Founder of Wellings Capital. Sold staffing firm to a public co. in 1997. Invest in real estate since 1999. Now manage $125 million in equity. 2x CRE Author.
I regularly talk to real estate investors who spend long days chasing deals or flipping houses.
But they're often disappointed with their returns on the time and money invested.
Many of them pivot to commercial real estate. But that’s a great way to get burned.
Why?
Many investors know about the historic returns, tax advantages, and wealth-building potential of commercial real estate, but they don’t know who to trust or where to start.
CHALLENGE #1: Specialization. Who do I invest with?
It takes a major effort to separate skilled operators from amateurs and wolves. Especially in the rising tide that just spanned a decade. Some of the worst operators were top performers because they used higher leverage. While higher, riskier leverage pays off in a rising tide, it wipes out equity when interest rates rise and values retreat.
CHALLENGE #2: Diversification. How do I construct a broad portfolio?
Professional investors build recession-resistant real estate portfolios diversified across asset types, geographies, expert asset managers, and strategies. Many diversify within the capital stack, as well.
Unfortunately, Specialization and Diversification are at odds with each other for most retail accredited investors. Why? Because most don’t have enough investible capital to diversify appropriately. Broad diversification can be hard to achieve at a minimum investment size of $50k to $100k.
Furthermore, one operator can’t be an expert in multiple asset types. History is littered with businesses that tried and failed miserably. So, achieving both specialization and diversification seems unachievable for most investors.
After achieving two-time Finalist for Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year in the '90s, I sold my firm and became a full-time investor. I’ve focused on real estate since 1999.
I made a lot of mistakes along the way. I failed to invest with seasoned professionals. I failed to properly diversify. And I didn’t know the difference between investing and speculating.
But I learned from my mistakes. I eventually hosted a wealth-building podcast called How to Lose Money as my therapy… and to learn from 238 guests.
After authoring a popular and humbly-titled 😀 multifamily investing book (The Perfect Investment), I saw trouble brewing in the apartment sector.
How could an investment be perfect if one must…
•Overpay by 20% or more to land a deal?
•Overleverage with risky, short-term, floating-rate debt?
•Count on rents and occupancy to grow to the sky…while operating expenses decline?
My business partner and I abandoned multifamily syndication and put our heads together to tackle the twin challenges of Specialization and Diversification.
We envisioned a private commercial real estate portfolio diversified across recession-resistant asset types, geographies, carefully vetted operators, capital stack positions, and strategies.
And that’s what we created.
We’re now managing our sixth fund. We’re joined by over 800 accredited investors who also prioritize safety of principal and reliable cash flow, followed by tax benefits and appreciation.
We have successfully dodged the CRE crisis currently impacting tens of thousands of investors. Our default is to say “NO,” and our investors get the peace of mind of knowing our approved operators have stellar track records, tested teams, and atypical opportunities.
The price?
We didn’t get rich overnight in multifamily.
That’s a toll we gladly paid.
The Perfect Investment: https://t.co/Sg5bAQ2nFE
Storing Up Profits: https://t.co/Yf1WNYuUQz
They make me say this when I mention our fund...Investors should consider investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or a summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund call (800) 844-2188 or visit the Fund’s website https://t.co/AGGvuKMofr. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Are you looking for insight on how to shape your future investment strategy? Join other industry leaders and I for a panel discussion on Friday, September 13th at 12:00pm EST. Register Today! https://t.co/FXn4vCine0
True wealth is not measured by mansions and fancy cars.
True wealth is owning assets that produce cash flow. Making money while you sleep.
Taxes are your biggest cost.
@baldridgecpa is right…
It was an afterthought as I left his office. But his comment left a deep mark.
“People don’t appreciate the power of illiquidity!”
He's a top hedge fund manager. So I listened.
He explained illiquidity's power to compound wealth. It sent me on a quest. Here's what I learned👇
Investors should consider investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or a summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund call (800) 844-2188 or visit the Fund’s website https://t.co/bRx0JTxmyt.