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October 18, 2023 Addy Saeed Comments Off Profitability, Seller's Guide

Effects of Interest Rate on Investing a Multi-Family Property

In the ever-changing realm of real estate investing, grasping the influence of interest rates is vital, particularly for multi-family properties. With solid demand in the multifamily market amid economic uncertainty, it’s crucial to comprehend the short-term and long-term consequences of interest rate hikes. Let’s first explore the concept of inflation to get a clearer picture of how an interest rate hike affects the multifamily market. Inflation is the gradual increase in the overall price level of goods and services within an economy over time. It erodes the purchasing power of money, leading to increased expenses for investors and developers. The Bank of Canada employs interest rates as a tool to manage inflation. When interest rates go up, the BoC’s goal is to reduce consumer spending and borrowing, thereby slowing economic growth, and curbing inflationary pressures. These rates can influence the overall profitability, financing options, and investment strategies for multifamily properties.

Negative Impact of rising interest rates on the multifamily investment landscape

Costly Debt Dynamics

When interest rates rise, debt becomes pricier, influencing investor returns and property prices. This shift in market dynamics might lead to decreased transaction volume or investors opting to hold onto properties, awaiting a more favorable seller’s market.

Variable-Rate Debt Dilemma

Investors with variable-rate debt may face challenges during resets. A property generating positive cash flow at 3% interest may not be sustainable at 6%. This could lead to negative cash flow, potentially resulting in loan defaults and foreclosures as operational reserves run dry or loan covenants are breached.

Job Market Jitters

Rising interest rates often correlate with job layoffs. According to a recent PwC survey, half of industry executives are reducing headcount or planning to, with 52% implementing hiring freezes. In the multifamily market, anticipating slower growth, investors and property managers might trim staff in response to operational challenges. While a short-term fix, job losses can trigger late payments and collection costs, further impacting property profitability.

However, while high-interest rates are generally perceived as a challenge in the realm of investments, there are scenarios where they can bring about positive impacts in multifamily real estate:

Enhanced Returns for Lenders

Higher interest rates mean that lenders, such as banks or financial institutions, earn more from the interest charged on loans. This can make lending to multifamily property investors more attractive, potentially leading to increased loan availability.

Stability in Market Conditions

High-interest rates can contribute to a more stable real estate market. When interest rates are high, property values may be less prone to rapid and unpredictable fluctuations. This stability can be beneficial for long-term investors looking for predictability in their investment returns.

Reduced Speculative Activity

High-interest rates may discourage speculative investment behavior, where investors buy properties with the sole intent of selling them quickly for a profit. This reduction in speculative activity can contribute to a more sustainable and balanced market, preventing the formation of property bubbles that can lead to market crashes.

Discourages Overleveraging

High-interest rates act as a natural deterrent against excessive borrowing or overleveraging. This can be positive for the overall health of the multifamily investment sector, as it encourages investors to use a more cautious approach in financing their acquisitions, reducing the risk of financial instability.

Attractive Yields for Fixed-Income Investors

High-interest rates make real estate investments more appealing to fixed-income investors seeking stable and attractive yields. Multifamily properties, known for their reliable cash flow, become a more attractive option compared to other investment vehicles in a high-interest-rate environment.

Potential for Bargain Purchases

High-interest-rate environments may lead to a decline in property prices as demand softens. For investors with sufficient capital and a long-term perspective, this presents an opportunity to acquire properties at more favorable prices, with the potential for significant appreciation when interest rates eventually decrease.

In conclusion, high interest rates in multifamily investments can have some silver linings. They might bring stability to the market, making property values less jumpy. Also, they discourage risky behaviors like buying and selling properties quickly, making the market more reliable. High rates could mean fewer people taking big loans, preventing financial troubles down the road. For those looking to invest for the long haul, high rates might mean a chance to buy properties at lower prices. Remember, while high rates pose challenges, they can also create opportunities for savvy investors willing to navigate the market wisely.

If you’re interested in finding out more about investing in Multi-family properties, please make sure to leave a comment or contact us

October 12, 2023 Addy Saeed Comments Off Operations, Seller's Guide

What is turnover? How do you capture the cost?

According to the National Apartment Association, Turnover measures how many apartment units had residents move out during a 12-month period, shown as a percentage of the total rented units in the building. Essentially, it indicates the percentage of tenants who choose not to renew their leases.

For property managers and landlords, the tenant turnover rate is a crucial metric for planning their budget in advance. You can easily find your turnover rate by dividing the number of tenants who moved out in a year by the total number of tenants you had during that time.

This rate helps property managers estimate how many leases are likely to change each year, allowing them to plan and budget for renovations. It also gives insights into potential rent increases, helping them make informed decisions about their property’s financial outlook.

For example, A residential building has a total of 120 units and all occupied throughout the year of 2022 and the number of moveouts at the end of the year is 20. We simply calculate Turnover Rate using the illustration above. The calculation resulted with a 16% Turnover Rate.

Practical Steps for Long-Term Tenancies to Reduce Turnover:

If you’re grappling with a high turnover rate and eager to cut down on associated costs, consider implementing these effective strategies. Each approach has proven successful, and depending on your property type, one may be more suitable for your situation than the others.

Rigorous Tenant Screening:

Enhance your tenant screening process to minimize turnover. Engage a trustworthy tenant screening service to guide you in identifying ideal applicants. Opting for tenants with a track record of property upkeep can significantly decrease repair expenses. Additionally, selecting tenants with a propensity for longer stays contributes to lowering turnover rates and associated costs.

Enhance Lease Agreements:

Acknowledge that turnover is inevitable, but you can mitigate its financial impact by refining your lease agreements. Clearly outline terms related to move-out cleaning fees, security deposits, damages, and other potential expenses. Informing tenants about these details empowers them to return the property in good condition, ultimately saving you money during turnovers.

Cultivate Relationships and Encourage Renewals:

Building positive relationships with tenants fosters a sense of home, increasing the likelihood they’ll want to stay longer. Establish trust by demonstrating a genuine concern for their well-being. Keep open lines of communication about lease renewals, incorporating regular conversations into your management process. Consider offering reduced administrative rates for lease renewals to incentivize tenants to stay for extended periods.

By combining these strategies, you can create a tenant-centric approach that not only reduces turnover rates but also enhances the overall stability and profitability of your property management endeavors.

September 30, 2023 Addy Saeed Comments Off Buyer's Guide, Operations, Seller's Guide

What is ESG and why is it important to Investors?

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. It refers to a set of standards used by investors and organizations to evaluate a company’s performance and behavior in various sustainability and ethical issues.

In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the investment landscape as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors have gained prominence. This shift has extended beyond traditional sectors and is now significantly impacting the world of commercial real estate investments. Investors, stakeholders, and even governments are placing increased importance on sustainable and responsible business practices, driving the integration of ESG considerations into various industries, including the lucrative realm of commercial real estate.

The 3 aspects of ESG are:

Environmental (E): This aspect focuses on a company’s impact on the environment. It involves assessing how the company manages its use of natural resources, its carbon footprint, its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste management practices, and adherence to environmental regulations. Additionally, it considers the company’s efforts towards sustainability and the development of environmentally friendly products and services.

Social (S): The social aspect looks at a company’s treatment of its employees, customers, suppliers, and communities where it operates. It evaluates factors such as labor practices, employee relations, diversity and inclusion, customer satisfaction, community engagement, and philanthropy. Companies that prioritize fair labor practices and have a positive social impact often score well in this category.

Governance (G): Governance refers to the company’s internal policies, leadership structure, and adherence to ethical standards. This includes evaluating the independence and expertise of the board of directors, executive compensation, transparency in financial reporting, and measures to prevent corruption and unethical practices.

ESG factors have gained significant importance for investors due to several reasons:

Risk management: ESG factors can help investors identify and mitigate potential risks associated with their investments. Environmental risks, such as climate change impacts or regulatory changes, can affect the value and longevity of a property. Social risks, like community relations or labor practices, can impact a property’s reputation and operational stability. Strong governance practices help ensure proper management and transparency, reducing the risk of fraud or mismanagement.

Long-term performance: Commercial real estate investments are often long-term endeavors. Considering ESG factors ensures that properties are built, managed, and operated with an eye toward long-term sustainability. This can lead to reduced operational costs, increased tenant satisfaction, and enhanced property value over time.

Market Demand: ESG considerations are becoming increasingly important to tenants, investors, and regulators. Investors who prioritize ESG factors are likely to attract more socially conscious tenants and may also experience increased demand from institutional investors who incorporate ESG criteria into their investment decisions.

Regulatory Compliance: Many regions and jurisdictions are implementing stricter environmental regulations and building codes. Investors who account for ESG factors are better positioned to comply with these regulations, avoiding potential fines or operational disruptions.

Stakeholder relations: Investors that prioritize ESG factors are likely to have better relations with their stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, and regulators. This can lead to enhanced brand reputation and increased customer loyalty.

Enhanced Reputation: Incorporating ESG principles can improve a real estate investor’s reputation. Demonstrating commitment to environmental and social responsibility can lead to positive public relations and better community relationships.

Future-Proofing Investments: By considering ESG factors, investors can future-proof their investments against changing market dynamics. As sustainability practices become more mainstream, properties that lag behind in ESG performance could face lower demand and potentially depreciating value.

As a result of these benefits, ESG considerations have become an essential part of investment strategies for many investors who seek not only financial returns but also sustainable and socially responsible outcomes.

April 28, 2017 Addy Saeed Comments Off Buyer's Guide, Operations, Seller's Guide

16 New rules to curb the Toronto housing crisis

The province made an announcement last week showcasing 16 measures to help real estate buyers and sellers and to help create more supply for the region. I’ve broken down the rules more in the video above for your review. Here are the sixteen rules that are introduced:

Actions to Address Demand for Housing:

Introducing legislation that would, if passed, implement a new 15-per-cent Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST) on the price of homes in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) purchased by individuals who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada or by foreign corporations. Ontario’s economy benefits enormously from newcomers who decide to make the province home. The NRST would help to address unsustainable demand in this region and make housing more available and affordable, while ensuring Ontario continues to be a place that welcomes all new residents. The proposed tax would apply to transfers of land that contain at least one and not more than six single family residences. “Single family residences” include, for example, detached and semi-detached homes, townhomes and condominiums. The NRST would not apply to transfers of other types of land including multi-residential rental apartment buildings, agricultural land or commercial/industrial land. The NRST would be effective as of April 21, 2017, upon the enactment of the amending legislation. Refugees and nominees under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program would not be subject to the NRST. Subject to eligibility requirements, a rebate would be available for those who subsequently attain citizenship or permanent resident status as a well as foreign nationals working in Ontario and international students. See technical bulletin for further information.
Actions to Protect Renters
Expanding rent control to all private rental units in Ontario, including those built after 1991. This will ensure increases in rental costs can only rise at the rate posted in the annual provincial rent increase guideline. Over the past ten years, the annual rent increase guideline has averaged two per cent. The increase is capped at a maximum of 2.5 per cent. Under these changes, landlords would still be able to apply vacancy decontrol and seek above guideline increases where permitted. Legislation will be introduced that, if passed, will enact this change effective April 20.
The government will introduce legislation that would, if passed, strengthen the Residential Tenancies Act to further protect tenants and ensure predictability for landlords. This will include developing a standard lease with explanatory information available in multiple languages, tightening provisions for “landlord’s own use” evictions, and ensuring that tenants are adequately compensated if asked to vacate under this rule; prohibiting above-guideline increases where elevator work orders have not been completed; and making technical changes at the Landlord-Tenant Board to make the process fairer and easier for renters and landlords. These changes would apply to the entire province.
Actions to Increase Housing Supply
Establishing a program to leverage the value of surplus provincial land assets across the province to develop a mix of market housing and new, permanent, sustainable and affordable housing supply. Potential sites under consideration for a pilot project include the West Don Lands, 27 Grosvenor/26 Grenville Streets in Toronto, and other sites in the province. This builds on an agreement reached previously with the City of Toronto to ensure a minimum of 20 per cent of residential units within the West Don Lands are available for affordable rental, with an additional 5 per cent of units for affordable ownership.
Introducing legislation that would, if passed, empower the City of Toronto, and potentially other interested municipalities, to introduce a vacant homes property tax to encourage property owners to sell unoccupied units or rent them out, to address concerns about residential units potentially being left vacant by speculators.
Ensuring that property tax for new multi-residential apartment buildings is charged at a similar rate as other residential properties. This will encourage developers to build more new purpose-built rental housing and will apply to the entire province.
Introducing a targeted $125-million, five-year program to further encourage the construction of new rental apartment buildings by rebating a portion of development charges. Working with municipalities, the government would target projects in those communities that are most in need of new purpose-built rental housing.
Providing municipalities with the flexibility to use property tax tools to help unlock development opportunities. For example, municipalities could be permitted to impose a higher tax on vacant land that has been approved for new housing.
Creating a new Housing Supply Team with dedicated provincial employees to identify barriers to specific housing development projects and work with developers and municipalities to find solutions. As well, a multi-ministry working group will be established to work with the development industry and municipalities to identify opportunities to streamline the development approvals process.
Other Actions to Protect Homebuyers and Increase Information Sharing
The province will work to understand and tackle practices that may be contributing to tax avoidance and excessive speculation in the housing market such as “paper flipping,” a practice that includes entering into a contractual agreement to buy a residential unit and assigning it to another person prior to closing.
Working with the real estate profession and consumers, the province is committing to review the rules real estate agents are required to follow to ensure that consumers are fairly represented in real estate transactions. This includes practices such as double ending. The government will modernize its rules, strengthen professionalism and improve the home-buying experience with a goal to make Ontario a leader in real estate standards.
Establishing a housing advisory group which will meet quarterly to provide the government with ongoing advice about the state of the housing market and discuss the impact of the measures in the Fair Housing Plan and any additional steps that are needed. The group will have a diverse range of expertise, including economists, academics, developers, community groups and the real estate sector.
Educating consumers on their rights, particularly on the issue of one real estate professional representing more than one party in a real estate transaction.
Partnering with the Canada Revenue Agency to explore more comprehensive reporting requirements so that correct federal and provincial taxes, including income and sales taxes, are paid on purchases and sales of real estate in Ontario.
Making elevators in Ontario buildings more reliable by establishing timelines for elevator repair in consultation with the sector and the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA).
Working with municipalities to better reflect the needs of a growing Greater Golden Horseshoe through an updated Growth Plan. New provisions will include requiring that municipalities consider the appropriate range of unit sizes in higher density residential buildings to accommodate a diverse range of household sizes and incomes. This will help support the goals of creating complete communities that are vibrant, transit-supportive and economically competitive, while doing more to address climate change, protect the region’s natural heritage and prevent the loss of irreplaceable farmland. As part of the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006, enough land was set aside in municipal official plans to accommodate forecasted growth to at least 2031. Based on discussions with municipalities across the region, the government is confident that there is enough serviced land to meet the Provincial Policy Statement requirement for a three year supply of residential units. The Greenbelt provides important protection of natural heritage and farmland, and neither the area of the Greenbelt or the rules about what can occur inside of it will be weakened. The upcoming Growth Plan will promote intensification around existing and planned transit stations and will promote higher densities in the suburbs to support transit.

March 30, 2017 Addy Saeed Comments Off Buyer's Guide, Operations, Seller's Guide

Toronto’s new by-law for Apartment Buildings

The city of Toronto introduced new by-laws yesterday for apartment buildings where apartment buildings with more than 10 units will be required to be registered and licensed with the city of Toronto. Here are the main details of the by-law for your review:

Yearly registration of rental buildings with 3 or more storey and 10 or more units
Annual registration includes details regarding building owner and manager as well as their contact information
Annual registration fee of $10.60 per unit
Each Building must have tenant request process
Urgent requests require a response within 24 hours
Non-urgent requests require a response within 7 days
Pest Management Program and details are required
New set of “administrative cost recovery’ fees including a flat fee of $1800 if a full building audit is required.

While this is just another cash grab for the city, there are some good services that will help neighbors get rid of absent landlords and slumlord too. I don’t like the fact that this is all going to cost the owners more money as the city is downloading all their responsibility onto the owner and tenants.

What the politician writing these laws are failing to realize that the deterioration of our rental assets is in part because we don’t have enough units available to be rented. The units that are in good condition are also in higher demand and some owners just can’t justify spending extra money due to the rents that are being collected. Further, there haven’t been many new buildings added to our rental pool causing lower than 1% vacancy in the city and having schemes such as these implemented allow the politicians to pander to the tenant base for votes.

Click for complete ruling

Category: Seller’s Guide