LOS ANGELES, CA - Gelt, Inc., a Los Angeles-based real estate investment and asset management firm, has acquired Monterra Ridge, a 232-unit apartment community for $45.5 million. The property is located in Santa Clarita, the third largest city within Los Angeles County.
“Monterra Ridge is an ideal addition to Gelt’s growing apartment portfolio. It had no deferred maintenance and has had consistently high occupancy,” said Keith Wasserman, partner with Gelt, Inc. “We are planning on adding value to the community through some key renovations that will make it even more attractive and meet the demands of the area’s residents who are seeking quality rental product.”
Gelt plans to renovate the majority of the unit interiors as they become available by adding vinyl plank flooring, new cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and new countertop surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms. Also planned is an extensive remodel of the leasing office and fitness center; the addition of a barbeque area; existing dog park renovation and addition of a second dog park; and the installation of a new water feature.
“The north Los Angeles master-planned community of Santa Clarita draws from an expanding, affluent, and well-educated workforce in and around the area,” observed Damian Langere, partner of Gelt, Inc. “Its freeway-close location is just minutes from other key job centers in the San Fernando Valley and Tri-Cities areas as well. We are confident that our improvements paired with a strengthening residential rental market in this region will bring both short and long-term returns on this investment.”
Built in 1985 and situated in the Canyon Country neighborhood of Santa Clarita, Monterra Ridge is located at 28085 Whites Canyon Rd. The pet-friendly 16-building community is situated on just under 22 acres and includes 88 one-bedroom/one-bathroom units and 144 two-bedroom/two-bathroom units. It features covered parking; fitness center; sand volleyball court; clubhouse with a community room; and swimming pool and spa.
The seller, FPA Multifamily, is a private equity real estate firm focused on the acquisition, renovation and management of both core plus and work force housing apartment communities. Founded in 1985, FPA has owned over 85,000 apartment units valued at over $7 billion. FPA is currently investing through its value-add focused FPA Apartment Opportunity Fund V which will acquire approximately $1.4 billion of assets and its core plus focused FPA Core Plus Fund III which will acquire approximately $500 million of assets. Headquartered in San Francisco, FPA also has offices in Irvine, Portland, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta. For more information please visit www.fpamf.com.
Executive director Greg Harris and senior directors Kevin Green and Joseph Grabiec from Institutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus and Millichap, represented both sides of the transaction.
Since the company's inception in 2008, Gelt has acquired 4,500 apartment homes valued in excess of $500 million. The firm continues to focus its efforts on acquiring value-added apartment communities with a minimum of 100 units within high growth infill locations throughout the Western United States.
About Gelt, Inc. Gelt Inc. is a regional real estate investment and asset management company that seeks to acquire properties in strategic markets in the Western U.S. The firm’s philosophy is to be a prudent steward for its investment capital, to invest wisely, with confidence and intelligence in emerging, constrained markets. Gelt seeks appropriate risk adjusted returns while achieving income from current cash flow and appreciation through superior performance of its assets.
Gelt consists of a team of real estate professionals that possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise in law, real estate, finance, property and asset management, and construction.
Additionally, Gelt has developed a free, easy-to-use leasing platform, Domuso.com, which speeds its reservation process and collects online/mobile rental payments. Domuso has also alleviated the upfront costs of moving into an apartment by providing lending as a service option to its residents – a first of its kind in the rental industry. Domuso lends funds to qualified residents for move-in fees such as first month's rent, security deposit, pet rent, pet deposit, and other upfront costs at competitive interest rates.
The firm strives to stay on top of industry trends, and is always on the lookout for new technologies that simplify life for its leasing agents and help its properties run smoothly.