Articles

FHFA Loan Caps for 2025: What Multifamily Borrowers Need to Know

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $3 billion boost to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s volume cap for loan purchases in 2025 to $146 billion ($73 billion for each agency). This increase in FHFA loan caps for 2025 aligns with industry expectations, given the anticipation of improving market conditions and lending activity expected in a lower interest rate environment. Next year’s cap for the Government-Sponsored Entities (GSEs) is an increase of approximately 4% from the $140 billion limit set for 2024.

Analysis

U.S. Multifamily Market Snapshot — November 2024

The U.S. multifamily market held steady in a more normalized cycle through the first three quarters of 2024, following its skyrocketing recovery from the pandemic-related contraction. Rental demand remained strong, driven by the continued nationwide housing shortage and strong wage growth, while the high levels of new construction seen over the last two years appears to have peaked.

Current Reports

Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2024

Small multifamily’s normalization pushed forward last quarter as the Federal Reserve made a long-awaited reduction to the target federal funds rate. Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2024, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, shows signs of stability have multiplied. Robust rental demand, a limited supply of quality affordable housing, and several other promising developments should support the subsector’s strength heading into 2025.

Analysis

Top U.S. Multifamily Rent Growth Markets — Q3 2024

The U.S. multifamily market held steady in a more normalized cycle during the third quarter of 2024. Rental demand remained strong, while new leaders emerged among the top markets for rent growth.

Articles

Top Markets for Wage Growth in 2024

One of the most essential factors multifamily investors need to consider before executing a transaction is the health of the local labor market. Wage growth and other trends are driven by a delicate, constantly adjusting balance of labor supply and demand. In some markets, an inflow of employers can cause wages to spike. In others, population outflows can create the same effect. In this deep dive, we expand on the data findings from the 2024 Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report, exploring the unique conditions driving metro wage growth trends.

Press Contact

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Current Reports

Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report 2024

With interest rate pressure easing, quality multifamily investment opportunities have emerged from coast to coast, making identifying the optimal location essential. A roadmap for investors, Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report 2024, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, ranks the top 50 metropolitan markets found through an analysis of 10 key factors, including affordability, population growth, and climate risk.

Articles

The Value of a Top Freddie Mac Small Balance Loans Lender

Small multifamily properties play a crucial role in providing affordable and market-rate rental housing across the country. But Arbor and Freddie Mac understood that financing in this sector had historically been fragmented when we partnered to create the Small Balance Loan (SBL) program in 2014. As the program celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024, Arbor is proud to have helped pioneer the product to meet a critical need for our borrowers. A six-time Top Small Balance Loans Lender, Arbor has the right experience to expertly customize loan products and align your asset’s long-term goals with your community’s needs.

General: 800.ARBOR.10

FANNIE MAE

Healthy Housing Rewards®, Enhanced Resident Services, and Healthy Design

Arbor’s Fannie Mae Multifamily offers Healthy Housing Rewards, a product feature that provides lower pricing to finance affordable properties with healthy design features. Enhanced Resident Services is a product feature that provides lower pricing to finance affordable properties with enhanced resident services that improve the health and stability of their residents including health and wellness services, work and financial capability support, and more. Healthy Design is a product feature that provides lower pricing to finance affordable properties with health-promoting design and operational features including playgrounds, fitness equipment, tobacco-free environments, green spaces, and more.

Benefits
  • Lower interest rate
  • Healthy Design: Reimbursement for Healthy Design Certification (up to $6,500)
  • Enhanced Resident Services: Reimbursement for initial Sponsor certification (CORES) and Enhanced Resident Services Property certifications
  • Flexible underwriting to specific affordable developments
  • Flexible loan terms, and fixed- or variable-rate financing options
  • Certainty and speed of execution
Eligibility
  • Affordable Housing Properties with at least 50% of the units affordable at 80% of Area Median Income or less
  • Healthy Design: Must obtain Healthy Design certification from an approved Fannie Mae provider.
  • Enhanced Resident Services: Must obtain Sponsor certification and Property-level certification from an approved Fannie Mae provider
  • One-time benefit per borrower per property; Healthy Design and Enhanced Resident Services cannot be combined
Pricing Healthy Design: 15 basis points discount
Enhanced Resident Services: Up to 30 basis points discount
Term 5-30 years
Amortization Up to 35 years
Healthy Design Certification Certification fee is reimbursed up to $6,500 by Fannie Mae
Enhanced Resident Services Certification Sponsor Certification: Cost of initial Sponsor certification is reimbursed 100% by Fannie Mae; Sponsor must obtain recertification every 5 years
Property Level Certification: Initial certification cost of property-level compliance will be 100% reimbursed by Fannie Mae; Borrower must obtain yearly property certification.
Interest Rate Fixed- and variable-rate options available
Maximum LTV Varies by product type
Minimum DSCR Varies by product type
Prepayment Availability Flexible prepayment options are available including yield maintenance and declining prepayment premium
Loan Amount No minimum or maximum
Rate Lock 30- to 180-day commitments. Borrowers may lock the interest rate using Streamlined Rate Lock option. Confirmation of Healthy Design certification or sponsor-level and property-level certifications is required prior to rate lock
Interest Accrual 30/360 and Actual/360
Recourse Non-recourse execution is available, with standard carve-outs for “bad acts” such as fraud and bankruptcy required
Third-Party Reports Standard third-party reports, including Appraisal, Phase I Environmental Assessment and a Property Condition Assessment, are required. Confirmation of Healthy Housing Rewards features and eligibility is required
Assumption Loans are typically assumable, subject to review and approval of the new borrower’s financial capacity and experience

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