Our History: 1989

After buying and selling four properties between 1980 to 1986 in Portland--a not-so-successful experience--Bill Syrios relocated to Eugene, Oregon and started Stewardship in 1989.  What had been an amateurish, house hobby in Portland turned into a property profession in Eugene. 

His first Eugene purchase was a single family home in 1989 near Hayward Field's world-class track facility at the University of Oregon—with a recent 270M upgraded (thank you Phil Knight!).

 
For Bill, student housing was a natural niche since he had been a campus pastor and felt comfortable with students. Knowing their particular housing needs, he used that knowledge to do "value add" renovation to meet their needs and help maximize cash flow potential.

Through some blood, sweat and tears, he turned his first three-bedroom, 35-year old house with a one-bedroom apartment above the double garage, into a seven bedroom campus rental with a three-bedroom apartment within the downstairs and upstairs of the former garage. 

Upon upgrading that first purchase, Bill honed his skills at locating, financing, rehabbing and renting campus properties. In the early years and "living on a shoestring," he focused on creating as many bedroom/bathroom spaces as possible in the large houses and looked to find smaller units within walking/biking distance to the University.  

In the current market, students are more interested in amenities, so Stewardship continues to follow campus trends, appealing to student residents and updating properties to their needs. 

Using campus rentals as a foundation, Bill broadened out and for the last 33+ years he has acquired, renovated and rented properties from Cottage Grove to Portland, one purchase at a time. In the early years, it was mostly single family houses that needed renovation.  He then expanded to small and medium-sized apartment complexes also with a “value-add” rehab focus to increase their attractiveness to residents' needs. 

Currently Stewardship owns over 350 houses and apt. units in Oregon with over $100 million dollars in assets and has taken on Oregon partners Jim Lerman and Amanda Perkins.

Beginning in Oregon and then in four other locations, Stewardship has created its own local management companies (who all run the same software) because we strongly believe that management is the key to building a strong buy and hold investment strategy. Here’s the rental website that we use to manage our Oregon properties: StewardshipRentals.com 

In the early 2000s, Bill was looking to expand his holdings and seek out some more affordable  markets.  In the summers of 2005 and 2006 he led an internship program with 16 U of O and OSU business students that resulted in new purchases and partnerships.   

Many of those interns/partners moved on from Stewardship during tough market times during the housing crisis in 2007-2010, with the exception of one: Bill's 2nd oldest son, Andrew Syrios.

First Midwest Market, Kansas City: In 2010 Andrew and Bill via their partnership, Stewardship Investments, LLC, made the decision to begin a buy and hold real estate partnership in Kansas City, MO and surrounding area.   

In January 2011, Andrew Syrios moved to Kansas City full-time and began his Midwest adventure. Phillip Syrios, Andrew's brother, and Bill's 3rd son, followed in September of 2011. Stewardship Investments LLC now owns real estate valued at $95 million dollars and totaling 635 houses and apt. units See our website: 333-Rent.com  

Not only has this partnership continued the strategy of purchasing properties at a discount that need renovation, but significant appreciation has added up to more “icing” on the cake there! 

Dallas, TXIn 2011, Bill and his long-time partner, Greg Whiteley, made the decision, after weighing several different locations, to purchase a 37-unit complex in Dallas, TX in the partnership known as Stewardship Properties LLC (TX LLC).  They rehabbed and repositioned the property into what we currently call Ann Avenue Apartments and it's been a cash flowing asset since 2012.

After securing permanent financing on this property, they used equity they had created in to fund the purchase of a 39-unit complex in Euless, TX, which we call Alexander Lane Apts.  Alexander Lane stabilized in 2015, but did have additional long-term upgrades (funded in part by a City of Euless grant and owner contributions) to bring it up to what it is today.  

In 2016, Bill and Greg, formed an additional partnership known as SPJ Real Estate LLC, with another partner, Jay Cipriano.  The focus of this entity was to acquire 50+ single-family real estate or small multi-family (duplexes/fourplexes).  We value Stewardship Texas at 7 million and SPJ at 10 million in assets respectively. Our website: StewardshipPropertyManagement.com