BRG Acquires 384-Unit Villages of Cypress Creek Property in Houston, TX
New York, NY (September 26, 2017) – Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BRG) (“BRG,” “the REIT” or “the Company”) announced today that it has acquired the 384-unit multifamily Villages of Cypress Creek Apartments (“Cypress Creek”) in Houston, Texas.
BRG purchased an 80% interest in the Cypress Creek property in an off-market transaction with an equity investment of $14.5 million, financing the remainder with a fixed-rate loan of $26.2 million. The Company, which will implement a $2.0 million renovation program to upgrade units and common spaces, projects the acquisition will yield a pro-forma stabilized cap rate of nearly 7%.
Located within the desirable Cypress/Fairbanks submarket of northwest Houston, Cypress Creek is a quiet garden community with ample floorplans and surface parking typical of lower density, suburban locations. Built in 2001, the property features one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 975 square feet, two resort-style pools with barbecue area and gazebo, fitness center, game room with billiards table, business center with Wi-Fi, and a dog park. The property, which was not damaged by Hurricane Harvey, was nearly 94% occupied as of September 20, 2017.
The Cypress submarket, located 30 minutes northwest of downtown Houston, is among the 50 highest-income areas in the US, with average household incomes 26% higher than the greater Houston MSA and a median single-family home price of $315,000. The property attracts superior tenant demographics given its location within the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, which is among the top 10 in Houston, and also benefits from its proximity to sizable employment centers including an 855,000 square-foot Amazon fulfillment center, now under construction. When complete, the center will accommodate more than 2,500 full-time employees.
“BRG was able to leverage its deep operating partner network to complete this transaction. We are confident that, with enhancements in place, Cypress Creek will be capable of generating strong revenue as well as solid net operating income growth, making it a sound performer for the REIT,” said Ramin Kamfar, Chairman and CEO of BRG.
About Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc.
Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BRG) is a real estate investment trust that focuses on acquiring a diversified portfolio of Class A institutional-quality apartment properties in demographically attractive growth markets to appeal to the renter by choice. The Company’s objective is to generate value through off-market/relationship-based transactions and, at the asset level, through improvements to operations and properties. BRG generally invests with strategic regional partners, including some of the best-regarded, private owner-operators in the United States, making it possible to operate as a local sharpshooter in each of its markets while enhancing off-market sourcing capabilities. The Company is included in the Russell 2000 and Russell 3000 Indexes. BRG has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For more information, please visit our website at: www.bluerockresidential.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s present expectations, but these statements are not guaranteed to occur. Furthermore, the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. Investors should not place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. For further discussion of the factors that could affect outcomes, please refer to the risk factors set forth in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 22, 2017, and subsequent filings by the Company with the SEC. We claim the safe harbor protection for forward looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.