Expenses Rising Faster Than Revenues For Many Apartment Owners

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Expenses are rising faster than revenues for multifamily affordable housing properties, a trend that will likely continue to accelerate, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings.

Property owners saw net income per unit increases, however, as rent growth was as high as 37% from 2020 to 2022.

Growth has slowed considerably in 2023, though. GlobeSt.com this week reported that the median US asking rent fell 0.6% YOY to $1,995 in May. That nationwide drop is the largest since March 2020, attributed to a building boom that increased supply and economic challenges that lessened demand.

Markets continue to reflect regional and local variations in their asking rates with the Northeast/Midwest posting rises of 5%, even as numbers nationwide declined from a year earlier in May, according to Redfin.

On the expense side, meanwhile, property insurance premiums are an increasing percentage of total expenses with the average property insurance costs rising from $387 in 2020 to $590 in 2022 and several insurers have announced plans to significantly increase premiums in California in 2023 and 2024 or limit their exposure in states with elevated environmental risks.

Repairs and maintenance costs rose from $816 to $1,045 and utilities spiked from $1,487 to $1,693.

Paula Munger, Vice President, Research, National Apartment Association, tells GlobeSt.com that based on a few very informal polls she has taken of owner/operators this year through early June, the results have been fairly consistent in that fewer than one in 10 are expecting NOI to decrease or go negative this year.

“It’s not happening, but it absolutely is top of mind for them in thinking that it might happen in the near future,” Munger said. “If the Federal Reserve truly is done raising rates, inflation continues to trend downward, the industry adjusts to higher for longer, the job market stays strong, and we manage to skirt a recession, I could see rent growth getting stronger next year.”

Karlin Conklin, Principal, Co-President & COO at Investors Management Group, tells GlobeSt.com, “Bid farewell to the days of double-digit rent growth when rising expenses were an afterthought.

“Entering a new era of expense management requires a recalibration. Expenses are one of the main levers we can work on during a market correction, as we increase NOI by minimizing costs.

“Rather than pursuing new revenue streams, we’re staying focused on collections. Our priority is to offer our residents a quality living experience of great value. We’re aiming for a win-win, particularly during challenging times, by maintaining reasonable rents that don’t burden residents with excessive charges.”

Conklin said insurance has been the greatest noncontrollable expense across her national portfolio over the past three to four years.

“Insurable values have risen dramatically over the last few years,” she said. “As the cost of construction rises, so does the replacement cost of a building.”

Geography is playing a large role in expense and revenue management.

Kai Pan, Executive Managing Director in JLL’s Value and Risk Advisory Group, tells GlobeSt.com, “We’ve heard insurance increase named as a primary reason for buyer re-trades in many coastal markets, and it has scuttled transactions in many cases.”

In his appraisals, he’s seen insurance increase from $1,042 to $3,484 per unit (234% in Gulf Coast) and from $434 to $1,206 per unit (177% in Florida).

This is happening at large public apartment REITS as well, he said.

“Camden reported in their Q1 23 earnings call that they expect total insurance expense will increase by approximately 35% in 2023 due to exposure to coastal markets,” Pan said.

“Even Equity Residential (EQR), who has no Florida exposure, reported about 20% increase on insurance portfolio-wide.

“Part of the reason for the extraordinary insurance increase is due to inflation-fueled construction cost increase, which leads to a larger amount to be insured.”

Doug Faron, co-founder and managing partner at Shoreham Capital, a privately held real estate firm in West Palm Beach, Fla, tells GlobeSt.com that recently Florida has experienced an increased frequency of natural disasters that have forced insurance carriers to leave the state.

“That, combined with a multitude of new developers entering the market, high-interest rates, and a rise in construction-defect litigation, has caused insurance premiums to skyrocket,” Faron said

Faron said there’s been a “massive spike” in insurance costs in just the past 90 to 120 days, with premiums for a multifamily property currently averaging anywhere from $1,400 to $2,500 per unit, up from $600 to $800 per unit at the start of the year.

“It is no longer just a coastal issue either, with inland cities, like Orlando, also experiencing high insurance rates,” he said. “These ballooning costs have the potential to affect site selection, delay construction timelines, or even kill a deal in its tracks.”

 

Source:  GlobeSt.

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The Next Institutional Frontier: Marinas, RV Resorts

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Since we’ve recovered from the pandemic and are no longer confined to our homes as we were during the worst of the outbreak, there has been an increase in this trend, which started as we started to come out of the pandemic and has continued ever since.

The “get-outside-and-live” trend has been a goldmine for rustic accommodation, RV-friendly resorts, and marinas for all kinds of sailing vessels. This bonanza is drawing more and more attention from commercial real estate investors seeking for a promising area of expansion.

Monarch Alternative Capital, an investment company with nearly $11 billion in assets under management and dual headquarters in New York and London, is the most recent player to wager on the great outdoors. Monarch announced this week the launch of Go Outdoors, a platform to acquire, develop and operate marinas and RV resorts across the US.

“Monarch believes these sectors are historically overlooked real estate asset classes which benefit from attractive growth tailwinds and are in the early stages of institutionalization,” the company’s statement said.

According to Monarch, RV resorts and marinas profit from favorable business fundamentals that allow them to generate stable, brisk rental income growth. The availability of new marinas and RV resorts is constrained by a stringent regulatory environment, a lack of suitable land, and the capital intensity of new ventures, according to the business.

Renting of docking, storage, and RV pads is becoming more and more popular as recreational boat registrations, boating engagement, and RV ownership soar. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, recreational boating is currently a $250 billion business.

 

Source:  GlobeSt.

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Multifamily Industry Grappling With Surging Insurance Costs

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First came supply-chain-fueled higher construction costs. Then came inflation and interest-rate hikes imposed by the Federal Reserve.

Multifamily property operators are seeing their property insurance premiums rise at a time when the cost to build and finance a commercial real estate project remains elevated, even though most material prices have stabilized.

The recent spike in insurance costs arguably could have the most significant ripple effects within the multifamily industry, as higher rates will likely prompt multifamily landlords to pass those additional costs to tenants. But for income-restricted housing or rent-controlled apartment markets, according to those in the industry, the options to offset those higher costs are more limited.

A recent survey by the National Multifamily Housing Council, a trade group representing rental-housing owners and developers, found property insurance costs have risen 26% on average among respondents during the past year. Hurricane Ian had a tremendous impact on rising premiums, but internal insurance dynamics, industry consolidation, carriers departing some markets and climate change are also to blame for the higher costs.

Beyond the cost of operating an apartment property or portfolio, higher insurance premiums are starting to affect property valuations and disrupt transactions.

Michael Power, a chartered property casualty underwriter at New York-based FHS Risk Management, said during an NMHC webinar that in years past, adequate insurable replacement values weren’t necessarily enforced by the insurance industry. There’s been a monumental change on that front this year, he said, with everyone now required to directly report adequate insurable rebuilding costs for all buildings.

“That is having a huge impact on premiums because it’s driving up the total insurable value of your assets. … It creates a compound effect on premiums,” Power said.

 

Source:  The Business Journals

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Is Retail The New Darling Of The CRE Industry?

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A recent panel discussion at ICSC Las Vegas covered the state of the capital markets and during a morning session, where industry experts provided insights into the current situation, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities facing the market. Hessam Nadji, the president and CEO of Marcus & Millichap, kicked off the discussion by acknowledging the significant disruption caused by the movement of interest rates.

Nadji compared the situation to the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, emphasizing that while the financial system was not on the brink of collapse this time, the impact on valuation and transaction velocity was similar. Sellers, Nadji noted, were hesitant to enter the market unless compelled by urgent circumstances. However, any products that did hit the market were attracting multiple offers, despite the tight financing conditions, with the intention of refinancing later, he said. Nadji also pointed out that retail, surprisingly, emerged as the new darling of the industry, outperforming other property types.

Glenn Rufrano, ICSC Chair and former CEO of VEREIT, moderator of the panel, expressed relief that the industry had moved away from the bottom of the economic downturn. This sentiment was echoed by other participants who acknowledged the progress made but also emphasized the need for more activity. Alex Nyhan, CEO of First Washington Realty and ICSC Trustee, for example, noted the changing composition of buyers for grocery-anchored shopping centers.

Nyhan explained that “caution had become prevalent in the market,” prompting a “wait for the debt market to stabilize approach” before putting more properties up for sale. However, he mentioned that demand from life companies remains strong.

Rufrano asked about the dynamics of buyers and sellers in the market where panelist Devin Murphy, president of Phillips, Edison & Co., responded that there was still considerable activity in the market. According to Murphy, while overall activity had declined, there were still opportunities to acquire assets. For example, Murphy’s company had successfully acquired four grocery-anchored centers in the first quarter, despite the challenging environment. The sellers encountered currently are primarily institutional investors motivated to sell due to the denominator effect, which aimed to rebalance their portfolios. Additionally, individual holders who were not willing to inject more equity into their assets are also ones who are seeking to sell. Despite the decline in overall activity, Murphy revealed that his company had managed to purchase nearly $100 million worth of assets in Q1.

Rufrano acknowledged the importance of understanding the motivations behind buyer and seller decisions. He expressed optimism, expecting to see more activity before the end of the year, indicating potential progress in the capital markets.

 

Source:  GlobeSt.

 

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Swedish Electric Vehicle Company To Open 2 New South Florida Dealerships

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As part of its expansion in the Southeast U.S., a Swedish electric vehicle company will open two new locations in South Florida.

Polestar will open a dealership in Fort Lauderdale at 301 E. Las Olas Blvd. within the Plaza at Las Olas later this month, said Steven Radt, Polestar’s head of network development. A Coral Gables dealership is expected to open in July, Radt added.

At present, Polestar’s sole location in South Florida is in the Tree of Life Plaza at 4047 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

Besides West Palm Beach, Polestar recently opened locations in Tampa and Atlanta. A Polestar dealership will open in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June while a Naples location is “coming soon,” a company release stated.

Polestar is expanding in the Southeast because it’s the fastest growing region for electric vehicle sales in the U.S.

“In fact, recent data shows Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas account for more than 11% of EV registrations nationwide, with Florida being the second in the nation for EV ownership, behind California and ahead of Texas,” Radt said. “It’s a very important market for our brand.”

 

Source:  SFBJ

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Commercial Loan Repayment Delinquencies Shoot Up Across All Lender Groups

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Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquency rates rose in the first quarter and in some cases the rate of increase in recent months has picked up steam, signaling growing problems for mortgage holders.

Loans held in commercial mortgage-backed securities had the highest delinquency rate, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Moreover, those rates have been rising steadily in the second quarter, according to bond rating agencies that track the data monthly.

However, it was banks and thrifts that saw the largest jump in the most seriously delinquent loans in the first quarter.

Bank and thrift loans 90 or more days delinquent or in non-accrual status jumped 0.13 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2022. Those loans now make up 0.58% of outstanding commercial and multifamily loan balances, according to the MBA.

“Ongoing stress caused by higher interest rates, uncertainty around property values, and questions about fundamentals in some property markets are beginning to show up in commercial mortgage delinquency rates,” Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s head of commercial real estate research, said in a statement. “Delinquency rates increased for every major capital source during the first quarter, foreshadowing additional strains that are likely to work their way through the system.”

The banking industry continues to face significant downside risks and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said they will be stepping up ongoing supervision of banks’ loan quality.

“Credit quality and profitability may weaken due to these risks and may result in a further tightening of loan underwriting, slower loan growth, higher provision expenses, and liquidity constraints,” FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said in a statement about the industry’s first-quarter results. “Commercial real estate portfolios, particularly loans backed by office properties, face challenges should demand for office space remain weak and property values continue to soften.”

The Mortgage Bankers’ quarterly analysis looks at commercial and multifamily delinquency rates for five of the largest investor-groups: commercial banks and thrifts, commercial mortgage-backed securities, life insurance companies, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Together, these groups hold more than 80% of commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding.

Based on the unpaid principal balance of loans, delinquency rates for the other four groups at the end of the first quarter of 2023 were as follows:

  • Life company portfolios (60 or more days delinquent): 0.21%, an increase of 0.10 percentage points from the fourth quarter;
  • Fannie Mae (60 or more days delinquent): 0.35%, an increase of 0.11 percentage points;
  • Freddie Mac (60 or more days delinquent): 0.13%, an increase of 0.01 percentage points;
  • CMBS (30 or more days delinquent or foreclosed upon): 3%, an increase of 0.10 percentage points.

The latest CMBS numbers show a quickening of deteriorating loan quality, according to S&P Global Ratings.

The U.S. CMBS overall delinquency rate rose 0.39 basis points month over month in May, the bond rating firm reported. This was the largest increase since June 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic had shut down many offices, hotels, and retail centers across the country for weeks.

By dollar amount, total delinquencies rose to $22.9 billion, a net increase of $2.8 billion month over month and $3.9 billion year over year. Seriously delinquent CMBS loans of 60 more days late in payments represented 89.7% of the total, according to S&P.

Delinquency rates for office loans increased 1.2 percentage points to 4%, according to S&P. That was the fifth consecutive month of increase and now stands at $7.2 billion.

 

Source:  CoStar

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A $1 Trillion-Plus Wall Of Multifamily Debt Will Mature By 2027

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Although loans backing office properties are the most scrutinized these days, a wall of debt is also maturing within the multifamily sector in the coming years.

And while multifamily continues to be seen as one of the safer asset classes, already, there’ve been recent examples of loan defaults on multifamily portfolios, including four properties in Houston totaling 3,200 units that went to foreclosure last month.

Aaron Jodka, director of national capital-markets research at Colliers International Group Inc., said the multifamily market right now is an interesting test case — while rents aren’t growing as fast as they were 18 months ago, many markets continue to see positive growth and occupancy remains strong.

Looking strictly at the apartment market, nationally, net absorption was 19,243 in the first quarter of 2023, and occupancy stood at 94.7% in March, a drop from the peak of 97.6% in February 2022 but about the same as the average observed in the decade before the pandemic, according to RealPage Inc. Same-store effective asking rents for new apartment leases increased 0.3% in Q1.

But buyers and sellers continue to be at a stalemate, including within multifamily, a darling of the real estate investment world in recent years, Jodka said.

From the early 2000s through the global financial crisis and shortly thereafter, multifamily drove about 24% of all investment sales activity, according to Colliers. Between 2012 and 2020, that sector received about 33% of activity.

By 2020 to 2022, multifamily represented 43% of all investment.

“We’re increasingly seeing larger and larger investment flows, which means we have more and more maturities coming, as you’ve had additional volume,” Jodka said.

In particular, borrowers that recently financed multifamily deals with short-term floating-rate debt without anticipating the significant run-up in interest rates are facing higher loan payments now and could run into issues at refinancing, he added.

And a significant amount of loan maturities within multifamily are coming due soon. The Mortgage Bankers Association estimates, overall, there’s $2.6 trillion of loan maturities through 2027, with multifamily making up 38%.

Those who track the commercial real estate market say, like any property type, multifamily is likely to see a greater amount of distress in the coming months and years, but financing challenges are likely to be more episodic than widespread. Capital sources, both on the debt and equity side, are also likelier to provide capital to multifamily more broadly than other asset classes, and there continues to be a tremendous amount of uninvested capital sitting on the sidelines, Jodka said.

 

Source:  SFBJ

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Private Equity, Real Estate Investors Navigate Rocky Financing World

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Lending activity from banks on commercial real estate has slowed in the wake of higher interest rates, an expected recession, questions about specific sectors and the collapse of three regional banks this spring.

At the same time, commercial real estate investors are applying extra scrutiny to lenders amid recent banking turmoil, especially as some banks that have failed in recent weeks lent prominently to commercial real estate.

Even for established groups with longstanding relationships with banks, fewer quotes are being given for deals that a year ago may have seen as many as 10 or more quotes from lenders, industry sources say.

Buying and selling real estate has meant adjusting pricing expectations and being willing to accept more conservative debt terms.

Although regional and community banks have been in the spotlight with recent bank failures, commercial real estate groups say they’re still working with those lenders — but in a smaller way than previously.

Commercial real estate executives say there’s a new awareness within the industry about regional and community banks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank. Most real estate investors have, since those bank failures, gone through and assessed their deposit relationships.

Nearly $1.5 trillion in commercial real estate debt is maturing by the end of 2025, Morgan Stanley analysts recently found. But, Morgan Stanley also found, banks with less than $250 billion in assets only account for 29.9% of commercial real estate debt, as opposed to up to 80%, as others have reported.

In the wake of slower lending from banks, other capital sources have stepped in to fill gaps, including life insurance companies.

For some capital sources, there’s potential opportunity to invest in projects or deals that, in more typical market conditions, would be more successful but are facing issues because of the recent surge in interest rates and cost of debt.

 

Source:  SFBJ

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IOS Developments Drive Forward Despite Entitlement, Zoning Challenges

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With the trifecta of idling engines, diesel exhaust and the constant presence of 18-wheelers, industrial outdoor storage operators fight an uphill battle getting their projects approved by municipalities.

But rising demand — and the rising prices that come with it — has motivated developers to find ways forward despite community backlash.

Entitlement challenges, zoning difficulties and pushback from NIMBY-esque neighbors slow the production of IOS properties, causing developers to create strategies targeted at avoiding these pitfalls to get their deals done and meet a ballooning market need.

“The lack of available supply for truck terminals has historically been driven by local zoning ordinances,” said Cresa broker Eric Rose, who is based in Omaha, Nebraska. “Most communities aren’t friendly and won’t really add any more of these locations unless it’s via a case-by-case, special-use approval process, which is time-consuming and costly.”

As the continued growth of e-commerce and a renewed domestic manufacturing sector add pressure to expand trucking to handle increased logistics demand, some developers are striking out and figuring out how to add new capacity. With IOS vacancy rates slipping to 3% in 2022, according to Marcus & Millichap research, the need is clear. And with the high rents and sales prices being fetched by existing IOS properties, ground-up development can offer a significant payday, especially from interested institutional investors or truck carriers.

Earlier this month, Industrial Outdoor Ventures announced plans to turn the Twin Lakes Travel Park in Davie, Florida, 24 miles north of Miami, into a 38-acre industrial service facility. Situated south of Interstate 595, between State Road 7 and Florida’s Turnpike, the ground-up development will include two buildings totaling 227K SF and outdoor storage yards that can hold 280 truck trailers.

“This is another great opportunity for IOV to meet market demand by developing the type of modern facilities that today’s end users require and in a location that has a scarcity of land available for this type of asset,” Industrial Outdoor Ventures Senior Vice President of Development and Acquisitions Eric Johnson said in a statement.

Turnbridge Equities also just picked up a 3.6-acre site in Rancho Dominguez, California, near Los Angeles, in a $25.5M buy.

“The deal, another 2.49-acre pickup in the South Bay, aligns perfectly with our strategic vision of expanding our Industrial Outdoor Storage strategy in port-adjacent, infill and high barrier-to-entry markets,” a Turnbridge executive said in a statement.

In nearby Perris, California, Alterra IOS spent $8.5M on a 7-acre towing yard in early May, with plans to renovate it and reintroduce it as an IOS property with easy access to the busy Inland Empire.

Chicago-based Dayton Street Partners has been busy with redevelopments and plans to create new trucking facilities, one of just a handful of ground-up IOS developments taking place. The firm just finished a 95-acre terminal with 500K SF of industrial space at 5800 Mesa Road in Houston, which is being leased to the carrier Maersk.

The firm also has a 47-acre, 1,000-trailer terminal set to open in Baytown, Texas, near Houston and less than 20 miles from two Gulf ports, set to open in June. The terminal includes a 24-foot-tall, 1,382-foot-long building meant for unloading and reloading truck cargo. In addition, Dayton Street acquired two truck maintenance facilities in Atlanta with plans to renovate and reopen.

“The difficulties of finding appropriate space and building new facilities — often renovating existing industrial or vehicle-focused real estate, such as mobile home parks or underutilized warehouse sites with vacant buildings and minimal need for rehabilitation — means it often isn’t worth it to seek out real estate on the fringes of a market,” Dayton Street principal Howard Wedren said. “Financing has been rocky lately so it is difficult to get access to capital compared to those with longstanding client relationships.”

It is key to find locations near big travel hubs and ports, spots already in high demand for industrial developers seeking storage space.

“We don’t go to the outskirts,” Wedren said. “We’re very much into the high-barrier-to-entry sites. That’s our model, and we don’t deviate.”

High barriers are common for IOS projects. In Long Beach, California, the firm Cargomatic received city council approval for an IOS storage site last month near the busy Pacific port, just overcoming significant backlash by business groups and local leaders concerned about additional pollution from heavy trucks.

“There are no guarantees at the end of the day,” Cresa’s Rose said. “So do you go through a multiyear development process, not 100% certain that you’re going to get those rezoning and entitlements you need? Or do you just bite the bullet and buy the existing facility, and you can activate your service immediately upon opening the facility?”

In the case of Industrial Outdoor Ventures’ project in Davie, Director of Construction and Properties Rob Chase said the firm had good relationships with local leaders. It helped that the older travel park was showing signs of age and wear, and many in town were happy to replace the site with something newer.

Even with the support, it is a long process. Properly and fairly relocating existing residents is time-consuming, and even with the relatively simple construction requirements of these kinds of projects, it will still take 14 months of site work and construction once the site is cleared.

On the flip side, an empty site in Jurupa Valley, California, near the Inland Empire, that Industrial Outdoor Ventures acquired on the precipice of gaining approvals for construction in a portfolio purchase, now has to restart the entitlement process.

Chase said he sees the value of existing and new IOS facilities continuing to rise, spurring more developers to attempt more conversions, but he acknowledged that the process is often difficult.

“Having the right zoning is absolutely critical,” Chase said. “An entitlement process I describe as being long and drawn out is nothing in comparison to trying to change the zoning. That’s even more of a hill to climb. You could easily flip these properties, but pushing, sticking with it through to the finish line, is worth it.”

 

Source: Bisnow

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3 Multifamily Trends CRE Investors Should Monitor

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Multifamily properties are still going strong in the commercial real estate (CRE) sector. But it’s not business as usual. Coming off record growth in 2021, the industry is recalibrating, which creates dynamic investment, valuation and risk environments for multifamily property investors.

Heading into 2023, inflation and rising interest rates prompted forecasts for a slight slowing of growth in the multifamily property sector. Through the first quarter, overall occupancy rates held steady, with a modest increase in vacancy rates to 6.7%, up from 5% one year ago. Rent income is still growing, but month-over-month increases are returning to pre-pandemic norms. Nationwide, demand for multifamily units remains strong, with plenty of inventory in the construction pipeline.

Looking ahead, multifamily properties continue to offer appealing and profitable opportunities for commercial real estate investors. However, today’s evolving market can’t be predicted based on past performance. For investors, keeping a pulse on key demographic, economic and risk-related trends is more important than ever.

 

1. Demographics and Demand

Demographic trends are favorable for increasing demand. Forty-five million Gen Z-ers, born between 1997 and 2013, will be in their peak years as renters by 2025. At the opposite end of the generational spectrum, an increasing number of Boomers are expected to opt for multifamily properties as they retire and downsize their homes.

Beyond the population numbers, other factors come into play. Inflation and rising interest rates may prompt Gen Z to live at home longer and Boomers to push back their timelines for downsizing from their single-family homes. At the same time, many Millennials are renting longer, having been priced out of the housing market due to a smaller inventory of starter homes and higher levels of personal debt compared to previous generations.

 

2. Inflation and Valuation

Inflation and higher interest rates have created a challenging near-term capital market environment for the multifamily sector. Capital is available but at a higher cost. With narrowing margins, lenders are taking a more cautious approach and loan-to-value ratios are down. With higher cap rates, the value of a stable multifamily property is lower. Similarly, value depreciation accelerates with slower rent growth and increased operating costs.

Inflation creates uncertainty about how much a property is worth, how much rental income will — or will not — grow and how much operating costs may increase. Digging into the details within a property’s valuation is critical in the current evolving market. An independent third-party valuation analyzes the historical performance of the property, comparable rental rates in the local market and expected operational expenses. The valuation projects the net operating income (NOI) and provides a benchmark of the property’s value over time.

 

3. Risk and Insurance

Insurance costs for multifamily properties are also on the rise. Over the past three years, property owners have seen double-digit increases in premium costs. Extreme weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes and flooding, are a primary reason, with losses exceeding the premium collected. As a result, insurers are reducing their risk exposure in high-risk areas, which means property owners must often seek partial coverage from multiple carriers.

Inflation is also driving increased insurance costs. The cost of construction materials and labor has risen sharply since the start of the pandemic, with multifamily construction costs up 8% in 2023. An up-to-date valuation, which is required by many insurers at renewal, helps property owners to ensure their insurance covers the cost of rebuilding at current prices.

Liability insurance premiums have also increased in recent years, as several carriers exited the excess liability insurance business. Primary liability insurers are mitigating rising costs by increasing premium rates, deductibles and self-insurance limits. Many insurers are managing costs by implementing policy exclusions that may save property owners money in the short term but increase financial risk in the long term.

Insurance advisors can help property owners take a proactive approach to monitoring policy changes, conducting regular property assessments and calculating maximum probable losses in the event of a catastrophic event.

The dedicated commercial real estate team at CBIZ can help you optimize the valuation, insurance and tax strategies for your multifamily investment. Explore more resources and connect with a member of our team today.

 

This article includes input from John Rimar, Managing Director of CBIZ Valuation Group’s Real Estate Practice, and Greg Cryan, President of Southeast CBIZ Insurance Services, Inc. Their teams provide the initial and ongoing services needed to accurately assess and insure your real estate investments. 

 

Source:  CBiz

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