Tag: Orion Capital

Neinor Homes Reaches Reduced Delivery Targets and Pursues Further Growth

1 November 2019 – Neinor Homes, one of the principal Spanish developers, is set to reach its reduced target after issuing a profit warning in April. The firm released its accounts for the third quarter of 2019, stating that it would deliver a total of 1,200 homes by the end of this year.

The homes have all already been completed, and the developer had delivered 572 by the end of September.

The results were the first since the French fund Orion became the developer’s largest shareholder. Neinor Homes announced a turnover of €242 million in the first nine months of 2019 and, as a result, an Ebitda of €44 million, compared to a projection of approximately €70 million for the year.

After noting a fall in price expectations for developable land, Neinor has thus also begun to acquire more land to build new homes. The developer finalised two deals to build up its land bank in the north of Spain. Neinor invested about 10 million euros in the acquisitions, enough for 174 homes.  The firm has perceived that there is a total of about 300 million euros of land available in the markets in which it operates.

Original Story: Vozpópuli – Joaquín Hernández

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Solvia Joins Forces with Orion Capital & Will Manage an Asset Portfolio Acquired from Goldman

8 April 2019 – Idealista

Solvia has joined forces with Orion Capital, which has entrusted the servicer with managing the portfolio that it purchased from Goldman Sachs at the end of last year.

The portfolio has a nominal value of €400 million and contains loans originated by CaixaBank. As such, Solvia will lead the sales process for all of the real estate assets included in the portfolio and for the properties that are recovered as solutions are found to the non-payment of loans.

Original story: Idealista 

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Orion Launches €1,500M Fund & Plans Its Return To Spain

3 May 2017 – El Economista

Orion Capital has raised €1,500 million for its fifth real estate fund, which is dedicated to purchasing assets across Europe. According to sources in the sector, the Dutch fund has placed its focus on Spain, where it plans to spend some of that money. “It has not set itself a fixed objective, but Spain is a country that is very attractive”, confirm the sources.

The fund used to own a significant portfolio of assets in Spain, nevertheless, between 2014 and 2015, it completed the divestment of the last properties that it owned and maintained only its stake in Sotogrande, which it owns jointly with Cerberus.

Now, Orion wants to restore its presence in the country and to that end, it is looking for high value-added operations, including renovations and new developments. According to the sources, the fund, founded by Aref H. Lahham, Van J. Stults and Bruce C. Bossom, also wants to increase its exposure to Spanish real estate in an indirect way by acquiring stakes in companies in the sector and by purchasing debt.

Orion’s interests span almost every segment of the market. In the case of offices, the fund will concentrate its efforts in Madrid and Barcelona, looking at both refurbishments and new developments. To acquire shopping centres, it will expand its geographical range and will analyse operations in smaller cities as well. In that case, the fund will only participate in a project under development if it is in an advanced stage, where no planning is required. “Everything should be ready to build”, explain the sources, given that the manager has a team of just three people in Spain. The hotel segment is also on its radar, as well as logistics, in which “it will probably operate by constructing new spaces”.

During its previous phase of intense activity in Spain, Orion starred in several major transactions, such as the purchase of the Plenilunio shopping centre (Madrid) in 2009 for €235 million, which it then sold in 2015 for €375 million. Similarly, it completed a high-profile divestment when it exited Puerto Venecia, in Zaragoza, by selling the largest shopping centre in Spain to Intu for €451 million. Orion hopes to start buying assets in Spain once again before the end of the year.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Santander & Costain End Their RE Partnership In Sotogrande

2 July 2015 – Expansión

The Spanish bank and the British company are sharing out Alcaidesa’s assets – the development is worth around €90 million.

According to the agreement reached between the two partners, Santander will retain the majority of the land owned by Alcaidesa Holding for residential development, whilst Costain will keep two small plots of land and the operational management of golf courses and the marina, which are already in operation.

To complete the transaction, Costain will pay Santander €37.3 million for its 50% stake in Alcaidesa and will take on €8.5 million of the debt that the property developer owes to the bank. The bank, through its subsidiary Altamira, will hold onto the majority of the property developer’s land, worth €45.8 million.

Santander inherited its stake in Alcaidesa from Banesto, which in turn formed an alliance with Costain in the 1990s, to undertake this residential and leisure project in the Cadiz town of La Línea, near Sotogrande. The crisis that began in 2008 caused a slow down in the construction of more homes in Alcaidesa, which left several unbuilt plots of land that will now pass into Santander’s hands.

The parties expect to complete the transaction in September, once all of the administrative and tax formalities have been completed.

At the end of 2014, the funds Cerberus and Orion Capital paid NH Hotels Group €225 million for the assets (for development), golf course and hotels in Sotogrande.

Original story: Expansión (by Roberto Casado)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Funds And Developers Compete To Buy Land In North Madrid

9 June 2015 – El Confidencial

Land is no longer the most toxic asset in the market, rather it has become one of the most sought after by investors. Although, not all plots or all locations are of interest, it is clear that the number of transactions, especially in Madrid, has reached “cruising speed” during the last few months. But, what are investment funds and property developers looking for exactly?

“Land has to be ready to build on (‘suelo finalista’); it is imperative that we can begin to build on it within a period of six months”, says Roberto Roca, Investment Director, Head of Spain at Orion Capital Managers, a fund that has closed two of the largest shopping centre transactions centres in Spain in the last year: the sale of Puerto Venecia (Zaragoza), the largest shopping centre in Europe, for €451 million and the sale of Plenilunio (Madrid), for a record figure of €375 million.

(…)

The market for land in Madrid is in full swing, to the extent that some experts agree that there is “overheating” in certain specific areas.

“Most activity is concentrated within the M-30 and on buildable land. Also, outside of the M-30, to the North of Madrid, from the A-6 to the A-1, i.e. the area comprising the urban developments of Arroyo del Fresno, Sanchinarro, Montecarmelo and Las Tablas”, says Ernesto Tarazona, Director of Residential Property and Land at Knight Frank.

However, in the South of Madrid, “despite the decreases, prices have not dropped enough…to reflect the real demand in the area”, concludes Tarazona.

(…)

One of the most active players in the market is Neinor Homes – the result of Lone Star’s purchase of the real estate arm of Kutxabank – which has €1,000 million to spend on land in Spain, and which regards Madrid as one of its main targets. The company led by Juan Velayos has just bought four plots in Alcobendas and another one in San Sebastián de los Reyes – both towns to the North of Madrid – for almost €65 million. This has been the largest land transaction so far in 2015, both in terms of square metres acquired, as well as surface area purchased. The plots are completely established and ready for construction, with a total surface area of 70,000 m2 and a buildable area for the construction of almost 600 (unsubsidised) homes. The vendor was a private group, i.e. the land did not used to belong to the Public Administration.

This transaction comes after the recent purchase of three other plots of land, one in Madrid and two in País Vasco for €22 million. According to a statement from BNP Paribas Real Estate, which advised on the deal, the first plot – with a buildable area of 6,400 m2 – is in the Legazpi neighbourhood and has been granted a special plan, approved by Madrid’s Local Council, to build a 20-storey tower block. The other two plots are located in Gexto and Urduliz.

Meanwhile, the cooperative manager Ibosa is finalising an agreement with an investment fund, which will allow it to pay €70 million to buy 40,000 m2 of land from the Valdebebas Compensation Board, which will allow the construction of 1,000 homes (of which 100 will be social housing).

Nevertheless, the largest land-related deal in Madrid is undoubtedly the possible future auction – maybe after the summer – of the Ministry of Finance’s plot of land on Calle Padre Damián, which already has 4,000 individuals calling at its door.

Original story: El Confidencial (by E. Sanz)

Translation: Carmel Drake