Walker & Dunlop, Inc. - WD STOCK NEWS

Walker & Dunlop (WD) has strengthened its affordable housing team with two key appointments from Wells Fargo's Multifamily Capital team. Matthew Wiener joins as senior managing director, bringing over 25 years of GSE financing experience, while Preyaa Strzalkowski joins as senior director.

Both executives specialize in government-sponsored enterprise originations for conventional and affordable housing product lines, FHA financing, and bridge lending. Wiener, starting in March, previously held positions at American Property Financing and Wachovia Multifamily Capital. Strzalkowski, who worked alongside Wiener for seven years at Wells Fargo, focuses on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and balance sheet lending.

The appointments align with Walker & Dunlop's commitment to building a leading affordable housing platform, offering debt and equity financing, investment sales, and advisory services.

Dream Finders Homes (NYSE: DFH) has completed the acquisition of Liberty Communities' core homebuilding operations in Atlanta, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina, along with its pre-engineered panel, truss, and building component import businesses. This strategic move marks DFH's entry into the Atlanta market, the sixth-largest homebuilding market in the U.S. with over 27,000 estimated single-family permits in 2024.

The acquisition includes Liberty's offsite manufacturing operations, providing potential cost and production efficiencies for DFH's homebuilding operations. The transaction was funded through cash on hand and borrowings under DFH's existing senior unsecured revolving credit facility. Upon closing, DFH paid off Liberty's vertical lines of credit associated with the acquired assets.

Harbor Group International (HGI) has formed a joint venture with The Garrett Companies and Telis Group for a $630.5 million recapitalization of an 11-asset multifamily portfolio. The portfolio encompasses 2,192 units across four states: eight properties in Colorado, and one each in Minnesota, Indiana, and Arizona.

The development of these properties began between 2021 and 2023, with the portfolio currently 75% complete. The transaction involved coordinating with nine different lenders across various markets. This marks HGI's first multifamily investment of 2025, following their 2024 investments of $909 million across 25 multifamily communities.

Walker & Dunlop has arranged a $245 million loan from TYKO Capital for the construction of The Greyson, a 28-story mixed-use development in Jersey City, New Jersey. The project features 622 residential units across 389,720 rentable square feet, plus 44,551 square feet of office space and 2,965 square feet of retail space.

The development, located in Journal Square, will offer various apartment configurations from studios to 3-bedrooms, alongside amenities including a rooftop pool with Manhattan skyline views, fitness center, and virtual reality rooms. The property's strategic location provides access to the Journal Square Transportation Center, connecting to New Jersey and Manhattan.

The Walker & Dunlop New York Capital Markets team, which sourced nearly $12 billion in transactions in 2023, arranged the financing with TYKO Capital, backed by Elliott Investment Management.

Walker & Dunlop has facilitated a significant real estate transaction in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood, arranging both the $190 million sale and $157 million financing of The Hamilton, a luxury bayfront high-rise. The 276-unit property was sold by Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco) to Kushner Companies, with financing provided by Apollo Global Management and Macquarie Group.

The Hamilton, originally built in 1984 and renovated in 2022, features spacious apartments averaging 1,373 square feet with exceptional private terraces averaging 326 square feet. The property stands out for its low density of 72 units per acre and is one of only two institutional-quality bayfront rental towers in Miami. Located in the growing Edgewater submarket, it offers residents premium bay views and easy access to Miami's major employment hubs.

Walker & Dunlop conducted its second annual survey among senior executives at the AHF Live conference, revealing key insights about affordable housing trends and policies. 94% of respondents support regional zoning policy changes to boost housing supply, while 84% oppose increasing trade tariffs for homebuilders.

On economic matters, 55% felt the Fed was effective in fighting inflation last year, though 75% expect more interest rate hikes. The survey shows increasing optimism for affordable housing investments, with 52% noting increased investments in the past year (up from 43% in 2023), and 70% expecting further growth in 2025.

Notably, 89% believe increased resources and supply can counter rising housing prices. The survey, conducted in November with 98-100 respondents, reflects a mix of optimistic and cautious views about the affordable housing sector's future.

Westlake (NYSE: WLK) has appointed Roger A. Cregg to its board of directors, replacing Marius A. Haas who retired effective December 10, 2024. Cregg, 68, brings extensive experience in homebuilding and other industries, having most recently served as President, CEO, and Director of AV Homes until its sale to Taylor Morrison Homes in 2018.

Cregg's background includes executive positions at ServiceMaster Company, PulteGroup, Zenith Electronics, and Sweetheart Cup Company. He currently serves on the boards of Comerica, Sterling Infrastructure, and Minto Group. He holds a B.S. in accounting from Northeastern University and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Walker & Dunlop has arranged the $185 million sale of Preserve at Melrose, a 410-unit multifamily community in Vista, San Diego. The transaction represents the second-largest single-asset deal in San Diego and the fifth-largest in California in 2024. The property, built in 2015, was sold by a local San Diego group to Mesirow.

The sale highlights San Diego's strong market position, accounting for 10% of all U.S. multifamily transactions over $150 million and 23% of those in California since 2023. The property is strategically located near downtown Vista and light rail stations, offering access to major employment hubs along State Route 78.

Walker & Dunlop has arranged a $148.5 million refinancing for Admirals Row, a 696,000 square foot mixed-use property in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The property, developed by Steiner NYC, includes the first Wegmans supermarket in New York City, over 350,000 square feet of light industrial and creative manufacturing space, retail space, and parking facilities. The Walker & Dunlop New York Capital Markets team identified Deutsche Bank as the bridge loan lender. The Brooklyn Navy Yard hosts over 450 businesses, employs more than 12,000 people, and generates over $2 billion annually in economic impact for the city.