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ATLANTA (June 24, 2024) – With ongoing credit market dislocations, Peachtree Group originated a $40 million retroactive CPACE loan to BLG SAN DIEGO, LLC (BLG) for its recently opened 147-room AC Hotel San Diego Downtown Gaslamp Quarter in Calif. The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing was amortized over 30 years and required no payment for a year, followed by five years of interest-only payments. Also, the proceeds allowed BLG to pay down its senior loan with California-based Preferred Bank and E. Sun Commercial Bank, Ltd. to under $20 million, there by mitigating the banks’ exposure.
“This innovative capital structure significantly alleviated the immediate financial pressures, enabling the hotel to establish a solid cash flow foundation during its initial years of operation,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree Group’s managing principal and CEO.
Despite the U.S. hotel industry's strong RevPAR performance, multiple headwinds exacerbate financial stress for owners. These headwinds include the lagging profitability of U.S. hotels, persistently high interest rates and historically high property insurance costs.
“When we opened the AC Hotel San Diego Downtown Gaslamp Quarter in March 2023, there was a sizeable disconnect between hospitality fundamentals, which are strong, particularly in San Diego, while the debt markets were deteriorating meaningfully,” said Brad Honigfeld, founder, chairman and co-CEO of the New Jersey-based Briad Group®.“ The Fed’s tightening process and rising fund rates drove up the cost of debt considerably.”
Hotel and commercial real estate owners face a tough few years as trillions of dollars in debt come due, and refinancing gets harder, compounded by banks' tightened lending standards.
According to JLL Research, by the end of 2024, $5.8 billion worth of U.S. hotel-securitized loans will be due for repayment, requiring full payment, refinancing, extension or sale. However, if these loans were refinanced at current interest rates, most would struggle to generate enough income to cover their debt costs.
In this challenging lending market, Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) financing has become a vital source of liquidity. This option is growing in importance as owners face impending debt maturities and scarce refinancing opportunities.
CPACE financing has rapidly gained traction in the commercial real estate market, reaching a cumulative $7.2 billion in the U.S. in just over a decade, according to PACENation. This significant milestone underscores the growing acceptance and adoption of CPACE financing as an innovative and effective solution. Peachtree Group, a key player in this market, has demonstrated its commitment to CPACE financing, with over $800 million in CPACE originations.
The AC Hotel San Diego Downtown Gaslamp Quarter is in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, known for its restaurants, shops and nightlife.
“Our hotel was benefiting from its location and performing to its original underwriting, but the debt costs were straining cash flows,” Honigfeld said.
Retroactive CPACE funding offers unique advantages for property owners. It operates similarly to normal pre-project funding, with one key difference: 100% of the loan proceeds can be used to reimburse the property owner for costs already incurred. This feature makes retroactive CPACE a valuable resource for property owners seeking better loan terms or improved cash flow for completed projects.
“The financial relief it provides not only ensures the hotel's success but also positions it for long-term stability. By reducing the financial burden in the early years, owners can focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences and achieving operational excellence,” Friedman said.
This strategic approach paves the way for the asset to transition to a more favorable financing market in the future, ensuring its sustained profitability and growth.
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
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com
ATLANTA, GA April 24, 2024 - Peachtree Group today announced that it has been recognized by Hilton as the 2023 Developer of the Year in the Focused Service category. The Hilton Americas Development Awards recognize the achievements of owners, development partners and hotel teams in the Americas across several categories.
“We are immensely honored to have been named Developer of the Year by Hilton, a distinction that underscores our desire to build outstanding hotels,” said Mitul Patel, principal, Peachtree Group. “This recognition highlights our unwavering commitment to creating exceptional hotels and further strengthens our partnership with Hilton. This award is a testament to our strategic approach to hotel development, which combines identifying great locations, assembling a top-tier team and maintaining a steadfast focus on quality.”
In 2022, Peachtree Group received the Multi-Brand Developer of the Year from Hilton.
These annual awards celebrate the resiliency and commitment of Hilton’s owners and team members who spread the light and warmth of hospitality. For more information about Hilton, visit the company’s newsroom at stories.hilton.com.
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
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com
ATLANTA (April 3, 2024) – Peachtree Group ("Peachtree") announced the elevation of three senior executives, expanding their roles to strengthen the firm’s executive leadership team. The promotions include Michael Harper to president of hotel lending, Jared Schlosser to executive vice president of hotel lending and head of CPACE and Michael Ritz to executive vice president of investments.
"These appointments underscore Peachtree's commitment to its core growth initiatives in hotel lending, as well as fostering talent from within our own ranks, with an eye toward further diversifying its allocation strategies as it taps into new investment opportunities," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal.
Since joining Peachtree in 2014, Harper has distinguished himself through a succession of leadership roles, directing the company's credit business, particularly in loan originations and strategic acquisition of credit portfolios. Since joining, he has led the team through over 500 investments totaling over $6 billion. As president, he is responsible for the entirety of Peachtree's credit platform for hotels, guiding all facets of the credit business.
Schlosser's promotion to executive vice president of hotel lending and head of CPACE reflects his exceptional performance and extensive knowledge of the hotel loan origination processes and the firm's Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) program. His significant contributions since joining the firm in 2019 have been crucial in advancing Peachtree's CPACE program, which now exceeds $800 million in transactions and has become one of the largest in the U.S. Furthermore, since taking over hotel originations at the start of 2022, Peachtree has completed more than $1.5 billion in hotel loans, further demonstrating his expertise and effectiveness in these dual roles.
Ritz has been elevated to the position of executive vice president of investments and will oversee Peachtree's credit and equity investments across commercial real estate and other ventures. He joined Peachtree in 2017, and his promotion recognizes his expertise in successfully managing and growing a portfolio of investments that is now approaching $10 billion in transaction asset value.
Peachtree was recently ranked as the tenth largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender, its third consecutive year in the top ten, by the Mortgage Bankers Association ("MBA") 2023 loan origination rankings.
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, we manage billions in capital across acquisitions, development, and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow our investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com
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ATLANTA (April 2, 2024) – Peachtree Group ("Peachtree") ranked as the seventh largest U.S. commercial real estate investor-driven lender by the Mortgage Bankers Association ("MBA") 2023 loan origination rankings. In 2023, Peachtree deployed over $1.0 billion in commercial real estate credit investments.
Peachtree was also ranked as the tenth largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender, its third consecutive year in the top ten. In addition, the firm was among the leading lenders in the retail, multifamily, industrial and 'other' sectors.
"We have experienced a wave of activity since the fourth quarter of 2023, driven by the expectation of persistent high-interest rates and a constrained lending environment from banks," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal. "With traditional lenders stepping back, we have seen a pronounced shift in the capital markets at a time when there is a steep increase in debt maturities within the industry, potentially nearing $1 trillion in this year alone."
Amid the debt market dislocation, Peachtree has already deployed nearly $1.0 billion in credit transactions this year.
"The tidal wave of maturities and trillions of dollars more through 2028 favors private credit lenders like Peachtree to capitalize on these opportunities and close the funding gap left by traditional capital channels," Friedman said.
As a direct commercial real estate lender, Peachtree offers permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine loans commercial property-assessed clean energy (CPACE) financing and preferred equity investments across all commercial real estate sectors.
Stakeholders in the commercial real estate arena are navigating through this era marked by rising capital costs and limited liquidity. These conditions are particularly challenging when securing necessary capital for acquisitions, recapitalization and development initiatives.
"Years of dedicated effort in building our capital foundation have equipped us to support real estate owners in executing their business strategies, a commitment that remains firm even during uncertain times," Friedman concluded.
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, we manage billions in capital across acquisitions, development, and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow our investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com