Real Estate Technology
Flyhomes | September 12, 2023
Flyhomes, creator of the world’s best home buying and selling experience, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase certain assets from Innovative Holdings, LLC, doing business as Home Sale Assured, a leader in the field of ‘buy before you sell.’ Founded in early 2022 by Eric Meadow, Home Sale Assured’s flagship product is the Guaranteed Backup Contract, which empowers existing homeowners to buy their next home before closing on the sale of their current one. As part of the deal, Flyhomes will be acquiring the Home Sale Assured brand, and Meadow will be joining Flyhomes in a senior executive capacity where he’ll report to EVP of Mortgage & Closing, Dan Richards.
“Eric is a seasoned mortgage professional who has built something really special with the Guaranteed Backup Contract,” said Tushar Garg, co-founder and CEO at Flyhomes. “Its ability to remove friction from the buying and selling process, while adding assurance, flexibility, and customer-centricity, aligns perfectly with our core tenants here at Flyhomes. This deal strengthens our offerings and gives us more tools to serve more customers looking for a better way to buy and sell a home.”
Following the close of the deal, lender and realtor partners will be able to continue offering their customers access to the Guaranteed Backup Contract through the Home Sale Assured brand at Flyhomes. Understanding the importance of the customer-agent relationship, Guaranteed Backup Contract was designed to enhance the role of real estate agents and lenders. This ensures everyone moves in unison toward the common goals of seamlessly transitioning the customer into their new home and selling their prior home for maximum value.
“We’re thrilled to be adding Eric and the Home Sale Assured brand to the Flyhomes family of products,” said Dan Richards, EVP of Mortgage & Closing at Flyhomes. “Eric brings 25 years of mortgage industry experience, from his time as President of Celebrity Home Loans (at the time a national multi-billion dollar retail lender) to his recent success as an entrepreneur at Home Sale Assured. His deep operational knowledge and network of relationships will play a key role in extending our portfolio of products nationwide.”
“It’s an honor to be joining Flyhomes at such a critical point in residential real estate,” said Eric Meadow, CEO and founder of Home Sale Assured. “There remain far too many obstacles to home ownership these days, be it first-time home buyers, or in the case of Home Sale Assured, current homeowners trying to move. Consumers, agents and lenders are all looking for practical solutions to overcome these institutional challenges and Flyhomes has been at the forefront of this category. I’m ecstatic to now be able to leverage their advanced infrastructure and resources to bring the Guaranteed Backup Contract to more customers.”
Benefits of the Guaranteed Backup Contract:
With a valid purchase offer, a lender is able to apply standard agency guidelines to remove the departing debt obligation from the consumer’s debt to income ratio. Thus allowing the lender to approve the loan on the new home before the consumer closes on the sale of their prior home.
The consumer is able to close on and move into their new home and take up to 90 days to close on the sale of their prior home.
The consumer can work with a real estate agent to list their prior home for sale during this 90-day option period. If the consumer receives a better offer, they can cancel the Guaranteed Backup Contract and sell their home to the higher offer.
About Flyhomes
Flyhomes is building the world’s best homebuying and selling experience. Launched in 2016, Flyhomes has reinvented the homebuying and selling process at every step, making the process smoother and simpler for consumers with offerings like the Flyhomes Cash Offer and Buy Before You Sell. They back these services with a unique guarantee that gives both buyers and sellers certainty and peace of mind that is unheard of in real estate. To date, they’ve helped clients close on more than $6 billion worth of homes at prices ranging from $150,000 to $7 million.
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Real Estate Technology
Business Wire | September 01, 2023
American Real Estate Partners announced a partnership with Unstuck Labs, an award-winning tech accelerator and mobile app developer that works with early-stage startups, founders, and innovation programs. United by a shared goal of providing environments for people to feel and perform at their best, Unstuck Labs chose one of AREP’s custom-designed SuiteX office spaces for its new startup studio location at the company’s newly transformed Rosslyn City Center (RCC) in the heart of Arlington, Virginia. And every week, RCC will be home to Unstuck Tuesdays, a free workshop for the brave, curious entrepreneur looking to level up.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Arlington Economic Development, Rosslyn BID and Unstuck Labs to support and bring new businesses to Rosslyn,” said Paul Schulman, Principal and COO at AREP.
RCC isn’t your typical office building. With innovation and technology ingrained in its DNA, AREP developed RCC to accommodate the ever-changing customer and digital landscape, incorporating prop tech to elevate the tenant experience. RCC offers tech-advanced workspaces that foster innovation and connectivity and leverages broader tech partnerships like Wired Score, Datawatch and VTS to better serve and understand its customers. Each tenant has exclusive use of AREP’s award-winning tenant engagement app AREPx to seamlessly access exclusive events and programming, building features, and amenities in and around the building.
Unstuck Labs’ jargon-free, no-fluff approach to accelerating startups’ growth and commitment to building a learning community of passionate founders who help each other succeed perfectly aligns with AREP’s mission. And there’s no better place for the two companies to lock arms than the gateway to the nation’s capital. Ranked No. 3 on Niche’s list of Best Cities to Raise a Family in America and No. 5 on its list of Best Cities for Young Professionals in America, Arlington has emerged as one of the nation’s premier destinations for new businesses, especially in the technology field. RCC’s prime location in the heart of Rosslyn coupled with its unapologetic customer-first philosophy and world-class amenities make it a premier destination for growing businesses - not to mention its location above one of the Washington region's busiest Metro transit stations, providing seamless access to the wider DMV area.
"You know, at Unstuck Labs, we're not just about lighting up creativity or speeding up innovation. We're about dreaming big, about building a future where ideas have no limits, and RCC? Well, it's the perfect place for us to make this happen," said Wa'il Ashshowwaf, CEO and Co-founder of Unstuck Labs. "Just think about it.
We're right in the middle of this amazing hub, with big-name corporations and top universities as our neighbors. We're surrounded by incredible talent and folks who are just as eager to make a difference as we are. And our new spot at RCC? It's not just an office with a killer view, it's a place where dreamers and doers come together. After a day of shaping the future, we can kick back at the Assembly Food Hall, get our sweat on at Gold's Gym, or just jump on the Metro and be home in no time. It's all part of the journey. We're super excited to be a part of the Rosslyn BID and Rosslyn City Center community, and together, we're going to make a future where every idea has the potential to change the world. And you know what? We can't wait to get started."
“Rosslyn is attracting innovators from all over the country, and RCC is the epicenter of it all,” said John Chesley, AREP’s MD Asset Management. “More and more tech companies are choosing AREP because we offer connectivity, accessibility, and world-class amenities in bustling, walkable communities. And with a prime location in one of the nation’s top cities for startups and incubator businesses, RCC provides companies like Unstuck Labs with everything they need to grow their business and thrive.”
"Arlington has always been an excellent location for tech companies to grow and thrive, and the region's local tech startups are some of the most innovative in the nation," said Michael Stiefvater, Acting Director of Arlington Economic Development's Business Investment Group. "The resources of Unstuck Labs will allow for some of these early-stage startups to collaborate and expand on opportunities available locally. We are proud to support Unstuck Labs in Rosslyn via the Arlington Innovation Fund.”
“Rosslyn is designed to help companies like Unstuck Labs plug into an ecosystem in a prime location with business amenities and connections that support growth and expansion at any stage,” said Mary-Claire Burick, president of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID). “When I met the Unstuck Labs team, I knew that their commitment to dreaming big and building the future of innovation would be an asset to Rosslyn and, in turn, could help them thrive and excel within our connected and vibrant neighborhood. I can’t wait to see what the future of this relationship will hold.”
ABOUT AMERICAN REAL ESTATE PARTNERS
Headquartered in the Greater Washington metropolitan area, AREP is an institutional fund manager and operating partner focused on data center, residential, industrial, and office assets, on both a development and repositioning basis in key markets along the East Coast.Since the company’s founding in 2003, AREP has deployed over $5.3 B across targeted geographies, acquired more than 21 million SF of Class A real estate, and currently oversees over 10 million SF. AREP's vertically integrated real estate platform and experienced Management Team provide exceptional expertise in all ownership disciplines from acquisition to realization. By leveraging this expertise, AREP remains at the forefront of real estate innovation, maximizing investment and enhancing performance to provide added value for its investors.
ABOUT UNSTUCK LABS
Unstuck Labs is an award-winning digital agency, venture-building studio, and hyperlearning community based in Arlington, Virginia. Founded by a team of career professionals turned entrepreneurs, Unstuck Labs helps early-stage startups and innovation programs to validate ideas, build products, and launch ventures. Unstuck Labs offers a range of services, including mobile and web development, branding and marketing, pitch decks and fundraising, and advisory and mentoring. Unstuck Labs also runs a 12-week startup studio program that provides hands-on support, deliverables, and perks to selected founders.
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Market Outlook, Real Estate Investment
Businesswire | July 11, 2023
McGrath RentCorp (“McGrath” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: MGRC), a leading business-to-business rental company in North America, today announced it has acquired the assets of Inland Leasing and Storage, a regional provider of portable storage solutions in the Colorado market. The transaction was funded with borrowings from McGrath’s revolving credit facility. The acquisition adds approximately 600 assets to McGrath’s portable storage operations in Colorado.
“Our acquisition of Inland Leasing and Storage is highly complementary to our portable storage rental business,” said Joe Hanna, President and CEO of McGrath. “Consistent with our ongoing capital deployment and geographic expansion strategies, this opportunity provides us with accelerated regional density and a high-quality fleet to serve the Colorado market. We look forward to expanding our market share with a new set of customers.”
About Inland Leasing & Storage
Inland Leasing & Storage is a locally owned and operated trailer and storage container rental and sales supplier serving a broad range of businesses with branches located in Loveland, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois and Tucson, Arizona. With our team of quality employees and proven sales force, Inland Leasing & Storage provides reliable storage and rental solutions for many personal, industrial, agricultural, and commercial business needs. This type of service is essential to a smoothly run operation for any industry. Inland Leasing & Storage philosophy is to fill the needs of customers when they need it most. From daily rentals to long term leases, Inland Leasing & Storage is your solution! We offer semi trailers for local and long distance transportation needs and also trailers & storage containers for storage only purposes. From 40' to 53' long enclosed trailers and flatbeds to 8' wide x 10' long to 10' wide x 40' long storage containers we are able to assist you in any storage need possible. Choose from 1 day rentals to long term leases. Our customer base varies from regional clients to single facility companies and the family homeowners. Trailer & Container modifications are also available. Call or e-mail us for more information or to get a quote on your storage needs.
AboutMCGRATH
McGrath RentCorp (Nasdaq: MGRC) is a leading business-to-business rental company in North America with a strong record of profitable business growth. Founded in 1979, McGrath’s operations are centered on modular solutions through its Mobile Modular and Mobile Modular Portable Storage businesses. In addition, its TRS-RenTelco business offers electronic test equipment rental solutions. The Company’s rental product offerings and services are part of the circular supply economy, helping customers work more efficiently, and sustainably manage their environmental footprint. With over 40 years of experience, McGrath’s success is driven by a focus on exceptional customer experiences. This focus has underpinned the Company’s long-term financial success and supported over 30 consecutive years of annual dividend increases to shareholders, a rare distinction among publicly listed companies.
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