New Director of Asset Management & Capital Markets brings strong multifamily experience to growing development and construction firm

Myrtle Beach, SC — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, strengthened its employee roster with the arrival of Levi Walters as Director of Asset Management & Capital Markets. Walters is based in the firm’s Myrtle Beach headquarters.

At Sands, Walters serves a variety of important roles for the company. He focuses on identifying new site acquisitions and development opportunities, investor relations, sourcing debt and equity, and management of existing projects.

“We are thrilled to welcome Levi Walters to our expanding team,” said Sands CEO Joe Morrison. “His diverse industry experience and knowledge benefits us as we prepare to commence numerous projects throughout the Southeast U.S. Levi will also help us secure development sites and financing as we strategically target new opportunities in our target markets.”

Walters has a broad knowledge base from his previous multifamily experience. Prior to joining Sands, he worked in the Charleston, South Carolina-based Multifamily Advisory Group of Cushman & Wakefield, helping facilitate over $500 million in Class A transactions. He also held positions in acquisitions and asset management for Salt Lake City-based Milburn & Company, and in multifamily production with Freddie Mac.

A proud graduate of the University of South Carolina, Walters earned a bachelor’s degree in real estate finance. Within the real estate industry, he is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

“I am so excited to be part of the dynamic team at Sands,” Walters said. “The firm is a trendsetter in the industry and continues to innovate with its unique build-to-rent model. I look forward to playing a part in accomplishing the firm’s expansion objectives and the delivery of best-in-class BTR product.”

Sands first developed the concept to build detached, horizontal apartments in 2014, many years before the model was adopted by others in the multifamily industry. The firm now has a rapidly growing portfolio of new developments in the Carolinas, Georgia and coastal Florida.

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.

315-unit build-to-rent project fills void for new rental housing in growing Town of Leland 

Leland, NC — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, is welcoming residents to its Cape Cottage Apartment Homes in the Town of Leland – just west of Wilmington, North Carolina. The detached, horizontal cottage-style development expands the firm’s trendsetting and award-winning build-to-rent concept to this rapidly growing market. 

Located on Westgate Boulevard, Cape Cottage Apartment Homes comprises 315 one and two-story cottages. The one, two and three-bedroom cottages range from 510 to 1,293 square feet. 

“We are thrilled to commence move-ins at Cape Cottage Apartment Homes,” said Sands CEO Joe Morrison. “Before our project’s completion, the Wilmington area did not have spacious, detached cottages like these in its rental pool. The tremendous interest we are getting from prospective renters reflects how Cape Cottage is addressing pent-up demand for such horizontal apartments.” 

Cape Cottage’s in-home features include front porches, plank flooring, chef’s kitchens, vaulted ceilings, side pet yards* and walk-in showers* (***available in some cottages). The cottages are designed to allow for an abundance of natural light.  

The community has numerous amenities for residents, such as a resort-style pool with a sun shelf, private poolside cabanas with lounge seating, fitness center with Echelon fitness mirrors and spin bikes, private workstation pods and a game lounge.  

Leland is one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing towns. It has nearly doubled its population since 2010 and is projected to possibly triple it by 2045. The town’s Leland 2045 master plan forecasts a need for 6,700 new homes to keep up with Leland’s growth over the next 25 years.  

RKW Residential oversees leasing and management of Cape Cottage on behalf of Sands. For more information, visit https://livecapecottages.com/.  

Sands first developed the concept to build detached, horizontal apartments in 2014, many years before the model was adopted by others in the multifamily industry. The firm now has a rapidly growing portfolio of new developments in the Carolinas, Georgia and coastal Florida. 

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.  

Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes now stabilized, while more than 60% of Swells Cottage Apartment Homes move-ins completed

Myrtle Beach, SC — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, continues to experience intense demand for its innovative build-to-rent concept in the firm’s home base of Myrtle Beach. For instance, the Sands-developed 253-unit Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes in North Myrtle Beach is now stabilized, while the firm’s Swells Cottage Apartment Homes in Murrells Inlet is rapidly filling up with residents.

The award-winning Seaglass Cottages, located on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Barefoot Resort neighborhood of North Myrtle Beach, is now more than 95% occupied. The detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment home community is redefining the build-to-rent genre, with groups of homes built into “muses” and each having its own outdoor amenity to enjoy from a courtyard garden, fire pit or lawn games. Interior features include top-of-the-line kitchen finishes such as granite countertops, white cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances, luxury vinyl wood-look plank flooring, walk-in closets, large and bright living spaces and architectural touches like tray ceilings throughout the homes.

Following the success of Seaglass Cottages, Sands is now developing the 92-unit second phase of the project. That phase will include 92 one and two-story cottages consisting of two and three-bedroom units ranging from 924 to 1,633 square feet. The project is expected to be completed in the winter of 2024.

Sands and Seaglass Cottages were honored by national publication Multi-Housing News with a 2022 Excellence Award in the “Best Development & Design: Single-Family Rental” category.

Swells Cottages is more than 70% leased and 60% occupied. Located at 1501 Flatwood St., Swells Cottages is a 221-unit project with a mix of one and two-story cottage homes ranging from one to three bedrooms and 672 to 1,293 square feet. Each spacious one and two-story detached cottage features a front porch framed in Southern charm, with exteriors painted in a palette of beach-inspired shades and the interiors feature standout, high-end finishes.

The community is less than a mile from the beach and includes a rich amenity package such as a pool with a sun shelf and a clubhouse with a screened-in porch and fireplace, fitness center with fitness mirrors, fire pit, and a residential lounge complete with a bistro and kitchen area, shuffleboard and games.

“The activity at these two Myrtle Beach developments has been tremendous,” said Sands President Joe Morrison. “The leasing velocity is proof of concept for our trendsetting model, and demand for our remaining inventory is extremely strong. We will keep pursuing opportunities to bring our build-to-rent product to the Myrtle Beach area.”

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.

Multifamily development and construction firm triples office space with new HQ, making room for employee and project growth

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, expanded into brand-new office space as company continues to rapidly grow.

Sands’ new headquarters is located at 9654 N. Kings Highway, Suite C-2 and totals 10,000 square feet. This office is triple the size of the firm’s previous office space. Currently, 30 employees are based in this location with plans for continued personnel expansion.

Over the past two years, Sands Companies has hired 15 employees at various levels of the South Carolina-based firm to accommodate the multitude of projects currently under construction and the many more planned for the near future.

The firm has more than 2,000 detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment homes under development throughout the Southeast with its latest project breaking ground in Gainesville, Fla. – the firm’s first in the state.

“Our brand-new headquarters represents an exciting new chapter of growth for our firm,” said Sands Companies CEO and co-founder Joe Morrison. “We made sure to design the office with a modern feel and emphasis on collaboration. We look forward to further expanding our Sands family in our home base of Myrtle Beach and in all markets, we operate in.”

Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision ahead of the multifamily industry's curve. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. With that foundation, we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member, and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com. 

Multifamily development and construction firm triples office space with new HQ, making room for employee and project growth

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, expanded into brand-new office space as company continues to rapidly grow.

Sands’ new headquarters is located at 9654 N. Kings Highway, Suite C-2 and totals 10,000 square feet. This office is triple the size of the firm’s previous office space. Currently, 30 employees are based in this location with plans for continued personnel expansion.

Over the past two years, Sands Companies has hired 15 employees at various levels of the South Carolina-based firm to accommodate the multitude of projects currently under construction and the many more planned for the near future.

The firm has more than 2,000 detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment homes under development throughout the Southeast with its latest project breaking ground in Gainesville, Fla. – the firm’s first in the state.

“Our brand-new headquarters represents an exciting new chapter of growth for our firm,” said Sands Companies CEO and co-founder Joe Morrison. “We made sure to design the office with a modern feel and emphasis on collaboration. We look forward to further expanding our Sands family in our home base of Myrtle Beach and in all markets, we operate in.”

Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision ahead of the multifamily industry's curve. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. With that foundation, we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member, and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com. 

Forward-thinking developer to bring 212 cottage-style apartment homes to strong Sunshine State submarket

Gainesville, FL — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm based in South Carolina, is expanding into the Florida market with a new build-to-rent (BTR) development in Gainesville. The firm has acquired a 22-acre site in a Gainesville suburb and plans to build 212 cottage-style apartment homes there.

A leading developer in the BTR sector, Sands first introduced the concept to build detached, horizontal apartments in 2014, many years before the model was adopted by others in the multifamily industry. With this new project, Sands is bringing the model it has perfected in the Carolinas and Georgia to the Sunshine State.

Sands will construct one, two and three-bedroom cottages ranging from 510 to 1,693 square feet. Interior features include chef-inspired kitchens; stainless steel appliances; modern white cabinetry; spacious granite countertops; in-home washer and dryer units; walk-in closets; designer lighting packages and ceiling fans. Select units will have large kitchen islands; kitchen pantries; dual sinks in master bathrooms; private, fenced-in yards; and attached garages.

The Gainesville project will be rich in amenities, including a 5,000-square-foot resident clubhouse; resort-style pool with a sundeck; relaxing cabanas adjacent to the pool; outdoor fire pit; outdoor kitchen with two gas grills; state-of-the-art fitness center with interactive fitness mirrors and a flex room; and private workstations.

“We were aggressively targeting opportunities to expand into Florida, and Gainesville is the perfect submarket to do so,” Sands President Joe Morrison said. “Gainesville’s demographics – particularly when it comes to job and population growth – are similar to the Sun Belt areas we currently develop in. We continue to pursue site acquisitions throughout Florida.”

Located within Alachua County’s Town of Newberry, the project site is only 15 minutes from the Gainesville Regional Airport and 11 miles from downtown Gainesville. It has easy access to I-75.

Gainesville’s population grew 13.5% from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Area unemployment was a scant 2.8% in August 2022. These broader trends are creating substantial demand for new housing to accommodate Gainesville’s growth.

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.