In late 2020, Avanath Capital Management closed its fourth affordable housing fund, raising $760 million from a variety of investors. The firm raised at least half the capital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and is actively deploying it in high-cost markets. Most recently, it acquired Acton Courtyard, a 71-unit fully affordable community in Berkeley, Calif., from Equity Residential for approximately $25.3 million. WMRE spoke with John R. Williams about the firm’s strategy, equity-raising efforts and return expectations. Read our interview with him here.

Since June 2020, S2 Capital has acquired nearly 14,000 units totaling more than $2.5 billion. And during the same period, the firm has taken advantage of the red-hot demand for workforce housing and emerged as an active seller as well—disposing of more than 30 apartment communities totaling close to $2.5 billion.

Earlier this month, S2 closed on the acquisition of four multifamily properties totaling 1,893 units in Texas. The deal expanded the firm’s footprint in the Lone Star State to 16,000 units and established it as the most active buyer in the state over the past 24 months.

WMRE recently spoke with Everett about the firm’s investment philosophy, its equity-raising efforts and its plans for 2022. Here is our Q&A.

Cottonwood Group recently launched an open-ended, multi-strategy real estate investment vehicle called the Cottonwood Founders Portfolio Fund. The Los Angeles-based firm, which also has offices in Boston and New York, named the fund after its strong base of anchor legacy investors.

WMRE spoke with Tinchuck Ng, managing director and head of investments with Cottonwood Management LLC, about the new fund, how Cottonwood raises money and its relationship with its investors. Read the transcript of our conversation here.

Martin Muoto, founder and CEO of the Los Angeles-based SoLa Impact socially driven real estate funds, talks a lot about “leveling the playing field.” In Muoto’s universe, that field is populated by residents of Black and brown communities across the country.

As part of Muoto’s ongoing campaign to level the playing field, he recently launched the $1 billion minority-led Black Impact Fund, which will invest solely in affordable housing for Black and brown communities in major urban areas. Actually, the fund comprises two funds: a $500 million Opportunity Zone fund and a $500 million non-Opportunity Zone fund.

Read our interview with Muoto here.

Earlier this year, Blackfin Real Estate Investors acquired Mosaic at Largo Station in metro Washington, D.C. in partnership with Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund Inc. The acquisition of the four-story, 242-unit apartment community is a perfect example of the types of deals that Blackfin has pursued since industry veterans Andrew Buchanan and Doug Root launched the firm five years ago.

Here is WMRE's conversation with Buchanan and Root.

Carter Multifamily, a private multifamily investor based in Tampa, Fla., is the latest example of a firm getting creative in how it is raising equity and attempting to tap into interest from investors looking to make smaller placements.

To that end, Carter is now part of the Alternative Investment Exchange, a platform seeking to facilitate buying, owning and selling alternative investments, including income-producing real estate.

Here is our coverage of the firm's strategy.

Henley Investments, a London-based private equity real estate firm, sold five apartment properties in the first half of 2021 for a combined $225 million. The exit from those properties, which included three buildings in La Vegas, one in North Carolina and one in California, came years ahead of schedule and at higher prices then the firm had projected when originally acquiring the assets.

Garrett Solomon, the firm's chief investment officer, sat down with WMRE to discuss the recent spurt of activity and what the firm’s strategy in the U.S. will be going forward. Access our conversation with him here.