Welcome to another enlightening episode of the Raising Private Money podcast! Today Jay Conner sits down with Jered Sturm, CEO of S&S Capital Group. Jered has transformed his journey from a humble apartment maintenance technician to managing a multi-million dollar portfolio in the real estate multifamily sector. Jered shares invaluable insights about investment strategies, raising private capital, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle amidst the challenges of entrepreneurship.

The Early Days: From Maintenance Technician to Real Estate Mogul

Jered's journey began 18 years ago in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as an apartment maintenance technician. Fresh out of high school, he and his brother purchased a six-bedroom house and launched a construction company, leveraging their skills in the trades. Initially, they utilized their resources to acquire and improve properties, building a solid portfolio without raising outside capital.

Their business model focused primarily on the advantages of compounding interest and long-term investments. A significant milestone was reached when they secured a cash-out refinance loan on eight of their houses, allowing them to reinvest in additional properties, setting the stage for their success today.

From Small Beginnings to Syndication: The Power of Networking

For the first eight years, Jered and his brother operated without external investors, relying on their resources and grit. However, a pivotal shift occurred seven years into their career when Jered recognized the potential of syndication. Encouraged by exceptional investment results that outperformed traditional retirement funds, they decided to share these opportunities with others.

Jered emphasizes the importance of treating borrowed money with the utmost care, viewing it as a representation of the time and effort invested by the lenders. This philosophy has earned the trust and commitment of investors, with 60% repeatedly participating in multiple deals.

Syndication has allowed Jered’s company to scale significantly, leveraging both personal networks and word-of-mouth to attract investors. Their approach involves contracting specific deals and presenting a comprehensive offering memorandum to investors, detailing the business plan, projected returns, and more.

Infinite Return Model: Forced Appreciation and Long-term Hold Strategy

A key strategy at S&S Capital Group is the infinite return model. Typically, projects are held for an extended period, around ten years, but investors often see their principal returned within 2-3 years due to forced appreciation. This involves modernizing units and executing strategic property management improvements. By doing so, the company can return 100% of the initial investment while maintaining ownership, creating a cycle of continuous, passive income.

The benefits are twofold: investors receive predictable cash flow and returns without actively managing properties, and the company gains financial advantages through economies of scale and operational efficiencies.

Balancing Business and Personal Life: An Entrepreneur's Guide

Maintaining a balance between personal and professional commitments is a recurrent theme throughout the interview. Jered underscores the importance of intentionality in staying balanced across personal, professional, and spiritual life. He acknowledges that perfect balance is an elusive goal, but the continuous effort towards achieving it is essential for personal growth.

He advises entrepreneurs to leverage their strengths, whether in construction, sales, or analytics, as their unique competitive advantage in the multifamily space. Jay Conner complements this with his father's philosophy of 'dictate, delegate, and disappear,' underscoring the significance of knowing one's strengths and delegating tasks to maintain focus.

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