Harmer: I have been in real estate for about 23 years, and I've done everything from mortgage-loan offices to loans to wholesale to retail, preparing to be a developer for those years. We always had real estate as a side business; we joined forces with SL Investments through the development arm, and the real estate just came to us. We have a pretty good name in San Diego, and we started seeing the need for real estate services there—the market kind of told us to open this office. We started getting opportunities to have $4.5-million listings, and we began purchasing property ourselves. Because of the way Strategic is set up by offering real estate investments, these two things go hand in hand.

Many people own real estate as an investment and have not seen the returns they saw between 1998 and 2005 or prior to that. The huge turns or equity gains are not there anymore, and the market is tight. We are able to get in and look at real estate investments and identify higher, greater returns for them. They're getting them into much better real estate opportunities. With our promissory program, we have a better way of earning more and producing a better investment income.

GlobeSt.com: Why the decision to focus on multifamily properties and senior healthcare facilities in San Diego?

Harmer: That's where the money is. For multifamily, Millennials aren't buying homes; they don't want commitment. They don't want to purchase, pay taxes or be tied down to a location for a long time. Senior housing is a major focus for us because of the ever-growing need for these properties. There's a lack of supply and inventory out there, and 10,000 people are turning 65 every day and will for the next 19 years. The largest demographic group will need senior housing. That need is highly desirable; they're not only turning that age but living longer. The first person to live to 150 years old has already been born, thanks to medical technologies.

GlobeSt.com: What are the greatest challenges to developing in each of these sectors today?

Harmer: For multifamily, it's finding the right location, the right piece of dirt. That's really it, and getting through your government agencies. L.A., with its measures there, is restricting growth and heightening requirements for building, and it's getting more and more expensive. Construction costs are getting higher. The overall goal is to provide homes that are affordable to the average folks, but you have so many new fees and costs implemented on you so you can provide a walkable community where people are not in their cars all day.

For senior housing, the challenge is trying to find superior locations where parents don't feel like they're being taken to, but moving up to—it may be even nicer than where they were prior. We want to put them in neighborhoods where their kids are. This way, mom and dad feel connected to their working families with children and grandchildren—they feel the intergenerational connection. These places are not a facility, if you will—we're building private residences for them all within the gated communities. They have their own private home versus having a big facility.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the San Diego office?

Harmer: We're not only a real estate office; we're also a real estate investment office and can provide all real estate services and investment opportunities. It's a nice niche. We're specializing in a high-end, select handful of clients at a time and providing hands-on complete services from start to finish. Many times, service companies along beach communities won't be with clients the whole way, turning the business over to younger team members and have other people do the groundwork. That's not what we do. After selling about 450 homes in my life, each home and transaction is unique, and each project is different. You can't cut, copy and paste them. There are different outcomes and personalities, and each is unique.

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SAN DIEGO—With 10,000 people turning 65 every day for the next 19 years, lack of inventory will be a problem if developers don't jump on it, Strategic Legacy Investment Group Inc.'s VP of sales Weston Harmer tells GlobeSt.com. The firm, a Los Angeles-based investment company, is expanding its real estate operations to San Diego with the opening of a new branch here. The new branch will be named Strategic Legacy Realty, San Diego and will be spearheaded by real estate veteran Harmer; joining him is senior associate Anna Larsson.

SLIG's real estate operations include the development of five multifamily projects in Hollywood and Westchester and two assisted-living and memory-care developments in San Diego's Vista and La Costa neighborhoods. SLIG. also acquired an office/retail mixed-use building in the heart of the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles, which serves as its corporate headquarters.

We spoke with Harmer about the opening of the San Diego office and the growing importance of senior-housing properties.

GlobeSt.com: Why did SLIG decide to open a San Diego office?

Harmer: I have been in real estate for about 23 years, and I've done everything from mortgage-loan offices to loans to wholesale to retail, preparing to be a developer for those years. We always had real estate as a side business; we joined forces with SL Investments through the development arm, and the real estate just came to us. We have a pretty good name in San Diego, and we started seeing the need for real estate services there—the market kind of told us to open this office. We started getting opportunities to have $4.5-million listings, and we began purchasing property ourselves. Because of the way Strategic is set up by offering real estate investments, these two things go hand in hand.

Many people own real estate as an investment and have not seen the returns they saw between 1998 and 2005 or prior to that. The huge turns or equity gains are not there anymore, and the market is tight. We are able to get in and look at real estate investments and identify higher, greater returns for them. They're getting them into much better real estate opportunities. With our promissory program, we have a better way of earning more and producing a better investment income.

GlobeSt.com: Why the decision to focus on multifamily properties and senior healthcare facilities in San Diego?

Harmer: That's where the money is. For multifamily, Millennials aren't buying homes; they don't want commitment. They don't want to purchase, pay taxes or be tied down to a location for a long time. Senior housing is a major focus for us because of the ever-growing need for these properties. There's a lack of supply and inventory out there, and 10,000 people are turning 65 every day and will for the next 19 years. The largest demographic group will need senior housing. That need is highly desirable; they're not only turning that age but living longer. The first person to live to 150 years old has already been born, thanks to medical technologies.

GlobeSt.com: What are the greatest challenges to developing in each of these sectors today?

Harmer: For multifamily, it's finding the right location, the right piece of dirt. That's really it, and getting through your government agencies. L.A., with its measures there, is restricting growth and heightening requirements for building, and it's getting more and more expensive. Construction costs are getting higher. The overall goal is to provide homes that are affordable to the average folks, but you have so many new fees and costs implemented on you so you can provide a walkable community where people are not in their cars all day.

For senior housing, the challenge is trying to find superior locations where parents don't feel like they're being taken to, but moving up to—it may be even nicer than where they were prior. We want to put them in neighborhoods where their kids are. This way, mom and dad feel connected to their working families with children and grandchildren—they feel the intergenerational connection. These places are not a facility, if you will—we're building private residences for them all within the gated communities. They have their own private home versus having a big facility.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the San Diego office?

Harmer: We're not only a real estate office; we're also a real estate investment office and can provide all real estate services and investment opportunities. It's a nice niche. We're specializing in a high-end, select handful of clients at a time and providing hands-on complete services from start to finish. Many times, service companies along beach communities won't be with clients the whole way, turning the business over to younger team members and have other people do the groundwork. That's not what we do. After selling about 450 homes in my life, each home and transaction is unique, and each project is different. You can't cut, copy and paste them. There are different outcomes and personalities, and each is unique.