Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) is an innovative financing program that is gaining popularity across the U.S., as it offers a low-cost, long-term capital solution that doesn't require upfront equity from the property owners. The central appeal for using this program for energy-efficient upgrades and retrofits is that any level of C-PACE used will lower the overall cost of capital compared to mezzanine, third-party equity or even many senior loans. This is impactful for commercial property developers.
In the current market, the cost of capital has increased significantly, along with higher interest rates and wider spreads from lenders. In addition, higher financing costs put pressure on loan-to-value (LTV), loan-to-cost (LTC) ratios, and the amount of capital lenders are willing to provide, reducing liquidity for new developments. Construction costs have also increased significantly with back-to-back years of double-digit increases, with further increases in 2023 as CBRE expects a growth of 5.4% for construction costs.
C-PACE is in heavy demand because it's a fixed-rate product, starting in the mid-single digits. It also can be up to 35% of the capital stack. With a typical senior loan at 65% loan-to-value, providing C-PACE at 30% of the stack, the lender becomes below 40%, lessening its capital risk. As a result, it is helping development projects across all real estate sectors pencil to start construction and those in mid-construction reach get completed.
Today we see more requests for this financing as budgets are blowing out with cost overruns. C-PACE provides the needed capital when the developer cannot offer additional equity or banks are unwilling. The following are examples of mid-construction projects that utilized C-PACE funding from Peachtree to bring projects across the finish line.
In today's financial environment, sponsors are looking for creative ways to capitalize deals. One such way is CPACE financing.
Peachtree EVP Hotel and CPACE Jared Schlosser sat down with Malcom Davies, host of the On the Edge podcast to discuss how sponsors can utilize CPACE for everything from leveraging development capital stacks to retroactively recapitalizing projects and even as a source of rescue capital.
In this episode, gain a greater understanding of:
For more information on CPACE, visit our CPACE FAQs.
CPACE financing (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) sometimes referred to as PACE loans, is gaining traction as a viable option for hotel developers looking to optimize their capital stack. We spoke with Jared Schlosser, EVP of Hotel Lending and Head of CPACE at Peachtree Group to demystify CPACE financing and address common misconceptions.
Q: What specific advantages does C-PACE financing offer to hotel developers?
Jared Schlosser: C-PACE provides an attractive cost of capital today. Most of the deals we're handling are in the high seven percent range with fixed rates, which is cheaper than most other interest rates on the market. Whether you’re looking at senior loans, mezzanine debt, or preferred equity, C-PACE can often be a more affordable option. When you use C-PACE to replace a higher-cost source of capital, it can help make a deal work financially where it otherwise might not.
Q: What are some of the common misconceptions that hotel developers have about CPACE financing?
JS: The biggest misconception is that no one consents to it. I often hear from developers who are interested in CPACE but believe that senior lenders won’t consent to it. I get five or six calls a day from people saying, "This CPACE thing sounds interesting, but nobody consents to it." That’s simply not true. We’ve closed 90 of these deals, so obviously, so somebody's consented to it!
We’ve worked with major banks, insurance companies, and debt funds to secure consents. We’re not asking anyone to do something we haven’t successfully done ourselves. For the right deal and with the right underwriting, senior lenders are more open to PACE financing today than they were five years ago.
Q: Why should people come to Peachtree Group for their CPACE Financing?
JS: We have a strong track record of getting difficult deals done across the country, particularly in the hotel sector. Our team has deep expertise in hotel financing, which can be crucial when navigating the underwriting and consent process. Because senior lenders and other players in the capital stack trust our advice and trust what we're pitching to them.
Peachtree Group is a direct balance sheet lender focused on funding first mortgage bridge loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity investments, and commercial property assessed clean energy (CPACE) financing, lending to all commercial real estate asset classes with a specialty in hotel financing. The Peachtree Group team has executed more than 297 transactions, originating more than $4.5 billion for projects seeking capital to complete acquisitions, recapitalizations, refinancing and renovations
Looking for more on CPACE Financing? Check out Jared's appearance on the On the Edge Podcast.
NASHVILLE (June 25, 2024) – Peachtree Group originated its first commercial property assessed clean energy (CPACE) financing in Tennessee with a $10.7 million loan for a Class-A office development in Nashville. This marks one of the first properties in the city of Nashville and Davidson County to utilize CPACE.
The four-story, 75,000 sq. ft. office building at 1621 Ensley Blvd. is situated between Nashville’s central business district and the Wedgewood-Houston district. The CPACE financing, set over a 30-year term, will fund the office’s lighting, building envelope, HVAC, plumbing, and roof using a combination of retroactive and future funding. Division Street Development is developing the project, with a targeted completion date of October 2024.
Office and commercial real estate owners face challenging years ahead, with trillions of dollars in debt maturing and refinancing becoming more difficult due to tightened bank lending standards.
“For eligible projects, CPACE financing remains one of the most attractive options to bring a project to completion. We are pleased to assist Division Street Development in securing the final piece needed to complete the financing puzzle for their office development,” said Jared Schlosser, Peachtree’s executive vice president and head of CPACE.
CPACE programs offer a unique opportunity for property owners to finance the up-front cost of energy or other eligible improvements on a property. This is then repaid over time through a voluntary assessment, as outlined by the U.S. Department of Energy. In Tennessee, property owners can leverage CPACE financing up to 25% loan to value, providing a flexible and sustainable financing option.
In 2021, the Tennessee State legislature passed CPACE enabling legislation, allowing counties or cities to establish CPACE programs.
Peachtree Group Credit is a direct commercial real estate lender offering permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine loans, CPACE financing and preferred equity investments across all commercial real estate sectors.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
