Our Approach
Investment Strategy
Hamilton's core strategy is straightforward: identify underperforming multifamily assets, rapidly improve and sustain performance, and return capital to investors over time in a tax-efficient manner.
We target secondary markets that combine strong population growth with moderately priced housing — markets where there is room to bring below-market rents up to competitive levels through physical improvements and better management.
Columbus, Ohio fits this profile precisely. The metro ranks in the 65th percentile for 20-year population growth among metropolitan areas with 1 to 5 million people, yet rents of $1.19 per square foot sit at just the 19th percentile. That gap between strong demand fundamentals and low prevailing rents is the core of our investment thesis.
Why Columbus
Columbus is the fastest growing major metro in the Midwest and one of the most economically diversified mid-size cities in the country. As the state capital and home to Ohio State University — one of the largest universities in the nation — the city benefits from a stable base of government and education employment.
The private sector is equally strong. Six Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the metro, and JPMorgan Chase operates a campus with more than 20,000 employees. Columbus is also emerging as a technology hub, anchored by Intel's $20 billion semiconductor fabrication facility — one of the largest private investments in U.S. history.
Despite these growth drivers, Columbus housing remains affordable. That combination — a growing, diversified economy with below-market rents — creates a durable opportunity for well-executed multifamily investment.
Columbus at a Glance
65th %ile
20-year population growth (among 1–5M MSAs)
$1.19/SF
Average rent (19th percentile)
6
Fortune 500 headquarters
20,000+
JPMorgan Chase employees
$20B
Intel semiconductor fab investment
Property Selection
We rely on deep local market expertise and submarket knowledge to source deals before they reach a broad market. Our focus is on buildings with untapped potential — properties where rents are meaningfully below market due to deferred maintenance, poor management, or both.
For every potential acquisition, we conduct a thorough analysis of the root causes of underperformance. Some buildings need physical investment — updated units, improved common areas, better curb appeal. Others suffer from management problems: high vacancy, below-market lease terms, or poorly controlled operating expenses. Many need both.
We assess the complexity, timeline, and cost of each improvement plan and underwrite every deal based on achieving market-rate rents — not above-market projections. This conservative approach provides a margin of safety and aligns our underwriting with achievable outcomes.
Operations
Hamilton manages all of its properties in-house through a wholly-owned property management subsidiary. We believe self-management is a competitive advantage: it gives us direct control over operations, faster response times, and better accountability than third-party managers.
Our on-site teams include property managers, maintenance technicians, and leasing staff — all Hamilton employees. We supplement them with a hybrid staffing model that uses offshore employees for recurring administrative tasks like work order processing and data entry. This approach keeps overhead low without compromising the quality of on-site service.
We invest heavily in technology to run our operations efficiently. Our stack spans property management, business intelligence, help desk, market analytics, staffing, and internal knowledge management.
Tax Efficiency
We structure our investments to maximize after-tax returns. Hamilton uses cost segregation studies to accelerate depreciation deductions, providing investors with meaningful tax benefits in the early years of ownership.
We favor long holding periods, which reduce the cumulative burden of income and property taxes over the life of an investment. For investors with proceeds exceeding $1 million, we offer 1031 exchange options that allow tax-deferred reinvestment into subsequent deals.
These strategies compound over time, meaningfully increasing the net returns our investors take home relative to a standard, tax-unaware approach.