Huntsville’s student-housing scene has a new ownership team, with CrestMarc and Midloch Investment Partners taking over a 294-unit apartment community serving Sam Houston State University. The deal places one of the city’s established off-campus housing properties in the hands of investors betting that Bearkat demand will keep the leasing engine humming.
CrestMarc and Midloch acquired The Forum at Sam Houston, according to REJournals. The purchase price was not disclosed, but the transaction was pitched around the property’s proximity to campus, a stable student population and a lack of currently planned competing purpose-built developments.
The Forum Brings 294 Units And 450 Beds Near Campus
Built in 2010, The Forum includes studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units, with an average unit size of about 800 square feet. A property listing from Cushman & Wakefield described the community as a 294-unit, 450-bed student-housing property in Huntsville.
The amenity package is designed to keep students close to home when they are not in class, including a resort-style pool, sand volleyball and basketball courts, a 24-hour fitness center, study and clubhouse space, a bark park, a coffee bar and a private shuttle. The property’s current website also markets furnished apartments and move-in-ready housing aimed squarely at the SHSU crowd.
A Big Student Population Is The Investment Thesis
Sam Houston State University’s enrollment profile helps explain the interest: an official university filing describes roughly 21,000 students. SHSU’s housing page also says the waitlist for the 2026-27 academic year is open, although that alone does not establish how many students are seeking off-campus apartments.
REJournals reports that no new competitive purpose-built student-housing developments are currently planned in the submarket, a condition the buyers see as supportive of leasing strength, rent growth and future value creation. That is the investment thesis—not a guarantee—and the actual test will come as the new owners manage renewals, occupancy and operating costs.
New Owners Bring A Value-Add Multifamily Playbook
CrestMarc describes itself as a Dallas-based multifamily firm focused on acquisition, rehabilitation, management and disposition, with an emphasis on creating value in A- to B-grade properties, according to the company’s website. Midloch says it makes value-driven private real-estate investments and typically partners with local operators, per the firm’s company profile.
For Huntsville, the immediate takeaway is not a new apartment construction announcement but a change in who controls a sizeable piece of the student-rental market. With fall move-in season approaching, CrestMarc and Midloch now have 294 units—and a pool, shuttle, coffee bar and several thousand future study sessions—to turn into their next multifamily bet.
