Jacob Vanderslice: The Discipline Behind Smart Real Estate Investing

Jacob Vanderslice is a co-founder and Principal at VanWest Partners, a Denver-based real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of self-storage facilities. Under his fundraising leadership, VanWest has strategically deployed over $375 million in capital in value-add self-storage facilities across the United States. In this episode, Leonard and Jacob Vanderslice discuss:Why disciplined investing sometimes means saying no to nearly every deal in the marketHow Van West evaluates self-storage opportunities through supply, rents, and downside riskThe difference between investing directly in real estate versus investing passively with an operatorWhat leverage, interest rates, and lower loan proceeds mean for today’s real estate returnsWhy operator quality can matter as much as the asset itself in private equity investingKey Takeaways: In a difficult market, discipline is often defined by what you choose not to buy. Van West reviewed more than 900 acquisition opportunities, modeled about 250, and purchased just one.Value-add investing often comes from relentless attention to operational details. Small savings on expenses, taxes, contracts, and inefficiencies can compound into meaningful increases in net operating income and asset value.Passive real estate investing gives investors access to experienced operators, tax benefits, and income potential without the time, capital, and management burden of owning property directly.In today’s market, higher interest rates, lower leverage, and reduced loan proceeds have changed return expectations. Investors and operators must adapt to a more conservative environment.Strong underwriting begins with the downside. Great operators spend less time chasing the story for winning and more time understanding how a deal could go wrong and how to reduce that risk upfront. “Leverage is a wonderful and terrifying thing. Leverage, when used appropriately, can really increase your deal returns, but when used inappropriately, it can exponentially increase your risk profile at the same time.” - Jacob VandersliceConnect with Jacob Vanderslice:Website: https://www.vanwestpartners.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-vanderslice-02905b16b/ Connect with Leonard Raskin:Website: https://www.raskinglobal.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardraskin/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaskinGlobal Email: [email protected] notes by Podcastologist: Francine PobleteAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.