Reading the Market Before the Turn

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Casey Stratton, who shares his journey from corporate layoffs during the GFC to building a real estate portfolio using the 1% rule – buying duplexes for $100K that rented for $1K/month. Now focused on Eastern Washington's Tri-Cities (one of the top 20 fastest-growing MSAs), Casey discusses how they're navigating today's 0.75% reality by pursuing true off-market deals and pivoting to development.

After securing a 33-unit property from an 86-year-old seller below market rents, they're launching their first ground-up development of 140 units. Casey reveals how Washington's new rent control (7% + CPI cap) changes the value-add playbook, requiring 2+ years just to reach market rents.

His key insight: sub-50 unit deals remain inefficient enough for arbitrage opportunities while institutional capital chases larger assets.

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