Ep. 15: Innovation in Indianapolis with Sterling White

As a child, he had other kids selling Kool-Aid for him, so it’s no surprise he became a real estate entrepreneur at a young age. Sterling White began working in construction on commercial projects before purchasing his first single family home at the age of 23 – with no money. Today, he thrives with an innovative model that attracts investors and Millennial renters in the urban cores of Indianapolis and Dayton. He is the co-founder of Holdfolio and holds an $8.8M real estate portfolio. Sterling often shares his experience through videos and posts on BiggerPockets and tells us more of those insights on today’s show. 

Key Market Insights

• Sterling started as an entrepreneur selling Kool-Aid in elementary school
• Started by partnering with a mentor who was a multifamily developer in Indianapolis who wanted to jump into Single Family homes
• New legislation allowed everyday, non-accredited individuals to invest in real estate
• Developed a unique passive investing model that combines elements of turnkey and syndication
• Acquires properties with their own capital, funds the renovations, leases units and then brings in investors
• Indianapolis is very stable and less volatile than coastal markets
• Growing MSA with employers like Eli Lilly, Simon Property Group, Anthem, Indy 500
• Indy is more landlord-friendly than Chicago and benefits from the close proximity
• Recently, purchased a value-add 46-unit in Indianapolis
• Run numbers in worst case scenario, the move-out was more than anticipated
• Loves the Midwest for stability and cash flow and has expanded to Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton
• Focused on urban core in Indianapolis and Dayton markets
• Lots of boarded up houses and loitering is a big red flag when exploring neighborhoods
• To learn a new market, Sterling would visit the area for a few weeks

Bull’s Eye Tips:

Winning Your Market: Persistence and follow up Market Changes: Networking and attending Local Meetups Daily Habit: Writing and Reading Goals Daily

Resources Best Business Books:

11 rings by Phil Jackson  

Digital Resources

Inbox by Google

Sterling’s Apartment Video Update

Tweet This: “Indy is stable and more landlord friendly than nearby Chicago” “Spend a few weeks in a new market you’re evaluating” “Run numbers based on worse case scenario and be conservative”

Places to Grab a Bite:

Dayton: Lucky’s Taproom

Indianapolis: Yats

Connect with Sterling:

Website: Holdfolio.com

Email: sterling@holdfolio.com

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