Current Reports

Affordable Housing Trends Report Winter 2024/2025

Continually challenged by low inventory, affordable housing sits at a crossroads following the 2024 election. Incoming leadership plans to introduce market-based principles to an agenda that may also include an expanded Housing Choice Voucher program. Arbor’s Affordable Housing Trends Report Winter 2024/2025, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, provides insight into a pivotal multifamily sector about to embark in a new direction.

Articles

Investors Upbeat on Multifamily as Rate Cuts Stimulate Deal Activity

The skies surrounding commercial real estate markets are clearing, suggest the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2025 (ETRE 2025) findings. As pandemic-related structural changes settle into place, cyclical economic trends, such as interest rates, demand, and construction levels, are now the key drivers to watch.

Articles

Annual Build-to-Rent Starts Hit Another High in Q3 2024

As more single-family rental (SFR) operators rely on build-to-rent (BTR) development to supply new inventory, construction starts have steadily risen, reaching another record high in the third quarter of 2024. SFR/BTR construction has eclipsed 92,000 units in the last four quarters — an all-time high and an annual increase of 31.4%.

Articles

LIHTC Program: An Impactful Affordable Housing Financing Resource

As renters face a national shortage of 7 million low-income rental homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is pivotal in helping to close the affordability gap for renters. It is the nation’s most significant resource for affordable apartment housing construction, which gives state and local agencies approximately $10 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for affordable housing development.

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.

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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