New investment firm in NWA announces first acquisition

A Northwest Arkansas-based real estate investment firm said Tuesday (June 1) it had closed on its first asset.

Caisson Capital Partners in Rogers has acquired The Ridges at Bentonville (formerly Skyridge Estates). The Ridges is a 96-unit multifamily apartment complex in Bentonville on Highway 12. The purchase price was $8.9 million ($92,708 per unit).

“We are thrilled that our first deal is in Northwest Arkansas, right here in our backyard,” co-founder and managing partner Robert “Bo” Diamond said in a statement. “The feedback we received from investors was overwhelming. Our firm’s key goal is to open direct commercial real estate investments to individual investors, and we were able to accomplish that right out of the gate with a broad syndication to over 30 investors from eleven states and the U.K.”

Diamond and Brian Shaw, executive chairman of Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers, are Caisson Capital Partners’ co-founders.

“This is a great opportunity for our investors — sourced off-market, well negotiated and perfectly located for this type of product,” Shaw said. “Caisson Capital has plans to grow the investment platform; we’re actively looking for additional quality deals and open to new investors.”

Caisson Capital Partners acquired The Ridges at Bentonville through Fannie Mae debt financing provided by Arbor Commercial Real Estate. Commercial property management company LiveSage will manage the property. It is undergoing a complete rebrand and interior and exterior renovations.

CAISSON CAPITAL PARTNERS
Diamond and Shaw founded Caisson Capital Partners last fall, intending to broaden access to real estate investments. According to the news release, Caisson enables direct access to commercial real estate deals, which have traditionally only been open to large-scale professional investors, creating exclusive real estate investment opportunities for individual and family-office investors.

Diamond has over a decade of professional experience in real estate private equity and investment banking and capital markets. He has executed real estate transactions across the U.S. in major markets such as New York City.

Shaw has more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience, including investment sales, development and landlord and tenant representation.

“Caisson has a unique ability to leverage our proprietary knowledge and aggressively deploy newly available technologies,” Shaw said. “We believe commercial real estate is an essential component of a well-diversified portfolio, and we feel there is a broader audience with the ability to take advantage of these select opportunities.”

In the release, the partners said, in addition to Northwest Arkansas, they will also focus on the broader markets surrounding the region, including the Mid-South and the American Heartland.

“We invest alongside our partners in every deal we execute, ensuring our interests are fully aligned,” Diamond said. “In our experience, this is an essential element of establishing trust. By earning the trust of our investors and remaining true to our values, we hope to remain successful stewards of our investors’ capital for many years to come.”