Capital is Plentiful

As anyone in the multifamily sector knows, the new year didn’t really kick off until the NMHC gathering in Palm Springs. Whether you dropped in for the Apartment Strategies Conference, or participated as an NMHC member in the annual meeting (or both), this was an excellent opportunity to get the ball rolling on some new deals. Lender appetite will drive investor activity in 2015.

For the MHN editorial team, it provided an immersion into the new ideas and trends that will be impacting how you do business—and therefore shaping our editorial calendar—in the months ahead.

Watch our Palm Springs interviews on MHN TV and read a series of special reports by MHN Senior Associate Editor Michael Ratliff. You’ll find that the mood at this year’s NMHC meeting was optimistic.

While not every market has recovered completely from the downturn of 2008, construction cranes are back in force in a great number of metropolitan markets across the country, and existing apartment assets in a variety of classes are trading hands at a healthy clip.

For a closer look at what’s been selling around the country, see our monthly round-up. And for a glimpse into the nascent crowdfunding industry, read our Special Report. Capital markets are expected to reach new heights in 2015. In fact, the Mortgage Bankers Association forecasts that mortgage bankers’ originations for the sector will be $173 billion by the end of the year, topping the $148 billion volume reached in 2007.

Executive Editor Keat Foong’s cover story delves into the reasons for the robust capital supply—and the consequences. “More apartment investors may be exploring selling more of their properties this year,” Kirk Helgeson, American Realty Investors, told MHN. “As an owner of multifamily properties, we also see this as an excellent environment to adjust portfolios by being an active seller and will execute dispositions selectively in 2015 and beyond.”

What’s your strategy for the year ahead? And what were your NMHC take-aways? To share a view with our readers, email me at dmosher@multi-housingnews.com.

Diana Mosher
Editorial Director