Co-Founder · Woodford

Blake
VanDeGrift

Acquiring and operating commercial real estate, boutique hospitality assets, and established businesses across the United States — with a long-term owner's mindset and an operator's discipline.

Woodford →
20+ Years of combined experience across military intelligence, financial advisory, and real estate investment
100+ Residential units in a multi-state real estate portfolio, personally underwritten and managed
3 Active acquisition tracks: CRE-backed deals, boutique hospitality, and operating businesses
I

Background &
Experience

I'm a co-founder of Woodford, a private holding company acquiring and actively managing commercial real estate, boutique hospitality properties, and established operating businesses across the United States.

My approach to acquisition is shaped by a career that has moved deliberately across disciplines — from military intelligence to financial advisory to multi-state real estate investment. Each gave me a different lens for evaluating risk, opportunity, and operational complexity.

I source and underwrite deals directly, bringing a disciplined analytical framework to every conversation. Whether it's a commercial real estate asset, a boutique hotel under 50 keys, or a service business with a proven management team, I evaluate every opportunity with the same rigor — and only pursue what we intend to own for the long term.

I am actively seeking introductions to sellers, brokers, and intermediaries working with commercial real estate, hospitality assets, and established businesses in the Southeast and nationally.

🎖️
USAF Veteran Electronic Intelligence Analyst, United States Air Force
🏢
Commercial Real Estate Investor Multi-state portfolio — acquisition underwriting, capital projects, performance review
🏨
Hospitality Acquisitions Boutique hotels (<50 keys), RV parks, and mobile home communities
⚙️
Operations Leadership Extensive public sector experience overseeing personnel and complex operational environments
📊
Former Licensed Financial Advisor Previously held Series 6 & Series 63 designations — background in financial risk analysis and advisory
II

Acquisition
Criteria

CRE & Hospitality
Primary Focus
Asset Types Boutique Hotels, RV Parks, MHP
Hotel Size Under 50 Keys
Geography Nationwide
Buy Box Flexible — Deal by Deal
Backing Commercial Real Estate
Boutique Hotels RV Parks Mobile Home Communities Value-Add Stabilized Repositioning

We focus on independently operated CRE-backed hospitality assets with genuine community character. No STR portfolios of single-family homes.

Operating Businesses
Active Interest
Revenue $1M – $5M Annual
SDE $400K+
Employees 8+ Staff
History 8+ Years Operating
Geography Southeast — Primary
Management In Place Preferred
HVAC MEP Construction Roofing Waste Management MedSpa All Trades & Services

KY · TN · AL · GA · FL · SC · NC primary. Open to national deals on merit. We are operators, not passive holders.

III

What I
Bring

01
Rigorous Underwriting

Every deal I pursue has been underwritten with the same analytical framework I developed across military intelligence and financial advisory work — stress-tested assumptions, clear exit thesis, and realistic hold-period modeling.

02
CRE & Hospitality Fluency

I evaluate commercial real estate assets and hospitality properties with the same owner-operator lens as operating businesses. I understand what drives NOI, occupancy, and long-term asset value — and I know what I don't want as well as what I do.

03
Operational Depth

I am not a passive buyer. My background in managing complex personnel environments and overseeing multi-state real estate portfolios means I understand what operations actually look like under the hood — and how to improve them.

04
Long-Term Orientation

I acquire assets I intend to own indefinitely. That means sellers can trust that their business, community, or property will be stewarded — not stripped or flipped. It also means I move deliberately and don't waste anyone's time on deals I won't close.

IV

Let's
Connect

If you represent a commercial real estate asset, a boutique hospitality property, or an established operating business — I want to hear from you. All conversations are confidential and handled personally.