Rilea Group Teams Up With RealtyMogul To Raise Equity Via Crowdfunding For Mohawk At Wynwood

Rilea Group has teamed up with leading real estate crowdfunding platform RealtyMogul to raise equity for their new mixed-use Wynwood project, Mohawk at Wynwood. The crowdfunding campaign for the 12-story project, which is located at 56 NE 29th St., launched on April 5 to RealtyMogul’s network of more than 200,000 qualified investors.

The Los Angeles-based RealtyMogul underwrites and reviews investments internally before opening them up to investors. Crowdfunding allows qualified investors to invest in institutional investments and larger development projects that they would otherwise have no access to.

The minimum crowdfunding investment for the Mohawk at Wynwood project is $35,000 and the estimated hold period for investors is 5 years. The targeted IRR is between 19.1% and 21.1% with a 2.26X target equity multiple.

A portion of the LP equity piece will be raised via crowdfunding as part of the $41 million total equity. 90%, $37 million, will come from LP’s and 10%, $4 million, is sponsored via the developer. A projected $62 million of debt rounds out the expected capitalization of the $103 million total development costs. Rilea group has the 1.5 acre property under contract for $22.33 million.

Mohawk at Wynwood will feature 225 apartment units and 22,000 square feet of retail. Amenities include a rooftop pool, bar, fitness center, residents lounge, dining room, children’s room, game room and dog park. The project was designed by Deforma Studio.

Real Estate Developer Leads $560,000 Funding Round to Develop VR Gaming Experience

AEXLAB, virtual reality (VR) technology studio, has raised over $560,000 on Start Engine in just two weeks through a Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) offering. Regulation CF, also known as equity crowding, is similar to Regulation A and allows companies to raise funds from the public. Start Engine is the largest crowdfunding platform in the U.S. and is advised by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary.

The company is raising capital to continue developing unparalleled VR technology that gives gamers superior immersive, interactive and social gaming experiences. AEXLAB is led by CEO Jonathan Ovadia, real estate developer and licensed general contractor in Florida. The virtual reality gaming market size is expected to reach $92.31 billion by 2027, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 30.2% over the forecast period.

“When Facebook lowered the barrier of entry to VR by launching Quest 2 in September 2020, we knew this was an inflection point in the market. With Miami currently rebranding itself as a tech hub, we thought it was the perfect time to go public with VAIL, our first gaming franchise,” said Ovadia.

Founded in 2015, the firm’s proprietary systems include solutions for haptics, audio spatialization, firearm simulation, virtual reality human interfaces, and real-time social and gaming networking technology. The closed alpha of the upcoming VAIL franchise has attracted professional e-sports competitive players and enthusiastic casual players alike. AEXLAB has created numerous bespoke experiences for Red Bull, American Institute of Architects, Epic Games and Valve.

The desire for social interaction and an immersive experience in gaming has been accelerated by recent events. In VAIL, players load into an interactive space and invite friends to socialize before queuing up for matches. AEXLAB supports all major headset manufacturers including Lenovo, Hewlett Packard, Oculus, Valve, HTC, Windows Mixed Reality and more.

For more information visit www.startengine.com/aexlab.

By Katya Demina

Cardone Capital Acquires Port Royale Apartments In Fort Lauderdale Via Crowdfunding Campaign

Cardone Capital, led by the “10X Rule” author and founder of the 10X Movement Grant Cardone, has acquired the Port Royale Apartments in Fort Lauderdale in one of the largest crowdfunding real estate deals to ever close in South Florida. Port Royale Apartments features 533 units located on the Intracoastal Waterway at 3101 Port Royale Blvd. and 3201-3300 Port Royale Drive in Fort Lauderdale. The property spans over 36 acres with a private marina. The property also has development rights to build an additional 292 units.

The deal closed for roughly $130 million, although the closing price has not yet been made public. The acquisition was financed with a $79.24 million, 10-year interest only loan at 2.3% from CBRE Multifamily Capital. The transaction was completed by the transfer of the Delaware-registered Port Royale Propco LLC. from Waterton Residential LLC to Cardone Capital, avoiding the need to pay documentary stamp taxes. Cardone Capital led a successful crowdfunding campaign for the equity piece, reportedly raising a $50 million. The Chicago-based Waterton Residential was the seller who was represented by Robert Given of Cushman & Wakefield. Waterton Residential initially acquired the apartment complex for $94 million in 2015.

Port Royale Apartments was originally developed in 1991 and renovated in 2016. Units range from one-bedroom, one-bathroom 540 SF units asking $1,400 per month up to two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,000 SF units asking $2,247. Units include wood plank-style floors, full equipped kitchens, ceramic tile flooring in kitchens and baths, Juliette balconies, in-unit washer/dryers and walk-in closets. Amenities include a car wash area, residents lounge, outdoor barbecue and dining area, gated entrance, storage units and walking paths.

Cardone Capital now has 8,275 residential units and 26 properties in its portfolio. The Aventura-based real estate investment firm as raised over $440 million through crowdfunding to-date. Cardone Capital plans to be aggressive in multifamily acquisitions over the next several months, expecting to close on another $350 million in transactions.