Real Estate Investment
Kimco Realty Corporation | August 25, 2023
Kimco Realty® North America’s largest publicly traded owner and operator of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and a growing portfolio of mixed-use assets, today announced the acquisition of Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, a 96%-occupied, 504,000-square-foot, grocery-anchored lifestyle center in Woodbridge, Virginia, for $172.5 million.
The center, which has an estimated population of over 230,000 people and an average household income of $125,000 within a five-mile radius, is anchored by a 138,500 square foot Wegmans, one of the state's top-ranking grocers with a trade area of 40 miles, and the only Apple store in the greater trade area. The center's diverse tenant mix features a complementary blend of leading national brands, including REI, Ulta Beauty, Starbucks, Cava, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, as well as a variety of local shops which include boutique fitness, personal services, restaurants and medical uses.
"We’re excited to add Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, a premiere grocery-anchored center situated in a high barrier-to-entry location with strong demographics, to our dynamic portfolio,” said Ross Cooper, Kimco’s President and Chief Investment Officer. “This center boasts a robust growth profile that will complement and solidify Kimco’s position as the leading retail player in the suburban Washington D.C. market.”
This acquisition presents a variety of growth prospects, including the potential to develop three outparcel retail buildings, increase density through mixed-use development, and enhance the existing merchandising mix through the recapture of below market leases.
Strategically located at the intersections of I-95, Dale Boulevard, Route 1, and Opitz Boulevard, the center benefits from 5.5 million annual visits, ranking in the 97th percentile nationally. Construction of a municipal park and ride garage adjacent to the center demonstrates continued government investment in the area and is expected to drive additional traffic upon its completion in mid-2024.
About Kimco Realty
Kimco Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Jericho, N.Y. that is North America’s largest publicly traded owner and operator of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and a growing portfolio of mixed-use assets. The company’s portfolio is primarily concentrated in the first-ring suburbs of the top major metropolitan markets, including those in high-barrier-to-entry coastal markets and rapidly expanding Sun Belt cities, with a tenant mix focused on essential, necessity-based goods and services that drive multiple shopping trips per week. Kimco Realty is also committed to leadership in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and is a recognized industry leader in these areas. Publicly traded on the NYSE since 1991, and included in the S&P 500 Index, the company has specialized in shopping center ownership, management, acquisitions, and value enhancing redevelopment activities for more than 60 years. As of June 30, 2023, the company owned interests in 528 U.S. shopping centers and mixed-use assets comprising 90 million square feet of gross leasable space.
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Real Estate Technology
Flyhomes | September 12, 2023
Flyhomes, creator of the world’s best home buying and selling experience, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase certain assets from Innovative Holdings, LLC, doing business as Home Sale Assured, a leader in the field of ‘buy before you sell.’ Founded in early 2022 by Eric Meadow, Home Sale Assured’s flagship product is the Guaranteed Backup Contract, which empowers existing homeowners to buy their next home before closing on the sale of their current one. As part of the deal, Flyhomes will be acquiring the Home Sale Assured brand, and Meadow will be joining Flyhomes in a senior executive capacity where he’ll report to EVP of Mortgage & Closing, Dan Richards.
“Eric is a seasoned mortgage professional who has built something really special with the Guaranteed Backup Contract,” said Tushar Garg, co-founder and CEO at Flyhomes. “Its ability to remove friction from the buying and selling process, while adding assurance, flexibility, and customer-centricity, aligns perfectly with our core tenants here at Flyhomes. This deal strengthens our offerings and gives us more tools to serve more customers looking for a better way to buy and sell a home.”
Following the close of the deal, lender and realtor partners will be able to continue offering their customers access to the Guaranteed Backup Contract through the Home Sale Assured brand at Flyhomes. Understanding the importance of the customer-agent relationship, Guaranteed Backup Contract was designed to enhance the role of real estate agents and lenders. This ensures everyone moves in unison toward the common goals of seamlessly transitioning the customer into their new home and selling their prior home for maximum value.
“We’re thrilled to be adding Eric and the Home Sale Assured brand to the Flyhomes family of products,” said Dan Richards, EVP of Mortgage & Closing at Flyhomes. “Eric brings 25 years of mortgage industry experience, from his time as President of Celebrity Home Loans (at the time a national multi-billion dollar retail lender) to his recent success as an entrepreneur at Home Sale Assured. His deep operational knowledge and network of relationships will play a key role in extending our portfolio of products nationwide.”
“It’s an honor to be joining Flyhomes at such a critical point in residential real estate,” said Eric Meadow, CEO and founder of Home Sale Assured. “There remain far too many obstacles to home ownership these days, be it first-time home buyers, or in the case of Home Sale Assured, current homeowners trying to move. Consumers, agents and lenders are all looking for practical solutions to overcome these institutional challenges and Flyhomes has been at the forefront of this category. I’m ecstatic to now be able to leverage their advanced infrastructure and resources to bring the Guaranteed Backup Contract to more customers.”
Benefits of the Guaranteed Backup Contract:
With a valid purchase offer, a lender is able to apply standard agency guidelines to remove the departing debt obligation from the consumer’s debt to income ratio. Thus allowing the lender to approve the loan on the new home before the consumer closes on the sale of their prior home.
The consumer is able to close on and move into their new home and take up to 90 days to close on the sale of their prior home.
The consumer can work with a real estate agent to list their prior home for sale during this 90-day option period. If the consumer receives a better offer, they can cancel the Guaranteed Backup Contract and sell their home to the higher offer.
About Flyhomes
Flyhomes is building the world’s best homebuying and selling experience. Launched in 2016, Flyhomes has reinvented the homebuying and selling process at every step, making the process smoother and simpler for consumers with offerings like the Flyhomes Cash Offer and Buy Before You Sell. They back these services with a unique guarantee that gives both buyers and sellers certainty and peace of mind that is unheard of in real estate. To date, they’ve helped clients close on more than $6 billion worth of homes at prices ranging from $150,000 to $7 million.
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Real Estate Technology, Mortgage and Lending
PRnewswire | July 28, 2023
Rhino, which pioneered security deposit insurance in 2017 and services a six-million-home partner network, today announced that Omega Realty Group is using the new Rhino+ platform to manage security deposits for renters.
Rhino+ is the rental industry's first digital deposit platform that simplifies and modernizes the security deposit process, making renting easier, transparent and affordable.
"Rhino has been a trusted partner for over three years, helping protect our thousands of rental units with security deposit insurance. With Rhino+, we now offer our renters the choice to use cash or insurance as part of their move-in experience," said John Ashley, Omega Realty Group. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Rhino and delivering a digital experience to our residents, allowing them to move in seamlessly while protecting our assets."
Leasing teams typically deal with physical deposit checks that must be brought to the bank and held in an escrow account. Property owners often have to track these payments in software platforms coded in the 80s that can't always be used on personal computers. Cash sits in escrow, inaccessible until the end of the lease. The process is required for every unit, taking up to 20 hours per month.
"Rhino+ alleviates the headache of the traditional security process by giving owners and renters choices," said Ben Lantos, Rhino's CEO and co-founder. "Renters can transact digitally, which is their preferred method, and property owners save significant time on administrative tasks."
For owners, Rhino+ effortlessly automates every step of the deposit journey, from viewing and managing security deposits, insurance policies, claims, properties and renters, all in a single platform. The solution streamlines operations, reduces complexity and improves efficiency.
Rhino currently works with one-third of the Top 100 property owners in the U.S. Learn more at sayrhino.com.
About Rhino
Rhino was founded to give renters everywhere greater financial freedom to plan and enjoy their lives. In 2017, Rhino pioneered security deposit insurance, replacing cash deposits with smart, affordable insurance so renters can maintain control of their cash. Instead of a large upfront cash security deposit, renters pay Rhino a small fee, and Rhino insures the property owner for damages that might occur and lost rent. In 2022, Rhino launched an end-to-end deposit management and compliance platform, transforming how security deposits are administered.
In addition, Rhino today also offers Renters Insurance, giving renters a simple and affordable way to purchase contents and liability insurance, which property owners often also require at move-in. Rhino is offered in over two million homes with a six million home partner network, and we have saved renters over $1 billion in cash.
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