking about the components of value. … Continue reading “A minor epiphany about valuations for larger buildings”

Silver Lake rents and operating margins

Spent some time this morning looking at rents in Silver Lake. When we started in this business back in 2008, a really nice 1 bed in Silver Lake was around $1500. Today, a similar apartment goes for $2200-2300. That’s an increase of ~50% in eight years… or around 5-5.5% / year (inclusive of compounding). But that’s … Continue reading “Silver Lake rents and operating margins”

363 S Leslie is fully leased

You may remember 363 S Leslie, a 4plex we recently completed in Highland Park. Here’s a pic to jog your memory: Am happy to report that leasing is done. Better yet: Our rents came in materially higher than we originally pro forma’d. So, instead of the 6.3% unlevered yield we expected out of the property, I … Continue reading “363 S Leslie is fully leased”

Why developers prefer to build luxury apartments

Here’s a question that’s been popping up all over the place: Why do developers only build apartments for the rich? The answer, as with most things in our business, is in the math. Imagine you can buy enough land to build 10 units for $1MM, or $100,000 per unit. Let’s say you have two options: … Continue reading “Why developers prefer to build luxury apartments”

Whoa! Got my hands on someone else’s PPM…

Just got my hands on the marketing materials for a deal being syndicated by one of my (larger, more established) competitors. Was obviously thrilled to take a look at the forecast economics and how they are structuring deals. The structure is fine. They’re actually not really being compensated sufficiently for the work they’re doing on … Continue reading “Whoa! Got my hands on someone else’s PPM…”

How leasing impacts acquisitions

“Hey Jacob. What did we get for the last 2/1 we rented at X?” I think I ask that question of Jacob, who runs our management business, 4-5 times per week. Why? Because we’re constantly recycling the market information we glean from leasing back into our acquisitions underwriting. The go/no go decision on each deal is … Continue reading “How leasing impacts acquisitions”