1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Let's say if someone sees an opportunity in la or 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Detroit and they want to group get a group of 3 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: investors together, what steps would you have them take to 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: make sure that they are buying the right area and 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: that that building will actually be a success and they 6 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: won't go into debt. I try to acquire a property 7 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: while the commercial real estate market is down. 8 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 2: Well, I think they got to look at what the 9 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 2: other uses are. So, for example, in a office building market, 10 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: vacancy rates at you know, ten percent or below mean 11 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: that's a healthy office market. There are very few markets 12 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 2: in the country where that's the case. Miami is probably 13 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: one of them, Miami Beaches the second one. I think 14 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: there are very few like that. So then you look 15 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: at are what's the apartment vacancy rates and the apartment 16 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: vacancy rates, what are they running? And if they're running, 17 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 2: you know, vacancy rates on the apartment side, that is, 18 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: you know, maybe somewhere in the neighborhood of you know, 19 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: five percent vacancies and that's a healthy market. And in 20 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: places like New York, uh and and DC and even 21 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: Miami to a degree, these vacancy rates are even less 22 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: so New York's vacancy rate is less than two percent, 23 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: so that would mean it's very conducive to having new apartments. 24 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 3: And then once you look at vacancy. 25 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: Rates and you look at rental rates, and if the 26 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: rental rates, you know, can support the acquisition and the 27 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: conversion of a new building, then it makes sense to 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 2: do because you've got strong rental rates that are supported 29 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: financially and vacancy rates are low, which are showing a 30 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 2: significant demand. And same thing with hotels. I mean you 31 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: can look at converting office buildings in the hotels as well, 32 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,839 Speaker 2: and so but it's these conversions are not for inexperienced people. 33 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 2: So they've got to make sure that they get a 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 2: contractor that understands conversions and architects that understands conversions. And 35 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: then if they're going to do something to scale themselves 36 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 2: as a group, then they want to hire a season 37 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: construction project manager that works for the owner with the 38 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: investment group and who has experiencing conversions as well. 39 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 4: So to build this Scots paper in New York like estimate, 40 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 4: how much would that cost? 41 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 3: About three billion dollars? 42 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 4: Okay, so how do you how do you go about 43 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 4: securing financing for these large scale projects. 44 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 3: Well, it's interesting. So the way you do this is 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 3: you go to a you. 46 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: Know, a group of banks normal you know, the traditional banks, 47 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: the JP Morgan Chases, the Bank of America's, you know, 48 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 2: the wealth banks, and so forth, and you go to 49 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 2: those banks to get senior financing. And that's a senior loan. 50 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: And normally you're going to borrow between sixty and seventy percent. 51 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: So let's use just for simple math that you know, 52 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 2: you're going to borrow seventy percent, so thirty percent is 53 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 2: going to be equity, and so thirty percent is nine 54 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 2: hundred million dollars so by affirmation towers. So then you're 55 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 2: going to go to a large global institutional, you know, 56 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 2: an equity fund, and you're going to go to maybe 57 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 2: a couple of them, and they are going to put 58 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: in somewhere between eighty percent or so of that you know, 59 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 2: nine hundred million dollars. So that would mean that the developer, 60 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 2: our team would have to put in ten percent, which 61 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: would be ninety million to twenty which is one hundred 62 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 2: and eighty million dollars, and. 63 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 3: So our group would put that up. 64 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: Most likely we would bring in a institutional general partner. 65 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: They would come in and they would put in half 66 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 2: of that or a little more. And so the developer 67 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 2: you know, generally going to put in between fifty and 68 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: one hundred million dollars between our growth. 69 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 5: So when you're approaching, obviously Affirmation Tower is a huge project, 70 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 5: but I know hospitality is something that you're well versed 71 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 5: as well. Last time we spoke with Uiou, you were 72 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 5: talking about developing hospitality throughout maybe the Caribbean. 73 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 3: What's the approach there, because it's it's. 74 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 5: Is it completely different when when you're trying to develop 75 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 5: in that space. 76 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 3: Not really. 77 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: In fact, Affirmation Tower is going to be residential. If 78 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: we get to build it, it will be the Civil 79 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 2: Rights Museum, and then it'll be two it'll be residential 80 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: rentals with affordable housing for then it will have two hotels, 81 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: you know, a boutique hotel and then an ultra luxury hotel, 82 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: and then above that on the top floors it'll have 83 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 2: luxury condos and then an observation deck on the roof. 84 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 2: So there's a big mixture of uses because the building 85 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 2: is a very big building, you know, a few million 86 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 2: square feet, and so mixing up the uses it's like 87 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: consider a building being like a neighborhood. Almost the building 88 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 2: of that size is, you know, like a neighborhood. You know, 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: so you're going to have a mixture of uses in 90 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: that building, and that, you know, helps drive the economics here. 91 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: If you're going to do a one off hotel, then 92 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 2: there the process is different because the first thing you're 93 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 2: going to need to do is determine who's going to 94 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 2: operate the hotel, who's going to brand, who's going to 95 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: operate it. And I wouldn't recommend building a hotel of 96 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: any type, you know, from either a three star or 97 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: a five star hotel. I wouldn't do it without a brand. 98 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: And then given that you know normally it's a real 99 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 2: estate entrepreneur who is building it, then you want a 100 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: brand to be able to manage the hotel to or 101 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 2: to hire a third party hotel manager that specializes in 102 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 2: managing hotels, so you get a company that does that, 103 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: and then then after that the exercise is pretty much 104 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: the same as building a apartment building or an office building. 105 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 2: The only difference is is that you have to furnish 106 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 2: the hotel, so you add another level of complexity because 107 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 2: you're hiring an interior designer and you know a furniture 108 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: purchasing agent and the law and the assembling of. 109 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 3: The furniture and the delivery of the furniture 110 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: And all of that has to meet the brand standards 111 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: of your hotel, brand and operator