Today we’d like to introduce you to Genaro Diaz.
Genaro, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Mexico City on April 26, 1969. Growing up, I was a restless kid always dreaming from a very young age of becoming a successful businessman. I graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana in 1995 with a specialty in Corporate Law. At the tender age of 21, I acquired the franchise of “El Charco de las Ranas” in Mexico City.
Unfortunately, our huge success didn’t last for long. We first opened the business in 1994 when the presidential term of Carlos Salina de Gortari was coming to an end. The country was economically devastated and the change of presidency to Ernesto Zedillo (1994- 2000) further depreciated the Mexican peso; the currency went from 3.41 pesos at the beginning of his mandate to 9.36 pesos at the end of his term. Additional rising interest rates bankrupted the business, with our debt increasing as much as 120% annually. This era marked the end of my career in Mexico and thus begin the American Dream.
While trying to overcome the circumstances and looking a better future for myself, I moved to San Diego in 1997. Once again, the stars didn’t align and my newest endeavor failed. I’ve never been afraid of failure but most important I never lost motivation and determined to achieve my dreams in the summer of 1999, I moved to Miami. In the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, I perceived unlocked value in the real estate industry, specifically multifamily class C properties, focusing in the low-income sector. Buying properties below the market value and implementing a renovation program gave us the opportunity to offer dignified housing to the community. I invested in cities most hurt by the financial crisis such as Fort Myers, Jacksonville and Dallas. Since the crisis to this date we’ve been dedicated to providing decent housing, exceptional service and pricing that are hard to match by our competitors.
As a team, we built and expanded two companies; Nova Eagle Trace, LLC and DIJ Management Properties, LLC. Teamwork, loyalty, and hard work had been the key to the success of both companies. My team and I share the same goal, to achieve the American dream and give back to the community. I’m extremely grateful with the unconditional love and support of my wife Alejandra, my two children Hana and Patricio, my employees and my partners; without them I wouldn’t be here right now. As of today, we operate about 5,000 units in Jacksonville, Dallas and San Antonio and we hope to grow to 10,000 units within the next two years
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, I still remember working 7 days a week. As an entrepreneur, every situation has its challenges. You must learn to control your mind, find solutions where problems lie, control your emotions and most important believe in
yourself.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
DIJ Properties is an asset manager that acquires, manages and operates multifamily properties in the United States. DIJ acquires properties with high potential for improving both economic and physical occupancy, properties with poor customer service, lack of security, lighting and recreational areas and with high potential for renovations such as children’s playgrounds and fast soccer fields.
We implement a strong investment program while improving the tenant base, attracting the Hispanic community, increasing rental square footage value, performing in depth tenant screenings and entering agreements with county police to patrol our communities. Our excellent service, twenty-four-hour limit response time in work orders, pristine exteriors and repositioning unit remodeling program allow a high standard of living for the families and tenants that reside in our properties.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I’ll totally recommend Dallas & Fort Worth. We currently own and manage 5 properties successfully.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3330 Webb Chapel Extention, Dallas, TX 75220
- Website: http://novaeagle.com/
- Phone: 8172310670
- Email: info@novaeagle.com
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