Go Big or Go Home: Architect with a vision...

[Avideh Haghighi]

Hi everyone, I'm so excited to be here!  A bit about me:

I've been a practicing architect for 15 years, mainly in commercial architecture.  I joined thousands of people who bought a home in the pandemic (RIP 3% rates...) and I did a gut-renovation.  This wasn't just another re-hab or a flip, I had a very strong purpose and vision for the house.  Before I knew it, I was featured on the news and have been speaking about the house at conferences, etc.  This was never my primary home, and it's now a very successful Airbnb.   

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, even though at times I wanted to tear my hair out :) .  I did the design, permitting, procuring materials, and I was also the GC.  It was a big learning curve going from commercial to residential.  

Now I want to do more! And I have ideas for how to make it even more profitable for the next house. I am only interested in SFR and only in CA. I've been to a few local REIT workshops, but it seems they all tell you to go buy in midwest, and get a deal by buying from folks who are about to lose their homes. So I'm eager to connect with local investors and flippers who are actively buying and doing BRRRR in Southern California.  

What I want to do: buy old and outdated single family home in SoCal, rehab it, turn the garage into a JADU, then add a second home on the lot (via SB9, no lot split).  I can do this in phases depending on funding.  Then I want to rent the home and hold the property, ideally.  I'm sure there are plenty of other investors who are doing this, and I would love to connect to learn from you.

My Ultimate Goal: build a brand that will be trusted and recognized for challenging the standard of American housing, one house at a time.  (I know...Go Big or Go Home, right?!)

[Arman Ahmed]

@Avideh Haghighi

Avideh, love your vision — adding ADUs and leveraging SB9 is one of the smartest ways to unlock hidden value in SoCal right now. You’re absolutely right that it takes a different mindset than commercial, but your background gives you a huge edge.

A lot of investors I work with do exactly what you’re describing — phase projects, keep costs tight, and turn long-term holds into serious cash-flow machines. Locally, the challenge is always acquisition price, but the upside is there if you can execute well.

That said, many also diversify into the Midwest for cash flow while keeping their SoCal projects for appreciation. Both can complement each other really well.