(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkadia has announced the recent sale of Oak Springs Ranch, a 312-unit multifamily property in Wildomar, California. Managing Directors Ed Rosen and John Chu and Directors Kyle Pinkalla and Erin Dammen of the San Diego team completed the $78.5 million sale, which closed on September 30.
The seller was Oak Springs Ranch, LLC, comprised of developer GLJ Partners and affiliates of Dallas-based Sarofim Realty Advisors. Oak Springs Ranch drew attention from both institutional and private capital, and was ultimately purchased by San Diego-based R&V Management Corporation.
“Oak Springs Ranch presented a great investment opportunity in a thriving market that has attracted a lot of attention over the past year due to strong job growth,” Rosen said. “In fact, the Inland Empire has hit its lowest unemployment rate since before the recession.”
The property, built in 2014, offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Unit amenities include kitchens with quartz countertops and white European cabinetry, wood-style flooring, soaking tubs and walk-in showers, full-size washer and dryer units and central air and heat. Select units offer balconies and patios, gas fireplaces and garages. The community’s residents enjoy access to a fitness center, lounge, pools and spas, outdoor grilling and picnic areas and a 14-acre open space with a walking trail. Oak Springs Ranch also hosts a variety of community events throughout the year.
Located at 24055 Clinton Keith Road, Oak Springs Ranch provides quick access to major employment areas across the Inland Empire as well as Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The expanding job market and sustained apartment demand fueled a 6 percent annual increase in rents in the third quarter of 2015, making the Riverside metro area one of the top ten in the United States for rent growth.
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 was among the top Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae multifamily lenders for 2013.
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.
© 2016 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.