CARMEL, Ind. (May 9, 2019) – Mortgage banking firm Merchants Capital has arranged nearly $50 million in total financing for three assisted living communities in Ohio: The Ashford at Mt. Washington, The Ashford on Broad and The Ashford on Sturbridge.
Merchants Capital secured the bridge loans on behalf of Wallick Communities, which develops affordable assisted living and memory care communities. The bridge financing allows the communities to continue leasing and reach the required time beyond construction completion in order to be eligible to be insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
“Our team closed these loans in less than 70 days from the day of engagement,” said Michael R. Dury, president of Merchants Capital and the portfolio’s leading originator. “We were able to simplify the process because of our unique ability to execute the bridge loan through our parent company, Merchants Bank. During the bridge loan application process, we were able to advise them on structuring the takeout financing via FHA.”
“Our team closed these loans in less than 70 days from the day of engagement. We were able to simplify the process because of our unique ability to execute the bridge loan through our parent company, Merchants Bank.”
The first community, The Ashford at Mt. Washington, received $13 million in financing over 24 months. The 108-unit community is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ashford on Broad received $16 million in bridge financing over 36 months. Comprised of 131 units, the community is located in Columbus, Ohio. The third and final community is The Ashford on Sturbridge, which received $20 million in financing over 42 months. The 124-unit community opened in early 2019 and is located in Hilliard, Ohio, a middle-class suburb of Columbus.
All three communities are designed to serve working- and middle-class seniors, offering rents at 15–30% below those in similar communities. In addition, by using Ohio’s Medicaid Waiver program, residents are allowed to stay once their financial resources have been exhausted.
“As baby boomers age and the costs of senior health care continue to rise, the need for affordable, well-maintained communities like these are becoming more and more critical,” said Tom Feusse, CEO of Wallick Communities. “Partnering with Merchants Capital on these projects was vital to our work and fulfilling our mission of Opening Doors to Homes, Opportunities and Hope to seniors across Ohio.”
Merchants Capital is a leading multifamily lender offering customized loan products for independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing projects. A variety of loan products are available to accommodate construction, rehabilitation, acquisition and refinancing of healthcare properties throughout the country.