$1M+ Deals...Who's doing them? Which Niches?

[Dan Schwartz]

A lot of investors and wholesalers put a lot of energy into doing volume...40+ deals a month. I'm starting to switch my mindset a bit and focusing more on higher leverage activities that can produce the same results without drowning in a SEA of smaller deals...I'm talking commercial syndication/high end flips/and even commodities trading, where $1M+ spreads are not uncommon. 

For the more experienced guys out there doing commercial or higher end projects...we would love to hear your wisdom on this matter. For someone truly looking for bigger pockets ; ) and isn't afraid of delayed gratification and huge learning curves, what would be a good niche to begin exploring? What skills are the most valuable to spend time getting really good at?? Is there in fact less competition for bigger deals? 

[Greg V.]

We specialize in buying half vacant to fully vacant retail/office space. We're in the due diligence process for a $2M rehab of a historic structure that will have lofts on top and retail on bottom. I love working with commercial tenants--less emotion and less drama. The downside is less volume and higher price points with higher initial costs including longer vacancies. The upside is forced appreciation which can be huge.