Walton Global, a real estate investment and land asset management company with US$3.6 billion under management, is pleased to announce the closing of a $100 million facility provided by affiliates of funds managed by Fortress Investment Group LLC. The funds will be allocated to Walton’s builder land financing (BLF) business line to acquire properties in high growth areas to support home demand across the United States.
Walton Global Announces $100 Million Builder
“This is such an important transaction for Walton as we continue to support our home builder partners to address a housing shortage that will take years to fulfill,” said Bill Doherty, CEO of Walton Global. “It is our pleasure to be working with Fortress, a firm with decades of experience in the U.S. housing market and a deep understanding of the macro dynamics driving housing demand, which we believe will remain elevated even in the face of a potential economic slowdown. Our efforts will continue to promote affordable housing for consumers, while generating strong balance sheets and margins for our network of home builders.”
Walton has been actively working to identify potential land acquisitions with a leading home builder since discussions began with Fortress.
Walton’s first facility acquisition to utilize the Fortress facility closed in May 2022. The $9.5 million project, La Playa, is a development located in Hayward, California within Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to develop 47 new homes.
Walton expects to deploy the remaining capital in the coming months, with approximately seven targeted acquisitions in identified high growth markets such as Phoenix and Seattle. The amount of the facility may also increase to $150 million, which will be determined as additional properties are identified.
Walton’s BLF program offers solutions to land inventory needs by acquiring properties identified by builders and developers, and concurrently entering into option agreements with them for the future purchase of lots in phases. Investors receive cash flow as each option agreement is exercised or homes are sold, which can occur within 6 to 24 months.
The strategy used for the facility with Fortress is like Walton’s Builder Identified Land Target (BILT) Fund launched in early 2022, which is currently offered to broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, institutional and family office investors.
Doherty added, “We are looking forward to creating many new communities in the years ahead working together with Fortress and best-in-class national and regional builders to place this capital in areas that will make a difference.”