ORLANDO-Despite still shaky capital markets, CNL Properties Trust, a non-traded REIT focusing on healthcare and senior living, lifestyle, lodging and specialty properties, is gaining momentum. The REIT has raised enough proceeds to break escrow through its continuous public offering.

So far, CNL Properties Trust has accepted subscription funds of more than $2 million and issued approximately 227,000 shares to its initial investors, who were admitted as stockholders. New stockholders will now be admitted daily.

“We believe financial advisors and investors are comfortable investing in CNL Properties Trust based on CNL's direct experience and past success in the asset classes that the REIT is targeting, driven by our team's ability to source and execute attractive investment opportunities in those asset classes,” Steve Maudlin, president and COO of CNL Properties Trust, tells GlobeSt.com. “We know there's been a lot of cash sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity. It may be that investors have an appetite for the CNL Properties Trust investment thesis, which is fundamentally based on long-term demographic trends.”

CNL’s board of directors expects to declare a monthly cash distribution of $0.03333 and a monthly stock distribution of 0.002500 shares on each outstanding share of common stock on Nov. 1, 2011 and on the first day of every month going forward. The cash and stock distributions equate to an annualized distribution rate of 4% and 3%, respectively, for a total annualized distribution of 7% based on the $10 offering price. And this appears to be just the beginning.

“We haven't yet made our first investment, but our focus is on domestic healthcare, senior living and select lifestyle properties,” Maudlin says. “We're reviewing a number of opportunities that we believe are compelling, and we'll announce details of acquisitions as we're able.”