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Video: Dr. Sam Chandan Discusses Investment Opportunities in Multifamily

As the interest rate outlook brightens, unique opportunities for outsized returns abound, Dr. Sam Chandan, Founding Director of the C.H. Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Non-Executive Chairman of Chandan Economics, explains in this top-level overview of Arbor’s latest Special Report.

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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.

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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.

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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%.

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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.

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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.

General: 800.ARBOR.10

Home | Resources & Press | Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Completes $315 Million Freddie Mac Q Series Securitization

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. Completes $315 Million Freddie Mac Q Series Securitization

UNIONDALE, NY, December 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) (“Arbor,” “our,” or “we”) today announced the completion of an approximately $315 million loan securitization through Freddie Mac’s Q Series securitization program (the “Securitization”). Arbor’s affiliated entity Arbor Realty SR, Inc. originated the loans and was the loan seller for the Securitization. The Securitization is Arbor’s first Freddie Mac Q Series transaction.

The Securitization is backed by a pool of 11 floating rate loans secured by first priority mortgage liens on 21 multifamily properties that qualify as mission-driven under the Federal Housing Finance Agency guidelines. Nearly 60% of the units at the properties have rents affordable to households that earn 60% of Area Median Income (“AMI”) and 95% are affordable to households that earn 80% of AMI. Arbor’s servicing and asset management affiliate, Arbor Multifamily Lending, LLC, will be the sub-servicer of the loans.

“As a well-established Freddie Mac Optigo® seller/servicer and one of the top contributors to the Freddie Mac SBL Program, Arbor is honored to join Freddie Mac’s Q Series program and further build on our tremendous relationship with Freddie Mac,” said Ivan Kaufman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust. “This transaction demonstrates the strong social commitment we share with Freddie Mac in continuing to provide liquidity for the preservation of affordable multifamily housing. Our commitment to mission-driven business and equitable lending practices is longstanding and best evidenced through the fundings we close through our agency lending partnerships. With our strong reputation as a leader in the securitization market, the Freddie Mac Q Series program provides yet another avenue for Arbor to participate in low-cost securitization financing options.”

“This is yet another example of Freddie Mac and Arbor demonstrating our commitment to affordable housing preservation,” said Leena Amin, Director of Multifamily Structured Transactions for Freddie Mac. “It takes total commitment and seasoned skill sets to execute a Q Series Securitization. When we work with excellent Optigo seller/servicers like Arbor, it paves the way for a successful execution.”

Beneficial ownership interests in the Securitization trust are represented by a series of multifamily mortgage pass-through certificates (the “Certificates”). The Certificates were issued under a pooling and servicing agreement, which will govern the servicing and administration of the mortgage loans. At closing, an Arbor affiliate retained certain subordinate and interest-only classes of Certificates.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as the lead manager and sole bookrunner, and Drexel Hamilton, LLC served as the co-manager on the Securitization. No nationally recognized statistical rating organizations were engaged to rate any classes of the Certificates.

The Certificates are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain items in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Arbor can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Arbor’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions generally, and the real estate markets specifically, in particular, due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, continued ability to source new investments, changes in interest rates and/or credit spreads, and other risks detailed in Arbor’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and its other reports filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Arbor expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Arbor’s expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

About Us
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 real estate assets. Headquartered in Uniondale, New York, Arbor manages a multibillion-dollar servicing portfolio, specializing in government-sponsored enterprise products. Arbor is a leading Fannie Mae DUS® lender, Freddie Mac Optigo® Seller/Servicer, and an approved FHA Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender. Arbor’s product platform also includes bridge, CMBS, mezzanine, and preferred equity loans. Rated by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, Arbor is committed to building on its reputation for service, quality and customized solutions with an unparalleled dedication to providing our clients excellence over the entire life of a loan.

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