Real properties. Real renovations. Real tenants. Below is a detailed account of how we approached two properties — from assessment through to placement — and the results that followed.
A 2BD/2BA unit purchased in 2022 renting at $1,200/month — meaningfully below what the market would support with the right presentation. South Shore's lakefront position, improving fundamentals, and the incoming Obama Presidential Center made it a calculated early-mover play in a neighborhood where rental rates hadn't yet caught up to what the next few years will demand.
This case study isn't about a gut renovation. The kitchen, cabinets, and floors were largely untouched. What changed was a targeted $10,000 repositioning — new lighting fixture over the island, updated microwave and dishwasher, smart thermostat, bath updates, fresh paint throughout. Updates that signal to a prospective tenant that this unit is cared for and current.
More importantly, what changed was how and where we marketed it. The right listing, the right photography, the right platforms, and a clear understanding of who this property was for and what they were willing to pay. That's what delivered the $700 lift — not construction.
- New lighting fixture over kitchen island
- Cabinet microwave replacement
- New dishwasher
- In-unit washer/dryer replacement
- Smart thermostat
- Master bath mirrors, shower heads & faucets
- Full interior paint
- New roof on building — $3K contribution
A ranch home purchased at $150,000 in a market where $1,300/month was the ceiling. Solid bones upstairs — 4 bedrooms — but an unfinished basement leaving significant money and equity untouched. We designed the finish with one goal: build something tenants remember when they leave and think about when they get home.
This is functional luxury — a $38K renovation that created a space tenants couldn't find anywhere else in the neighborhood, at a price point the landlord could actually justify.
- Full basement finish — flex room, full bath & living space
- Large lighted vanity mirror with built-in defroster
- 100-inch projector screen with in-ceiling surround sound pre-wire
- 2.5 bathrooms total in the home
- Post-reno soft appraisal: $240K on a $150K purchase
- HELOC strategy — renovation offset from new equity
We helped identify what made this property genuinely unique beyond square footage. Corner lot with large fenced backyard. EV charging station. 4-car driveway. Two fully functional living spaces. 2.5 bathrooms. Proximity to a nearby automotive plant. Pet-friendly with space to match.
We repositioned it from a standard single-family home into a multi-generational living solution — a category with far less competition and far higher willingness to pay. This reframe was the insight that made the $2,200/month rate achievable, not just the renovation.
We advised on the right tenant profile for this specific property, wrote the listing, photographed every feature that mattered, and distributed across all platforms through our tech stack. The goal was to surface the property's true value proposition to the people most likely to appreciate — and pay for — every feature it offered.
The right fit was a multi-generational household with four verified income streams, lifestyle alignment with every property feature, and a low-risk tenancy profile. Near-zero maintenance. Long-term stability. The kind of tenant that makes ownership genuinely passive.