Walker & Dunlop Structures $31 Million in Financing for Multifamily Apartments in Melbourne, FL

Bethesda, Maryland – August 17, 2018

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced today that it structured $30,589,100 in financing through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for The Highline apartments, a 171-unit, mixed-use, multifamily complex located in Melbourne, Florida. The transaction was promoted by several local businesses who advocated for the development of The Highline to support young professionals and millennials seeking to relocate to the area.

The City of Melbourne is located within Florida’s “Space Coast,” which has been newly dubbed America’s “High Tech Titan.” The area plays host to key aerospace and tech companies such as Northrop Grumman, Space X, Blue Origin, Harris, Lockheed Martin, and GE as well as the Florida Institute of Technology. These major employers have added over 8,000 jobs in 6.5 years¹, causing a large influx of young, well-paid employees and increasing demand for modern and urban apartments. As the downtown district revitalizes, The Highline directly addresses this demand, marking the city’s first Class A, market-rate high-rise multifamily building in the historic district, making it a unique offering in the market.

Jeremy Pino and Livingston Hessam, from Walker & Dunlop’s Capital Markets group, led the transaction in partnership with the company’s HUD experts, Keith Melton and David Strange. The team worked with several parties to overcome a rising interest rate environment and the increasing cost of construction on behalf of the sponsors, Richard Samuel Zimmermann, Jr. and Sam Zimmerman (“Zimmerman Development”). Their innovative solution for funding the development of the market rate apartment complex included a fixed rate, 40-year loan utilizing HUD’s Section 221(d)(4) mortgage insurance program.

Mr. Zimmerman stated, “This was a complex transaction involving the partnership of the City of Melbourne and HUD. Our success was a direct result of the expertise and professionalism of Walker & Dunlop, and Jeremy Pino in particular.”

“We were thrilled to partner with our HUD experts to make this purpose-built transaction possible and to provide a unique development that will attract and enhance the City of Melbourne’s young professional market,” commented Mr. Pino. He added that, “The Highline is following a trend that we are seeing throughout Florida, in which cities are encouraging the development of multifamily in the downtown urban cores. The partnership between Zimmerman Development and the City of Melbourne to build the 8-story midrise will be transformational for downtown Melbourne and Brevard County.”

The Highline will feature 171 units with a luxury amenity package, including a pool, sundeck, gated dog walk area, and a fire pit. A clubroom, catering kitchen, sports bar, game room, and fitness center with a yoga studio represent additional amenities housed within a clubhouse.

Walker & Dunlop is a leader in the multifamily space, ranking as the 4^th largest HUD multifamily lender, the #1 Fannie Mae multifamily lender, and the 3^rd largest Freddie Mac Multifamily Approved Seller/Servicer in 2017. The firm’s 2017 HUD originations totaled $1.4 billion, a 54 percent increase from 2016. To learn more about Walker & Dunlop’s financing capabilities in the multifamily housing space, visit our website and read the following press releases:

• Walker & Dunlop Structures $26 Million in Financing for Apartments in High-Growth Denton County
• Walker & Dunlop Secures $82 Million in Bridge Financing for Lakeside Apartents in Texas
• $50 Million Loan Closed for Multifamily Property in Jacksonville, Florida by Walker & Dunlop

¹ Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate services and finance companies in the United States providing financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop, which is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, has over 650 professionals in 29 offices across the nation with an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction.