Seattle, WA (June 12, 2018) – Columbia Pacific Advisors, LLC through its bridge lending platform has provided Blue Tide Partners with $25 million in short-term first mortgage debt primarily for the acquisition of a nine-property, 435-unit value-add multifamily portfolio in Cincinnati, OH.
Blue Tide Partners, a Covington, KY-based value-add real estate investment firm founded by Tom Miller and Doug Pelfrey, focuses on the acquisition and renovation of older multifamily product to create comfortable and affordable rental housing largely for low- to middle-income families in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky market.
A portion of the loan proceeds will also be used to refinance existing debt on nine similar properties totaling 212 units in Cincinnati, which were acquired by Blue Tide in 2014 and 2015. Columbia Pacific Advisors’ financing package also includes a multi million dollar reserve to help pay for capital improvements across the entire 647-unit portfolio, according to Billy Meyer, managing director of real estate lending for Columbia Pacific Advisors.
“This was a complex financing that involved underwriting a combination of performing and non performing assets from multiple sellers,” said Meyer. “The sponsor also needed a meaningful cap ex budget in order to stabilize the portfolio and find long term debt. Blue Tide has successfully executed this strategy in the greater Cincinnati area for more than a decade. It was this vast experience with their business model and intimacy with the submarket that helped us feel comfortable with how their business plan fit the demand in the market.”
Cincinnati is experiencing rapid economic growth resulting in a significant shortage of affordable housing units, especially for those with limited incomes. According to an independent study published in 2017 by Xavier University and the Local Initiatives Support Corp of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky, the region suffers from a shortfall of 40,000 affordable housing units.
“Despite the very clear need in the marketplace, it is very difficult to get conventional financing to acquire and improve multifamily properties in need of significant rehab, which will help address the problem,” adds Blue Tide Partners’ Tom Miller. “Columbia Pacific Advisors understood the asset class, the need in the market and were confident in our ability to meet the challenges.”
According to Miller, the 647 units is a significant step in meeting their goal of providing 2,500 units over the next five years that meet the demand for comfortable, clean and livable rental housing for families in transition.
“We would not expect someone to live in an apartment that we would not live in ourselves,” concluded Miller.
The properties in the 18-property portfolio range in size from five to 106 units and are collectively 55% occupied.
About Columbia Pacific Advisors, LLC
Columbia Pacific Advisors (http://www.columbiapacific.com) is a Seattle, WA-based investment firm with more than $2 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2017. Through its real estate bridge lending platform, Columbia Pacific Advisors provides short- to intermediate-term financing typically from $5 million to $50 million on the full spectrum of cash-flowing commercial real estate including affordable housing, senior housing and self storage. Columbia Pacific Advisors has originated approximately $1 billion in short-term debt since 2011.
About Blue Tide Partners
Blue Tide provides quality, secure, and affordable housing to help people in all walks of life become more independent and confident.
