Finance & Investment

Did you know? As a longstanding U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender, Arbor has closed more than 250 FHA loans – and that count is climbing. In the first quarter of 2023, amidst a volatile market, Arbor worked with borrowers to secure more than $148 million in FHA financing.

Arbor’s Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q1 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, explores a growing multifamily sector with a unique ability to rise above macroeconomic headwinds. Last year, investors purchased more single-family rental (SFR) units than in 2021 as uncertainty rippled through the commercial real estate industry. Construction in the sector also ramped up in 2022, with starts reaching all-time highs by unit count and market share. This upward trend, fueled by significant structural support, sets SFR apart from many other commercial real estate sectors.

When apartment investors consider locations for capital deployment, growth potential is a top-of-mind concern. On a local level, population changes can influence everything from rent growth to occupancy to future property values. County-level positive net migration and natural population growth trends, identified in an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, reveal the counties where demographic tailwinds make a compelling case for real estate investment.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world. The agency insures mortgages on affordable housing, multifamily properties, single-family homes, multifamily properties, and health care facilities. Since 1934, FHA has financed over 50,000 multifamily mortgages nationwide. Whether you’re interested in acquiring, refinancing, or rehabilitating an affordable housing property, FHA multifamily loans are a financing route you need to know about.

In this video, Sam Chandan, professor of finance and Director of the Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business, discusses the key findings of Arbor’s Affordable Housing Trends Report Spring 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics. He adds context to the Federal, state, and local housing policy trends impacting the future of the affordable sector, which, he notes, continues to have the highest development prospects of any residential subtype.

The small multifamily subsector, strengthened by sound structural fundamentals, is well-positioned to face distress due to interest-rate pressure. Even though pricing has slid lower and cap rates have risen, it should remain resilient in the coming quarters. A deep dive into a uniquely positioned subsector, Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q1 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, analyzes the competing headwinds and tailwinds influencing investment performance.

Fannie Mae Multifamily recently honored Arbor with its prestigious 2022 DUS Lender Award for Excellence in Technology, citing it as “a constant source of innovative ideas” and “a stalwart partner” in driving “Fannie Mae’s digital transformation for the DUS community.”

Even as home prices posted their first annual decline in over a decade in March, affordability remains an urgent economic and policy challenge. Today, no states currently have an adequate amount of affordable and available homes for their lowest-income renters. With public support for improving housing affordability growing stronger, state and local governments have been prioritizing policy solutions to close the nationwide housing gap.

Single-family rentals’ role in the U.S. housing ecosystem is malleable. In different markets, this product type serves different purposes — acting as a magnet for transient lifestyle households in some metros, while providing families with affordable access to quality public school districts in others. As a result, SFR retention rates vary dramatically across the country, depending not only on the cost of homeownership but on the purpose that single-family rentals serve in that market, creating a unique group of top markets.

High interest rates and low housing supply have bolstered demand for single-family rental (SFR) communities as Millennials and Generation Z seek affordability in starter homes. Today, SFRs represent more than half of the U.S. rental market, and economists project that share will grow in the years ahead. With low operating costs, steady supplemental income, and long-term growth potential, investing in single-family homes offers considerable upside in a recessionary environment.