Black Dog Capital Advisors

Welcome to Black Dog Capital Advisors, your premier destination for expert real estate services tailored to your unique needs.

Black Dog Capital Advisors was founded in 2022 with a clear purpose:

1. to help existing capital providers and operators in the senior housing industry maximize the value of their assets, and

2. to raise and deploy capital for new ground‑up development in the rapidly emerging Active Adult segment.

Our firm is built on the combined experience of a father‑son team with deep roots in senior housing and multifamily real estate. Bill Pettit founded Merrill Gardens in 1993, growing it into one of the industry’s most respected owner‑operators. Over more than three decades, he led the company and its parent, R.D. Merrill, earning multiple Family Business of the Year awards and serving in leadership roles at ASHA and Argentum.

His son Billy launched Pillar Properties in 2012 after several years working alongside Bill at Merrill Gardens. Pillar quickly evolved into an award‑winning Puget Sound developer, owner, and operator of high‑end urban infill communities.

Together, Bill and Billy formed Black Dog to bring their complementary strengths—senior housing expertise and multifamily leadership—to a new generation of Active Adult real estate. Their proven track record in operations, acquisitions, development, and capital raising uniquely positions the firm to lead in this growing asset class.