This is the real story of Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM — a commercial real estate broker turned investor — who bought a $1.22M commercial investment property in Silicon Valley using other people’s money (OPM). With only three weeks to close, he leveraged seller financing and a tenant-funded security deposit instead of conventional bank financing.
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Seller needed to liquidate within 3 weeks.
Traditional financing was too slow.
Tim didn’t have $1.22M in cash.
Seller Financing: Seller carried $840K as a private note, secured by the property.
Tenant Security Deposit: Six months later, the bank required an extra $150K for refinancing. Instead of using personal funds, Tim structured a tenant’s two-year prepaid rent as a security deposit, meeting DSCR guidelines and avoiding upfront tax liability.
This layered use of other people’s money (OPM) unlocked the deal without draining personal reserves.
Closed escrow in less than 3 weeks.
Refinanced with a credit union in 6 months, paying off seller in full.
Signed Teledyne Technologies (NYSE: TDY), a Fortune 500 tenant, with a 5-year NNN lease and corporate guarantee.
Positive monthly cash flow with 5% annual rent increases.
Tax savings through cost segregation, accelerating depreciation and offsetting income.
Other People’s Money (OPM): Turns limited liquidity into opportunity.
Seller Financing & Creative Financing: Alternative paths when banks move too slowly.
Tenant Quality: A Fortune 500 lease transforms property value overnight.
Tax Strategy: Cost segregation drives long-term wealth.
Speed: Execution within 3 weeks created a win-win for seller and buyer.
Tim’s background as both a broker and investor gave him the tools to analyze the property, structure unconventional financing, and execute quickly — a key advantage in competitive Silicon Valley commercial real estate.
What started as a distressed situation became a trophy asset with strong cash flow, Fortune 500 backing, and significant tax benefits. This deal shows the power of creative financing with OPM in commercial investment property deals.
If you’re looking to buy, sell, or lease a property or commercial space in Fremont, Silicon Valley, or the Bay Area, or simply want to have an investment consultation, the Ivy Group is ready to help you turn vision into reality. The Ivy Group is ready to help you reach your goals with more than 100 years of combined experience and expertise in real estate, investment, technology and engineering. Contact us with your next real estate needs: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/
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