All Forum Posts by: Hunter Foote

Great to hear you're in Boston. We're just over in Worcester County and have been developing recovery housing across the state for years. We've worked on more than 20 sober homes in Massachusetts and currently operate the largest portfolio in the state.

Would be glad to connect and hear more about your experience. Let me know what you're working on or looking to explore.

You're absolutely right that this is just as much about purpose as it is about profit. Anyone who leans too far in one direction usually runs into trouble. Florida has some solid infrastructure in place for recovery housing, including a statewide certification body. I’d recommend starting with the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR) to understand the standards and expectations.

Feel free to reach out directly if your friend has specific questions. Happy to help however I can.

I know I’m a bit late to the conversation, but I wanted to chime in. Recovery housing, also called sober living, is a space I’ve been working in for several years. We’ve helped lease properties for recovery homes in eight different states and have seen a variety of approaches, both successful and challenging.

If this is still something you’re considering, feel free to message me. There’s a lot to go over, including zoning, lease structure, operator selection, and long-term planning. I’m happy to share what I’ve seen work.

If you're currently operating or developing recovery housing (sober living homes, transitional housing, or related models), I offer consulting services to help you get the most out of your portfolio—both in terms of impact and return.

I’ve spent the past decade working in this niche, supporting projects across multiple states. My work includes site evaluation, lease structuring, compliance planning, funding strategies, and operational support. Whether you're scaling up or fine-tuning an existing home, I can help you avoid common pitfalls and build a sustainable model.

Ideal for:

• Real estate investors entering the recovery housing space

• Nonprofits developing sober living programs

• Operators seeking to grow or formalize their systems

• Developers looking for strategic site planning or leasing models

Feel free to message me if you'd like to talk through what you're working on and see if there’s a good fit.

I’m curious to know if there are others in the BP community who have experience with recovery housing as a real estate strategy.

I’ve spent the last several years working on the development side of sober living homes, and I’ve found it to be a fascinating intersection of real estate, social impact, and long-term cash flow. From property selection and renovation to structuring leases with operators, there’s a lot that goes into doing it right... And a lot of potential when it's done well.

Would love to hear from others who are active in this space or even just exploring it. How have you approached it? What challenges or successes have you seen?

Looking forward to learning from others and connecting with anyone else in this niche.

Hi everyone, I'm Dr. Hunter T. Foote, based in New England and excited to be part of this community.

I’ve been in real estate for a while now, mostly focused on a niche that not many people talk about: recovery housing. Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from renovating properties to structuring leases with operators who provide sober living environments. It’s a unique intersection of housing and social impact that I’ve really grown passionate about.

I'm here mostly to connect with others who are interested in alternative residential models, community-based investing, or just looking to learn about lesser-known strategies that still make a difference. Always happy to share what I’ve learned and hear what others are building.

Looking forward to connecting and contributing where I can.

Hi Jennaveve, I know this thread is quite old, but I figured I’d reach out since someone else recently jumped in as well.

I’ve been working in the recovery housing space for nearly ten years, helping both investors and nonprofits open and support recovery homes across the country. Your vision to create a supportive space for women recovering from eating disorders is deeply needed, and you're right, it can absolutely be both a powerful ministry and a financially sustainable model.

Securing funding can be challenging, but there are ways to structure these projects using private investment, grant funding, or partnerships with treatment providers. If you're still exploring this path, I’d be happy to connect and share what’s worked for others.

Feel free to reach out anytime.

Hi Jane, I know this thread is a few months old but wanted to jump in since this topic comes up a lot.

It sounds like the podcast may have been referring to a model where the operator or sponsoring organization pays rent to the landlord, rather than individual tenants. In some cases, that rent is backed by state contracts, regional organizations, or grant programs, depending on the operator's setup. Programs like ATR (Access to Recovery), Project NORTH, and various state-funded sober living initiatives often play a role here.

We actually help match landlords with qualified sober living operators and, in certain situations, provide limited lease guarantees through our agency. If you're still trying to identify what the couple was referring to or want to explore leasing to a recovery home operator, I’d be happy to share more or point you in the right direction.

Hi Michelle, just came across your post and it's great to see you're getting into sober living with such a strong background.

We've worked with a lot of operators and developers across the country. We actually moved away from using OneStep because we ran into some limitations. It didn’t quite fit the needs of our homes, so we ended up developing our own system to handle payments, recordkeeping, and guest management in a way that fits the unique workflow of recovery housing.

Are you planning to continue self-managing for the long term, or would you consider leasing to a third-party operator at some point? Most of the developers we work with lease their properties to independent operators, but we also support those who run the homes themselves and want the right systems in place.

Happy to share more details about what we use or help point you in the right direction based on your setup.

Hey Mina, great question, and honestly, there isn’t a ton of clear guidance out there on how to lease to sober living operators.

We work with a national network of recovery home operators who are actively looking to lease properties --- especially in areas near treatment centers or public transportation. We also help investors develop or reposition properties specifically for use as recovery housing and structure long-term net lease agreements with qualified operators.

If you’ve got a property or are thinking about acquiring one, happy to connect you with a potential operator or walk you through what a lease structure could look like.