Can one investor change a whole town?

[Conrad Martin]

* Disclaimer: This post may belong in Real Estate Development *

My family home is in a rural southern town that is depressed but sleepy - not too many crime or drug issues.

My “vision board” plan is to renovate my family home and other homes in the area to raise property values, attract tenants, and develop commercial opportunities.

Question: Can one investor affect that much change through responsible scaling? There’s just so much opportunity!

[Scott Mac]

Hi Conrad,

I think your question is can YOU change the town.

Well, maybe sombody could, but only you know if YOU could.

And if no-one tries, it will not happen.

It takes a VISION, and a vision board is a real good start for this.

I will give you a tip from my experience and knowledge--Don't try to do it yourself. Instead enlist (the Best and the Brightest--you can find that will work with you) to handle the details, while you oversee the big picture.

For instance, lets say you wanted to have an annual harvest day parade through the down town with licenced (paid to the city) vendor booths for food and crafts and etc...

That's a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up and overseen, year after year.

Instead of doing that yourself, you work at finding enough volunteers where you can pick the best and the brightest to set it up and oversee it--a committee of volunteers. If you need cash for it, YOU ask the city, or have the volunteers set out change donation boxes in every business in town--7-11, hair shops, Walmart, etc...

Also big companies like Walmart might make donations if YOU contact them.

In a nutshell, I'm saying a BIG Project needs a full time Vision Person to Steer it and spur it on when it stalls (which it will from time to time). The Big picture guy can work with the local chamber of commerce and local government officials to grease the wheels for the volunteer committee people.

Also get to know personally your state lawmakers--go visit them with your vision board (they control the purse strings).

Just my 2 cents.