Storage Yard Real Estate Development with Chris Long

 

Storage Yard Real Estate Development with Chris Long

 

Guest: Join us in this captivating interview with Chris Long, a visionary entrepreneur who transformed a simple solution into a booming real estate venture. Chris, a licensed carpenter, identified a gap in the market and embarked on a journey that led him from the cold capital of Canada to the sunny shores of Tampa, FL, where he currently spearheads Long Yards, a revolutionary concept in real estate targeting an unmet need for affordable storage space.

 

Big Idea: Chris shares his remarkable journey from identifying a market need to building a successful business empire in the real estate sector. He delves into the challenges he faced, the pivotal decisions he made, and the strategies he implemented to overcome obstacles and achieve exponential growth in the storage business.

 

 

    

Chris Long: Yeah. So I’m a licensed carpenter by trade. I was in the construction industry for 15 years and I discovered a problem in the market that didn’t exist and I needed a small affordable space for my equipment, tools and trailers, and you go to a self storage facility, but I needed a yard, but there was a gap in the marketplace. I don’t need a one to three acre parcel that I pay half million, a million dollars with it or I lease it for triple net lease for three or five years. No, I’ve seen a small medium-sized yard month to month that was secure and closed. Sometimes I believe I’m a simple person, simple problems have simple solutions. I’m like, if this doesn’t exist, I’m going to build it and sure enough, no investor would get behind me. They thought I was crazy. So I had to sell both my houses and I only had a small rental portfolio of two duplexes. So to go in on my vision, I had to literally put my mouth where I believed it and sell everything I had and it was a success. So I mean, I spread myself then getting it going. I couldn’t even afford to put the gates on the front, but I had to pre-sell the first units in full to afford to complete the buildout. But since then it’s been off to the races. We leased up completely in Ottawa, Canada. We’re building out central Florida. We have parcels and I built a franchise system, so I’m a franchisor. We have franchisees parcels under our contract in Florida, in Texas. We’re looking at Carolina and we have both five active lois and we’re just looking to expand with great people with a great business.

Dan Breslin: Yeah, it’s pretty cool and it’s timely. We’re going to dig into the 8.9 acres that I currently own that’s owned industrial that I’m deciding what I want to do with it, Memphis, Tennessee a little later in the show. But before we get into that, let’s back up to that first deal. What year was that, Chris?

Chris Long: So I bought it with my brother in 2017. We sat on it for a little bit, being brothers, we just had a different little view and it took about two years to kind of arm wrestle and figure it out. But I cut the rivet in October 1st, 2019, and my first location, Long Yards in Ottawa, Canada. Then I moved out to the states about two years ago to expand internationally.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://LongYards.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Chris Long & I Discuss Storage Yard Real Estate Development:

  • Identifying Market Gaps: Chris discusses the inspiration behind Long Yards and the unmet need for affordable storage space. (00:02:51)
  • Strategic Partnerships: The importance of choosing the right partners and maintaining alignment in business ventures. (00:06:48)
  • The Concept of Long Yards: Chris introduces the concept of Long Yards, explaining how it combines land banking with cash flow generation. (00:13:04)
  • SBA Financing Advantage: The competitive advantage of utilizing SBA financing for real estate acquisition and build-out within the Long Yards framework. (00:22:38)
  • Stabilized occupancy rate and turnover: Chris discusses how Long Yards maintains a 90% stabilized occupancy rate, with lower turnover due to catering mainly to small businesses (00:42:41).

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Scaling with Strategy in Real Estate with Jim Fredo

 

Scaling with Strategy in Real Estate with Jim Fredo

 

Guest: Jim Fredo is a seasoned real estate investor and dynamic entrepreneur based in Pittsburgh. With a diverse background that spans the music industry and the tech sector, Jim embarked on a journey into the realm of real estate, leveraging his wide-ranging skills and experiences. He quickly established himself as an astute investor known for his strategic approach and keen eye for value-add opportunities. Having navigated the challenges of the music industry’s networking-driven landscape, Jim applied his tenacity and resourcefulness to the real estate market. Today, he stands as a testament to the power of adapting and thriving in diverse industries. Jim’s reputation extends beyond his impressive portfolio; he is also dedicated to sharing his insights and knowledge within the real estate community.

 

Big Idea: Jim Fredo’s remarkable journey in real estate is centered around the concept of scaling through strategic partnerships and embracing value-add opportunities. He has recognized the value of collaboration and the significance of enhancing property value to achieve remarkable growth. Jim’s approach underscores the importance of combining expertise, leveraging resources, and optimizing properties for sustained success in the competitive real estate landscape.

 

 

    

 

Jim: Sure. So I came here, I started off with single family. I didn’t know the area. I didn’t know the markets. I already had a disastrous first purchase. I lived in California and bought a building in Eastern PA and it was just a mess. So coming to Pittsburgh, don’t want to make the same mistakes. I’ve learned from all that. The first two properties that I bought were actually from the same seller. He carried the note. I still have properties today. You start off with zero percent interest and made sense. When I refinance that and paid him off, it’s worth a lot more than I paid for it. It’s like, “Okay, this worked out well.” And from there, I just-, I did some flips for a little while to build a little pot of money. Way too stressful for me, so I’ve stuck with rental since then. Single families, duplexes had been growing since then, a couple of six units, and I think I mentioned to you we closed on a 28-unit townhome package and a 25-unit, building.

Dan: Nice, congratulations on the scale there. So is that what your whistle now, to no longer want to add single-family rentals to the portfolio? Have you made a transition or is this is a, “Hey, welcome with my arms open. I’m happy to take another duplex, single family. If that feels good, I’m in.” What where you at with that, Jim?

Jim: I try not to do too many, but I have a great relationship with the wholesaler in town, and he brings deals to me, you know, and he knows I close-, if he’s going to buy, I’m going to buy, and no competition. He brings me killer deals. Like okay, fine, I’ll take it, so. I have a crew, so I go to renovation company, management company to support all this. So sometimes I buy stuff just to keep the crew busy for any slow period. So if it makes sense, I’ll buy it but I am focusing on the bigger projects. I’ve got a partner out of Michigan. Were working together on big syndication deals now. He’s got tons of experience. I think he’s purchased 1500, 2000 units syndication deals, so we’ve got one of those working on. But we’re talking about the before the show so.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://www.SpringCapital.Partners/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Jim Fredo & I Discuss Scaling with Strategy in Real Estate:

  • Value-Add Approach: The importance of renovating properties to enhance their value and improve tenant experiences.
  • Challenges in Scaling: The complexities of transitioning from smaller rental properties to more substantial syndication deals, including managing partner relationships and operations.
  • Managing Maintenance: The significance of preventive maintenance in reducing emergencies and long-term expenses.
  • Commercial vs. Residential: A thorough analysis of the pros and cons of commercial and residential real estate investments, exploring property management and tenant expectations.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 228 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.