Japan’s Orix Buys U.S. Real Estate Loan Provider Hunt

(Bloomberg) -- Orix Corp. has agreed to buy U.S. commercial real estate lender Hunt Real Estate Capital, people familiar with the matter said, its latest acquisition in the field.

The Japanese finance and leasing firm is buying all Hunt Real Estate Capital shares from privately owned Hunt Companies Inc., said the people, who asked not to be identified since the deal hasn’t been announced.

New York-based Hunt Real Estate Capital provides credit to developers of multifamily housing. It underwrites and services mortgage loans that are insured or guaranteed by entities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration.

Tokyo-based Orix has been targeting real estate lenders that are authorized to originate and sell loans to U.S. housing agencies and government-sponsored enterprises. In 2017, it acquired Lancaster Pollard Holdings, which lends to senior living facilities. In 2010, it bought Red Capital Group, a loan provider to affordable housing.

Hunt Real Estate Capital employs about 250 people and has 25 locations in the U.S., according to its website.

To contact the reporters on this story: Taiga Uranaka in Tokyo at turanaka@bloomberg.net;Takako Taniguchi in Tokyo at ttaniguchi4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Marcus Wright at mwright115@bloomberg.net, Russell Ward

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