With over 50 years combined real estate experience, we focus on quality value add opportunities throughout the U.S. in select target markets. Our principles have been involved in the acquisition, disposition, and management of over 2,100 units.
Our Distinct Process
Through our proprietary success model, we identify & score multi-family assets and choose to only work with the ones that have problems we can address through our superb operational practices.
We look for both value add opportunities and past management challenges as key indicators to fuel future value plays.
We buy Work Force Housing.
Deferred Maintenance
Bad Management.
These are the 2 things that we find are easily fixable. We fix deferred maintenance with money and bad management with our experienced management team.
About Michael Moulton
Michael started his corporate career in the GE Information Leadership Program and went on to hold many global roles such as a Global IT Manager & Certified 6 Sigma Black Belt. He also led many business integrations & e-commerce teams. He has lived and worked in Europe & Asia. In 2005 he officially “fired” his manager and launched his real estate brokerage and investment companies. He and his team have developed and executed many real estate investment strategies over the years. As a managing member of Optimistic Venture Group, Michael strives to provide his investors with stable cash flow returns and long term capital appreciation. Micheal has renovated, flipped, converted, acquired and sold over $30 million in real estate. He has also been involved in the ownership and management of more than $23 Million dollars worth of commercial and residential properties.
Michael owns a Charlotte based real estate brokerage called Bee Home Solutions, Inc. which is the brokerage arm to a number of investment companies he owns & operates. The company focuses on deals that provide high margin and/or long-term passive income in single and multi-family housing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of properties do you invest in?
We currently invest in multi-family apartment buildings & single family homes. Multi-family are one of the most recession proof segments of the Real Estate Market, particularly with the United States population continuing to expand. People will always need clean, affordable housing. Our niche is that we focus on B+ to C+ class multi-family properties and prefer B class in A markets and C+ class in B markets. We believe this positions us in the segment of the market that is shielded most from the ups and downs in the economic cycles. We will also review distressed A class deals in markets with 1MM+ populations.
What is an Accredited Investor?
To qualify as an accredited investor, a person must demonstrate an annual income of $200,000, or $300,000 for joint income, for the last two years with expectation of earning the same or higher income. An individual must have earned income above the thresholds either alone or with a spouse over the last three years. Or A person is also considered an accredited investor if he has a net worth exceeding $1 million, either individually or jointly with his spouse excluding personal home.
How does Optimistic Venture Group find its deals?
We have an extremely effective direct to seller marketing process which has enabled us to create relationships across the country that yield a selection of off market opportunities. We also leverage key relationships with commercial brokers in the Mid-West and Eastern US, who bring us deals often before they go on the open market. Once presented with an opportunity our team then underwrites ever single property to the highest standards and eliminates those that do not qualify at our rigorous standards.
How are your multi-family properties leveraged?
This is an exciting point. Over a 5-year period it is our goal to have our properties not be more than 50-60% leveraged. While we start out with a 75%-80% leverage based on purchase price, we decrease that ratio rapidly by actively paying down the loan and by forcing appreciation of the property through value add improvements, superior management, and rent increases, leading to a 5-year loan to value ratio of no more than 60%. This conservative approach provides additional buffer from the ups and downs of the real estate market.
Can I invest with my retirement plan?
Yes, investing in Multi-family in a structure like ours is perfect for retirement plan investing because your involvement is by definition passive. All you need to do, if you haven’t already, is set up a SELF-DIRECTED IRA with an independent custodian, like Equity Trust Company (www.trustetc.com) or Quest IRA (www.questira.com) and once that is done you can invest using your IRA/401K/ROTH-IRA… or several other self-directed retirement account forms. If you have questions about how to do that, please contact us through the Contact US form or call us at (704) 885-0488.
Deal Timing – The 5 Year Perspective
We follow the following formula which allows us to execute our core strengths over a 5 year period
Why does a deal take 5 years before sale?
Why does a deal take 5 years before sale?
1st year we fix all the broken items on property
2nd year we fix the broken tenants
3rd-5th year we maximize the property as a well managed rising income story that salable on autopilot.
