How Investors are Turning Hotels into Homes People Can Afford - ft. Adam Hooper & Ryan Sudeck

May 14, 2025

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In this episode of the Directed IRA Podcast, I sat down with Adam Hooper and Ryan Sudek from Sage Investment Group to dive into a high-impact real estate strategy: converting underutilized hotels into naturally affordable housing. We explored how this model delivers strong investor returns while addressing the affordable housing crisis—without relying on government subsidies. With over 20 successful conversions and more in the pipeline, this episode is packed with insights on real estate investing, IRA strategies, and wealth-building opportunities. If you're passionate about doing good while making money, you won't want to miss this conversation.

0:00 - Intro - Real Estate Supply, Demand & Affordability Crisis
0:30 - Meet Sage Investment Group & Their Mission
1:43 - Why Hotels? A Strategic Conversion Model Explained
6:13 - First Hotel Deal Case Study: Tucson Conversion
10:11 - Why Not Office Conversions? Key Challenges
12:05 - Investment Returns Without Sacrificing Impact
15:15 - Deals That Didn’t Work and Why
20:26 - Big Wins: Texas Hotel Acquisitions for Half Price
23:09 - Hotel Industry Distress & The Patel Effect
25:13 - Post-COVID Shifts in Hospitality and Opportunity
27:06 - Using Self-Directed IRAs in Real Estate
30:17 - Evergreen Fund Structure & Diversification Benefits
31:54 - Liquidity & Exiting the Fund
33:08 - 1031 Exchange Strategy Using a 721 UpREIT
36:45 - Active Value Creation vs. Passive Investing
38:06 - Is Now a Good Time to Invest in Real Estate?
40:22 - Supply Forecasting & Conversions Market Potential
44:27 - Personal Motivations & Building Investor Access
48:31 - How M&A Skills Transfer to Real Estate
51:18 - Fund Performance, Notes, and Final Investment Terms
53:59 - How to Learn More & Get Involved

👉 Want to learn more or invest?
Visit sageinvestment.com/IRA for details on how Sage Investment Group helps turn underutilized hotels into high-yield, naturally affordable housing.

📩 Have questions or ready to connect?
Email ryan@sageinvestment.group or adam@sageinvestment.group

Directed IRA Homepage: https://directedira.com/

Directed IRA Explore (Linktree): https://linktr.ee/SelfDirectedIRA

Book a Call: https://directedira.com/appointment/

Other:
Mat Sorensen: https://matsorensen.com & https://linktr.ee/MatSorensen
KKOS: https://kkoslawyers.com
Main Street Business https://mainstreetbusiness.com