From four units to 83 — former SJO standout Jake Pence is making waves in Nashville real estate. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy. Much like his athletic career at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, he proves patience and action pay off.
by Clark Brooks
The Sentinel
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - 2016 St. Joseph-Ogden graduate
Jake Pence has not let the pandemic slow his entrepreneurial pursuits. The real estate business he founded two years ago is now based in Music City.
Kaski, formerly known as Blue Chip Real Estate, is a real estate investment firm focused on luxury short-term rentals in Nashville and value-add multifamily properties in central Illinois and Middle Tennessee.
Photo courtesy Jake Pence
Pence’s business has grown from managing four units valued at $250,000 to 83 units worth $7.5 million. He has also raised $2.15 million in equity from 23 investors.
After graduating from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois in 2019, Pence chose entrepreneurship over a traditional corporate path.
The first year and a half proved challenging, but strategic decisions helped stabilize the business.
“For the first year and a half, it seemed like I had placed a bad bet,” Pence wrote in a Facebook post. “However, thanks to the help of numerous people, especially Jared Blaudow, Kendra Pence and Todd Pence, Kaski finally started to gain traction in the summer of 2021 and was able to close out the year strong.”
Pence also launched a subsidiary, Stay Music City, a short-term rental property management company offering luxury single-family homes to visitors traveling to Nashville for tourism, sporting events, conferences and work-related trips.
Kaski is set to close on two apartment complexes this quarter, a move that would more than double the number of residences in its rental portfolio.
“We’re still a very small fish in a very large pond, but I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in 2022 and beyond,” said Pence, who earned varsity letters in three sports at St. Joseph-Ogden.
Asked what advice he would give aspiring entrepreneurs and real estate developers, Pence emphasized consistency.
“Be impatient with action, yet patient with results,” he said. “Don’t take yourself too seriously or get too caught up in the highs and lows. Take consistent action over a long period of time, and you will start to see results.”
Jake Pence Nashville real estate investor, St. Joseph-Ogden graduate entrepreneur, luxury short-term rentals Nashville Illinois, University of Illinois real estate alumni, Midwest multifamily real estate investment
