Alec McElhhiny shares how he scaled from house hacking a duplex to developing high-profit flex spaces through LandPlay.com and creative land deals. In this episode of RealDealChat , Jack Hoss sits down with Alec McElhhiny , founder of LandPlay.com , to discuss how he went from an actuary crunching numbers to a real estate developer building niche flex space projects across Texas. Alec breaks down the math behind wealth-building through real estate, why flex space is booming, and how to find undervalued land that performs in any market. He also explains the “riches in the niches” principle and why picking one strategy and executing it better than anyone else is the fastest path to seven-figure success. Here’s what you’ll learn in this conversation: How Alec bought his first duplex with an FHA loan & scaled fast Why flex space is outperforming multifamily in 2025 The difference between industrial flex and retail flex properties Why adding A/C or outdoor storage can add $2–3 per sq ft in rent How to find land under market value (and flip or develop it safely) Building vertically integrated systems for higher margins The benefits of blue-collar tenants and long-term cash flow Market trends in Austin, San Antonio, and the I-35 growth corridor How to raise private capital without institutional partners Why doing the opposite of the headlines often creates the best returns The “do it now” rule that saves time and multiplies productivity 📍 Learn more about Alec’s projects and connect at LandPlay.com 💡 Want help scaling your real estate business with AI and automation? Visit https://realdealcrew.com Timestamps 00:00 – From actuary to real estate investor 02:00 – How house hacking led to commercial deals 03:00 – What makes flex space so profitable 05:00 – Blue-collar tenants: reliable and recession-resistant 07:00 – Why the I-35 Texas corridor is a development goldmine 09:00 – Lessons from overpaying on the first deal 10:00 – Finding land under market value 12:00 – Ignoring the news & listening to the market 14:00 – Raising private money through relationships 16:00 – Why traditional flex is overbuilt & how to niche down 17:00 – Retail flex: combining visibility & industrial function 18:00 – Adding outdoor storage for higher returns 19:00 – AC in warehouses: the overlooked rent booster 21:00 – De-risking projects through shorter approval cycles 22:00 – “Riches in the niches” explained 23:00 – Books, mindset & the Think and Grow Rich principle 24:00 – The “do it now” mindset for investors #RealEstateInvesting #FlexSpace #LandDevelopment #CommercialRealEstate #AlecMcElhhiny #LandPlay #RealDealChat #PassiveIncome #TexasRealEstate #RealEstateDevelopment #RealEstateAutomation #IndustrialRealEstate #RetailFlex #RealEstateMindset #WealthBuilding RealDealCrew.com We empower real estate investors by optimizing your business processes through customized automation and system integration. From lead management to deal closure, we help you build a scalable and efficient operation. Learn more at RealDealCrew.com LIKE • SHARE • JOIN • REVIEW
