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Commercial Observer: Peachtree Group Supplies $36MM Refi for Houston Hotel Conversion Project
Peachtree Group originated a $36.1MM three-year, floating-rate loan with two 12-month extension for a Houston Hotel
Statista estimates the value of the commercial real estate market will reach $24.67 trillion in 2023. According to the Deloitte Center for Financial Services 2024 industry outlook, half the industry expects the cost of capital and capital availability to worsen through next year. Couple that with the $1.5 trillion wall of debt maturing before the end of 2025 and it’s easy to understand the trepidation in the market today.
But we’ve been here before.
The credit team at Peachtree Group has completed hundreds of transactions worth north of $15 billion. In our collective careers, we have seen borrowers navigate unstable markets, such as what we are experiencing today, in a variety of different ways.
Here are five tips for borrowers trying to navigate today’s difficult market, and secure funding for their project.
Acknowledging your Situation
It has been a borrower’s market for several years now, and this is not one of them. Do not forsake the term sheet in your hand – the Fed has raised interest rates 11 times since March of 2022. Spending too much time on turns of a term sheet might leave you losing any spread concessions to increases in the benchmark or, even worse – lenders deciding to pull terms altogether. If you have an offer from someone you trust, you might want to take it.
Grass Isn't Always Greener
On existing projects, your current lender is most likely your best friend. A lender willing to give you an extension is gold in this market. Getting additional terms out of your current lender is likely the least costly option, even if it comes with fees and a rate increase – it likely is still significantly less costly than what the current market will give you. However, I hope that you have been a good borrower – up to date on deliverables, communicative about the status of your project, etc. – make no mistake, the bank is doing you a favor, don't give credit committee a reason to say no.
Have you Considered CPACE
Being one of the largest CPACE originators in the country, Peachtree has seen a significant increase in pipeline looking to apply proceeds retroactively. Properties are eligible for CPACE up to 3 years after certificate of occupancy in approved municipalities and proceeds can generally be up to 35% of stabilized value. It’s a source of capital that has become more interesting to first mortgage lenders as the proceeds could be used to paydown your first mortgage and size a new interest reserve.
Try to Pay for your Overages and Carry Upfront
We pride ourselves on being lenders who want to be part of the solution when a deal has a budget bust or stabilization is taking longer than anticipated. However, I always encourage borrowers to size up their budget contingencies (i.e., 7% vs. 5%) or structure additional interest reserves. Yes, it will increase your initial capitalization, but your lender will pick up 60-70% of that cost in the loan funding. It may mean more work on the initial capital raise, but it's usually less costly than going back to your lender and/or equity mid-project to get additional capital.
Communication, Honesty and Transparency are Key
Lenders have access to data and information. They ultimately will discover the truth; it might as well come from you. This includes prior credit aberrations or issues and accurate property performance information. We have capital specifically for lending on special situations – there are a lot of deal-level risks that can be mitigated, but lack of trust with sponsorship is not one of them.
In uncertain times, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Peachtree is an experienced capital partner who understands commercial real estate's nuances. With funding options limited from traditional lenders, our team has the lending solutions, financial capacity, and expertise to close complex transactions in today's challenging capital market environment.
We are available to discuss your lending options that meet your business objectives. Visit us at www.peachtreegroup.com.
Daniel Siegel is president and principal of Peachtree's commercial real estate lending group.
Before joining Peachtree, he was with Ardent Companies as managing director and the head of high-yield investments leading the company’s debt investments. Prior to that, Daniel was vice president of acquisitions at Rialto Capital, overseeing the distressed loan acquisitions platform. During his tenure at Rialto, Daniel directly oversaw the acquisition of commercial real estate loans on domestic and international opportunities. Additionally, he developed the firm’s small balance loan acquisition platform and led the company’s first European acquisition.
Daniel has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Tulane University. Contact him at dsiegel@peachtreegroup.com.
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Commercial Observer | Peachtree Group originated a $36.1MM three-year, floating-rate loan with two 12-month extension options for the DSG’s Meridien Houston Downtown hotel property located where the 1952-built Melrose Building once stood. In 2015, the developer acquired the office property, which was Houston’s first modern skyscraper, and repurposed it into a 250-room hotel that opened in 2017.
Read More on Commercialobserver.com
Discover Creative Capital Solutions in a Challenging Market
In the latest episode of Peachtree Point of View podcast, CEO Greg Friedman sits down with EVP Jared Schlosser, who specializes in hotel lending and C-PACE financing. Their conversation offers valuable insights into navigating today's dislocated credit markets and finding creative solutions to capitalize commercial real estate projects.
In the latest episode of Peachtree Point of View podcast, CEO Greg Friedman sits down with EVP Jared Schlosser, who specializes in hotel lending and C-PACE financing. Their conversation offers valuable insights into navigating today's dislocated credit markets and finding creative solutions to capitalize commercial real estate projects.
Jared, who joined Peachtree in 2019 after beginning his career during the 2007 market downturn, provides a unique perspective on the dramatic shift in credit markets since then. He explains how developers are struggling with rising costs and persistently high interest rates that make traditional financing structures difficult to pencil.
Senior + CPACE
The discussion centers on how Peachtree is helping clients overcome these challenges, with particular focus on C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing as an innovative tool. This state-by-state legislative product allows financing for specific elements of construction (roofing, HVAC, elevators, etc.) through long-term fixed-rate loans repaid via property tax assessments.
What makes this strategy particularly powerful is the ability to combine C-PACE with senior debt to achieve higher leverage at a lower blended cost of capital. For example, on a $100 million project, developers might secure $30 million through C-PACE at 7.5% fixed (half the cost of traditional mezzanine debt), allowing them to finance 75% of project costs at favorable rates while maintaining acceptable returns.
Case Study: Washington Multifamily
Jared shares a recent success story from Washington state where Peachtree provided both senior debt and C-PACE financing, partnering with Hickory for mezzanine debt to deliver an impressive 87% capital stack. With Peachtree providing 70% through the combined senior and C-PACE loans, the borrower secured an attractive blended cost of capital for a higher-lever age construction loan. The multifamily project is located in an underserved secondary market with limited recent development—a focus area for Peachtree.The deal also featured flexible terms allowing the borrower to potentially payoff the C-PACE portion if rates decline.
Key Takeaways:
- C-PACE financing offers developers a powerful tool to replace more expensive capital in the stack, potentially reducing costs by hundreds of basis points compared to traditional mezzanine or preferred equity.
- In today's market, there are "no slam dunks" - every deal has challenges requiring creative solutions, thorough vetting, and proper risk structuring.
- Peachtree's ability to provide both senior loans and C-PACE financing creates a significant competitive advantage, allowing them to deliver financing packages higher up the capital stack.
- Speed and execution are critical in this environment, as many lenders fail to close deals due to improper risk assessment or changing credit committee decisions.
- Secondary markets with limited new supply present attractive investment opportunities, particularly for multifamily development.
Listen to the full Peachtree Point of View podcast to gain deeper insights into how you can leverage these creative capital solutions for your next commercial real estate project. Follow Peachtree Point of View on your favorite podcast platform to stay informed on investment strategies in today's challenging market.
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Peachtree Group Ranked Among the Largest Investor-Driven Commercial Real Estate Lenders in the U.S.
Peachtree Group ranked as the eighth-largest investor-driven commercial real estate lender in the U.S., according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) 2024 loan origination rankings.
ATLANTA (April 3, 2025) – Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”) ranked as the eighth-largest investor-driven commercial real estate lender in the U.S., according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) 2024 loan origination rankings. In 2024, Peachtree deployed approximately $1.6 billion in commercial real estate credit investments.
“With a substantial volume of maturities on the horizon and trillions in debt coming due through 2028, the current environment increasingly favors private credit lenders like Peachtree,” said Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO of Peachtree. “We’re well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities and help close the funding gap left by traditional capital sources.”
The MBA also ranked Peachtree as the seventh-largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender, marking its fourth consecutive year in the top ten. The firm also earned rankings across the office, multifamily, retail and industrial sectors.
“The hospitality sector continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, driven by strong demand fundamentals,” said Michael Harper, president of hotel lending at Peachtree. “We remain committed to supporting owners and operators with expansion, renovation and refinancing needs—leveraging our strategic capital deployment and adaptability to drive long-term value.”
Amid ongoing market volatility, Peachtree deployed nearly $500 million in credit transactions during the 2025 first quarter and is on track to exceed its 2024 production targets. Notable originations this year include:
· $59.0 million bridge loan – AC / Element Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
· $51.5 million bridge loan and Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing – Reserve at Vinedo, Paso Robles, Calif.
· $48.3 million bridge loan and CPACE financing – Yorkshire Apartments, Tumwater (Olympia), Wash.
· $43.0 million bridge loan – Home2 Suites / Tru Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
· $42.8 million bridge loan – The Jax Apartments, Monroe, Ga
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“Our fourth consecutive top 10 year underscores the strength of our credit platform and our ability to lend through business cycles. These results reflect our reputation for reliability and delivering certainty of execution, even in the most volatile of market conditions,” Harper added.
As a direct commercial real estate lender, Peachtree offers a full suite of financing solutions, including permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine financing, CPACE (Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy) loans and preferred equity investments. The firm further expanded its capabilities last year by launching a Triple Net Lease (NNN) financing program to better support sponsors.
Peachtree reaffirmed its position as a leader in CPACE financing in 2024, setting a firm record with 22 transactions totaling $316.6 million. The CPACE team also recently surpassed $1 billion in total transaction volume—an achievement few in the lending industry can claim—further solidifying Peachtree’s success in expanding its lending platform and providing innovative financing solutions.
MBA's annual originations rankings report is a comprehensive set of listings of 149 commercial/multifamily mortgage originators, their 2024 volumes and their different roles.