If you are far away, you cannot reliably confirm site conditions after a storm, assess whether a vendor actually showed up, or intervene quickly when a situation develops.

You’re not alone — a lot of investors are feeling the same squeeze right now.From the ground-up / small multifamily side, what we’re seeing is that the “good deals” haven’t disappeared — they’ve just shifted away from traditional acquisitions and more toward development plays.A few trends that stand out:1️⃣ Build-to-Rent Is Filling the GapMany investors are pivoting to duplex and small multifamily construction to create inventory that pencils better long-term.2️⃣ Cost Basis ControlWhen you’re building, you’re locking your basis upfront instead of inheriting someone else’s appreciation plus deferred maintenance.3️⃣ Timeline & Entitlement RiskThe biggest hurdle is navigating plans, permitting, and site feasibility — which is why many investors look for projects that are already moving through that phase.Because of this, we’re seeing increased interest in ready-to-build duplex projects — where lots, plans, and permitting are already in progress — allowing investors to focus on the build and long-term rental strategy rather than starting from raw land.Build-to-rent duplexes have been a strong middle ground lately between single-family and larger multifamily — especially in growth corridors.Always interested in comparing notes with others pursuing duplex or small multifamily ground-up strategies — we’re actively building in SWFL and enjoy sharing insights with others working in similar markets.

Columbus especially has been super strong with population and job growth, huge developments coming in, and it's been one of the most stable Midwest markets for rent growth.

The combination of hands-on mechanical knowledge and real business discipline is something many investors develop much later - if ever.One perspective that may serve you well early: in real estate, technical problems are often easier to solve than financial ones.A building can be “fixable” from a construction standpoint and still be a weak deal if the numbers don’t provide enough margin.

Quote from @Marcus Ball: After struggling with local rehab properties in California, I switched to build-to-rent developers and chose a 1031 exchange.

It could hinder development and actually exacerbate the core issue driving housing un-affordability which is a housing shortage. 

I am in land development in the Treasure Coast.

That business model also tends to require being extremely hands-on, which seems at odds with the lifestyle goal of replacing a stable job.So if someone truly believes running around managing low-value homes is a better long-term life choice than a reliable W2 job, then by all means go for it—but it’s not for most.Another way people replace W2 income that may be more realistic is by getting involved in real estate with more meaningful fee potential, which usually means heavier construction-oriented development.

$2.5B New Center by Henry Ford Health, Pistons owner and Michigan State Universityhttps://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/08/incredible-investment-in-our-city-25b-detroit-neighborhood-redevelopment-to-begin-in-2024/$1.5B Investment, 12,000 temp jobs, 6,000 New Jobs: District Detroit Developmenthttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2022/11/15/district-detroit-1-5b-development-to-include-housing-retail-hotels/69649853007/$1.4B Total as Hotel Added to Hudson Sitehttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2023/11/02/hudsons-site-hotel-plans-move-ahead-as-city-issues-permit/71426631007/$439M Gilbert Foundation investment in Detroithttps://www.henryfordmsu.org/news/september-2023/gilbert-family-foundation-announces-nick-gilbert-neurofibromatosis-research-institute$400M Investment, 517 New Jobs: Norway’s Nel Hydronhttps://businessfacilities.com/nel-hydrogen-will-build-400m-gigafactory-in-southeast-michigan#:~:text=In%20Southeast%20Michigan-,Nel%20Hydrogen%20Will%20Build%20%24400M%20Gigafactory%20In%20Southeast%20Michigan,green%20hydrogen%20using%20electrolyzer%20technology.$300M Huntington Place Renovations & New Detroit Hotel https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/huntington-place-renovations-new-hotel-deal-reached$200M Chase Investment in Detroithttps://www.axios.com/2023/09/28/detroit-rebound-jp-morgan-investment$44M Investment, 237 New Jobs: Bollinger Motorshttps://michauto.org/bollinger-motors-plans-44m-metro-detroit-investment/$21.5M Investment for Detroit west side Dexter Neighborhoodhttps://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/11/01/neighborhood-on-detroits-west-side-receives-more-than-215m-in-investments/$20.6M Investment, 186 New Jobs: BorgWarnerhttps://www.crainsdetroit.com/auto-suppliers/borgwarner-invest-206-million-create-186-jobs$11M, 200 New Jobs: Volkswagen Scout Brand Investment in Detroithttps://www.teslarati.com/volkswagen-scout-11-million-detroit-investment/New Detroit Developments to Be Excited Abouthttps://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/15-new-detroit-developments-to-be-excited-about-photos/Slideshow/32734721/327353923 International Companies Choose Detroithttps://www.detroitregionalpartnership.com/international-investment-comes-to-detroit-region/6 New Residential Developments in Detroithttps://detroitisit.com/6-new-residential-developments-in-detroit-to-know-about/Contact us with any questions you have.

The rule of “unintended consequences” also leads us to conclude some other effects of buyers paying their agents directly, (without the “work around”) developed by the NAR, which was the original intention of the regulators in suing the NAR.