Marc Kuhn's Linkedin Analytics

“I’ll do this deal if you let me pay $150,000 extra.” Here’s why I said that to the seller: This was for a purchase of 10 single-family homes in North Dakota. We negotiated the purchase price to $2.85M total. ($285K/unit.) Early in negotiations, we told the seller we prefer to do deals with seller credits. So we put our final offer in front of him: “I’ll only do this deal if you let me pay $150K extra. “We’ll give you $3M instead of $2.85M but we want the $150K back in the form of seller credit.” The seller wanted to get the deal closed and agreed to our offer. Now, we’re using that $150K in seller credit to help us float the deal for the first 3 years in the midst of a high interest rate environment. So effectively, we’re able to bake the high interest rate into the deal. After the first 3 years, we’ll be able to pay everybody off and own the deal ourselves. There’s quite a bit of additional nuance here. - How this works with the banks. - How cap rate and cash flow factor in. - How we look at other ways to use seller credit as a tool. But the point is simple: Creative financing is your friend. Learn it. Understand it. Know how to employ it. If you want to get deals done in 2025 and beyond... You have to go above (And beyond). How are you getting creative with financing in this tough market?

The stupid simple secret to making millions: Stop buying liabilities. Start buying assets. Most Americans: -> Buy/lease cars they can't afford. -> Rent apartments they can't afford. -> Buy stuff on high-interest credit cards. And you wonder why most people can't cover a $500 surprise bill? They have a liabilities-first mindset. And a liabilities-first mindset: -> Keeps you broke. -> Keeps you wanting more. -> Keeps you on the hedonistic treadmill. It's impossible to become financially free with a liabilities-first mindset. If you want to go from: The 9-5 -> Freedom Anxiety -> Relaxation Wishing -> Having ... you need to adopt an assets > liabilities mindset. -> Buy a used car instead of a new one. -> Buy stocks instead of flashy watches. -> Buy more assets instead of more sh*t. You don't have to like it. But you know it's true. Assets > Liabilities Are you going to fight it? Or make it work in your favor? -- P.S. If you want to learn how to grow your assets through real estate, join 5,200+ people getting my free weekly guides here: marckuhn.substack.com

We just closed on 10 houses at $285,000 a piece. How we did it with zero cash down: ↓ This deal was a year in the making. Sometimes speed is the secret to a solid investment. In this case, it was patience. Here’s how it came together: A smaller builder here in North Dakota built 10 spec homes—on the hope that buyers would show up at the end. They didn’t...and he needed to sell. Motivated Seller + Right Timing = Opportunity • We bought all 10 for $285K a piece • The homes appraised at $330K • $450K in equity right out of the gate. We used seller financing and $450K interest-only loan from a local investor—just enough to cover the equity gap and buy us some time during lease-up. No cash from us. We’ll burn a little bit of cash for the first year or two, but once they’re stabilized, we’ll hold them and sell in a few years. These are the deals that stack up and make a difference over a 10-year period. • Nothing fancy • Find what works for all involved • Instant equity, zero cash down These are the ones that add up over time. My goal is 1 new real estate investment a quarter. With two luxury storage developments in the works and these homes closing, we're starting 2025 off strong. Proud of the MAK Team, there's a lot of unglamorous work that goes into our construction, development, and acquisition verticals. Any new projects that have you fired up over the next 3-6 months? -- If we haven't connect yet, I'm Marc Kuhn. A construction CEO, real estate developer, and investor sharing what I learn as I build. Reach out if I can help you 🤝

We raised $1.9M for our Fargo Luxury Storage. Now we're raising $2.5M for the next one... Many investors are on the sidelines right now. Afraid to make moves because of: • Interest rates • Slowing deal flow • Uncertainty around an election Meanwhile, our development team at MAK is looking to do even more storage deals in 2025. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁: • Our tenants love • Our LP investors love • Our development company loves Self-storage is known for being a recession-friendly, cash-flowing asset. But these aren't your average self-storage. We've got boats and RVs. We've got luxury car owners. We've got contractor shop owners. We've got Amazon, Shopify biz owners. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵: • Two lights, one outlet • Garage door and opener • Heated and AC controlled • 20 by 50 self-storage units We've tested this in North Dakota and decided to expand across the U.S. What's our expertise at MAK? We find the land. We secure the financing. We build the storage facilities. We find renters and operate them. Fully vertically integrated. Our LP investors love that. If you want to learn more about this asset class, DM me "Luxury Storage" I'll share our upcoming projects. 𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 2025 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧?

“I don’t know what I just did...but I need $250,000.” I made my first big investment in 2016. A new office building for MAK Construction. I was unsure. I wanted to stop renting, start owning. And I needed $250K cash to close on the deal. It took our profit for the year to close… And then I had to cross my fingers that it would work out. We had a government entity that leased out the majority of the space and paid the majority of the mortgage, which felt like enough risk mitigation to me. But looking back (and in the moment), I was terrified for what might happen. The moral of the story? You’re never going to be ready to start. You just have to get started. You’re never going to be ready to take risks. You just have to take risks. You’re never going to be ready to go bigger. You just have to go bigger. What was the first "big" risk you took in your business? -- P.S. Join 5,200+ subscribers getting my my real estate deal breakdowns and strategies here: marckuhn.substack.com

I went from $2,500 in my bank to a $60 million real estate portfolio (with 10 reframes about money): What would you add to this list? Going from a mindset of scarcity to financial abundance is the key to a wealthy life. -- Join 5,200 people getting free tips for a wealthy life every Saturday morning: marckuhn.substack.com

He showed us jobs nobody wanted to talk about. Now he's changing how America thinks about work. This is Mike Rowe. Growing up in Baltimore, Mike watched his grandfather work with his hands. Those early lessons stuck. Years later, he spotted something troubling: Millions of skilled trade jobs. Not enough people to fill them. So in 2008, he launched: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 The impact: -> Over $1 million in scholarships awarded -> Partnerships with trade schools and programs -> Testified before Congress on the importance of technical education. His message is simple: "There's no such thing as a 'bad job' ... "Somewhere between the job and the paycheck, there’s still a thing called opportunity, and that’s what people need to pursue.” The skills gap is real. The opportunities are there. The trades are calling. It's not complicated. They're just overlooked. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀? ♻️ Repost to share with your community. 🏠 Follow me Marc Kuhn for more.

At 30, I said Yes to every real estate deal I could. At 36, I say No to 15-20+ deals a month. Grew MAK Construction to $30M revenue saying Yes. Grew MAK Capital to a $60M portfolio saying Yes. Yes to building houses. Yes to the random real estate deal. Yes to anything that would pay the bills. That’s how most people start: Hustle Mode But what gets you from $0 to $10M won’t get you to $100M. At some point, saying yes becomes a liability. You say yes to too many things, and suddenly: You’re busy, but not growing. You’re working harder, but not wealthier. You’re stuck in the weeds, missing the bigger picture. In 2025, I’m saying No more than ever. • No to building 10 homes (eats time, doesn’t scale) • No to chasing small deals and shiny objects • No to being everywhere, for everyone Instead, I’m doubling down on: → Luxury storage developments in markets we love → Large multifamily projects, strategic acquisitions → Scaling what’s working—without spreading thin Saying No to 10 small projects so I can say Yes to the 1- 2 large opportunities that move the needle. Great things are built by doing less, better. Are you in the Yes phase of your career? Or are you in the "less is more" season? -- ♻️ Repost if you're saying No more in 2025 📌 Join 5,200+ investors getting real estate, business, and wealth-building insights in my weekly Saturday newsletter: marckuhn.substack.com

"North Dakota Could Become the Richest State in the US" Everyone’s chasing deals in the same crowded markets. Barely anyone is talking about the investment opportunities in a state that's cold 6 months out of the year with less than 800K population. That's why I love North Dakota. I was born and raised here. I built my construction company here. I invested millions in real estate across the state. Now the rest of the world is starting to notice. Kevin O'Leary calls us the “Norwegians of America” because of our natural resources, pro-business policies, and untapped potential. He’s right. But I didn’t need him to tell me that. I’ve been building companies and investing here for 15+ years. Here’s why I love investing in North Dakota—and why others should take a serious look: → We have energy, land, and space to grow → The state is pro-development and pro-investment → Our economy is strong, stable, and affordable → Demand for high-quality real estate is only going up This isn’t just where I live. It’s where I build. It’s where I invest. And I believe North Dakota’s best days are ahead. If you’re serious about finding the next great market for real estate and business, look where no one else is looking. That's why Mr. Wonderful loves it. What’s an underrated market you think investors are sleeping on? -- P.S. If you're interested in North Dakota real estate, DM me "Invest" to join our email list of investors getting access to our luxury storage projects

How did one entrepreneur build 8 companies worth billions — across 4 different industries? His name is Brad Jacobs. Unlike a lot of billionaires, he didn’t get lucky with a single lucky startup. He built his $13 billion fortune over decades by spotting boring, fragmented industries — and rolling them up into billion-dollar empires. • Oil brokerage in his 20s → Exited early • United Waste Systems → Sold for $2.5B • United Rentals → Public $30B+ valuation • XPO Logistics → $0 to $18B rev in under a decade • Then spun off 2 companies → Both worth $1B+ • Now building QXO with $1B+ in funding He did it without being the smartest guy in the room. He wasn’t a tech genius. His superpower: • Find industries people overlook • Roll up the small companies into one • Build teams, systems, and culture • Exit or IPO and do it again Today, Brad’s story isn’t as famous as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. He built his wealth by making boring businesses extremely profitable. I’m not chasing unicorn status either. I love "boring" cash-flowing businesses like construction, luxury storage, and real estate. Brad's philosophy resonates a lot with me. What are your favorite "boring" assets to own and invest in? -- ♻️ Repost to inspire other entrepreneurs Follow me Marc Kuhn for lessons from 15 years as a construction entrepreneur and real estate investor

I started $26,000,000 in construction projects. Without closing on a loan...oops. The last 6 months have been some of the hardest of my career. And the most educational. In North Dakota, we don't have the luxury of time. → 5-6 months of winter shutdown → Site work needs to start by October → Foundations must be complete before the freeze The easy answer? Wait until spring. The real answer? Find a way now. Because waiting means: → Teams without work → Growth opportunities missed → Competitors taking your spot I've never had a project go perfectly in 15 years of running MAK Construction LLC. Not one. Not ever. Instead, I've learned to anticipate the curve balls: • Land costs suddenly skyrocket • Entitlements take twice as long • Construction costs exceed budgets • Interest rates rising = tighter margins • Raising capital is hard and takes time • City inspectors are backlogged for weeks • Lease-up moves at half the expected pace • Property taxes and insurance surge unexpectedly These aren't exceptions. They're the rule. This is why most people never build anything significant. They wait for perfect conditions that never comes. They hope for a risk-free path that doesn't exist. They look for certainty in an uncertain business. But the developers who thrive aren't the ones who avoid challenges. They're the ones who run toward them. The thick-skinned win. The persistent survive. The resilient build empires. Challenging times don't break strong people. They create them. Looking back, what have you learned from the most challenging times in your career?

I’ve met more millionaires in steel-toed boots than in suits wearing $30,000 Rolexes. One of them started in oil & gas. He didn’t have a plan to own 35 gas stations. → He bought 1 gas truck. It made money. → So he bought a second. That did too. → Then a few more. Business was solid. “What if I built the gas station myself?” So he did. He found a decent location, ran the numbers, and said: “Even if I break even on fuel, I’ll be fine. Let’s build.” And he didn’t stop there. → Year after year → Station after station → Brick by brick Today, he owns 35 gas stations. And he’s planning to scale to 100. The most impressive part? He never overthought it. He just kept asking: “Does this work?” → Yes → “Let’s do it again.” That’s how real wealth is built. Through simple execution, repeated at scale. Do you know any blue-collar entrepreneurs who built their businesses like this? -- If you want to learn how to build a $1M business or real estate portfolio from scratch, I put 15 years of lessons learned in this free book: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gpKu9WhQ

10 years ago, the guy on the left took a $50K pay cut to join my little construction company. Today, he runs a lot of our $25M business. Here's why this decision changed both our lives: The guy on the left is Mike, GM of MAK Companies. When he joined, he ran our stamped concrete division. Just 2-4 guys and basic operations. But I noticed three things immediately about Mike: • Zero entitlement • Showed up when things got hard • Solved problems without drama Most people chase quick money. Mike chose long-term growth. His consistency allowed me to step away from day-to-day operations and focus on what I do best: → Building our team culture → Scaling our systems → Launching new divisions → Growing the Mega Mak Storage brand Mike has worn every hat at MAK. He embodies our culture in everything he does. The truth most entrepreneurs miss: You can't scale without finding your "Mike" - the person who buys into your vision completely and executes relentlessly early on. Your business breakthrough isn't just about your skills. It's about finding the right people willing to play the long game with you. Who was your "Mike" early in your entrepreneur journey?

If you didn't come from a wealthy family, here's how to make your first $1M anyway: Surround yourself with the people you want to become in 10 years. Not Elon or Bezos. Real people in your community. • The construction entrepreneur • The small business owner • The real estate investor Find people you admire. Find people you can help. Find people to mentor you. Will it cost you? Damn right. It'll cost you hard work. It'll cost you hours of your time. It'll cost you nights and weekends. This is what I recommend to everyone in their 20s who wants massive success. Don't spend your 20s chasing money. Spend it chasing skills and knowledge. No better way to do this... Than to surround yourself with people who are where you want to be in 10 years. This is the best success "hack" I know. What would you add to this? -- If you want to learn from my path as a real estate investor and construction entrepreneur... Join 5,200+ getting free advice every Saturday morning in my newsletter: marckuhn.substack.com

In my 20s, I traded time for money. In my 30s, I’m trading money for health. Running multiple companies and having a family taught me something important in 2024: My most important investment isn’t in real estate. It’s in my body, health, and energy. When I’m healthy, I make better decisions. I lead better. I show up better. I have more energy—for my team, my investors, and my family. In 2025, I made a commitment: Invest $10,000–$20,000 per year into my health. Here’s my plan for how I'll invest: • Bloodwork: $300 • Genetic testing: $600 • High-quality supplements: $1,500 • Peptides: $5,000–$10,000 • Gym memberships and trainers: $3,000+ Some people think it’s excessive. But for me, it’s a non-negotiable. When your body is optimized, your business follows. If you’re in a leadership role—CEO, investor, operator—this is a category worth over-investing in. Are you investing in your health and energy in 2025?

Everyone loves the idea of a $10M real estate deal. No one talks about $100K you burn when stabilization takes 6 months longer than expected. It's great to find deals and raise capital. But what happens after? After you take investors' money. After you take a loan from the bank. After you made promises and need to deliver. Stabilization is where most GPs get exposed. They underestimate the time to build. They overpromise returns to investors. They hide when things take longer than planned. Early on, one of our first $10M luxury storage deals took 6 months longer than expected. • 6 months of extra costs. • 6 months of no distributions. • 6 months of pressure to perform. We have a competitive advantage in construction and development...but unexpected delays happen in this game. The best thing I could do in that moment was to call every single one of our investors and be straight with them. I picked up the phone. I owned the timeline. I showed them what we were doing to get it done. It sucked in the moment. But it built more trust with investors over time. They know that communication is a top priority for us. Good or bad. If you invest, build, or own real estate long enough...you'll face challenges on a weekly basis. Deals take longer. Construction delays happen. Leasing takes longer than you planned. That’s the game. The best thing you can is be honest with yourself, your investors, and your team. And march forward. Have you ever had a deal take longer than expected? How did you handle it? -- ♻️ Share this with a real estate investor in your network to start the conversation

Herd mentality is a disease that keeps you broke. Here's what it looks like (so you can avoid it): • Pick a "safe" career • Stay on the path for 40 years • Save all your pennies and dollars • Stuff it all in a 401(k) until you're 70 • Trade 60,000+ hours of life for a paycheck • Ask your boss "pretty please" for a 3% raise Then, if you're lucky, you can spend the last decade of your life sitting on a beach or golf course. The problem with this outdated career advice... It doesn't work. It burns people out. It eats up all of your time. It leads to golden handcuffs. It chases someone else's goals. And...it's not the path to financial freedom. I'm not against 9-5s. It's valuable to start your career learning inside a company. For skill acquisition, relationships, and experience. But if you want to be financially free before you're 70, excited to get out of bed every day... Build a side hustle. Work 5-9 for a few years. Turn it into a cash-flowing business. Invest your cash flow in appreciating assets. Learn how to create leverage (code, capital, content) I chose construction, development, and real estate. But there 101 other paths that work, too. The goal: Own equity in something. That's the path to freedom...not 3% inflation raises. Agree or disagree?

My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Told he has 8–10 weeks left to live. We’re 4 weeks in. This isn’t something I’d normally share on LinkedIn, but it’s too important not to. I grew up watching my dad pour concrete with his own two hands. We lived in a trailer, barely had enough to pay rent, and moved around the country chasing work. No degree. No trust fund. No fallback plan. • But he built a business. • He retired at 56 after 30 years in construction. • He’s 62 today—and he’s my greatest hero. In the past few weeks, I’ve spent more time with him than I have in years. We shot a podcast. Drank beer by the pool. Laughed with his 3 grandkids. And I’ve had time to reflect on what he taught me—not through lectures, but through how he lived. Here are 3 lessons I’ll carry with me forever: 1) Money is in the concrete work. He always said: Get paid early. Do the hard work nobody else wants to do. The lesson wasn’t just about concrete. It was about building something real. 2) Create a business or be part of one. If you want to get ahead, you can’t just work for someone else your whole life. You either build equity or you rent your time to someone who does. 3) Not every day is a holiday, not every meal is a feast. Stay lean. Stay hungry. Appreciate the grind. Play the long game and don’t overreach chasing short-term comfort. Right now, if someone told you that you only had months left to live… What would you do differently? What would you stop putting off? What risk would you finally take? This is your wake-up call. You still have time. My dad doesn’t want to die—but he’s at peace. He lived a full life, built something from nothing, and raised a family he’s proud of. He has zero regrets. When he passes, the only thing he wants from me is to keep going. And I will. What’s one thing your dad taught you that shaped who you are?

The Dollar General in our small ND town shut down. Brand new in 2022. Clean. Convenient. Everyone loved it. Then one day—poof. Closed. And suddenly, rumors started flying… "The landlord got greedy." "He raised the rent to $155,000 a month." "That’s why they left." I tracked down the owner. Not hard to do in Thompson, North Dakota. A small, tight-knit town. But the owner lives in California. Turns out... he had no idea the store was closing. I sent him a video of the empty store. He was shocked. He told me he’s charging less than $8K/month in rent. Totally fair for a building like that. With property taxes, insurance, and utilities, the actual cost to hold this building is about $11K/month—or $132K/year. Not cheap, but not outrageous. When I asked a Dollar General employee why they were leaving, she told me: “The landlord raised the rent to $155,000/month.” Not even close to the truth. But it’s easier to blame the landlord than admit corporate is pulling the plug for other reasons. Here’s the reality: → Rising insurance costs. → Higher property taxes. → More expensive debt. This is the world of real estate right now. And it’s crushing local businesses. Now I’m thinking—what can we do about it? Here’s one idea: • Buy the building as a community or investor group. • Ask the city to bond back the debt at a lower rate. • Get tax relief from the city, county, and school district. • Bring in a new tenant that actually wants to be here. That would bring the cost down to sustainable levels—and we’d keep the asset local. Anyway...I'm curious. I follow a lot of creative real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and builders here on LinkedIn. Are you seeing this in your community or portfolio? I'd like to help in this Dollar General Store situation in Thompson, North Dakota. But I'm still bouncing around ideas.

The secret to 10X-ing your success: Be willing to look stupid 80% of the time. I’ve failed more times than I’ve succeeded. → My first few years in business I struggled. → My first rental property scared the sh*t out of me. → My first big real estate development was messy. → My first million felt impossible (until it wasn't). In 2019, I started investing heavily in mentors, coaches, and surrounding myself with people 10X smarter than me. You know what I discovered? Every successful entrepreneur is just a regular person who didn’t quit. They just kept going. Kept learning. Kept building. And eventually… • The lessons became leverage. • The pain became profit. • The scars became strategy. No one gets it right on the first try. So if you’re in the middle of a setback, good. ✅ You’re in the right place. Because the only way to win in busines… Is to stay in the game long enough to succeed. Most people never start building towards their dreams because they're afraid to look stupid. But that's actually the secret ingredient. Agree or disagree? -- ♻️ Repost to share this with an entrepreneur or investor who needs to see this to keep going.