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Joe Fairless bought his first single-family investment properties in his home state of Texas after leaving a successful, but unrewarding career in advertising. After finding that multi-family investing offered greater returns and less inventory, he began making the transition to multi-family investing.

His first deal was managed through unconventional measures. Lacking the standing as a seasoned multi-family investor, Joe incorporated non-traditional, creative equity solutions for obtaining capital for his first 168-unit apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now founder of Fairless Investments, Joe controls millions of dollars in multi-family investment properties. Joe shares his experience in multi-family investing and provides tips for securing capital through creative equity methods.

• Challenges for Single-Family Investors
  • Lack of credibility in multi-family markets
  • Traditional lending and private financing may be difficult to attain
• Network Personal Contacts
  • This is a good practice for single-family investors to find financing by networking personal relationships for interest in multi-family investing
• Strategic Networking
  • Network and affiliate with organizations that may not be lenders but have cash flow or may have eye towards investing
    • i.e. philanthropic organizations, community foundations, business groups
• Establish Investment Base First
  • This does not mean a blind-fund or requirement of prior monetary investment
  • Form verbal contract with investors based on shared financial goals
  • Pursue investment opportunities that suit shared criteria
• Structuring Deal With Investors
  • Preferred returns – investors get cash from deal before yourself
  • Acquisition fees
  • Performance hurdles
  • Post-sale incentives
• Tips
  • Make yourself attractive to lenders and investors
  • Know the market, know the deal
  • Investing is starting a small business; structure so that you may sell that business. Don’t get tied down to an investment

Joe has his own daily podcast in which he interviews guests on a variety of real estate investment strategies

For more information on Joe, visit his website

You can also contact him by email at info@joefairless.com with questions or investment opportunities!

Joe also shares some helpful literature for single-family investors looking to make the transition:

Investing for Dummies – Eric Tyson

Commercial Real Estate Investing for Dummies – Peter Conti & Peter Harris

The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings - Steve Berges