Small-scale development · Fayette County

We buy small infill property in Lexington.

Houses that will take a second unit. Two-to-four unit buildings. Vacant lots inside the urban service boundary. Small commercial worth converting. If you have one, send it over and you get a straight answer in two business days.

The buy box

What we actually buy.

Brokers and landowners waste time guessing what a buyer wants. Here it is in plain terms, so you know in ten seconds whether to pick up the phone.

Single-family that will take an ADU

Lexington allows an accessory dwelling unit up to 800 square feet on urban single-family lots. A deep lot, an alley, a detached garage, or a walk-out basement is what we are looking for.

Two-to-four unit buildings

Duplexes through fourplexes, occupied or vacant. Dated, tired, and under-rented is fine. Deferred maintenance is not a problem.

Vacant infill lots

Inside the urban service boundary. Odd shapes, narrow frontage, and lots that have been passed over for years are of interest, not a deterrent.

Small commercial worth converting

Corner buildings, old storefronts, and small offices in walkable blocks where the upper floor could come back into use.

Parameters
PriceUp to about $400,000. Most of what we look at is under $250,000.
WhereFayette County first. We will look at Richmond, Winchester, Nicholasville, Georgetown and Versailles.
ConditionAny. Vacant, dated, fire-damaged, or mid-renovation and stalled.
SituationEstates, tired landlords, out-of-state owners, expired listings, and deals that fell through on inspection.
Answer timeTwo business days from the address and the asking price. A no comes just as fast as a yes.

What we do not buy

  • Anything outside the urban service boundary that needs it moved
  • Land requiring a rezoning we would have to win before the deal makes sense
  • Buildings over four units, for now
  • Anything already listed at a price that only works for a retail buyer

How it works

Three steps, and no wasted trips.

01

Send the address

Address and asking price is enough to start. Photos and a rent roll help but are not required.

02

We price it ourselves

We estimate the construction work in-house rather than waiting on a contractor's number. That is why the answer comes back in days instead of weeks.

03

A straight answer

A number and the reasoning behind it, or a clear no with what would have made it work. Either way you are not left waiting.

Who we are

One person, and he prices buildings for a living.

Hartwood Group is run by Eli Hart in Lexington. Construction management at Eastern Kentucky University, and four rotations on the building side: quality control at an asphalt plant, project engineering and project management at two commercial general contractors, and estimating at an electrical contractor.

That is the useful part. Most people buying their first small building are guessing at what the work will cost. Estimating is the job, so the renovation number is the one thing here that is not a guess.

Hartwood is early, and it is worth being straight about that. The first acquisition is in front of us, not behind us. If you need a buyer with twenty years of closings, that is not us yet. If you have a property that has been sitting and you want a fast, honest answer from someone who will actually walk it, that is exactly us.

Background and work history

Send a property

Address and asking price. That is all we need.

This goes straight to Eli. No sales sequence, no drip campaign, no one else calling you.

Answer in two business days

Got it.

Eli will come back to you within two business days. If it is time-sensitive, call or text (859) 361-9320.

Call or text(859) 361-9320
Emaileli@hartwood.group
WhereLexington, Kentucky