This presentation is for anyone interested in learning more about the current state of structured property finance in Australia including senior debt, offshore capital, mezzanine finance and various credit enhancement and defensive strategies.
Matthew Royal DFP Urbanity'17 Development Finance Masterclass Presentation
1. Professional, Expert, Pragmatic, Trusted Advisors to
the Australian Property Development Industry.
DFP Client Experience
“We would like to thank the team at DFP for their assistance recently in relation to the financing of our land subdivision
project.
We were frustrated with the Big 4 Banks as we had a shovel-ready, de-risked project that was being delayed by the ever-
changing bank policies.
Given the tight timeframes DFP performed, given their extensive relationships by providing competitive financing on
terms compatible with our usual funding arrangements.
Our new relationship is beginning to flourish with the new Banker, and we are already discussing the second phase of the
funding for our project.
We look forward to dealing with DFP in the future on other projects and we would have no hesitation in recommending
the team to other clients.”
DAVID SHARPE, Developer, Newcastle
What David’s New Banker Says
“Thank you to the Development Finance Partners team for your assistance and professionalism.
It was pleasing to deal with a proactive, knowledgeable and pleasant Development Finance Advisor (and good bunch of
lads)…”
3. Summary - Last 12-18 Months
The Australian Banks reduced appetite for Construction Finance has been well publicised. The are
several contributing factors for this and they include:
A fundamental decline is presale sales rates due to reduced tension between supply and
demand for off the plan properties and presales to non resident purchasers are not qualifying.
APRA is well and truly holding the wip hand over all APRA regulated financiers forcing them to
comply strict measures designed to limit and ration credit to both property buyers and property
Developers.
DFP understands all of the first and second tier APRA regulated Banks are uniformly complying
with APRA’s demands for higher presales and lower gearing to avoid having a big layer of
additional capital forced upon them creating downward pressure on the banks share prices due
a the resulting reduction in ROE.
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4. Summary - Last 12-18 Months cont.
From a perspective of return on equity, development finance is not as
attractive/profitable when compared to other financing opportunities such as
lending to going concern businesses which have sound maintainable
earnings with high transaction volumes.
The short to medium term fundamentals has declined in the markets where
construction finance approvals have been historically high in recent years.
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5. Resulting Practical Effects
More stringent overall credit risk assessment especially with respect to new
to Bank Clients.
Reduction of loan to value ratios reduced from 80% TDC to 65%-70% for
construction finance.
Landbank facility approvals are exceedingly difficult to obtain any LVR.
Increased presale levels from 50% to as high as 120% debt qualifying cover
Increased complexity with respect to credit assessment and approvals
leading to slower approval and settlement timeframes.
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6. Resulting Practical Effects cont.
Increased financing costs due to increases in Loan Establishment Fees, Margin and Line
Fees.
Facility Limit approvals greater than $20m are becoming increasingly more difficult to
obtain.
FIRB presales are non qualifying
Heavier reliance upon the strength of the Developers Net Worth vs TDC
Presales are taking longer to settle
Developers holding higher levels of stock on completion
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7. Resulting Practical Effects cont.
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Developers are increasingly financing working capital via residual stock facilities.
An increase in number of non bank lenders have entered into our debt market.
A long period of competitive construction tenders and escalating construction costs has
resulted in several small to mid tier builders going bust. We expect more builders won’t
make it out of this cycle.
8. Implications For The Year Ahead
Opportunities
Adapt and Innovate your financing strategies at both a group level and at an individual project level
Structure Finances to allow for opportunistic acquisitions
Reduction in construction starts will decrease competitive future supply levels
Increased levels of Non Bank Capital
Challenges
Increased cost of sales
Increased cost of capital
Declining values of committed sites
Declining presale rates
APRA will pressure Banks not to accept subordinated debt
APRA will pressure Banks to not accept project site related valuations
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9. Implications Fo The Year AheadRealities of Dealing with Offshore Hedgefunds
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Five Key Determinates of Successful Offshore Lenders
1. Established Track Record in Australia;
2. Experienced Local Team of Property Finance Bankers on the Ground;
3. Ability to articulate a clear approval and settlement set of policies and
procedures;
4. Clear pricing and lending guidelines;
5. Ability to provide transparent set of credentials ie local banking, client
and legal referees, proof of transaction history, professional
associations; ability to evidence sources of capital, google searches
etc.
10. Glossary of
Terms
The industry jargon explained
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Jargon Description Meaning
TDC Total Development Costs Sum of all project related costs exc GST and including Consultants Fees
excluding DA , Presale Commissions, Marketing and Advertising Costs,
Bank Interest, Finance Charges, Construction Contingency Budget, all
Statuary Costs, Council Contributions, Land Cost at Valuation, Land
Purchasing Costs ie Stamp Duty etc, Land Holding Costs ie Rates etc,
Development & Project Management Fees, QS and Valuation Fees.
GRV Gross Realisable Value Value of the completed development stock Ex GST
On Comp On Completion Value Value of the completed development stock Ex GST
Presales Debt
Cover
Value of Qualifying Presales Ex GST divided by the Bank Loan
MOC or P&R or
Development
Margin or Profit
Margin
Development Profit Margin Net sale proceeds of the Development after GST minus the Total
Development Costs divided by the Total Development Costs)
TDC LVR
Total Development Costs Loan to Value
Ration Loan Amont Divided by the Total Development Costs
On Comp or GRV
LVR
Gross Realisation Value Loan to Value
Ratio Loan Amount Divided by the Gross Realisable Value
Residual LVR Residual Loan to Value Ration
Amount of the loan following the settlement of the presales Ex GST
divided by the value of the remaining unsold stock.
BBSY Bank Bill SWAP Rate Bank's Wholesale Cost of Funds
Bank's Margin The percent on top of the Bank's Wholesale Cost of Funds
Bank Bills
Is the amount the Bank Charges you before they add their margin
which includes their wholesale and overhead
Mezz Mezzanine Finance Additional debt secured 2nd Ranking to the Bank
Pref Equity Preferential Equity
Very similar to Mezzanine Finance with the main exception being
second mortgage is unregistered
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Market Pricing for Risk
12. Market Risk and Pricing
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Product Bank Non Bank Non Bank >5m Mezzanine Corp Pref Equity
Interest
Rate
BBSY + 2.5% + 1.5%
Line
9.95% 11%-14% 15%-20% 20%
Fees 0.5% 1%-2% 1%-2% 2%-4% 3%
LVR TDC 70% 80% 80% 85% 50% of Developers
Capital
LVR GRV 55-60% On Comp 65% On Comp 65% On Comp 75% On
Comp
NA
LVR Lank
Bank
35% on Land Only 65% on Land
Only
35% on Land
Only
70% Land
Bank
NA
Presales 100-130% 0%-50% 50% 80%-100% NA
14. Value of pref equity/mezzanine debt
Precious cash is
free to drive the
rest of the
developers
pipeline
Almost twice the
return on the cash
you need to invest
You can actually
decrease portfolio
risk by increasing
diversification and
increasing your
liquidity
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Bring your
project to
market sooner
Lower the
amount of
presales
required
15. An important benefit to creating mezzanine finance relationships to a Property
Developer business is that it mitigates against acute changes in senior debt
lender appetite resulting from a deterioration in the credit cycle. In this way
when Banks change their lending guidelines from say 80% TDC to say 70% in a
matter of months mezzanine finance can be used to plug the resulting gap of
10% of TDC in total debt required.
This improves the maintainable ability of the Property Developer to
successfully finance and deliver upon his/her pipeline to ensure his/capital plus
profits can be realized in a reliable way.
Why use Mezz?
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16. Why use Mezz?
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Cash in the world of the Property Developer is a precious resource like water in the
desert required to preserve life. The key benefits of maintaining sufficient levels of cash
are summarized as follows:
• Ability to demonstrate a maintainable level of cash equal to a minimum of 10% of
your total current and non current debts is a good benchmark to show that you have
sufficient working capital to finance your operational cashflows;
• Demonstrates an ability to fund cost overruns beyond the standard contingency
budget of 5% against the construction costs;
• Indicates that Property Developer is allowing for sufficient resources to help fund the
growth of his/her business.
All of the above considerations are especially important to the senior debt Bankers and
Credit Officers when assessing the liquidity of the applicant.
17. Why use Mezz?
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Most successful Property Developers use Mezzanine finance once
their projects have derisked with DA and presales achieved to limit
the use of further cash equity to finance the construction of the
derisked project.
This is the most sustainable use of Mezzanine finance.
18. 1. Who is the applicant?
2. What is being developed?
3. What is the loan amount?
4. Loan to value ratio’s?
5. Project Feasibility
6. Project Location
7. Applicants experience
8. Borrower’s & Guarantor’s Financial Capacity
9. Security offered
10.Quality of the sales
11.Exit Strategies
12.Capability of the builder
13.Potential profitability of the applicant
The Banker’s basic qualification questions
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19. Basic Lending
Standards
Demographic profile supports an
acceptable level of demand for
residential accommodation of the
nature, size and cost proposed.
Developments for which the program of
works is scheduled to commence within
12 months of approval.
Minimum forecasted project profit
margin of 20% of development costs
(inclusive of valuation uplift if no prior
DA held).
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Borrower must have a “significant
amount” of cash invested and at risk
20. What will the Bank
Fund?
Remember this….
The Bank will fund to revenue
not to unrecoverable costs or
speculative risk and borrowers
equity always goes in first and
comes out last.
Eligible development costs comprise the sum of:
• Value of land and existing improvements to be at
cost or current market value as shown in the
valuation report from the panel valuer provided
that where current market value is greater than
the cost the valuer’s report demonstrates that a
clear uplift has been evident.
• Construction and/or refurbishment costs as
shown in the construction contract#.
• Professional fees and project management costs,
exclusive of costs expended to support the
development approval and factored into the "as
is" valuation.
• Marketing and sales costs.
• Statutory acquisition costs, rates and charges.
• Sundries and contingency allowances.
• Interest and funding costs.
# Must cover all costs to be incurred in bringing the
works to practical completion.
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21. How the Banks draws down
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Direct Project Costs
These costs relate to direct and relatively fixed budgeted project costs
such as council contributions, professional fees, construction
contingency claims, interest etc
These costs generally verified as per the Bank initial QS Report which
the valuation report and the Bank’s Funding Table is based upon. Most
of these costs are generally verified by the QS as part of the
assessment of a progress claim made by the Builder to Developer and
then to Bank.
Indirect Project Costs
These costs relate to indirect costs such as
financing costs, valuation costs, marketing
and advertising, legal, accounting, rates,
taxes etc.
These costs form part of the budgeted costs
within the funding table and are claimed
against paid invoices.
22. 1. Who is the applicant?
2. What is being developed?
3. What is the loan amount?
4. Funding Table
5. Loan to value ratio’s
6. Project Feasibility
7. Project Location
8. Applicant’s experience
9. Borrowers and Guarantors A&L
10.Security offered
11.Quality of the sales
12.Exit Strategies
13.Capability of the builder
Basic
Elements of
a Finance
Application
Keep it simple and well summarised
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24. Major shareholders and unitholders
Who has the Borrower relied upon as the source
of equity to date and is likely to reliable upon in
the future?
Director/s of the Borrower
Who are the key decision makers
Does the Guarantor have a reasonable
commercial benefit?
How can the owners of a company be locked into the
companies borrowings?
The Bank’s perspective on Guarantees
Who has the ability to withhold consent when it
comes to dealing with the securities?
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What entities owned by the Borrower have
maintainable earnings?
25. where the borrower is a partly owned subsidiary of the
corporate guarantor;
where the monies guaranteed or secured will be applied
directly for the benefit of the corporate guarantor, by
being on lent to it, by reducing its debt to a third party,
or by funding an acquisition or construction in which it
has an interest;
where the corporate guarantor is a wholly owned
subsidiary of the borrower;
where the borrower is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
corporate guarantor;
the corporate guarantor is guaranteeing or providing
security in relation to the borrowings of one of a number
of individual shareholders; or
There may not be a commercial benefit if:
What establishes a reasonable commercial benefit?
where the borrowers are individuals who are the only
shareholders of the corporate guarantor.
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the corporate guarantor is a partly owned subsidiary of
the borrower;
the corporate guarantor is guaranteeing or providing
security in relation to the borrowings of one of a number
of individual shareholders; or
26. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
Credit Enhancement Strategies
Pre letting of
Construction Costs
Locked Cash on TD
Push Senior Debt
down the risk curve
Use Residential or
Commercial LOC’s
to replace precious
equity with cheap
debt
1 2
3 4
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27. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
Extend Loan Terms
and Capitalised
Interest Budget
Finance delivery
under via the
procurement of a
DCF or Turnkey
Construction
Contract
Strategic use of
Vendor Finance
Finance Land
Settlements with
Pref Equity starting
as 1st Mortgagee
5 6
7 8
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Credit Enhancement Strategies continued
28. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
Approve Take Out
Finance for residual
debt
Utilise Pref Equity
funders in a Stretch
Senior Role
Partner with your
Purchasers
Contract a external
DM/PM with a high
end capability
statement
9 10
11 12
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Credit Enhancement Strategies continued
29. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
Always, always,
always manage and
prepare and
instruct the
Valuation & QS
yourself!
Utilise pref equity
/mezzanine
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16
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14
15
Ensure Marketing
Strategy Achieves
Local Market Sales
Include a budget
for DM fees to
increase your
equity contribution
Credit Enhancement Strategies continued
30. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
What can you to do to reduce your risk and increase
return on equity
Put firewalls
between your liquid
assets, sources of
your cash flow and
your development
risk.
Restructuring your
debts across
multiple debt
providers
Raise undrawn
LOC’s against
surplus security
Consider D&C
Contracts
1 2
3 4
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31. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
What can you to do to reduce your risk and increase
return on equity cont’
Utilise no doc
capitalised interest
Keep some mystery
Consider capital
partners who will
consider stand
alone facilities with
high LVR’s, lower or
no presales, less
restrictive
Utilise pref equity
/mezzanine
5 6
7 8
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32. Target
Integer sit aomet nunc ac sapie
What can you to do to reduce your risk and increase
return on equity
Invest in assets
with strong
maintainable
earnings to show
interest cover and
debt amortisation
Heavily prioritise
interest payments
Don’t burn your
goodwill, keep your
plans evidence
based which can be
reported against
over time
Demonstrate a
willingness to work
with your bank
9 10
11 12
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34. How many of your debt facilities are expiring in
the next 6 months?
Do you believe your debts are not cross
collateralised with the same lender?
Do you have all of your debts with one lender?
Do you have formal conditional approval in place
to finance your projects which are due to
commence inside the next 3-6months?
What is your exposure to a significant percentage
of your presales failing to settle?
Do you have any loan facilities due for review in
the next 3 months?
Do you have undrawn approved LOC’s you can
drawn down in need?
Do you have more than one or two Banking
relationships?
Concentration Risk Checklist
Are you certain your Bank will continue to honour
any indicative offers verbal or in writing?
Are your working capital accounts, cash reserves,
rental proceeds accounts, trading and transactional
accounts, term deposits, PPR loans and other
personal loans all with the same Bank?
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