As previously disclosed, on December 20,
2021, Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc. (“Bluerock Residential” or the “Company”), entered into an Agreement
and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Badger Parent LLC (“Parent”) and Badger Merger Sub LLC (“Merger
Sub”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, the Company will be merged
with and into Merger Sub (the “Merger”), with Merger Sub surviving the Merger. The Merger and the other transactions contemplated
by the Merger Agreement were unanimously approved by the Company’s board of directors. Parent
and Merger Sub are affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX L.P., an affiliate of Blackstone Inc. In addition, as previously disclosed,
prior to the consummation of the Merger, the Company will complete the separation of its single-family residential real estate business
(the “Single-Family Business”) from the Company’s multi-family residential real estate business (the “Separation”).
Following the Separation, the Single-Family Business will be indirectly held by Bluerock Homes Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation
(“Bluerock Homes”), and, prior to the consummation of the Merger, the Company will distribute the common stock of Bluerock
Homes to the Company’s common stockholders as of the record date for such distribution in a taxable distribution (the “Distribution”).
In connection with the proposed Merger, Bluerock
Residential filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a definitive proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”),
which Bluerock Residential first mailed to its stockholders on or about March 11, 2022.
Following
the announcement of the Merger Agreement, as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, four lawsuits challenging the Merger
have been filed (each, a “Lawsuit” and, collectively, the “Lawsuits”). The Lawsuits are captioned (i) Samuel
Marchese v. Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc., et al., No. 1:22-cv-01234, filed in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New York on February 15, 2022; (ii) Matthew Whitfield v. Ramin Kamfar, et al., No. 24C22001079,
filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland on February 25, 2022; (iii) Robert Garfield v. Robert Ramin
Kamfar, et al., No. 602620/2022, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York on March 1, 2022; and (iv) Stephen
Bushansky v. Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc., et al., No. 1:22-cv-02482, filed in the U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of New York on March 28, 2022. In addition, Bluerock Residential received demand letters from counsel representing
individual stockholders of the Company (the “Demand Letters” and, together with the Lawsuits, the “Matters”).
The Matters each allege, among other things, that the defendants disseminated a materially incomplete and misleading Proxy Statement relating
to the proposed Merger in violation of Sections 14(a) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 14a-9 promulgated
thereunder.
The Company believes that the claims asserted
in the Matters are without merit and supplemental disclosures are not required or necessary under applicable laws. However, in order to
avoid the risk that the Matters delay or otherwise adversely affect the Merger, to minimize the costs, risks and uncertainties inherent
in defending the lawsuits, and to provide additional information to stockholders, and without admitting any liability or wrongdoing, the
Company has agreed to supplement the Proxy Statement as described in this Current Report on Form 8-K. Nothing in this Current Report
on Form 8-K shall be deemed an admission of the legal necessity or materiality under applicable laws of any of the disclosures set
forth herein. To the contrary, the Company specifically denies all allegations in the Matters that any additional disclosure was or is
required. The inclusion in this Current Report on Form 8-K of certain information should not be regarded as an indication that any
of the Company or its affiliates, officers, directors or other representatives, or any other recipient of this information, considered,
or now considers, it to be material, and such information should not be relied upon as such.
Supplemental Disclosures to Proxy Statement
in Connection with the Matters
The additional disclosures set forth below (the
“Supplemental Disclosures”) in this Current Report on Form 8-K supplement the disclosures contained in the Proxy Statement
and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures contained in the Proxy Statement, which should be read in its entirety. To the
extent that information set forth in the Supplemental Disclosures differs from or updates information contained in the Proxy Statement,
the information in this Current Report on Form 8-K shall supersede or supplement the information contained in the Proxy Statement.
All page references are to the Proxy Statement and terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to
such terms in the Proxy Statement.
|
1. |
The disclosure on page 35 of the Proxy Statement, sixth full paragraph under the heading “Background of the Merger,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
On September 16, 2021, Bloomberg
reported that the Company was evaluating strategic alternatives (the “September 16 Bloomberg article”). Thereafter, 38 additional
parties contacted the Company, Morgan Stanley or Eastdil regarding a potential transaction. The Company and our financial advisors invited
all such parties to enter into non-disclosure agreements. Of the 55 total parties (including Party A), 28 executed nondisclosure agreements
with the Company, each of which included a standstill obligation with a “don’t ask, don’t waive” provision, subject
in six cases to exceptions for non-public proposals.
|
2. |
The following disclosure is added on page 40 of the Proxy Statement, immediately after the last paragraph under the heading “Background of the Merger”: |
Blackstone and the
Company have agreed that neither the Company nor the surviving company will enforce any standstill provision to the extent it would
operate to preclude a party to a nondisclosure agreement from making non-public company takeover proposals to the
board of directors.
|
3. |
The disclosure on page 45 of the Proxy Statement, fifth full paragraph, under the heading “Forward-Looking Financial Information,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
Because the financial projections
reflect subjective judgment in many respects, they are susceptible to multiple interpretations and frequent revisions based on actual
experience and business developments. The financial projections also cover multiple years, and such information by its nature becomes
less predictive with each succeeding year. The estimates and assumptions underlying the financial projections involve judgments with respect
to, among other things, economic, competitive and financial market conditions and future business decisions that may not be realized and
that are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, including, among other
things, the inherent uncertainty of the business and economic conditions affecting the industries in which we operate. Such judgments
reflect, among other things, the input and assessments of the Company’s leasing and property management professionals. The financial
projections constitute forward-looking information and are subject to a wide variety of significant risks and uncertainties that could
cause the actual results to differ materially from the projected results. For additional information on factors that may cause future
financial results to materially vary from the projected results summarized below, see the section entitled “Cautionary Statement
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” beginning on page 22. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the projected results
summarized below will be realized or that actual results will not differ materially from the projected results summarized below, and the
financial projections cannot be considered a guarantee of future operating results and should not be relied upon as such. Neither we nor
our affiliates or advisors or any other person has made any representation to any of our stockholders or any other person regarding our
actual performance compared to the results included in the financial projections. We have not made any representation to Parent or its
affiliates, in the merger agreement or otherwise, concerning the projections.
|
4. |
The disclosure on page 47 of the Proxy Statement, first full paragraph, under the heading “Financial Projections,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
In connection with its financial
analyses and fairness opinion, Morgan Stanley derived from the Company financial projections and disclosed to the board of directors forecasted
unlevered free cash flow of the Company of $13 million, $99 million, $106 million, $108 million and $111 million for the 12-month
periods ending September 30, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively. In addition, in connection with its financial analyses
and fairness opinion, Morgan Stanley calculated and disclosed to the board of directors forecasted net operating income (“NOI”)
of the Company of $169 million for the 12 months ending September 30, 2027 by applying, at the direction of our management, a 3%
annual growth rate to the NOI of the Company of $164 million for the 12 months ending September 30, 2026 included in the Company
financial projections.
|
5. |
The disclosure on page 47 of the Proxy Statement, fourth full paragraph, under the heading “Financial Projections,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
The Company also provided
financial projections to the board of directors and to Stanger in connection with its fairness opinion that included $0 in incentive fees
payable to the Manager under the Management Agreement under three scenarios assuming capital raises of $1 billion, $1.25 billion and $1.5
billion. These financial projections included for Bluerock Homes’ operating portfolio of real estate assets, stabilized EBITDA of
$22.7 million, $62.7 million, $71.4 million and $80.2 million under the $0, $1 billion, $1.25 billion and $1.5 billion equity raise scenarios,
respectively. These financial projections additionally included stabilized externally advised adjusted funds from operations of $8.4 million,
$36.3 million, $43.8 million and $51.3 million under the $0, $1 billion, $1.25 billion and $1.5 billion equity raise scenarios, respectively.
|
6. |
The following disclosure is added on page 50 of the Proxy Statement, after the second paragraph under the heading “Comparable Public Companies Analysis”: |
The table below sets forth the metrics for each of the selected companies
and the Company:
Company | |
P / 2022E FFO Multiples | | |
P / 2023E FFO Multiples | | |
P / 2022E AFFO Multiples | | |
P / 2023E AFFO Multiples | | |
Premium / (Discount) to Mean Street Consensus NAV | | |
Premium / (Discount) to Mean Street Consensus GAV | |
Preferred Apartment Communities Inc. | |
| 15.8 | x | |
| 13.3 | x | |
| 22.1 | x | |
| 16.4 | x | |
| 1.5 | % | |
| 0.2 | % |
BRT Apartments Corp. | |
| 14.9 | x | |
| 13.4 | x | |
| 13.9 | x | |
| 12.8 | x | |
| (33.6 | )% | |
| (25.0 | )% |
Centerspace | |
| 24.9 | x | |
| 23.6 | x | |
| 29.5 | x | |
| 28.5 | x | |
| 3.0 | % | |
| 1.9 | % |
Independence Realty Trust Inc. | |
| 25.7 | x | |
| 22.6 | x | |
| 26.7 | x | |
| 23.4 | x | |
| 5.3 | % | |
| 3.7 | % |
NexPoint Residential Trust Inc. | |
| 29.0 | x | |
| 24.8 | x | |
| 26.9 | x | |
| 22.9 | x | |
| 3.0 | % | |
| 1.7 | % |
The Company* | |
| 19.3 | x | |
| 16.5 | x | |
| 21.3 | x | |
| 18.7 | x | |
| (5.3 | )% | |
| (1.1 | )% |
* The Company is included for reference, but was not used as a selected
company for purposes of these calculations.
| 7. | The disclosure on page 52
of the Proxy Statement, first full paragraph, second to last sentence, under the heading
“Net Asset Value Analysis,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
An implied per share equity value reference range for the Company was
then calculated based on the range of our net asset values derived from such analysis divided by the number of fully diluted shares of
Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2021, totaling approximately 38.87 million shares (including incremental shares associated
with the dilution by Company Warrants outstanding as of December 14, 2021).
| 8. | The table on page 52
of the Proxy Statement, titled “Selected Precedent Transactions,” under the heading
“Premiums Paid Analysis,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
Transaction Announcement Date | |
Target | |
Acquiror | |
Premium Paid to Unaffected Stock Price | |
July 2019 | |
Pure Multi-Family REIT | |
Cortland Partners | |
| 15.0 | % |
July 2017 | |
Monogram Residential Trust | |
Greystar-led consortium | |
| 22.4 | % |
January 2017 | |
Milestone Apartments | |
Starwood Capital Group | |
| 8.9 | % |
August 2016 | |
Post Properties | |
Mid-America Apartment Communities | |
| 16.6 | % |
June 2015 | |
Home Properties | |
Lone Star Americas Acquisitions | |
| 9.2 | % |
May 2015 | |
Trade Street Residential | |
Independence Realty Trust | |
| 3.0 | % |
April 2015 | |
Associated Estates Realty Corp. | |
Brookfield Property Group | |
| 17.4 | % |
December 2013 | |
BRE Properties | |
Essex Property Trust | |
| 8.8 | % |
June 2013 | |
Colonial Properties Trust | |
Mid-America Apartment Communities | |
| 10.7 | % |
June 2007 | |
America First Apartment Investors | |
Sentinel Omaha LLC | |
| 12.2 | % |
May 2007 | |
Archstone Smith Trust | |
Tishman Speyer & Lehman Brothers | |
| 18.8 | % |
December 2005 | |
Town & Country Trust | |
Morgan Stanley / Onex Real Estate JV | |
| 34.9 | % |
October 2005 | |
Amli Residential Properties | |
Prime Property Fund | |
| 20.7 | % |
June 2005 | |
Gables Residential Trust | |
ING Clarion | |
| 14.1 | % |
October 2004 | |
Cornerstone Realty Income Trust | |
Colonial Properties Trust | |
| 7.2 | % |
October 2004 | |
Summit Properties | |
Camden Property Trust | |
| 12.7 | % |
May 2001 | |
Charles E. Smith Residential Realty | |
Archstone Communities | |
| 9.4 | % |
July 2000 | |
Grove Property Trust Stock | |
Equity Residential Properties Trust | |
| 5.8 | % |
|
9. |
The following disclosure is added on page 54 of the Proxy Statement, immediately before the last sentence of the first paragraph under the heading “Research Analyst Price Targets and NAV Targets”: |
|
The
table below sets forth the four equity research analyst reports utilized in the analysis:
Equity Research Analyst | |
Estimated Price Target | |
Compass Point | |
$ | 14.50 | |
Colliers Securities | |
$ | 14.00 | |
JMP Securities | |
$ | 13.00 | |
B. Riley Securities, Inc. | |
$ | 11.50 | |
|
10. |
The following disclosure is added on page 59 of the Proxy Statement after the second full paragraph under the heading “Direct Capitalization Analysis for Stabilized Properties”: |
The table below sets forth additional information related to the direct
capitalization analysis for stabilized properties:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selected
Forward Cap |
|
Capitalized
Annual NOI
($ in thousands) |
|
|
Bluerock
Homes
Business
Common
Equity
Ownership |
|
|
Valuation
($ in thousands) |
|
Investment |
|
Status |
|
Methodology |
|
Rate
Range (1) |
|
(2) |
|
|
(%) |
|
|
Low |
|
|
High |
|
Wayford at Concord |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
4.00% — 4.50% |
|
$ |
2,316 |
|
|
|
83 |
|
|
$ |
42,596 |
|
|
$ |
47,920 |
|
Navigator Villas |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
4.50% — 5.00% |
|
$ |
1,823 |
|
|
|
90 |
|
|
$ |
14,487 |
|
|
$ |
18,133 |
|
Yauger Park Villas |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
4.50% — 5.00% |
|
$ |
1,354 |
|
|
|
95 |
|
|
$ |
11,545 |
|
|
$ |
14,403 |
|
Indy(3) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
5.00% — 5.50% |
|
$ |
271 |
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
$ |
4,162 |
|
|
$ |
4,456 |
|
Springfield(4) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
4.00% — 4.50% |
|
$ |
2,516 |
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
$ |
49,658 |
|
|
$ |
53,824 |
|
Granbury(5) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
3.75% — 4.25% |
|
$ |
395 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
8,621 |
|
|
$ |
9,612 |
|
Springtown(6) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
3.75% — 4.25% |
|
$ |
437 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
9,603 |
|
|
$ |
10,701 |
|
Axelrod(7) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
3.75% — 4.00% |
|
$ |
181 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
4,230 |
|
|
$ |
4,471 |
|
Texarkana(8) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
5.00% — 5.50% |
|
$ |
217 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
3,608 |
|
|
$ |
3,923 |
|
Lubbock(9) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
5.00% — 5.50% |
|
$ |
409 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
6,775 |
|
|
$ |
7,370 |
|
Jolin(10) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
3.75% — 4.00% |
|
$ |
226 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
5,197 |
|
|
$ |
5,499 |
|
Corpus(11) |
|
Stabilized |
|
Direct Capitalization |
|
5.00% — 5.50% |
|
$ |
647 |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
$ |
10,861 |
|
|
$ |
11,801 |
|
| (1) | Capitalization rates were determined on a property-by-property basis using Duff & Phelps’s professional judgment based
upon qualitative property characteristics, competitive position and market conditions, industry surveys, other comparable single-family
residential transactions, single-family portfolio transactions and an analysis of publicly traded REITs that Duff & Phelps deemed
relevant. |
| (2) | Projected capitalized annual net operating incomes were calculated based on third-party appraisals and third-party broker price opinions,
as applicable, for each property. |
| (3) | Includes $2,650 of debt interests and $379 of preferred equity interests. |
| (4) | Includes $35,525 of debt interests and $4,900 of preferred equity interests. |
| (5) | Includes $5,670 of debt interests and $272 of preferred equity interests. |
| (6) | Includes $6,545 of debt interests and $308 of preferred equity interests. |
| (7) | Includes $2,893 of debt interests and $157 of preferred equity interests. |
| (8) | Includes $2,170 of debt interests and $108 of preferred equity interests. |
| (9) | Includes $3,920 of debt interests and $212 of preferred equity interests. |
| (10) | Includes $2,905 of debt interests and $438 of preferred equity interests. |
| (11) | Includes $6,328 of debt interests and $943 of preferred equity interests. |
|
11. |
The following disclosure is added on page 59 of the Proxy Statement, after the first full paragraph under the heading “Liquidation Valuation”: |
The table below sets forth additional information related to the liquidation
valuation:
Investment | |
Status | |
Methodology | |
Bluerock Homes
Business
Preferred Equity
and Debt Interests ($ in thousands) | | |
Valuation ($ in thousands) | |
Springtown 2.0 | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 2,827 | * | |
$ | 2,826 | † |
Willow Park | |
Development | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 2,540 | | |
$ | 2,540 | |
The Cottages of Port St. Lucie | |
Development | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 6,615 | | |
$ | 6,615 | |
The Cottages at Myrtle Beach | |
Development | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 9,215 | | |
$ | 9,215 | |
ILE – Seed Portfolio | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 15,425 | * | |
$ | 15,425 | |
Lubbock 2.0 | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 8,786 | | |
$ | 8,786 | |
Lubbock 3.0 | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 4,335 | | |
$ | 4,334 | † |
Lynnwood 2.0 | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 2,357 | | |
$ | 2,357 | |
Pkg 1/6 | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 14,433 | * | |
$ | 14,433 | |
Peak I – Initial Recap | |
Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 10,705 | | |
$ | 10,705 | |
ILE JV | |
For Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 22,040 | * | |
$ | 22,040 | |
Golden Pacific JV | |
For Stabilized | |
Liquidation Valuation | |
$ | 1,940 | * | |
$ | 1,940 | |
| * | Includes common equity interests held by the Bluerock Homes Business in the portfolio properties. |
| † | Due to rounding of the values of the Bluerock Homes Business’ common equity, preferred equity and debt interests and the figures
for the valuation of interests in portfolio properties, figures may not align between the Bluerock Homes Business preferred equity and
debt interests and the valuation columns in this table. |
|
12. |
The following disclosure is added on page 59 of the Proxy Statement, after the second full paragraph under the heading “Letter of Intent and Broker Price Opinion Valuation Analyses for Miscellaneous Properties”: |
The table below sets forth additional information related to the broker
price opinion valuation analyses for miscellaneous properties:
Investment |
|
Status |
|
Methodology |
|
Bluerock Homes Business Interest
($ in thousands) |
|
Valuation
($ in thousands) |
|
The Hartley at Blue Hill |
|
Pending Close |
|
LOI Sale Price |
|
$38,428 preferred interest |
|
$ |
38,428 |
|
Lynnwood |
|
Stabilized |
|
Broker Price Opinion Valuation |
|
$4,346 total common equity, preferred and debt interests |
|
$ |
4,345 |
† |
| † | Due to rounding of the values of the Bluerock Homes Business’ common equity, preferred equity and debt interests and the figures
for the Bluerock Homes Business’ total investment in portfolio properties, figures may not align between the Bluerock Homes Business
Interest and the Valuation columns in this table. |
|
13. |
The disclosure on page 59 of the Proxy Statement, under the heading “Summary of Material Financial Analyses by Duff & Phelps,” is hereby amended and restated as follows: |
Based on the financial analyses conducted, Duff &
Phelps determined a value range for the net asset value of the properties in the Bluerock Homes Business’ portfolio, excluding cash,
of $315.3 million to $336.1 million. Based on the valuation indications derived from its valuation analyses, Duff & Phelps determined
a value range for the net asset value of the Bluerock Homes Business of $483.3 million to $504.1 million. Duff & Phelps noted
that the value of the Bluerock Homes Business of $498.7 million implied by the exchange consideration fell within the range of the resulting
net asset values. As a result, subject to the assumptions, qualifications, and limitations set forth in the Duff & Phelps Opinion,
Duff & Phelps determined that the exchange consideration to be paid by the Company in the Exchange is fair, from a financial
point of view, to the Company.