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Instead of trying to set new rent highs, Hillpointe builds new Class A products that can pencil at the same rents as existing 10- to 20-year-old properties. This de-risks their projects, as they only need to match established market rates with a superior product, not rely on future rent growth.

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Counterintuitively, the best multifamily markets aren't high-population-growth cities like Austin. These attract too much new supply, capping rent growth. The optimal strategy is to find markets with barriers to entry and minimal new construction, as this creates a durable runway for rental increases.

Historically, net lease investing prioritized tenant creditworthiness. Now, sophisticated investors argue that equally rigorous underwriting of the underlying real estate is a critical differentiator. This dual-focus approach is essential for enhancing long-term returns and mitigating risk in a more competitive market.

ReSeed targets older, smaller properties in desirable, supply-constrained areas that large institutions overlook. By adding some capital and letting the neighborhood's inherent demand drive growth, they achieve strong returns without heavy lifting or large-scale development risk.

Unlike developers raising capital deal-by-deal, Hillpointe raises discretionary funds. This provides committed capital, allowing them to operate continuously and pursue opportunities even when JV equity markets freeze. This structure provides stability and a long-term strategic advantage over transactional competitors.

Hillpointe acts as its own developer and general contractor, removing typical 3-8% fees. More importantly, they contract directly with labor crews, bypassing first-tier subcontractors and their embedded 10-25% profit margins. This direct-to-labor model is a key cost saving.

Brookfield's de-risking strategy focuses on eliminating market variables they can't control. They embrace execution and operational risk, where they have an edge, but work to structure deals that neutralize market risks like interest rate or commodity price fluctuations from the outset.

The current housing market shows an unprecedented 40% cost advantage for renting over owning a home. This massive gap presents a significant headwind for new multi-family construction, as developers would need 25-30% rent growth for projects to be financially viable, an unlikely scenario in a soft market.

In the current market, buying existing data center platforms means accepting very low cap rates of 2-3%. Stonepeak sees a better risk/reward proposition in building new capacity. This strategy, while slower and more complex, can deliver much higher returns—such as 9-10% cap rates in the US—with strong, long-term customer contracts secured from the outset.

Departing from market-driven unit mixes, Hillpointe exclusively builds identical 1,170 sq. ft. two-bedroom, two-bath units. This extreme standardization simplifies every business aspect, from construction and material kitting to leasing and management, reinforcing their factory-like model.

To de-risk value-add projects, ReSeed funds acquisitions entirely with equity. This avoids the pressure and risk of debt service during unpredictable renovation and lease-up periods. They only introduce leverage once the asset is stabilized, which has a surprisingly minimal negative impact on the overall IRR.

Hillpointe Underwrites New Builds Against 10-Year-Old Assets, Not New Comps | RiffOn