2nd City DevelopersShort Term Real Estate Investments
Chicago residential investment

Find the value.
Do the work.
See it through.

The numbers have to work. So does the team behind them. We find the opportunity, underwrite the risk, direct the renovation, and stay accountable through the exit.

Investment partnerships Explore services
Illustrative row of Chicago greystone buildingsChicago / Residential
01 / Investment partnerships

Two ways to put capital to work.

One structure is reserved for auction purchases. The other is a property-level joint venture from acquisition through sale.

Auction capital

Capital for the auction. Participation in the exit.

Capital is committed for residential properties purchased at auction. We source, diligence, acquire, and manage the path forward. The target is to return deployed capital within 90 days through a sale, refinance, or other capital event.

Auction purchases only. Capital is held and deployed under a separate written agreement; timing and outcomes are not guaranteed.

3%Deployment payment
10%Of net proceeds upon final disposition of the property
Joint venture

A property-level partnership, start to finish.

The capital partner funds acquisition, renovation, and carrying costs and holds title. We source and underwrite the deal, oversee construction, provide updates, and manage the sale.

The budget, project decisions, expenses, and distribution sequence are agreed for each property.

50 / 50Split of remaining net proceeds after return of invested capital and agreed project costs

Auction example: Minimum capital commitment is $150,000. A 3% deployment payment on a $150,000 commitment is $4,500. The separate 10% share is calculated on defined net proceeds upon final disposition of the property. Actual terms, timing, and calculation methods are set in the signed agreement.

02 / Services

Hire an operator.

For owners who want experienced judgment and execution without a profit-sharing partnership.

Acquisition & delivery

From purchase to rent-ready.

We source multi-unit investment properties, develop the renovation plan, manage construction, and deliver the property ready for your management company to lease. The underwriting can target built-in equity or a potential cash-out refinance, subject to market value and lender terms.

$20,000Per property acquisition
20%Of the construction budget for rehab management
Pre-purchase advisory

Know what you're buying.

Get a third-party assessment before you commit: current value, after-repair value, achievable rents, a scope of work, a realistic construction budget, and potential exit strategies.

$350Remote review
$500Review with an onsite visit
Problem resolution

When a project gets stuck.

We help owners work through stop-work orders and building violations by identifying what needs to be corrected, developing a practical scope, coordinating the path forward, and working with the city until the matter is resolved.

Project-specific supportScope and fee established after review.
Illustrative row of Chicago brick buildings
Founder of 2nd City Developers

Mike Baker.

Our approach was shaped by founder Mike Baker's start in 2005 alongside an experienced wholesaler. He learned the business from the ground up, handling direct-mail campaigns down to stamping envelopes while learning to find opportunities, negotiate with owners, and close off-market deals. He built his own wholesaling business and grew it into a development operation, acquiring and renovating houses and apartment buildings.

Mike has since completed more than 1,000 residential units for private capital and built acquisition and renovation teams in Chicago, Southeast Florida, Atlanta, and Southwest Michigan. Today, we bring that experience to every deal: underwriting, budgeting, assembling the team, managing construction, and getting the property to its exit.

20+ yearsIn residential real estate
1,000+ unitsCompleted
A direct conversation

Tell us what you're working on.

Call 2nd City