Besides its amazing people—Yakima, Washington has so much to offer. Growing up here just a big wheel ride from where I live now brings a flood of memories of the people, places and events that makes Yakima special. Catch us Monday mornings on Good Morning Yakima on 1280 NewsTalk KIT.
042 - Skip the Spring Cleaning: How Passive Real Estate Works
This episode of Growing Up Yakima leaned into a springtime theme — spring cleaning. I took a trip back to my childhood, where growing up on a farm meant learning to do a little bit of everything: weeding gardens, mowing lawns, laundry, even sewing. Chores were just part of the daily routine before school even started. I also remembered helping my dad take care of a couple of rental properties he owned, which got us talking about the different arrangements landlords make with tenants — some folks work out deals where tenants handle upkeep themselves in exchange for a break on rent, though those situations are honestly pretty rare.
That memory turned into a bigger conversation about why spring is exactly the time property owners start thinking about their rentals, and why Washington state can be such a tough place to be a landlord. I talked about a trend I'm seeing right now: people selling off their single-family rental homes and reinvesting that money with us in a more diversified portfolio of multifamily apartment communities instead. I used the example of a 240-unit property we just financed in Indianapolis, where we locked in a rate a full percentage point better than what's typical on a 30-year loan here at home.
One of the big advantages of investing with us is that you're never the one doing the "spring cleaning" — we've got on-site community managers, leasing agents, and roughly one maintenance staffer per 100 units keeping things running. I also shared a great example of our team's track record: on a property we recently sold, we grew the net operating income by 85% over five years, which led to a $15 million distribution to investors in that fund. If any of this sounds interesting, give me a call, send a text, or find us at wearewilkinson.com.
31 Aug 2026
041 - Ferries, French Fries, and a Better Way to Invest
In this episode of Growing Up Yakima, we got talking about one of the best ways to escape the valley pollen for a bit — hopping a ferry over to the Puget Sound. I shared some of my favorite memories growing up: lining up at the ferry docks, grabbing clams and fish and chips at Ivar's, and tossing French fries to the seagulls. Turns out it was the anniversary of the Washington State ferry Yakima being christened 58 years ago, which sent me down memory lane about summers spent with family friends on Bainbridge Island, digging clams and running around the beach — the kind of stuff that's basically a rite of passage if you grew up in this state.
From there we got into a fun tangent about what those old ferries used to cost to build versus the new hybrid ferries being built today (spoiler: it's a lot more), which led into a bigger conversation about why so many property owners and even shipbuilders are looking to leave Washington state altogether because of the regulatory and tax pressure. That's exactly the kind of situation where investing with Wilkinson makes sense — you don't have to be tied down to Washington's landlord-tenant rules, because you're not hands-on with the property at all.
I talked through why we intentionally invest in states like Indiana, Georgia, Texas, and the Carolinas, where the landlord-tenant balance is a lot more fair for everyone involved. I used the example of a 240-unit property we just picked up in Indianapolis, now one of three in a passive investing portfolio — meaning instead of putting $100,000 down on a single duplex here in Yakima and dealing with one or two problem tenants yourself, you're diversified across multiple properties and a much bigger group of tenants, without the mortgage, insurance, or emergency-repair headaches. If that sounds interesting, give me a call on my cell or look up Wilkinson here in Yakima.
31 Aug 2026
040 - Bigfoot, Star Wars, and a Smart Real Estate Play
In this episode of Growing Up Yakima, I sat down for our usual conversation about the small-town values that connect people who grew up here — the agricultural roots, knowing your neighbors, and having the good sense to spot a solid deal when you see one. As we headed into spring, I took listeners on a nostalgic walk through my own Yakima movie history, from catching the documentary Mysterious Monsters at the Capitol Theatre as a kid (I still can't shake a healthy fear of Bigfoot) to my family's long-running Star Wars fandom — Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, and the franchise's upcoming 50th anniversary. My son's unofficial middle name is Skywalker, so it runs deep.
From there, I talked through why passive multifamily real estate investing makes a lot of sense, especially for folks with a background like ours. I compared the cost and hassle of buying a rental property yourself — six figures down, a bank loan, and the headaches of being a hands-on landlord — with investing alongside us at Wilkinson through our fund, which currently holds 674+ apartment units across markets like Indianapolis and Atlanta.
We recently acquired a 240-unit property in Indianapolis, and we've got an offering closing to new investors by the end of the year. We also tend to invest in states like Indiana, Georgia, and Texas, where the landlord-tenant balance works a little better than it does here in Washington. If that sounds interesting, reach out — my cell's always open, or you can find me at wearewilkinson.com.
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