HJ Sims Partners with StoneCreek Real Estate Partners to Facilitate $2.8 Million in Non-recourse, Low-interest Rate PACE Financing

CONTACT: Tara Perkins, AVP | 203-418-9049 | [email protected]

HJ Sims Partners with StoneCreek Real Estate Partners to Facilitate $2.8 Million in Non-recourse, Low-interest Rate PACE Financing

FAIRFIELD, CT– HJ Sims (Sims), a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm founded in 1935, is pleased to announce the successful November 2020 closing of a $2.8 million PACE financing on behalf of StoneCreek Real Estate Partners (StoneCreek).

Based in Dallas, TX, StoneCreek is a collaboration of recognized and seasoned professionals with 50+ years of combined experience in the operations, development and ownership of successful senior living communities in TX, CO, and AZ.

The StoneCreek of Copperfield development is a new construction, 108-bed senior housing community that will include 74 assisted living units, 22 memory care units and 12 independent living cottages, providing local access to quality senior housing and care in the Copperfield area of Houston, TX. The community will be operated and managed by Civitas.

Founded in 2012, Civitas is a Fort Worth, TX based for-profit owner/operator of senior living communities in TX, FL, OK, NM, KY and AZ. Civitas has 100+ employees and manages 45+ senior living communities. In 2018, Sims provided $5.85 million in preferred equity to Civitas for the development of a new community in Red Oak, TX. In 2019 Sims completed a $72.32 million all-bond acquisition financing of three communities operated by Civitas in east TX.

While assisting StoneCreek in their search for financing alternatives, Sims proposed the use of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, a voluntary low-cost, non-recourse assessment placed on a property and based on the qualified energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, residency improvements and related costs, contributed by the project. The program finances 100% of the energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, resilience improvements and the related costs for ground-up new construction and renovations/retrofits up to 20% of the property’s appraised value. The financing is collected with regular local real estate taxes and assessment payments are amortized at a fixed rate throughout the useful life of the project.

Sims coordinated with StoneCreek, Civitas, the PACE provider and the Texas PACE Authority to obtain approval for PACE from the senior construction lender. Despite the atypical nature of the program, the financing team was able to assuage the concerns of the senior construction lender while navigating a variety of bureaucratic components. In place of typical mezzanine debt with interest rates between 12-15%, StoneCreek implemented the strategy PACE to fund $2.8 million in construction financing at an interest rate of 5.85%, a significantly lower interest rate.

StoneCreek, with the guidance of Sims, accessed $2.8 million in TX-PACE financing to lower their total cost of capital. The project is also supported by a $19.6 million construction loan from a traditional lending partner.

Financed Right® Solutions—James Rester: 901.652.7378 |  [email protected], Curtis King: 603.219.3158 |  [email protected] or Ryan Snow: 843.870.4081 | [email protected]

 

ABOUT HJ SIMS: Founded in 1935, HJ Sims is a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, Sims has nationwide investment banking, private wealth management and trading locations. Member FINRA, SIPC. Testimonials may not be representative of another client’s experience. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,  Instagram.

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StoneCreek at Copperfield

Based in Dallas, Texas, StoneCreek Real Estate Partners is a collaboration of recognized and seasoned professionals with more than 50 years of combined experience in the operations, development and ownership of successful senior living communities in Texas, Colorado, and Arizona.

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Innovative Financing Strategies Create Operational Cashflow during COVID-19

CONTACT: Tara Perkins, AVP | 203-418-9049 | [email protected]

 FAIRFIELD, CT– HJ Sims (Sims), a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm founded in 1935, is pleased to announce the closing of a number of financings utilizing innovative financing strategies to create operational cashflow and advantageous results for senior living organizations.  

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the 2017 TCJA) had an enormous impact on the municipal bond market with the elimination of advance refundings. In 2018, Sims identified alternative strategies in the absence of advance refundings. Strategies included (1) Cinderella bank-held bonds, (2) taxable fixed rate advanced refundings, (3) forward refundings and (4) tender offers.

 

The use of Cinderella Bonds aims to secure an advance refunding that is at first taxable and converts to tax-exempt when permitted. It was applied to the financing of Marshes of Skidaway Island (The Marshes) in GA. In 2020, Sims approached The Marshes noting that a bank-placed Cinderella refinancing of outstanding fixed rate bonds would provide significant savings. Sims successfully closed the $47.1 million financing in December 2020, saving approximately $1.14 million annually and $15.36 million, in the aggregate, through a bank financing.

 

Westminster Communities of Florida, the largest provider of life plan communities in the State of FL, employed Sims to utilize a taxable fixed rate advance refunding of bonds issues to acquire Glenmoor after its successful turnaround. Sims analyzed bank-held and fixed rate bond advanced refundings, with a rapidly growing taxable fixed rate bond market. Westminster proceeded with a taxable advanced refunding and tax-exempt new money issuance to fund upcoming capital projects. Sims procured strong investor interest in the successful $107,360,000 transaction, achieving superior execution.

 

A Forward Refunding approach was utilized with Peconic Landing at Southold (Peconic) in NY. This strategy utilizes tax-exempt fixed rate bonds priced on a present-day basis, but not delivered and “closed” until ninety days prior to the call date of the refunded bonds. In 2019, Sims discussed potential refunding of Peconic’s bonds. The elimination of tax-exempt advance refundings meant immediate access to the tax-exempt market wasn’t possible, and the current BBB- rating made access to the taxable bond market impractical. Sims helped facilitate a forward refunding, securing pricing on a 20-year term on the refunding in late 2019 and saving Peconic $300,000+ in annual debt service with the ultimate settlement occurring in November 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

A Tender Offer financing was implemented for the MD Obligated Group of Asbury Communities (Asbury). In 2018, Asbury MD Obligated Group’s capital stack was comprised of outstanding bonds placed directly with an institutional investor without an optional call feature and with a balloon payment. Sims negotiated an exchange of the bonds at a purchase price for a new series of bonds, extending the amortization, providing additional years of repayment and reducing the overall debt burden.

 

The 2017 TCJA changed the borrowing landscape for 501(c)(3) organizations. As the new administration and Congress identify and implement their fiscal policies, the Sims’ Financed Right® approach will ensure Sims will continue to assist clients in navigating the ever-changing market landscape, as we monitor market response to new laws and update the industry of developments and trends.

 

To learn details about each strategy, read the Sims Perspective, click here.

 

ABOUT HJ SIMS: Founded in 1935, HJ Sims is a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, Sims has nationwide investment banking, private wealth management and trading locations. Member FINRA, SIPC. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,  Instagram.

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The Bethel Methodist Home

The Bethel Methodist Home Logo

The Bethel Methodist Home, d/b/a The Knolls, is a non-profit Continuing Care Retirement Community located on a 29-acre campus in Valhalla, New York in Westchester County. The Knolls offers a full continuum of care with independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing services on a single campus.

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The 19th Annual HJ Sims Late Winter Conference

Financing Methods & Operating Strategies in the Senior Living Industry for Non-Profit and Proprietary Senior Living Providers

Our 19th Annual HJ Sims Late Winter Conference examined trends and developments critical to the success of senior living communities. An extensive and thoughtful agenda was compiled to address financing methods and operating strategies that can help alleviate existing challenges and encourage continued growth in the non-profit and proprietary sectors of our industry. Throughout the conference, we delivered a dynamic group of speakers and experts committed to sharing thought-provoking views and providing profound insight.

Conference Recap
Conference Videos
Conference materials

Help us make the next Late Winter Conference even more successful by completing our feedback survey. We very much appreciate your input.

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Photos

View the many beautiful photos from our conference in the galleries below. Click on each album to see all of the photos from the event.

For attendees who updated their professional headshots at the “Headshot Hub,” please contact Rebecca Brady to access your headshot.

Conference Details

Conference Agenda
Conference Speakers

Save the Date

The 20th Annual HJ Sims Annual Conference will be held in Sarasota, Florida. Stay tuned for dates and more information coming soon. We can’t wait to see you there!

For more information, please contact Rebecca Brady.

Peconic Landing

Peconic Landing at Southold is a life plan community located in Greenport, New York on Long Island’s North Fork where residents can enjoy 145 acres with 2,700 feet of private beach on Long Island Sound.

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Some Changes Made for COVID Will Stick Around, Say Seniors Housing Executives

There are two vaccines for COVID-19 awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, signaling that there is an end to the pandemic on the distant horizon. However, the impact of the outbreak on the seniors housing industry may be long-lasting.

A group of the industry’s top brass recently suggested that many of the changes made to adapt to the virus may in fact be permanent, and operators should prepare for this.

Read more in Seniors Housing Business.