MULTIFAMILY MONDAY: NO ROOM FOR DEBT

This afternoon, Johnson Capital's Dan Lisser told us multifamily cap rates are so tight they're forcing the sector to become a long-term game. Maybe we were playing it wrong, but we don't remember Monopoly involving LTVs.
Cap rates under 5% leave little room for leverage, he says, meaning the only way to make money is to underwrite for a long-term hold. Unlike DC, where multifamily has been hot long enough that some are already worrying about overbuilding (the stuff nightmares are made of for any CRE child), new construction is still minimal in Manhattan. That's because getting control of a site large enough to build a significant number of units and then working through zoning can take five years.

That's why Johnson Capital is doing a lot in Long Island City. Outlying areas like Hoboken, Jersey City, Williamsburg, and LIC are more affordable for tenants, offer better transportation access, and have newer housing stock. Yeah, but is land available out there? Dan says the East River Tennis Club site near the Pepsi sign is a great spot but is having some environmental/floodplain problems.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Denver Newsletters
Related Stories

Federal Government To Sell Nearly 31K SF In Five Points: The Denver Deal Sheet

Avison Young Had Assets Frozen By Bank Over Unpaid Taxes

Artificial Intelligence Companies Reshaping Dublin Office Demand As OpenAI Confirms HQ

Mars Factory Overhaul Stalls As Candymaker's Chicago Expansion Accelerates

Camden Property Trust Sells West Coast Portfolio, Clears $1.5B Target

How Long Island Projects Can Cut Through Red Tape And Community Opposition To Cross The Finish Line

Bringing Stability And Savings To CRE Insurance Through Working Layer

More Hotel Owners In Need Of Cash Are Getting It From The Big Brands

Former Arms Dealer Targeting Heartland Apartment Takeover Files For Bankruptcy

SEC Charges REIT, Its Founders With Alleged $152M Fraud Scheme

Empire State Building Observation Deck Hemorrhaging Visitors, Value

Cortland, Pulte, INVH, Walker & Dunlop Execs Talk Changing Demographics, AI