Mikey Taylor on Commune Capital and Multifamily Investing in LA

Building LA

Not many people can write professional skateboarder, brewery owner, real estate investor and city councilmember on their resume, but my guest Mikey Taylor can. Mikey is the President of Commune Capital, a private equity real estate investment firm with a focus on multifamily and storage assets in California. Born and raised in Southern California, he resides in Thousand Oaks with his wife and daughters, where he also sits on City Council. In our conversation, Mikey discusses his transition from professional sports to multifamily investments, the common themes that connect his eclectic career, and why he is so excited about investing in real estate in California.

Mikey emphasizes the importance of setting goals as a source of his motivation. Despite the high barriers to entry and political headwinds for real estate developers wanting to invest in California, Mikey is bullish on the state due to the enormous housing shortage which will likely persist for many years. In locating investments, Commune identifies the most undersupplied local markets such as Ventura as part of a sophisticated investment strategy.

Partnerships are key to success in real estate investing, and he touches on his company's achievements in working with third party developers. For their Mar Vista project, which is currently under construction, we talk about the return metrics that attracted Mikey to develop a co-living property with Common as their property manager.

We also talk about why Commune's branding and social media presence attract a younger investor demographic eager to build wealth, and how Mikey hopes to grow the company dramatically over the next 5 years by expanding the size of their funds, and increasing their educational offerings.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

• How Mikey's skateboarding and brewery experiences shaped his approach to business and real estate investing
• The steps Mikey takes to find the right investors
• How Mikey navigated his career change and why he was well positioned post-skateboarding
• The story behind St Archer, the brewery he founded and sold to Molson-Coors
• Commune Capital's deal criteria and fund offerings
• The reasons for their investment in a ground-up co-living building in Mar Vista
• Today’s financing challenges for real estate investments and projections for what may change in 2024
• Overview of Commune's leadership team and Mikey's vision for the next five years
• Mikey's work in Thousand Oaks city council and how that experience informs his business endeavors

Guest Info:

• Connect with Mikey on LinkedIn
• Follow Mikey on Instagram
• Learn more about Commune Capital on communecapital.com

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