The History of SoldFast. The Future of Real Estate.
There are all sorts of reasons we decide to walk away from a house. Sometimes it’s because we’ve fallen behind on home maintenance. Some are financial, others emotional, but they can all make restoring the property feel insurmountable. Real estate investors and cash home buyers offer a way out of these frustrating situations, but some of them don’t operate as ethically as they should. Recognizing that growing issue was the spark that eventually became the idea for SoldFast.
SoldFast is a story about family, and the belief that treating our communities as such uplifts us all. We may buy and sell houses, but what we do is support homeowners and share our successes with them. That commitment to never turn our neighbors into numbers is at the heart of SoldFast, and a goal supported by the core members of our team.
In the Beginning, there was Bob Coluzzi
A true pro, leveraging 4 decades of hard-knocks, in-the-field experience. Bob grew up in a “learning by doing” environment inspired by his grandfather, a carpenter and immigrant from Poland. He developed his robust skill set while working in various trades before settling into a niche with general carpentry. In the 80s, Bob started working on his own.
Learning with small remodels, he tried his hand at a few “flips” well before they took off in popularity. He eventually worked his way up to new construction and property maintenance projects, taking care of 100+ households in Ford Heights, IL. He got his first “big” contract in that same neighborhood, for a federally-funded renovation of state-owned subsidized housing.
Now, he manages all things construction and renovation for SoldFast, directing work crews and planning for future projects. He joined his son Mitch’s first company, Sell Now Iowa, from the very beginning, and helped get SoldFast on its feet as well. When not on the job site, he has a couple of grandkids to keep him busy.
True craftsmanship can mean the difference between a housing headache and someone’s future dream home.
Renovating the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of real estate
After completing his Bachelor’s degree, Mitch worked with John Deere in Davenport, Iowa, while Bob wrestled with banks struggling to see the potential in the renovation business. But through Bob’s industry connections, they managed to get enough financing together for their next project, and soon enough they had completed work on several other properties. These early days had their share of missteps, however, and there was always a looming risk of burning through what funds were available when the next problem inevitably reared its head. Scrambling was a regular part of the vocabulary.
Over time, Mitch started to learn where the housing industry was falling short, and how he could focus his talents to ensure:
- High-quality and longer-lasting restoration of nuisance properties
- Affordable, 3-4 bedroom rentals for families in struggling markets
- Transparency about home values, and which options for selling give homeowners more of that value
His son Mitch brought number-crunching and neighborhood know-how into the mix
Mitch has been passionate about real estate from the beginning, having grown up in the very flips where his dad developed his skills. Mitch was in Ford Heights too, helping and learning from projects until he got his real estate license at 18. He joined a Century 21 office in Cedar Lake, assisting with presentations and client appointments while learning the legal side of things from his mentor and Bob’s realtor John Schupp. When it was time to enroll in college, Mitch did so half-heartedly. After all, he was already doing what he wanted to.
In fact, Mitch bought his first renovation project as a college freshmen, using his own money for the deal and scraping together savings and credit cards for the materials. He and his wife Jess enlisted help from Bob and other family, calling in every favor they had. Everyone poured tons of sweat equity into this house, and before they knew it, they had turned a 1-story, 2 bed house into a 2-story, 4-bed property with rooms they could rent out. His and Jess’ families’ support was vital for keeping the project funded and feasible until everyone could walk away a winner.
After adding a degree in tech and working more with Bob, he launched his first real estate company, Coluzzi Real Estate, which rebranded into Sell Now Iowa in 2020. Drawing on his understanding of Des Moines’ neighborhoods and builders gave him everything he needed to provide people with clear solutions and the best option for cash home sales in the state. That same goal is what inspired him to combine resources and launch SoldFast with Co-Founder Ryan Dossey.
Close relationships with the local pros can offer insight into communities you won’t find anywhere else.
Forging a partnership built on understanding data and the people behind the properties
The information hidden in real estate is practically bottomless. Average sale prices, demographic trends, and much more can give you a peek behind the curtain. At least, if you know how to make sense of all the numbers and legal jargon. Both Mitch and his future partner Ryan saw the potential. More importantly, they both firmly believed in passing on the benefits to the communities they cared about.
But this sentiment wasn’t always shared in the investing space, and as they attended council meetings, contractor lunches, and other industry networking events, they found that the morals among local leaders were a bit lacking. Sometimes, these events were just to sell new investors on expert guides and “guru” advice. The homeowners struggling to get out from under these crumbling houses were almost an afterthought.
Ryan and Mitch wanted better for their clients. They were in a unique position to be a leader for the industry, demonstrating the value of honesty and diligence when working with homeowners. Sell Now Iowa worked, but it wasn’t ambitious enough, so they decided it was time to try something new.
Launching SoldFast with Ryan Dossey
Ryan started his real estate journey in 2014 with little experience and even less in the bank. But this industry can offer a lot to someone with drive and the data to back it up, so he knuckled down and accumulated knowledge everywhere he could. He earned his realtor’s license in Indiana, learned to flip houses, and launched now-successful marketing initiatives like Call Porter and Ballpoint Marketing to apply what he learned, about markets and renovations and giving everyone involved the best deal possible.
By the time he and Mitch first crossed paths in 2020, Ryan was regularly flipping houses, and now looking to expand his networking opportunities. While this initial conversation fizzled out, anyone in real estate will tell you that strong networking is vital to long-term success, so Ryan tried again and joined a local REI community called Multipliers.
Mitch eventually also joined Multipliers, and this time they had an opportunity to work together. Ryan enlisted Mitch’s help reorganizing the operations at Ballpoint, and they decided they could do more together if they combined their expertise. They also realized this could better accomplish their shared goal of holding the real estate space up to higher standards.
With robust data analysis tools and a commitment to community, they launched SoldFast. By diving deep into the numbers of each market, they can bring the best offers to their clients and share in the success. But SoldFast’s success wasn’t built overnight, and in a way, it will always be a work-in-progress as Ryan and Mitch both continue to find ways to raise the bar.
Building a better real estate business means putting people first, not property.
SoldFast hit the ground running
SoldFast formally launched on May 25th, 2023, with bare bones staff and an uphill battle in front of us. But Mitch, Ryan, Bob and everyone else were committed to standing out in what was now a very crowded industry. And because they put people first and dove into new data, it wasn’t long before people took notice.
By early 2024, SoldFast had found its office space and began hiring Qualifiers and local realtors. We also expanded into 4 new states: Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Today, SoldFast Operators are supporting markets in 17 states, but every member of our team must meet our rigorous standards for transparency and customer service. When you see a SoldFast sign in the yard, that’s a “good sign” someone got the best deal possible.
A proven track record of stellar service and seller satisfaction
It’s important to us that every single homeowner we work with enjoys a hassle-free experience from start to finish. Whatever your situation is, you can count on us to answer every question and explore every option. We have a few snippets below, but feel free to check out our reviews for more seller success stories!
This was by far the best thing when it came to selling my home
– Tasha
Mitch and everyone at SoldFast made it very easy […] I would recommend them to anyone.
– Kevin
Very pleasant and professional. I HIGHLY recommend SoldFast if you find yourself in a similar situation.
– Steve
How SoldFast Moves the Industry Forward
With the right people, cash home buyers can be a lifeline to homeowners dealing with financial and emotional stress. SoldFast will continue to grow and meet the challenges of real estate, but we’ll never cut corners or push you to solutions that don’t work.
That means no wholesaling.
No haggling.
No re-trading.
No hounding phone calls.
Just trustworthy advice that puts community first. When you work with SoldFast, you’re working directly with our agents and operators in the field, who are all held to an extremely high standard and BBB accredited. We’ll walk you through all the options, from our no-haggle cash offer to the various listing opportunities all the while offering no-pressure guidance that to align with your priorities. Whatever you want to make happen, we do too.