The multifamily rental households estimate reached an all-time high of 22.4 million in 2025, following meaningful post-pandemic shifts in affordable housing and rental demand. The commercial real estate pillar maintained its growth, as new inventory and persistent homeownership constraints supported a rising number of multifamily household formations.
In any multifamily project, site selection is a critical step requiring careful consideration. From New York to Los Angeles and all the major metropolitan areas in between, U.S. metros are ripe for new investment, but narrowing down the optimal location is never easy. In a new video, Dr. Sam Chandan, one of the commercial real estate industry’s leading scholars, shares his expert insight into Arbor Realty Trust’s latest Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report.
The U.S. rental housing market remained strong and stable in 2025, spreading through the multifamily and single-family rentals sectors. Here’s a look at this year’s top articles from Arbor Realty Trust, in case you missed them.
Senior debt, a foundational element of most multifamily property acquisitions and developments, rarely covers the full capital requirement. To bridge the gap between what senior lenders offer and what sponsors need, many borrowers pursue mezzanine financing, which provides greater leverage and more control.
The single-family rental (SFR) sector once again demonstrated strength and durability last quarter amid a general softening of the for-sale home market. Arbor Realty Trust’s Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q4 2025, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, leverages first-class data analysis to show why SFR’s investment return profile has grown more attractive in the last year.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) allocations are about to grow following funding extensions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law in July. With market-based borrowing costs also declining, the affordable rental sector could be on the verge of its most accommodative financing environment in years.
In this new video, Dr. Sam Chandan, one of the commercial real estate industry’s leading scholars, shares his expert insight on Arbor Realty Trust’s latest Special Report, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics.
The long-term outlook for small multifamily remains decisively positive, supported by attractive pricing and strong demand for market-rate housing.
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Units
Houston
Year Built
A real estate investment firm was exploring a full acquisition of a newly constructed apartment community in Houston, TX. Without an existing asset and with limited operating history in this region, the borrower sought expert guidance to develop a strategy to acquire the property. With interest rates rising, the borrower wanted to lock in a highly competitive rate to refinance a rental community that had swelled to over 90% capacity.
Arbor worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to secure an FHA 223(f) loan refinance with green savings, which provides long-term, fixed-rate financing for refinancings, acquisitions, or moderate renovations. Arbor negotiated an underwriting change while interest rates were increasing, allowing the borrower to secure a Bridge to HUD loan to help improve net operating income and increase loan proceeds. In addition, Arbor connected the borrower with HUD’s green program, which reduces existing loan interest rates.
The borrower secured a Bridge to HUD loan that funded the acquisition of a beautiful and sprawling Houston apartment community with wide-ranging amenities. They achieved a better-than-anticipated rate for their HUD execution. The apartment community, constructed to meet high energy efficiency and sustainability standards, was then entered into HUD’s green program, reducing mortgage insurance premiums enabling the borrower to achieve optimal savings.