The Best Ever CRE Show

JF3767: How a $2M Apartment Complex Became a $4M Condo Project & The Power of Ruthless Asset Management ft. Chris Stout

Dec 27, 2024

01:08:24

In this episode of The Best Ever CRE Show, Matt Faircloth interviews Chris Stout, a former New York City firefighter turned real estate investor who has built a portfolio of over 700 apartment units. Chris shares his journey from living in a mobile home park at age 10 to becoming a successful real estate investor, starting with buying two-family homes in Staten Island. The conversation explores his innovative approach to property management, including his "ruthless asset management" philosophy of focusing on operational efficiencies like consolidating maintenance work orders to one day per week. Chris details a recent successful project where he purchased a 24-unit townhouse community in Fayetteville, Arkansas for $2 million, invested $500,000 in renovations, and is selling the units as individual condos for $180,000-$200,000 each, generating approximately $1.6 million in profit. The discussion covers the surprisingly simple process of condo conversion in Arkansas compared to Northeast markets, as well as Chris's strategy of targeting properties with below-market rents for acquisition. Chris emphasizes the importance of location and purchase price as the two factors investors can't change after acquisition, and shares how he's leveraging his track record to secure favorable local bank financing for future projects.