Mortgage financings and line of credit

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2023

Mortgage Financings and Line of Credit [Abstract]

Mortgage financings and line of credit

Note 9 – Mortgage financings and line of credit:

On August 19, 2022, Westwood Hills, LLC (“Westwood Hills”) exercised its right, pursuant to the loan agreement, to extend the term of its $25 million loan on its property located in Westwood, New Jersey, for an additional six (6) months from an initial maturity date of October 1, 2022 to a new maturity date of April 1, 2023. On March 1, 2023, Westwood Hills exercised its right, pursuant to the loan agreement, to extend the term of its loan, for an additional six (6) months to a new maturity date of October 1, 2023 on the same terms and conditions as stated in the loan agreement. As of April 30, 2023, $25,000,000 of this loan was drawn and outstanding and the interest rate was 8.84%. Westwood Hills is in the process of refinancing this loan with a new lender in the amount of $25,500,000 for a term of three (3) years and based on a fixed rate of interest of 6.05%. This financing is expected to close by August 2023. Until such time as a definitive agreement is entered into, there can be no assurance this loan will be entered into.

Effective February 1, 2023, FREIT entered into a loan extension and modification agreement with Valley National Bank on its loan secured by the Westwood Plaza shopping center in Westwood, New Jersey with a then outstanding balance of approximately $16,864,361. Under the terms and conditions of this loan extension and modification, the maturity date of the loan was extended for a term of one (1) year from February 1, 2023 to February 1, 2024 with the option of FREIT to extend for one additional year from the extended maturity date, subject to certain provisions of the loan agreement. The loan is payable based on monthly installments of approximately $157,347 based on a fixed rate of interest of 7.5%. Additionally, FREIT funded an interest reserve escrow account (“Escrow”) at closing representing the annualized principal and interest payments for one (1) year, amounting to approximately $1,888,166. This Escrow is held at Valley National Bank and in the event of a default on this loan, the bank shall be permitted to use the proceeds from the escrow account to make monthly debt service payments on the loan.

On July 22, 2022, Wayne PSC, LLC (“Wayne PSC”) refinanced its $22.1 million loan (inclusive of deferred interest of approximately $136,000), which would have matured on October 1, 2026, on its Preakness Shopping center located in Wayne, New Jersey with a new loan held by ConnectOne Bank in the amount of $25,000,000. This loan is interest-only based on a fixed interest rate of 5% and has a term of three years with a maturity date of August 1, 2025. Additionally, an interest reserve escrow was established at closing representing twelve months of interest of $1,250,000, which can be used to pay monthly interest on this loan with a requirement to replenish the escrow account back to $1,250,000 when the balance in the escrow account is reduced to three months of interest. This refinancing resulted in (i) annual debt service savings of approximately $340,000 due to interest-only payments; (ii) an increase in the interest rate from a fixed interest rate of 3.625% to a fixed interest rate of 5%; and (iii) net refinancing proceeds of approximately $1.1 million which can be used for capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. As part of the refinancing, Wayne PSC terminated the interest rate swap contract on the underlying loan resulting in a realized gain on the swap breakage of approximately $1.4 million (See Note 4 for additional details.) As of April 30, 2023, the interest reserve escrow account has a balance of approximately $302,000. In May 2023, Wayne PSC funded the escrow account in the amount of $950,000 to replenish the balance in the account back to $1,250,000.

On December 30, 2021, FREIT refinanced its $14.4 million loan secured by its Boulders property located in Rockaway, New Jersey (which would have matured on February 1, 2022) with a new loan held by ConnectOne Bank in the amount of $7,500,000, with additional funding available to be drawn upon in the amount of $7,500,000 for corporate needs. This loan is interest-only and has a maturity date of January 1, 2024 with the option of FREIT to extend for one year from the maturity date, subject to certain provisions of the loan agreement. This refinancing will provide annual debt service savings of approximately $1,173,000 as a result of the reduction in the principal amount, a reduction in the annual interest rate from a fixed rate of 5.37% to a fixed rate of 2.85% and interest-only payments being required under this new loan. As of April 30, 2023, $7,500,000 of this loan was drawn and outstanding.

FREIT’s revolving line of credit provided by the Provident Bank was renewed for a three-year term ending on October 31, 2023. Draws against the credit line can be used for working capital needs and standby letters of credit. Draws against the credit line are secured by mortgages on FREIT’s Franklin Crossing Shopping Center in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey and retail space in Glen Rock, New Jersey. The total line of credit is $13 million and the interest rate on the amount outstanding is based on a floating interest rate of prime minus 25 basis points with a floor of 3.75%. As of April 30, 2023 and October 31, 2022, there was no amount outstanding and $13 million was available under the line of credit.

While FREIT intends to renew or refinance its debt obligations as they become due, there can be no assurance that it will be successful or, if successful, that the new terms will be similar to the terms of its existing debt obligations or as favorable.