(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkadia, Berkshire Hathaway’s joint venture with Leucadia National Corporation, has announced the completion of one of San Diego County’s largest apartment transactions to date—the $232 million sale of Pacific Ridge.
Managing Directors Ed Rosen and John Chu, as well as Directors Kyle Pinkalla and Erin Dammen, completed the property’s sale on behalf of a San Francisco-based entity, which was purchased by American Assets Trust, Inc, a San Diego-based REIT.
“Pacific Ridge was a high-profile deal in an extremely desirable location,” noted Rosen. “Our data shows that asking rents in San Diego are up 4.9 percent from Q1 2016. We anticipate that this increase coupled with the property’s prime location across the street from the University of San Diego’s campus will help create long-term stabilization and rent growth for the property.”
Berkadia also reports metro San Diego has the third-lowest unemployment rate among major metro areas in California, behind only San Francisco-Oakland and San Jose-Santa Clara.
“Renters and investors alike find themselves attracted to this area given the numerous opportunities,” added Chu. “The metro unemployment rate was 4.3 percent at the end of January, which was 60 basis points below the rate recorded during the same time period in 2016, and it was also 80 basis points below the California rate. Strong employment and apartment fundamentals help fuel a steady market.”
The Class A luxury community, located at 5945 Linda Vista Road, was built in 2013 and offers 533 units with floor plans ranging from studio to three-bedroom. Situated on more than 15 acres with unobstructed ocean views, the resort-style Pacific Ridge boasts Moroccan-styled indoor and outdoor retreats, sun-drenched lounges, two saltwater pools and spas, and an outdoor grill and dining pavilion.
About Berkadia
Founded in 2009 as a 50/50 joint venture between Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation, Berkadia is a third-party commercial mortgage servicer, as well as an approved lender for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD/FHA.
The company is among the top Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae multifamily lenders.
Berkadia owes its origins to GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corporation, which was acquired in 2009 by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Five Mile Capital Partners LLC, and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners. Christened Capmark Financial, the company had $10 billion of originations in 2008 and a servicing portfolio of more than $360 billion before running into bankruptcy in October 2009.
In a deal approved by the bankruptcy court, Capmark sold its mortgage loan and servicing to the newly formed Berkadia in a deal worth $515 million.
The deal brought Berkshire into the heart of the commercial loan serving business, and the company has one of the largest commercial real estate servicing portfolios.
© 2017 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.