According to Forbes, real estate investments have created more billionaires than any other type of investment. A study by the San Francisco Federal Reserve showed that over 100 years, real estate had a higher rate of return than stocks (11.1% vs. 10.8%) with significantly less volatility (10.7 vs 22.8). While those returns may sound extremely appealing, the work associated with traditional real estate investments – buying and flipping or renting houses – may sound a lot less

After the successful launch and funding of our first Value-Add Residential Fund (VRF), Fort + Home (FH) is thrilled to announce that we will be opening a second (VRF) in October. The real estate market is continuing to boom and the pandemic and has generated tremendous growth in the Rocky Mountain region. With flexible work arrangements becoming the norm, many people are seeking the type of community, lifestyle, and affordability that the Rockies offer. The VRF is an amazin

Butte, Montana has earned the title “The Richest Hill on Earth.” For over 100 years, Butte was one of the most important sources of copper for the world. Butte grew from a muddy mining camp to a great city that was built by the tremendous wealth that copper afforded. Historic buildings from the time when millionaires and miners lived and worked together still exist throughout Uptown Butte, but many are in need in restoration. Numerous programs with support from the Butte C

Fort+Hom is thrilled to welcome Keegan Hall as a new Project Manager to the team! Keegan’s commitment to historic preservation and sustainable architecture is a perfect fit for F+H. Keegan’s love of architecture and history began in middle school after visiting the “Old House” in Yellowstone. Keegan earned his Bachelors of Economics with an Environmental Focus from Western Washington University in Bellingham and his Masters of Historical and Sustainable Architecture from N

You've been in your home for longer than usual these days which may have you thinking it's time to add on to the space. Perhaps it's a spring of spontaneity or an item on the list of things you've been hoping to do for a while— whatever it may be, adding square footage can increase property value and more importantly, make your living situation a bit more enjoyable. First and foremost, the great debate: do-it-yourself (maybe ask a "handy" friend) or use a licensed contractor?

Curious about the latest on The O'Rourke project? Interested in more of what we do here at Fôrt and Hōm? Look no further than our YouTube channel. Current content will give you a behind-the-scenes look at The O'Rourke; future videos will follow the project as it progresses ­­––seeing the transformation yourself without stepping a foot in Montana. The O'Rourke at the start of construction. Follow Jeff as he covers the plans for each floor in the project’s first video. Jeff sha

The great outdoors and laughter: two natural remedies serve as the best medicine if you ask Fôrt and Hōm Project Coordinator and Colorado-native Hillary Wolff. Nature became near and dear to Hillary at a young age having grown up in Golden, the second oldest of four children. In college, her love of the outdoors would translate into her studies: biology and chemistry. Her background lends her to the scientific world, real estate’s endless opportunities have built a place in h

By now you've heard of it; you may even know what is looks like or have it in your home. But really what is shiplap? Believe it or not, shiplap is very old and served a building purpose beyond design. The origin of shiplap is rooted in the name. Its nautical beginnings go back to the Vikings, the art of laying wood in horizontal sequences was the process for building a ship’s hull. And although other structures such as barns and homes aren’t directly related to ships, the ter

It goes without saying that flipping homes, restoring buildings and any sort of hands-on work can come with its own challenges: challenges completely unknown until the day they appear. It could be a poor foundation, structural issues unseen until the walls came down, rotted floorboards or outdated electrical – to name a few. The O'Rourke Building is no different; one of our current challenges involves coal tar. Coal tar has a variety of uses, but to you and I, it’s most commo

His favorite meal is steak and potatoes, although a few friends noted his palate prefers Mexican cuisine. The latter seems more fitting— Jeff’s no “meat and potatoes guy” as the saying goes. Growing up on the western slope of Colorado in the small town of Silt, Jeff was usually found doing one of two things: football or construction. With a last name meaning ‘carpenter’ in German, it’s hardly a surprise to learn of the trade’s prominence in his family; Jeff credits his carpen

Danielle is the Co-Owner and Acquisitions Manager of Fôrt+Hōm, in charge of the oversight of all company-asset-related architectural and design elements. If you ask Danielle which of her many roles in life are most important however, she’ll respond, without hesitation: wife to Jeff and mother to an ever-independent one-year-old. Danielle grew up in a close family of six on a small ranch in Golden, Colorado. She's a horse girl – which we acknowledge lovingly – competing nation

Lath and plaster were the materials used for interior walls in older buildings and homes. Today, new builds no longer use lath and plaster however with restoration and historic preservation lath and plaster remain. Lath, also known as slats, refers to the narrow wood that is installed between the vertical support posts of a soon-to-be wall. The word, although traditionally known as the above, has now become synonymous for any backing for plaster. Two examples of lath and plas

Mining towns were built to house the workers of nearby mines. Created out of necessity, these simple housing camps grew to accommodate the influx of people and additional industries that came along, too. While mining has seen its heyday come and go, several mining towns remain but only a handful have been able to grow beyond the very thing that created them. In particular two of those are Butte, Montana and Golden, Colorado. They both offer historic charm with the growth pote