Even as arrangements are being successfully worked out with lenders on the $500 Billion in multifamily loan maturities this year, some multifamily investors have had no recourse available to them. These assets where extensions or refi’s aren’t an option, are either unable to raise the capital needed and/or the asset is operationally challenged in a way that there is little to no confidence in sustainably operating it under the current arrangement. In either case, these assets will often be distressed for a period of months by the time they find new life on the courthouse steps or on off-market sale.
For months, many were excited about the opportunities and there’s good reason to believe the best opportunities may be yet to come. However, it’s critical buyers don’t underestimate the special challenges these assets come with. This is no typical value-add play. In most cases, a typical pre-acquisition due diligence is not possible, so it becomes critical to conduct a through inspection at takeover and plan for contingencies. Here’s what to expect when you get the keys:
Distressed Assets = Distressed Rent Rolls.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Anticipate unqualified tenant base, high delinquency, fraud, and mismanaged lease expirations. A plan to reposition accordingly is needed here.
Deferred Maintenance Beyond the Norm
Many of these assets have been cash-strapped for 18+ months. Expect angry residents, open service requests in the hundreds, down units, little to no inventory of parts or supplies, and unresolved issues with major systems like fire or irrigation sprinklers, elevators, boilers, or roofs. Check for code violations, and missed annual permitting or inspections. Also, anticipate a surge of open service requests in the first 30 days. Residents will often stop submitting service requests when previous requests have gone unresolved, then immediately upon learning of a change in ownership, they will submit a an entire list!
Bad Reputations
Even with the your best efforts, some residents will likely have had enough. Anticipate higher than normal turnover. The reputation challenge extends to vendors as well. Many of these assets have had high unpaid AP balances for months and have also opened up multiple accounts in effort to keep operating.
Here are some proactive steps you can take to minimize lingering effects of cash challenged assets:
#1 Get your message that change is coming out on day 1! A typical notice that community has sold delivered to residents just won’t do. Customize your letter in a way that informs residents what changes they can expect and how they can stay updated regularly. You might consider creating a webpage just for residents with updates, new community policies, and photos.
#2 Conduct a through file audit and property inspection immediately upon closing. Just like a typical due diligence, call out your vendors and site teams to do a full inspection of the property and it’s units and an audit of the files. Use the results to develop a strategy to deal with the most pressing issues and bring units back on-line. Make sure to update the operating software when the file audit and unit inspection has been completed.
#3 Plan to have extra maintenance team members onsite for a period of 60 to 120 days. 1 employee per 100 is not going work here. It wouldn’t be crazy to consider doubling your maintenance team for the first two weeks to start the easiest unit turns first for product availability, assist with the surge of service requests, clean up of maintenance and storage areas, and to coordinate repairs and improvements with monthly vendors.
#4 Weekly – 30 – 60 – 90 day meetings with the entire operations possibly even ownership team. Clarity is key to taking this asset from distressed to delivering revenue. It’s crucial that leadership takes inventory at regular intervals of what’s been completed, what’s pending, and what needs to happen next to keep this reposition on track!
The truth about distressed properties is success is all in the preparation and execution, same as any acquisition but with a BIG twist. You can’t even start the operational or value-add play until you deal with the past.
If you’d like to learn more about how Asset NOI Consulting helps multifamily owners and operators increase NOI on new acquisitions or on their existing portfolio, feel free to reach out at shampton@AssetNOI.com