Real deals.
Real numbers.
A seat at the table.
The Cincinnati Investor Pod is a small, private group built around one active operator. Not content. Not a course. Direct access to deal flow, underwriting, and market intelligence that takes years to build from the outside.
Most communities give you content.
This one gives you access.
Every other real estate group
Courses, webinars, and podcasts that teach theory. General advice from people who haven't done a deal in your market. Networking events with other beginners. Information you could find on YouTube.
The Cincinnati Investor Pod
Active deal flow from an operator closing transactions in real time. Underwriting sessions on live deals. Direct broker and contractor relationships. Market intelligence built over a decade in the Cincinnati MSA.
Inside the Pod
A structured cohort experience built around active deal-making, not passive consumption.
Live Deal Reviews
Walk through real acquisitions as they happen. Underwriting, red flags, negotiation tactics, and financing structure — on actual deals, not hypotheticals.
Operator Deal Flow
First look at off-market and broker-sourced opportunities in the Cincinnati MSA before they hit the open market. The deals that never get listed.
Vetted Relationships
Access the operator's contractor, lender, attorney, and PM network. Skip the trial-and-error phase that costs most investors years and tens of thousands of dollars.
Underwriting Frameworks
The exact models and assumptions used to evaluate Cincinnati multifamily — neighborhood-by-neighborhood rent comps, CapEx benchmarks, and exit underwriting.
Annual Field Trip
Multi-day immersive experience in Cincinnati. Property walkthroughs, broker meetings, neighborhood tours, and dinners with active operators. Now in its 4th year.
Small Cohort Access
Capped at 5 members per cohort. Every member gets direct access — not a 300-person Discord where your questions disappear. Peer group of serious, active investors.
Ian Cruz, CPA.
Co-founder, Three Little Pigs Investment Services.
I started in real estate from the Bay Area — a 3,000-mile landlord with no local network, no deal flow, and no relationships on the ground in Cincinnati. Everything I know about this market, I built from scratch over the last decade.
Today, my firm manages 500+ units across the Cincinnati MSA under a vertically integrated platform: acquisitions, property management, renovations, bookkeeping, and syndication. My background is Big Four accounting (KPMG, PwC) and nearly a decade in finance at Canvas Ventures before going full-time in real estate.
I built the Cincinnati Investor Pod because the thing I needed most when I started wasn't information. It was access. Access to an operator who was actively doing deals, who would tell me the real numbers, and who had relationships I could actually use.
That's what this pod is. I'm still actively acquiring. This is not a retired operator selling courses.
Annual field trip — Cincinnati
Live deal review session
Findlay Market tour
Inside a Cincinnati multifamily
Active value-add renovation
22 of 26 members closed.
276 units acquired.
Names are private. Results are real. These are stories from active pod members and operator acquisitions.
One member arrived with no investor network in Cincinnati and no local relationships. Through the pod, she built a trusted peer group, closed on a Hyde Park short-term rental, launched it booked solid for two months, and locked a mid-term rental contract worth $7,400 for a single two-month stay.
A pod member identified a Norwood triplex that easily cleared the 1% rule — purchased for ~$270,000, generating $2,850 in monthly rent. Using a pod contractor connection, he cut a $7,000 out-of-state electrical quote down to $1,000 — saving $6,000 in one call.
A member negotiated a $70,000 price reduction on a 7-unit Dayton property, then followed up by acquiring multiple Price Hill fourplexes at $218,000 each — down from $250,000 list price.
A Norwood fourplex — $20,000 price reduction plus a $6,000 seller credit. The member also locked a favorable below-market rate at close and completed his first loan signing as a newly licensed notary in the same transaction.
One member acquired a strong cash-flowing fourplex in Silverton generating $4,720 per month in gross rents — a gross rent-to-price ratio above 1.25%, well past the 1% rule threshold that most Cincinnati investors struggle to hit.
Two separate members each got offers accepted below list price on Cincinnati multifamily — one at roughly 4% under ask on a fourplex, and another went under contract on a Cincinnati triplex using a pod-recommended lender for pre-approval, closing her first deal in the market.
A member launched a mid-term rental in Oakley, coordinating full furnishing and setup for just $10,000 — $7K for furnishings, $3K for setup — using the pod's contractor network to avoid the typical retail markup.
A member with an existing out-of-state portfolio used pod resources to stabilize an out-of-state Section 8 portfolio, prevent two evictions from escalating, and secure a $600/month rent increase on one property.
The 70+ Unit Portfolio Score
Secured a 70+ unit portfolio across two Cincinnati neighborhoods at a meaningful discount to whisper pricing. Pod members had visibility into the deal structure, underwriting, and LP raise from day one.
The 35-Unit Dayton JV
A joint venture acquisition negotiated down roughly 13% from the original ask after a prior buyer backed out, with a portion of the purchase financed through seller carry. Pod members saw the before/after underwriting on the adjusted basis.
The 8-Unit Value-Add
An 8-unit acquisition repositioned through targeted renovations and reappraised at over 70% above the original purchase price — a total cost basis that was still well below the appraised value, creating substantial equity in a single cycle.
The 8-Unit Operational Turnaround
Acquired with a flat rent roll. Through operational improvements and lease-up, the property was brought to $8,800 per month in gross rents and later sold for $803,000. A pod member purchased a similar asset using the same playbook.
The 6-Unit Turnaround & Exit
Acquired after a prior buyer walked away. Monthly rents lifted from $3,720 to $6,200 through repositioning, then sold for $520,000.
The Chateau Sherman Proof of Concept
Ian's first Fractional deal — a Cincinnati-area STR structured across 20 partners with investments averaging $5,000 to $14,000 each. The property generated $39,000 in gross revenue in its first full year, with depreciation passed through directly to investors. The real win: it proved the Fractional model worked, established a track record, and built a network of co-investors that has fueled every larger syndication since.
Who this is — and isn't — for.
The pod is deliberately small. That means we need to be direct about fit.
This is NOT for you if...
- You're still deciding if real estate is right for you
- You want theory, frameworks, and education without accountability to action
- You're not prepared to move on a deal when one surfaces
- You have no capital or financing access for a Cincinnati acquisition
- You're looking for a passive investment, not an operator relationship
- You expect hand-holding through every decision
This IS for you if...
- You're actively looking for your next Cincinnati acquisition
- You want access to deal flow, not just deal analysis content
- You'd benefit from a trusted network of operators and service providers on the ground
- You're a remote investor who wants local intelligence without local trial and error
- You can move fast when the right deal appears
- You want to co-invest or co-GP alongside an active operator
Apply for the Next Cohort
Every member is vetted. Spots are capped. If you're serious about Cincinnati multifamily, apply now and we'll reach out within 48 hours.
- Small cohort: Maximum 5 members per intake
- Live deal reviews on active acquisitions as they happen
- Operator deal flow — first look at off-market opportunities
- Vetted contractor, lender & PM relationships shared directly
- Underwriting frameworks built for the Cincinnati MSA
- Annual Cincinnati Field Trip — property tours, broker meetings, dinners
- Private peer group of serious, active co-investors
Cohort is capped at 5 members. Applications reviewed in order received.