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STARS & STRIPES
HEARTLAND INVESTMENT COMPANIES
SEPTEMBER 2019
WWW.DARINGARMAN.COM 319-350-5378
HOW MY WIFE HELPED ME AND MY BUSINESS THROUGH HARD TIMES MY RIGHT-HAND WOMAN At the end of August, my wife Gina and I sent our son off to football camp. Without 20-year-old Isaiah knocking around the house, we were suddenly empty nesters again, and spending so much time together has reminded me how much Gina has done for me as a partner. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this summer, but it seems like just yesterday I was calling her up in the eighth grade to ask her to the movies. (She told me, “Absolutely not!” before slamming down the phone.) From the beginning, Gina has been terrific, fantastic, and unbelievably supportive of what I’m doing at Heartland Investment Partners. Even in the early days when I was still asking myself what the hell I was doing and wondering whether this real estate thing was really going to work, she was working full time as a social worker to support my dream. We’d just bought our first house, and then we had a baby, and then another, and then another. It was a stressful time, and Gina was my rock through it all, taking care of the kids and running the house so I could focus on my business. Before all of that started, though, Gina and I were high school sweethearts. After that fumbled eighth-grade phone call (which was hard on my pride, let me tell you) we didn’t connect again until my junior year of high school when we ran into each other at the home of a mutual acquaintance. We chatted for half an hour, then went our separate ways. The next day when I got home from school, my mom told me I had a message — Gina had called. Now, that moment in eighth grade was far in the past, and I assumed Mom meant my cousin Gina, who lived three doors down and often demanded I mow her lawn. So, when Gina picked up, the first words out of my mouth were, “Well, what do you want?” Somehow, I survived that conversation and managed to turn it into a date. Fast-forward 30 years later, and here we are! Gina kept up her career as a social worker for seven or eight years after I quit my job as a prison guard to start Heartland Investment Partners, and she picked the work up again after our kids started school. She now has a part- time position at a care center close to our house. She likes staying involved, and I like seeing her happy. Our kids are all grown up now, too. Madisen, our oldest daughter, is 26 and works for me at Heartland as a property manager;
21-year-old Malory is starting her first year teaching PE and special education here in Cedar Rapids; and Isaiah is off at Upper Iowa University, living in the dorms and playing football.
After pouring our time and energy into raising the three of them and running the business, Gina and I are finally enjoying the fruits of our labor. Of course, I still work hard every day at Heartland, but we love to get away to our lake house in
“FROM THE BEGINNING, GINA HAS BEEN TERRIFIC, FANTASTIC, AND UNBELIEVABLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT I’M DOING AT HEARTLAND INVESTMENT PARTNERS.”
Okoboji when we can. We spend our time there boating, relaxing on the dock, and riding our bikes on the awesome trails around the lakes. We also enjoy catching a movie or play, listening to a concert, or just strolling through town. Gina, thank you so much for all you’ve done and continue to do. Here’s to many more years of bike riding and apartment buying! –Darin Garman
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FINDING FULFILLMENT IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS
WHY MORE ADULTS OVER 55 CONTINUE TO WORK
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, upward of 40% of people aged 55 and older are continuing to work past the normal retirement age. There are a number of reasons why people are choosing to stay employed, with one of the biggest being a lack of retirement funds, but some are also using work to keep their minds and skills sharp. In fact, most of the jobs that the 55-plus crowd goes after keep them engaged with the community and help them lead more active lives.
More importantly, however, most older workers find these jobs fulfilling. They allow older folks to interact with the community and stay active, both of which, research suggests, are essential to healthy living as people age. For many, working past retirement, or not leaving the workforce entirely, can be a win- win-win: It’s a win for your bank account, a win for your health, and a win for the community.
The BLS categorized the jobs many older workers are currently pursuing:
•
Real estate appraisers/assessors
• Property/real estate/community association managers • Technical writers • Tax preparers • Construction/building inspectors • Crossing guards • Clergy
These seven jobs are projected to grow between 8–14% over the next six years according to BLS data. They often pay well and don’t always require a full-time commitment. Many even offer flexible schedules, which can help older workers spend more time with peers or loved ones. This balance is exactly what many older workers are looking for, especially those who are “part-time retired.”
HAPPENINGS AT HEARTLAND
WE’VE CLOSED ON ANOTHER 56 UNITS!
Cedar Rapids is ripe with opportunities for investment, and last month, Heartland Investment Partners closed on another top-notch property for our clients: the Imperial Apartments. Darin suspected right off the bat that this 56-apartment complex was a steal, and he was right. The 56-unit was appraised at a value above the purchase price, and we’re sure it will sell for even more
Right now, the one- and two-bedroom units that make up the complex are all fully occupied, and, considering the apartments’ garages and proximity to tenant conveniences like great schools, Shawnee Park, Ellis Golf Course, and the Cedar River, they’re likely to stay that way. To make things as easy as possible on the investors who leapt at the chance to purchase this gem, Darin will manage and oversee operations of the property going forward. This 56-unit purchase was yet another example of behind-the-scenes work paying off for our investors. Throughout the year, Heartland stays in contact with the owners of properties like these, maintaining good relationships so that when they’re ready to sell, we’re one of the first calls they make. Property owners in Iowa know that if they choose to go with Heartland, their properties will be sold quickly and at a profit. When we opened up the 56-unit opportunity to our investors, they were eager to get involved, and we were oversubscribed before we knew it. If you’d like to be on our priority list of investors in order to beat the rush and find out about these opportunities as soon as they present themselves, email Darin today at darin.garman@gmail.com.
than the appraisal if put back on the market.
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I WA LIFE IOWA COPS ARE DOING WHAT?
SUDOKU
HOW CUSTARD AND PIZZA ARE PREVENTING LITTER
APARTMENT SALES AND SUCCESS
According to Our Iowa Magazine, the Iowa State Patrol is getting creative when it comes to preventing litterbugs. Instead of simply fining candy wrapper and beer bottle tossers — which Radio Iowa reports they can, to the tune of $625 as of 2016 — the troopers are planning to hand out thank-you gift cards to people “making an extra effort to limit littering.” The cards are good for free pizza and custard, a tempting offer that just might get the average Iowan to stay the hand of a would-be litterbug in their neighborhood. Iowa takes a lot of pride in its clean city streets, and frozen custard is a beloved local specialty, so it was probably only a matter of time before the cops put two and two together. From a citizen’s point of view, the effort is a win-win. Of course, the concept of troopers handing out gift cards and other presents isn’t entirely unprecedented. Almost every year, cops with hearts of gold make national news for passing out cash, gift cards, and other gifts around Christmas time. In 2014, one wealthy businessman became a secret Santa for the masses when he “deputized about 15 officers in the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department” and armed each of them with $1,000 of disposable holiday cheer, according to USA Today. It’s less common for police to hand out gifts outside the holiday season, but it’s not unheard of. In 2015, a Minnesota police officer named Brian Peters spent his last day of work passing out $50 gift cards to Target and Cub Food.
124 UNITS FOR SALE
16 UNITS FOR SALE
“The citizens and city have been wonderful to me. I am very blessed, so it feels good to always give back,” he told KARE at the time.
8 UNITS FOR SALE
CONTACT DARIN TODAY AT 319-350-5378!
That said, the charming combination of putting the kibosh on littering while giving away free pizza and custard is uniquely Iowa — and we, for one, are on board.
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HEARTLAND INVESTMENT COMPANIES Darin Garman: Heartland’s Most Trusted Multi-Family Investment Advisor 1350 Boyson Road, A-1 Hiawatha, IA 52233 www.daringarman.com 319-350-5378
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INSIDE
Page 1 A Thank-You to My Wife, Gina Page 2 Why Are so Many People Deciding Not to Retire? A Kingly Complex Joins the Ranks Page 3 Hello Gift Cards, Goodbye Litterbugs Sales and Success Page 4 How to Attract Millennials to Your Business
RECOGNITION, FLEXIBILITY, AND PURPOSE
3 TIPS FOR ATTRACTING MILLENNIAL EMPLOYEES
CREATE A SENSE OF PURPOSE More than anything, millennials are looking for some level of personal fulfillment — not just a paycheck. Create a brand story and work culture that expresses a greater purpose for prospective employees to get behind. Set high standards for the culture you want to create and maintain those standards. If you do this right, the talent you’re looking for will come to you. Just because millennials want more flexible work schedules and individual recognition doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to work hard. In fact, the opposite is true. By adapting your company culture to suit their lifestyle preferences, you can make sure your younger employees take an interest in your business and stick around.
You might have heard people call millennials lazy, entitled, and afraid of long-term commitments, but that trend is starting to shift. Today, businesses can’t afford to write off millennials because they actually make up a major percentage of the workforce. According to the Pew Research Center, there were 56 million millennials either working or looking for work in 2017, making up 35% of the labor force. When so much of the country’s available labor is part of one demographic, you must ask yourself this question: How do I get millennials to work for me? CATER TO THE INDIVIDUAL Millennials don’t want to be just another cog in the machine. They want to work somewhere that values their unique skills and lets them use those skills effectively. When seeking millennial talent for your company, highly specific job listings will attract exceptional employees. Once they’re on board, be sure to nurture their skill set. Give them a chance to grow with your company, and they’ll be sure to stick around. DITCH THE 9-TO-5 STANDARD Offering more flexible work hours is a start, but if you really want to attract millennials, then your entire work environment should embrace modernity. Have the latest tech and tools for day-to-day operations, offer frequent opportunities for promotions and raises, avoid micromanagement, and give your young employees room to learn and grow.
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