Press Releases

Arbor’s Servicer Ratings Affirmed and Positive Outlook Rating Assigned by Fitch

Fitch Ratings Recognizes Arbor’s Commitment to Excellence and Innovation Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – November 29, 2023: Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Arbor Multifamily Lending, LLC’s (Arbor) commercial primary and special servicer ratings, further solidifying Arbor’s position as a trusted partner in the multifamily lending industry. Concurrently, they have assigned a Positive Outlook to each rating, reflecting an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. Commercial primary servicer rating at ‘CPS2’; Outlook Positive; Commercial special servicer rating at ‘CSS3+’; Outlook Positive. “The assignment of the Positive Outlook reflects Fitch’s 12–24 month view on the trajectory of Arbor’s primary servicer rating, noting that as the new borrower website is fully realized and deployed and turnover within the primary servicing function continues to stabilize, positive rating movement is possible.” – Fitch Ratings Read more from Fitch about the key rating drivers behind this announcement. Direct inquiries to [email protected]. About Arbor Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial Read the full article…

Articles

Video: Special Report Fall 2023 Key Takeaways

In this video, Dr. Sam Chandan, Founding Director of the C.H. Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business and non-executive chairman of Chandan Economics, details the key takeaways of Arbor’s Special Report Fall 2023, which he co-authored with Ivan Kaufman, Chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust.

Articles

FHFA Loan Caps for 2024: What Multifamily Borrowers Need to Know

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $10 billion rollback of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s volume cap for loan purchases for 2023 to $140 billion ($70 billion for each agency). This move aligns with industry expectations, given the anticipation of continued headwinds for the multifamily in 2024. Next year’s cap for the Government-Sponsored Entities (GSEs) is a reduction of approximately 7% from the $150 billion limit set for 2023 and a return to the level it was in 2021.

Current Reports

Affordable Housing Trends Report Fall 2023

With the cost of living climbing, the need for affordable housing has become more urgent. Although demand continues to outpace available supply, multifamily investment in affordable housing is fortified by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Project-Based Section 8, and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs. Arbor’s Affordable Housing Trends Report Fall 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, examines the supply-driven programs and policies designed to improve supply at a point in time when federal gridlock has stalled many funding increases.

Current Reports

Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2023

Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, is a snapshot of a strong and resilient subsector continuing to navigate ongoing market dislocation. The report shows that distress has remained limited, even with valuations and measures of risk pricing in flux. As conditions start to stabilize, there are signs that deal activity is picking up.

GENERAL: 800.ARBOR.10

Ivan Kaufman Talks 2021 Housing Demand on Yahoo! Finance Live

Ivan Kaufman on Yahoo! Finance Live

Arbor Realty Trust’s CEO discusses the company’s strong first-quarter earnings and his outlook for housing demand this year

Arbor has had an “unbelievable run,” with the first quarter of 2021 marking the 10th year in a row that the mortgage REIT has raised their dividend, noted Ivan Kaufman, founder, chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) in an interview on Yahoo! Finance Live with Adam Shapiro and Seana Smith. Much of Arbor’s success can be attributed to its focus on resilient asset classes like multifamily and single-family rental (SFR), he noted.

“We’re just in a great space. We’re a multifamily lender. We’re very active in the single-family rental space. Those segments of the economy are just ripping and roaring, fueled by low interest rates, an imbalance of supply and demand, and an attractive investment class. We’re just in the right place at the right time,” Kaufman said.

In the interview, Kaufman discussed why single-family rentals have become so appealing. While the market has largely been dominated by mom-and-pop investors, institutional players have slowly been entering the space since the Great Recession.

“With institutional capital coming and professional management coming to the space, it’s just becoming more and more attractive,” he said.

The pandemic has only accelerated demand for SFR product, as households began to move out of urban areas in search of more space and affordable prices in the near suburbs. As home prices have jumped in the last year, those priced out of the market are looking to rent homes as an alternative.

On the multifamily side, Kaufman noted that there is still a lot of demand and new developments are being leased up, albeit at a slower pace.

Kaufman also shared his outlook for housing demand in 2021, noting that home prices will likely only continue to go up due to the persistent imbalance of supply and demand.

“You’re going to see too many people looking to buy homes, not enough homes for sale. You’ll still see some level of appreciation,” he said, adding that if interest rates remain low, people will lean toward buying a home.

Labor market shortages and high lumber prices are also delaying construction of new homes. “You’re going to see a little bit of a slow move on new homes coming to market,” Kaufman noted.

Watch the full interview here.