EP 003 | Ian Cruz's Cincinnati Story: Silicon Valley CPA to Multifamily Operator

Ian Cruz grew up in San Jose, CA, but his Cincinnati story starts at age 13, traveling there for the first time to catch a Bengals game. That connection grew into something bigger: a deep network, real market knowledge, and a growing multifamily portfolio across greater Cincinnati.In this episode, the tables turn as Slocomb interviews co-host Ian Cruz, tracing his full Cincinnati investing journey from a 6-unit in Norwood to co-GP roles on 500+ unit deals to leading his own syndication, and why local knowledge matters more than picking the perfect market.What you will learn:Why Cincinnati beats other Midwest markets for out-of-state investorsThe real math and real mistakes behind small multifamilyArbitrage: Buying properties together and selling them separatelyThe short-term to long-term rental conversion strategyHow to structure GP partnerships using the brain, hammer, hunter, and money frameworkCo-GP on a 500+ unit deal and what working with an institutional operator looks likeCincy Market Update:Cincinnati ranked number one rental market by Rent CafeBlackRock acquires Amazon's 588,000 sq ft same-day facility in Warren County for $61MNew Jersey firm Hillman Partners doubles down on Cincinnati office acquisitionsNew episodes every Monday.