Alex Seehaver and Don Cameron
Going From “Putting Your Toe in the Water” to National Recognition
Being named the HomeVestors® National Franchise of the Year for the fifth time over the last ten years is no small feat. Yet that is exactly what happened to Donald Cameron and Alex Seehaver of Hi-Land Properties, an independently owned and operated HomeVestors franchise headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Hi-Land Properties is one of more than 1,100 independently owned and operated franchises in 176 markets nationwide. Since 2005, Hi-Land has purchased over 1,400 homes from local sellers.
Donald Cameron bought his first of five franchises in 2005 after being introduced to Ken D’Angelo, the then owner and founder of HomeVestors of America. With a background in the construction industry, Don decided to “put his toe in the water” and begin to buy single-family properties. With a desire to grow the business, he chose HomeVestors because of their name recognition and the various tools they offered to their franchisees.
Beginnings of the Dynamic Duo
In 2008, Alex Seehaver joined Hi-Land Properties starting in the marketing side of the operation. As Alex describes it, “When I first joined Don, I did marketing, answered the phones, took out the trash…anything that had to be done for the good of the business.” Alex is now the Vice President of Hi-Land Properties.
Alex’s background was in finance, but most importantly, Alex and Don both shared the entrepreneurial traits of hard work, integrity, discipline, and goal setting. Don credits his strict adherence to goal setting as a major factor in their rapid success. The team sets goals every year; they review the goals on a monthly and quarterly basis; and they also set quotas which are reviewed just as regularly. Combined with their absolute commitment to advertising and using the HomeVestors tools, they had a formula in place for expansion and success.
Today, Hi-Land owns five franchises in Florida, covering the East Coast counties of Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard, Volusia and Flagler as well as the West Coast counties of Collier, Lee and Charlotte. Seehaver serves as the Ad Council President for all of their East Coast territory.
“This is not a job,” says Cameron. “I cannot even imagine retiring. This business has forced me to become more organized and focused. It also made me more compassionate and more empathetic with people who are less fortunate. When people are distraught over possibly losing their home, we pay them upfront, buy their house, and in some cases, afford sellers the opportunity to remain on the property post-closing if they desire a little more time to arrange for a move.”
Present and Future
Currently, Hi-Land Properties’ bread and butter is “fix and flip” because they have their own in-house general contracting firm to manage the renovations as well as their own real estate brokerage. Having these in-house capabilities allow them to take on more difficult properties that need complex work.
They are also doing more wholesaling and are even buying properties with complex legal issues. They have found a niche in dealing with properties that have extensive code liens and also homes that have “fractional” ownerships such as when three people inherit a home, and not everyone wants to sell their share.
Looking ahead to 2021, Alex and Don see several challenges facing the real estate market such as the ending of foreclosure moratoriums and forbearance programs as well as potential increases in interest rates. But they also see an opportunity to help more people. And while housing inventory is low, the “sell-side” of the industry is a lot easier.
Their advice to new real estate investors: Start small. Be conservative. Follow the HomeVestors® system.
HomeVestors
What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors® business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture.
If you are interested in a franchise, contact April Nealey at april.nealey@homevestors.com
Each franchise office is independently owned and operated.
