Follow the Money to Invest Smarter

If you want different outcomes than the average stock-heavy portfolio, follow the money specifically to people who already have different outcomes.

One of the cleanest signals in wealth allocation comes from what ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families actually do with their money—not what they say on social media.

TIGER 21’s latest member allocation shows real estate and private markets sitting at the top of the stack, right alongside meaningful cash reserves.

Investing locally in the Carolinas, the blueprint is simple: tilt toward real assets, especially high-quality, cash-flowing real estate in your own backyard—because that’s how many UHNW families compound with control, tax efficiency, and asymmetric downside protection.

The Case to Allocate More to Real Estate in 2025 and 2026

• Durable, inflation-sensitive income. Public markets swing; well-underwritten real estate pays you while you wait. Leases with built-in escalators and necessity-based tenants can translate inflation into rising net operating income over time.

• Control and value creation. You can directly influence the drivers of value—tenant mix, lease terms, capital improvements, expense discipline, and revenue optimization—rather than passively absorbing market beta.

• After-tax advantages UHNW families actually use. Depreciation, cost segregation, and strategic exchanges can materially improve after-tax returns. UHNW investors focus on the character of income and gains; real estate is a core tool for that.

• Diversification that behaves differently. Private real assets tend to have lower correlation to public equities and can dampen portfolio volatility—especially when assets are diversified across property types and submarkets.

• Basis as a risk-management tool. In a market where some sellers still face capital-stack pressure, disciplined buyers can secure low-basis assets below replacement cost—creating a built-in margin of safety and future refinance/exit options.

• Optionality from structure. Flexible capital structures (modest leverage, fixed or hedged debt, staggered maturities) give operators the ability to ride through rate cycles and harvest upside when conditions normalize.

• Information edge—especially local. Your proximity to tenants, city councils, builders, and brokers produces proprietary insight you won’t get from a national index. UHNW families win by turning local truth into repeatable advantage.

Why the Carolinas?

• Migration & payroll growth. The Carolinas continue to attract households and employers: finance and fintech in Charlotte; life sciences, software, and university-driven R\&D in the Triangle; advanced manufacturing and logistics along the I-85 corridor; healthcare and tourism across coastal markets. That mix underpins housing, medical offices, small-bay/light industrial, last-mile logistics, and necessity retail.

• Logistics that compound. Interstates (I-85/I-95), Class I rail, airports (CLT, RDU, GSP, CHS), and ports (Charleston, Wilmington) expand the trade radius and support distribution, cold storage, and supplier parks. Industrial users value the Carolinas for access plus cost.

• Constrained new supply in key submarkets. Higher construction costs and tighter development capital have slowed new starts. In select zip codes, that sets up a favorable supply/demand dynamic for existing, well-located assets.

• Pro-business operating climate. Streamlined permitting in many municipalities, competitive tax environments, and skilled labor pipelines from major universities and technical colleges support long-term tenant demand.

• Tenant resilience mix. Healthcare, logistics, education-adjacent services, and everyday retail needs create sticky demand that holds up better across cycles than discretionary concepts.

Why Start Now?

• Compounding doesn’t wait. Every quarter you delay is a quarter without cash yield, amortization, and tax shields working in your favor. The calendar—not just the market—drives real estate outcomes.

• Windows close. Dislocation creates pricing and recap opportunities, but as capital returns to the space, spreads compress. Establishing positions on today’s basis gives you time and upside.

• Debt markets evolve. As rates and credit conditions stabilize, more buyers can pencil deals, which typically raises clearing prices. Acting during transition periods can secure better terms and less crowded processes.

• Tax planning is a calendar sport. Coordinating acquisitions, cost segregation studies, and passive/active loss strategy takes time. Waiting often means pushing benefits into the next tax year.

• Pipeline scarcity is real. The best local assets often trade off-market or with tight broker lists. Getting in the queue early—with a clear buy box and proof of execution—improves access to the deals that never hit public listings.

What This Means for You

If you believe, as UHNW families do, that real assets and private markets are the spine of durable wealth, then the Carolinas may be the most logical place to lean in—because you can pair that philosophy with a local investor group like Humabuilt Capital.

Want a first look at upcoming offerings in North and South Carolina?

Reach out to us to request our pipeline overview and due diligence package and to learn how we structure investor alignment on cash flow, governance, and exits.

UHNW portfolios send a clear message: a meaningful allocation to private markets—led by real estate—remains a cornerstone of durable, multi-decade wealth.

For Carolina-focused investors, your local information advantage turns that philosophy into practical outperformance. Don’t wait for a perfect macro headline. Set your policy weights to favor cash-flowing real assets, execute with discipline, and model those ahead of you—starting now.

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Michael Foley

Michael Foley, president and CEO of Humabilt Capital, oversees the entitlement process, funding, and operations for Humabuilt Capital. Mr. Foley has been a full-time real estate investor since 1995 during which time he has developed hundreds of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and apartments. Mr. Foley started his investment ventures in Long Beach, California, and has expanded to Apex and Durham North Carolina. Mr. Foley is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego.