Amy Nash was a new mother and, with her husband, John, went into debt to launch their business with little experience running a company or working in the industry of their new endeavor — real estate.
“The most important risk I took was deciding to change my career and work with my husband in building our own company,” she said. “Real estate is a capital-intensive business, and we didn’t have a lot of resources, which forced us to take on debt. I had very little knowledge of real estate or of running a business, and all of my experience has been gained through a commitment to digging in, learning and doing the work.”
Now, 25 years later, Nash is president and co-owner of Nash Properties, a real estate development and investment firm. The company’s purpose is to serve the community by providing homes and commercial spaces to the people living and working in it.
“We aim to create a lasting positive impact on our clients while doing our part to revitalize neglected areas in St. Louis,” the company said. “Over the last 25 years, Nash Properties has grown by identifying underperforming properties and transforming them to be able to compete in the contemporary market. We work to strike a careful balance between modernizing our rentals and preserving the architectural elements that give them their authenticity.”
The company got a jumpstart when it went into debt to purchase its first home. Nash and her husband borrowed from family members, allowing the pair to buy a single-family home in the University City area. They promptly renovated and sold the property, resulting in profits that bolstered their confidence in themselves and from their investors. Based on their first successful real estate deal, the couple was able to gather enough resources to purchase a multifamily building and formally launch their company.
The company focused its early activities on the Southwest Gardens neighborhood, an area with an inventory of historic housing, much of it suffering from neglectful management and deferred maintenance.
Over the past 25 years, through challenging market conditions and economic downturns, Nash Properties has shown consistent growth. The company has grown from that first single property to 250 units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space under management as well as the 172 units under contract to purchase.
The company’s revenue has increased 157% over the last six years, fostered investment of $78 million into the local real estate market, built a team of professional and qualified staff and evolved to a digitized operation.
“We handle the acquisition, rehabilitation, management and sale of our properties, allowing us to utilize highly targeted and cost-efficient capital upgrades,” Nash’s team said. “All of this work results in one critical outcome: safe, dependable, and affordable homes for families in St. Louis.”
