Meet The Author

Since you signed up for the Real Estate Observer, you might be wondering how I got started in real estate, why I “passively” invest in deals as a limited partner, and what else keeps me busy.

How’d I Get Into Real Estate?

It started junior year at East Carolina University. I decided to cut back on the “fun” (somewhat), and started binging real estate books and podcasts. That led to a part-time job as a real estate analyst that quickly turned full-time and laid the groundwork for my career.

Fast forward to today: I focus on land acquisition for residential development with a great company based in Charlotte, NC.

My First Investment:

After graduating, I was blessed to live with my mom for a year to save money, during which I bought and fully renovated a home in Charlotte.

Spoiler Alert: it was a lot more work than Instagram makes it look.

That project reinforced my belief that real estate is far from passive (despite what some “gurus” might say). I quickly realized I didn’t want to spend my evenings babysitting contractors or chasing down the next single-family fixer-upper.

📸 Pre-reno, mid-reno, post-reno photos below:

That’s when I began exploring Limited Partnership (LP) investing which allows me to apply my investment knowledge in a little bit more of a hands off way. Of course, I did start a boutique investment shop around this so now it’s not quite as passive for myself, but it certainly isn’t babysitting contractors either.

Currently, I’m invested into 9 private deals across:
- Multifamily
- Land Development
- Real Estate Private Credit

I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’m excited to share that knowledge in this newsletter.

LP investing requires its own kind of effort. Instead of managing properties or contractors, the real challenge is trusting someone else with your money and ensuring they’re a good steward of your capital. It is a bit more of a passive investment approach, but still requires investment knowledge to make sure you’re making good decisions.

I also run a boutique investment shop with my dad, where we partner with operating partners and offer the opportunity up to our network of investors (we invest our own capital too).

I’m a relentless researcher, always seeking to refine my investment strategy and due diligence process.

My goal is to sift through the noise and share the most important insights, so you are able to make the most informed decisions possible.

Deal Review From Clay ✍️

Personal Priorities:

• Faith

• Family & Friends

• Exercise

• Fly Fishing

• Hiking

• Traveling

Thanks again for joining me. If you’re tired of my rambling already (don’t blame you), feel free to hit the unsubscribe button anytime.

Connect With Us 📞

Have questions or feedback? Just hit “reply” on this email—I personally read every single one.

Clay Stanley
Founder, Real Estate Observer