We’ve invested roughly $19.8 million to acquire Emerald Lakes, a community of 106 detached, single-family rental homes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, part of the Gulf Coast, roughly 80 miles east of New Orleans.

At a strategic level, this investment fits within our affordably-priced Sunbelt apartment / rental housing thesis. From millennials to retirees, a broad group of Americans has been taking part in a migration from northern to southern states over the past decade, driving continued demand for well-priced, well-located real estate, and supporting steady returns for disciplined investors. Learn more about the single-family rental asset class here.

As we referenced in our 2021 year-end letter and explored in depth in our 2021 Q3 update, we believe that this long-term trend has only been further accelerated by the pandemic. In an economy where remote work is becoming the norm for more and more people, we expect that an increasing share of the population won’t need to live in expensive gateway cities and will instead seek out locations that offer lower living costs and more agreeable climates.

This acquisition was made by a joint venture between two Fundrise sponsored funds, the Fundrise Flagship Fund, which invested roughly $17.8 million and the Growth eREIT VII, which invested $2.0 million, while an additional $17.8 million was provided through a portfolio credit facility, bringing the total project costs to $37.6 million.

Strategy

Core Plus

Acquire and operate stabilized, cash flowing real estate

  • Risk-return profile: Moderate
  • Expected timing / delay of returns: Shortly after acquisition
  • Expected source of returns: Income with some growth

More about our strategies

Note that this section is intended to provide a general overview of the Core Plus strategy for educational purposes only, and is not meant to be representative of the specific details of any individual investment. All investments involve risk and there are no guarantees of any returns.

Business plan

We acquired this property from a major, nationally renowned homebuilder, who wrapped up construction at the community earlier in 2021. At the time of our acquisition, approximately 63% of the homes were occupied. The community consists of spacious three- and four-bedroom homes, each with its own attached garage and pet-friendly, fenced yard.

Given how recently construction of the community was completed, we anticipate that the homes will remain competitive, attract tenants, and support rent growth for the foreseeable future without significant capital needs for renovations. We expect to work with a professional property manager, and to be a long-term owner over the next several years to a decade.

Our intent with this and other investments in single-family rental home communities is to be a long-term investor, building a scaled portfolio that generates consistent rental income, while at the same time being positioned to capture what we believe will be outsized price appreciation thanks to a confluence of demographic factors driving demand across the Sunbelt.

Why we invested

  • Fast-growing area: The property is located on the eastern coast of Biloxi Bay and is part of the Gulf Coast region, one of the fastest-growing areas in the state — but with a notable lack of supply of single-family rental homes like those in the Emerald Lakes community. The area’s employment is driven in part by government jobs due to the presence of the Keesler Air Force Base, as well as the hospitality industry as the area is a popular tourist destination. These two industries have contributed to a growing local economy in recent years.

  • Social distancing-friendly: We believe the privacy provided by the community’s fully detached and individual homes will be particularly attractive to renters seeking an additional level of social distancing, or who simply need more living space as norms around work and school shift.

  • High-quality asset: The property was acquired directly from a nationally recognized homebuilder who wrapped up construction in 2021. The community consists of brand new construction with high-quality amenities, presenting no need for renovations or updates in the near future.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please visit our help center or reach out to us at investments@fundrise.com.

Additional Information: An investor in the Fundrise Real Estate Interval Fund (the “Flagship Fund”) should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the Flagship Fund carefully before investing. The Flagship Fund’s prospectus contains this and other information about the Flagship Fund and may be obtained here. Investors should read the prospectus carefully before investing.