Selling an Apartment Building FAQ's

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Top Frequently Asked Questions on Selling a Multi-family in Chicago

Are you thinking of selling your multi-family property?

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get from clients looking to sell multifamily properties in Chicago.

Before You Sell:

How is selling a multi-family different than selling a single-family home?

If you’ve sold an investment property before, you’ll be familiar with the ins and outs of selling a multi-family. However, if it’s your first time, you’ll learn that the process works differently than it would with a single-family or condo.

A large part of a multi-family’s sale appeal will lie in its cash flow. Buyers looking for a multi-family are looking for more than just a home: they will want to see a property that generates good rental income, rents easily, and provides a financial incentive for them to buy. This could be in the form of easy upgrades they can make to boost rental income or as an empty unit for them to occupy and offset their own living expenses.

Do I need a broker to sell a multi-family?

Of course, we’re biased...but we do recommend working with a broker who is experienced in the multi-family market in your neighborhood. Not only will they be able to pull good comps and provide a market analysis of how you should price the property, but an experienced agent will know how to show the proeprty to different types of buyers, whether they are experienced investors or first-time multi-family buyers who want some supplemental income. Brokers who work in multi-family markets are also in the know about rent prices and trends, which will help them sell your home at the right price.

Do I need to make repairs before selling?

Some buyers look for multi-families with units that could benefit from some updating because they see it as an opportunity to raise the rent using some sweat equity. Your agent should be knowledgeable of the renter’s and buyer’s market for your area and property type and will have good recommendations of what types of updates to make before selling.

Making simple upgrades around the property and in common areas like hallways and entryways can be an easy way to boost the property’s curb appeal that won’t break the bank, whether it’s through new fixtures or a fresh coat of paint.

How do I list a multi-family?

One of the most important parts of getting ready to list your property is confirming the number of legal units in the building. In a city full of old homes like Chicago, many apartment units have been created in old basement spaces or have been de-converted into larger single unit. If you sell your property with an incorrect number of legally recognized units, you could face legal issues down the road. To get the most accurate picture of how your property should be valued and listed, get in touch with the local village to confirm the number of legal units listed in their records.

How should I price my multi-family?

Buyers and their lenders will typically appraise a multi-family home using the income approach method instead of simply using comps in the area to compare values. This means that the appraiser will look at the cost of property maintenance and rental income to evaluate a property’s cash flow. To price your multi-family, you should do appraise a building’s income and use comps in the area to accurately represent what someone might want to pay for it.

How should I market my multi-family?

• You’ll want professional photos of each unit to get ready to list your property, which means asking your tenants to clean their spaces and set up a time for the photographer. Having an empty unit comes in handy because it gives you the opportunity to deep clean the space and potentially even stage it with furniture to show off its potential.
• Put together a financial breakdown and lease abstract to show possible buyers. This might include details like current rents, cost of utilities, and other maintenance fees to give them a better idea of potential rental income.

Selling a building with tenants.

How do I sell my multi-family with occupied units?

One of the trickiest parts of selling a multi-family is to make sure that you are aware of your tenants’ legal rights and that you make the selling process as effortless for them as possible.

• Breaking the news to tenants: Announcing that you’re listing your property for sale isn’t the easiest conversation to have with tenants. For them, it means the hassle of cleaning their apartments for multiple showings, a change in landlords, and a potential increase in their rent after the sale. However, you are legally obligated to inform your tenants when you sell the property, so it’s important to have that conversation before getting too far into the selling process.
• Tenant’s rights when a property is listed for sale: To protect yourself from liability and provide a smooth transition for your tenants during the sale process, it’s important to be aware of their rights determined both by the state and by their lease agreement. Your tenants most likely have a right to be notified a set amount of time before showings and have a lease that can’t be terminated just because you want a vacant unit to sell the property. Reread your lease agreements and the tenant’s rights for your city before listing your home or schedule showings.

How do I show a property with occupied units?

An experienced Broker will know the ins and outs of how to show a property with occupied units (which is one of the biggest reasons why you should take your time to find a good agent). The most important concern when it comes to showing units is to make sure that the tenant is aware of the appointment sufficiently ahead of time. Check your lease agreement to see if there are already guidelines in place, or contact your tenant prior to listing the process to come to an agreed-upon amount of days or hours before the showing when they should be contacted.

Have you thought of selling your property and would like to know what it's worth? Request a valuation for your property below:

Request Valuation

 

Source: Selling an Apartment Building FAQ’s

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How Do I Get A Multifamily Loan?

One of the most common questions I get is, “How Do I Get A Multifamily Loan?” The simple answer, “Be Prepared!”

One of the most common misconceptions in multifamily investing is a bank will lend you money strictly on the properties performance and NOT look to the buyer for any guarantees. This is known as a non-recourse loan and it does exist, for properties of institutional quality, typically well over 100 units. For smaller properties and newer investors, forget this loan product exists, for now.

We’re going to focus on how to get a recourse conventional loan product from a local community bank. Most community banks will hold their loan products in house and not sell them to the secondary mortgage market so this gives them the flexibility to make in house decisions.

The Property

The lender will want to see the last 3 years of property performance in the form of profit and loss statements or Schedule C tax returns if the sellers are an entity or Schedule E if they’re an individual. They will ask for a current rent roll, want to see all the leases and ask for proof of security deposits.

Typically you will need to get a new alta survey, lenders title insurance, termite and pest inspection, appraisal which will be ordered by the lender, and if the property is older than 1978 you will need a lead based paint disclosure. If the property is in a coastal county or in tornado alley, you may be required to get a wind binder in your insurance policy and an earthquake binder if the property is in a seismic zone.

The Borrower

If you really want to make a statement then you should put together kick butt executive summary. This should include the acquisition strategy including any repairs and upgrades you’re planning, a budget for the first of operations, a cash flow analysis for the holding period and any interior and exterior images of the property. If this is a re-position then before and after shots of previous projects and property performance will go along way.

You may be required to provide a balance sheet, 3 years of tax returns and a credit score. If you have partners then the bank may require the same from them. If you have passive investors from a small equity group then they may even require a guarantee from them as well. I have seen this more and more lately.

You may want to go ahead and start the process for setting some kind of entity, such as an LLC. This will help protect you and your partners personal assets. This doesn’t have to be done prior to getting the loan process started but you will want to have it completed prior to closing so you can assign the contract to the new entity. Consult an attorney on how to setup an entity for investment properties.

The Lender

If everything is in place and looks good and you make it through the initial underwriting, the lender you first meet with before he sends it to the board, then the board should present a term sheet with their offer of financing. This is typical for larger loans, but don’t be surprised if you see it on all commercial transactions.

A typical loan product for smaller multifamily properties will have an interest rate about 50 to 75 basis points above what you would expect a home owner could get. This means if you have good credit and can get a house at 3.8% then expect a commercial loan product to come in around 4.5%. Depending on the age of the property you will probably see a 20-25 year amortization. If your property is more than 30 years old then expect 20 years and in some cases if deferred maintenance is high they may only go 15 years.

The loan amount will be based on the lower of of two things, debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) and loan to value ratio (LTV). A typical DSCR is 1.2 to 1.3. This means that the net operating income (NOI) should be 20 to 30% higher than the annual debt service. The LTV will typically be 75% but can be adjusted up or down based on the strength and experience of the borrower and the properties past performance.

Most lenders will ask for a loan term shorter than the amortization period. This is known as a balloon payment or loan maturity. The most common time frames are 5, 7, and 10 years. When this period expires the remaining loan balance must be paid in full or renegotiated for a longer term. You will want to negotiate this depending on your investment strategy and holding period.

Being prepared and knowing what to expect will help you get your multifamily loan approved. As you gain experience and invest in more multifamily properties this will become second nature and the relationship you build with your lender will go a long way in your success.

Source: How Do I Get A Multifamily Loan?

https://www.creconsult.net/market-trends/how-do-i-get-a-multifamily-loan/

163 E Lincolnway

Just Listed - 23 Unit Multifamily For Sale
$425,000 | Heavy Value-Add | 20.5% Cap Rate (Proforma)
631 E Lincolnway | Morrison, IL 61270
https://www.creconsult.net/for-sale-heavy-value-add-23-unit-multifamily-property-morrison-il/

How to Find Multifamily Listings With Less Competition

Real estate in 2021/2022 was as competitive as it's ever been. As a result, multifamily properties were in demand as investors looked for stable assets to park their cash. Unfortunately, it was hard to compete with yield-motivated investors. Many multifamily homes for sale were scooped up for depreciation, 1031 exchanges, or to add more units to an existing portfolio.

Competing with investors with the aforementioned ulterior motives will be challenging to overcome if you are primarily concerned about returns metrics such as IRR, equity multiple, or cash-on-cash return. They typically can justify paying more. You'll need to brainstorm ways to find projects that aren't as highly coveted and won't garner as much attention on a brokered listing.

Finding Multifamily Deals

1. How to Find Multifamily Properties
2. Attributes of “Competitionless” Deals”
3. Five Multifamily Attributes to Look For

The term "value-add" has been ad nauseam for the last few years. Every apartment that ever hits the market can be construed as a value-add one way or another. Investors eat up the idea of value-add, and brokers know this. As a result, new listings marketed as "value-add" will be the most competitive listing there. You will likely be one of the dozens of bidders, and to win the deal, you will have to beat everyone else. Unfortunately, this isn't an excellent formula for consistently finding reasonably priced buildings.

Any pure multifamily project (meaning it only consists of apartment units) will be challenging to be competitive when a broker is listing it. So, what exactly should you be looking for if you want to reduce competition and find a project that can kick out some yield?

When I started working in multifamily real estate as an analyst on the sell side, there were always characteristics of buildings that made them less desirable. Going into a sale effort, the team would know buyer interest would be muted compared to the properties that didn't have these traits or "hair." Since starting Tactica and helping investors on the buy-side, I've seen many of the gritty veterans I work with will only target "messy" deals listed by brokers to eliminate a good chunk of the competition.

Generally, investors hate going out of their comfort zone. Often, the investment committee, the ultimate decision-maker behind an offer, will stubbornly stick to their investment criteria. Any project facet that doesn't check the boxes is an automatic disqualifier.

My advice to investors struggling to be competitive in this environment is to get comfortable in the "less desirable" niches of multifamily investment. Spend time studying the nuances of hairy projects and gain comfort with them.

Mixed-Use

Multifamily investors tend to hate commercial components. Ground-level retail is a pain to underwrite and is inherently more risky than the multifamily component. The more significant the commercial income portion of total revenue, the more skittish other investors will be. The property won't qualify for traditional multifamily agency financing if commercial income is more than 20% of total revenue. This obstacle is a massive disqualifier for many investment shops.

Furthermore, commercial lease language is confusing and wordy. You'll be reading hundreds of pages of legal jargon if you have to review a handful of commercial leases. You also must understand how common area expenses (CAM), insurance, property management, and property taxes are allocated and rebilled between the apartments and commercial components. Understanding how the commercial functions in the overall project can be challenging, especially when less sophisticated owners fail to track it well.

Unlike a multifamily lease, where if the tenant fails, you can quickly remarket the unit and get it backfilled, retail leases involve hefty leasing commissions, tenant improvements budgets, and long vacancy lags before the unit produces cash flow again.

Finally, we are coming out of a pandemic that affected retail and office much more than other commercial asset classes. There are still many questions about the viability of these asset classes long-term. This could be an opportunity for the contrarian investor.

Affordability Requirements

Understanding all the nuances of low-income-housing-tax-credit (LIHTC) properties or project-based Section 8 can require a steep learning curve. In addition, there's strict compliance and a ton of administrative oversight to operate an affordable property. As a result, few real estate professionals practice solely in this space. Investors with this knowledge have a massive advantage as the barrier of entry into this space can be daunting and expensive.

I see a ton of opportunity in the hybrid market/affordable (perhaps 30% of the units are set aside as affordable, for example). Many projects developed in the 2000s required allocating a certain percentage of the unit mix as "affordable" to gain approvals. Any affordability requirements can be a "non-starter" for bidders. The investors willing to work to understand the oversight and compliance requirements can access a wide array of projects that other investors won't be comfortable with.

There is also a massive advantage to looking at a market rate listing that you could potentially convert to affordable housing. If you can figure out how to piece together various affordability programs, it may allow you to be more competitive than "market rate" buyers. Anytime converting from market rate to affordable, the due diligence period will inevitably take longer. You'd need a seller willing to wait a more extended DD period.

The carrot enticing them to do this is likely more money and more aggressive earnest money. Your benefit would be buying a property with limited equity (potentially no equity), the opportunity for a development fee on the renovations, and ownership in a severely underserved and undersupplied sector.

Tertiary Locations

Real estate investments in a tertiary or "outstate" submarket offer many benefits. I discuss seven encouraging trends I discovered when analyzing properties outside major metro areas.

Many investors will not venture outside the big cities or surrounding suburbs. However, if you are willing to venture into cities that aren't dependent on the major markets for employment, you are guaranteed to field less competition when bidding. Plus, many more prominent property owners won't have their economies of scale built up in the more sparsely populated submarkets.

Assumable Debt

Investors hate assuming debt because of the decreasing interest-rate environment of the last decade. Assuming debt traditionally has meant two things:

• Paying a higher interest expense than market
• Less leverage (as the loan assumed is likely less than the proceeds you could with a fresh lender)

If you are a well-capitalized operator willing to assume financing, you will have fewer fellow bidders than chasing a "free and clear" offering. Many sponsors need to obtain new debt as they only have enough equity commitments for 20% - 25% of the purchase price. Assuming debt will mean you'll likely need more equity to 30% - 35% of the purchase price. Investment yields may be muted compared to a fully leveraged purchase, which will also be an eliminating factor for various investment committees.

These loans will eliminate potential buyers if the debt is HUD, bonds, or something more "exotic" than agency financing.

Property Tax Incentives

Property taxes are commonly the most significant operating expense for an apartment building. Frequently there are murky property tax incentives that are hard to ascertain value. For example, a property built five years ago was granted a property tax incentive from the city for twenty years. Property taxes are steeply discounted right now, but the benefit will run out in 15 years.

How do you value this benefit? For example, if you purchase this property, you'd benefit from the property tax reduction, but when you sell it one day, the next buyer would not. Can you cap the NOI that includes this discount if the benefit won't be there forever? Will your competition be capping it? How will the next buyer approach it?

If you can get comfortable underwriting the "gray areas" of multifamily, you're at an advantage. Many groups will have already "punted" the opportunity because they don't understand the nuances and prefer to look for a "cleaner" offering.

Tax increment financing (TIF) is another typical incentive sellers will include in multifamily offerings. Many investors aren't comfortable underwriting TIF and will pass on the opportunity immediately. If you can get smart on TIF, specifically valuing its worth, you will be at a distinct advantage as many capable "would-be" buyers will opt out.

Summary

You are not alone if you are frustrated by the amount of competition you face on a brokered apartment listing. Perhaps it's time to switch up your strategy and focus on the properties with less desirable elements to the greater investment community. They say life starts at the end of your comfort zone. This sentiment couldn't be more accurate in the current multifamily investment environment.

Source: How to Find Multifamily Listings With Less Competition

https://www.creconsult.net/market-trends/how-to-find-multifamily-listings-with-less-competition/

NAR Chief Economist Offers Commercial Real Estate Market Forecast

WASHINGTON (May 9, 2023) – National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun presented an overview of U.S. commercial real estate Tuesday as part of the 2023 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. Yun emphasized challenges facing the commercial real estate market brought on by tightening lending policies among many small and regional banks, which have been a key source of commercial loans. Still, due to continuing U.S. job gains, net absorption has been mostly positive nationwide, Yun said, with the apartment, industrial and retail sectors helping to keep the industry relatively stable.

"The performance of commercial real estate markets will vary across the country," Yun projected during Tuesday's Commercial Economic Issues and Trends Forum. "Markets with strong job gains will naturally hold on much better, while those with weaker job conditions will struggle to raise net occupancy."

Yun said America's apartment sector recorded 116,000 net positive absorptions in the past year, while the industrial and retail sectors added 361 million square feet and 64 million square feet, respectively, over the last 12 months. Office markets, however, saw a reduction in net absorption by 29 million square feet over the same period.

"The national office market will continue to see rises in vacancy rates due to falling demand," Yun added. "The apartment sector will record a modest uptick in vacancy due to robust new supply."

With the impact of mortgage interest rates on the housing market in focus throughout the week at NAR's conference in D.C., Yun addressed the implications of Fed decisions on nationwide commercial markets.

"The Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes have damaged balance sheets for regional and local banks, an important source of commercial real estate loans," he said.

Yun estimated that continual rises in rates will in part cause commercial real estate transaction volume to decline by 27% overall in 2023.

"The lack of capital, higher costs of financing and refinancing, and the weakening economy will contribute to a lower overall valuation of commercial real estate prices," Yun said. "Weaker prices will mean opportunities for those with deeper pockets to get deals done in the months and years ahead."

Yun added that appraisal values have fallen by an average of 15% from peaks in early 2022.

 

Source: NAR Chief Economist Offers Commercial Real Estate Market Forecast

https://www.creconsult.net/market-trends/nar-chief-economist-offers-commercial-real-estate-market-forecast/

What is Debt Yield and How Does it Apply in Commercial Real Estate

Debt yield hasn’t traditionally been a primary commercial real estate loan underwriting metric, but more lenders are incorporating it into their criteria. In the current real estate market, measuring debt yield ratios provides lenders with a stable assessment regardless of unusual or changing conditions.

Debt yield is a standardized way to measure net operating income (NOI) against total loan value. The ratio is simple to calculate, but it’s an accurate measure of risk that can be used to evaluate individual loans or compare different loans.

How to Calculate Debt Yield

The math required for a debt yield calculation is simple and easy. The debt yield formula is:

Debt Yield = Net Operating Income / Loan Amount

For example, consider the purchase of a property with $300,000 NOI and a loan of $3 million. In this example, the debt yield is 10 percent ($300,000 / $3,000,000 = 10%).

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What Does Debt Yield Tell You?

Lenders use debt yield ratios to determine what their return would be if a buyer immediately defaulted on a commercial real estate loan. Loans with low debt yields are considered riskier, as the lender would receive a smaller return in the event of foreclosure. Higher debt yields are less risky because the lender would receive a larger return and could recoup their losses faster.

Once lenders know what annual return they’d receive, they can calculate how long it’d take to recoup the loss on a foreclosed property. This is done by dividing 100 percent by the debt yield ratio (annual return). The result is the number of years that it’d take to recoup all losses.

Recoup Time = 100 / Debt Yield

Assuming the above debt yield of 12 percent, the lender could recoup their investment in around 8.3 years (100% / 12% = 8.33 years).

Borrowers can alternatively use the ratio to calculate the maximum loan amount a property can qualify for. If the allowed debt yield and net operating income are known, then the loan amount is the NOI divided by the debt yield.

Maximum Loan Amount = Net Operating Income / Debt Yield

If a lender requires a minimum debt yield of 10 percent, the maximum amount that the above example could qualify for would be $1.2 million ($120,000 / 0.10 = $1,200.000).

(Of course, any maximum loan amount would also be subject to loan to value (LTV) and debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) requirements. If a lender considers all three of these ratios, whichever has the lowest permitted loan amount is the one that sets the maximum amount borrowed.)

How Debt Yield Applies to Commercial Real Estate

Lenders appreciate that debt yield ratio is insulated from variables that can skew loan to values, debt service coverages, and even cap rates. As extremely low-interest rates and spiking property values make accurate loan risk assessment more difficult, debt yield provides a consistent risk measurement when underwriting commercial real estate loans.

Debt Yield vs. Loan to Value

Loan-to-value ratios depend heavily on the value of a commercial property, and this ratio is susceptible to large swings in property values. Borrowers can potentially get much larger loans when property values increase drastically, and lenders can be underwriting an underwater loan if property values then drop drastically.

In contrast, debt yield ratios aren’t impacted by changes in property value. The loan itself is the underlying denominator, and not how much the property is worth. So long as net operating income doesn’t change, debt yield won’t change after a loan is underwritten.

Debt Yield vs. Debt Service Coverage

Debt service coverage is based on the annual debt payment, which is affected by interest rate and amortization schedule. Thus, DSCR can be skewed by extreme interest rates (currently extremely low) and/or long amortizations. The DSCR for variable-rate loans will also change as interest rates increase.

Debt yield is based on the loan amount, and thus won’t change with interest rates or amortization schedules. It is thus a more consistent measure in many situations, even though both measurements use net operating income.

Debt Yield vs. Cap Rate

Although cap rate also looks at net operating income, this is based on the value of a property. Cap rate is thus susceptible to some of the same issues as loan to value is, and which debt yield is insulated against.

What is an Acceptable Debt Yield?

The Comptroller’s Commercial Real Estate Lending booklet recommends a minimum debt yield of 10 percent, and most lenders that consider this metric follow that recommendation.

In certain situations, lenders may allow a 9 percent debt yield for desirable properties in major markets (e.g. New York City, Los Angeles). Ratios of 8 percent for truly exceptional properties are quite rare, although not altogether unheard of.

Notably, debt yield is based on current net operating income. Projected rent increases or NOI growth isn’t considered when calculating the ratio, so adjusting projections generally won’t have an impact on whether debt yield meets a lender’s minimum requirement.

 

 

Source: What is Debt Yield and How Does it Apply in Commercial Real Estate

https://www.creconsult.net/market-trends/what-is-debt-yield-and-how-does-it-apply-in-commercial-real-estate-2/

Why Should I Sell My Multifamily Property?

Why should I Sell My Multifamily Property?

There are a number of reasons why people decide to sell their multifamily property, but most can be categorized into three groups: Problems, Opportunities, and Changes.

With this decision though comes the consideration of capital gains tax and how to ensure you are getting the most for the sale of your property.

There are several reasons why people do sell:

Problems:             

• Management
• Vacancy
• Maintenance
• Stress
• Health
• Debt
• Neighborhood
• Interest Rates

Opportunities: 

• Strong Market Values
• Alternate Investment
• End of the Hold Period
• Tax Savings

Changes:               

• Divorce
• Death
• Retirement
• Partnership Split
• Relocation
• Consolidation
• Diversification

What do I do with the sales proceeds? I don't want to pay Capital Gains Tax!

There are several options for sellers to defer or minimize capital gains taxes:

• 1031 Exchange
• Delaware Statutory Trust/Deferred Sales Trust  (DST)
• Tenancy in Common Investment (TIC)
• Installment Sale

How do I know I am getting the most money for my property?

We not only market properties for sale. We make a market for properties we represent. Each offering is thoroughly underwritten, aggressively priced, and accompanied by loan quotes to expedite the sales process. We leverage our broad national marketing platform syndicating to the top CRE Listing Sites with direct outreach to our investor database and an orchestrated competitive bidding process that yields higher sales prices. 

What is my property worth?

Contact Us to discuss what information is needed to complete a Complimentary Commercial Broker Opinion of Value (BOV). 

I’m not interested in selling at this time.

This is understandable as only about 5% of the market trades in any given year. We are also happy discuss any purchase or refinance interests and recommend some physical and operational changes you can make to add value to your property you will appreciate when you eventually sell.  

 

Have you thought of selling your property and would like to know what it's worth? Request a valuation for your property below:

Request Valuation

eXp Commercial Chicago Multifamily Brokerage focuses on listing and selling multifamily properties throughout the Chicago Area and Suburbs.

We don’t just market properties; we make a market for each property we represent. Each offering is thoroughly underwritten, aggressively priced, and accompanied by loan quotes to expedite the sales process. We leverage our broad national marketing platform syndicating to the top CRE Listing Sites for maximum exposure combined with an orchestrated competitive bidding process that yields higher sales prices for your property.

 

https://www.creconsult.net/market-trends/why-should-i-sell-my-multifamily-property/