Bringing LA’s Westside RE Investments to HNWIs: Q&A with Christina’s Founder and CEO Larry Taylor 

Investing in LA’s Westside is a compelling opportunity, driven by insatiable housing demand, robust economic growth, and its unbeatable proximity to entertainment and tech hubs, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, making it an enduring magnet for residential and commercial real estate investments. 

Christina Real Estate Investors (CREI) offers an opportunity to own investment-grade real estate in LA’s most exclusive submarkets. Headquartered in Malibu, CA, CREI is a 47-year-old commercial real estate powerhouse founded in 1977 by Lawrence “Larry” Taylor—a real estate legend with over 50 years in the game. Taylor is the visionary behind some of LA’s Westside’s most notable projects, including the revitalization of Larchmont Village, Montana Avenue, and the introduction of high-rise residential development in North Century City. 

CREI’s core strategy is old-school smart: buy prime Westside assets at a discount and maximize long-term value for wealth preservation. The company’s portfolios are an attractive investment for high-net-worth individuals who want tangible real estate assets in elite zip codes. What’s clever is how CREI opened a door many didn’t even know was there. 

Taylor and his team target multifamily, high-street triple-net leased retail, and garden office properties. They bank on location—LA’s Westside has a 2% to 3% multi-family vacancy rate, virtually no vacant land, and relentless demand (1.6 million residents added since 2020, according to the Census Bureau). 

Taylor discussed with Connect CREI’s investment thesis, its current vehicles (Income Builder and Wealth Builder) and what makes them appealing to high-net-worth individuals, among other topics. 

CM: What is the investment thesis behind Christina Real Estate Investors? 

LT: The investment thesis of Christina Real Estate Investors is to provide accredited investors throughout the United States with the opportunity to participate in the ownership of portfolios of AAA located investment grade properties in the prime sub-markets of West Los Angeles. This nearly 100 square mile area encompasses the cities of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Malibu, as well as the City of Los Angeles wealthiest and highest demand sub-markets of Brentwood, Westwood, Century City, Playa Del Rey, and Silicon Beach. 

Why these locations? Because they are world famous and there is no vacant land, no opportunity for over-development, and demand always exceeds supply. These are the perfect ingredients for appreciation in value. Each new portfolio consists of income producing properties that benefit from non-cash depreciation and amortization expense that offsets taxable income, thus providing tax sheltered cash flow. As portfolio properties are sold, the accumulated losses are used to offset profits, resulting in reduced or zero tax on the sale profits. Portfolio losses generally cannot be used to offset other forms of income, primarily only real estate. Building portfolios for individuals provides tangible ownership and all of the benefits that typically would only flow to large private owners of real estate. 

CM: You’ve raised capital from a variety of investors over the years, including wall street investment banks and wealth managers and now to direct solicitation from HNWIs. Why should high-net-worth individuals consider Christina Real Estate Investors? 

LT: Real estate has always been a big-ticket investment. For centuries, individuals have pooled their resources to acquire real estate. Tenants in common reaches back to the early days of the British Empire. Accordingly, many high-net-worth accredited investors have limited ability to participate in the best real estate investments for at least two reasons. One, they don’t know opportunities exist. Two, they generally don’t have enough capital or expertise to purchase and operate high quality AAA located properties. Thus, Christina Real Estate Investors provides them with this unique and attractive opportunity. This would not have been possible before 2014 since, in all prior years, SEC regulations did not permit non-registered offerings such as CREI to be advertised or marketed. 

CM: Tell us about your two current investment vehicles: Income Builder and Wealth Builder. What makes the investment structure advantageous for high-net-worth investors? 

LT: Christina Real Estate Investors 5 Wealth Builder is a continuation of the portfolios that we have been curating since 2014. Investment grade properties are purchased, generally at a discount to market, with modest leverage, and operated with a view to maximize value and provide tax sheltered income to the investors. With $50 million in planned equity commitments, the portfolio will likely consist of 5 to 7 properties. Two properties have already been acquired in the exclusive Brentwood and Westwood submarkets. 

Christina Real Estate Investors 5 Income Builder is also a continuation of the portfolio strategy we have followed since 2014 with one exception. The properties acquired in this portfolio are debt free, providing immediate tax-sheltered cash flow derived from the same types of properties as Wealth Builder, but without leverage. This removes one significant layer of risk…mortgage debt. 

Both offerings provide our investors with the opportunity to own an interest in great properties (and grow their wealth in a tax deferred manner) that are operated by a sponsor with 50 successful years of experience in the Westside Region of Los Angeles. 

CM: What tax benefits do investors gain by investing in these vehicles? 

LT: As for the tax benefits, it is of note that many private property owners in the United States have owned their investment grade properties for decades and rarely sell. The U.S. government, through generous tax treatment (non-cash depreciation and amortization expense), tax credits, etc. rewards property investors that own and hold, and penalizes property investors that buy and sell by taxing the gain on sale. Properties that are well located and professionally managed can generate tax sheltered cash flow for many decades. Plus, there is favorable tax treatment for real estate in estate planning. With the Christina Real Estate Investor’s strategy and structure, investors do not own 100%. Investment may transfer to their beneficiaries at a discount, thus limiting estate tax. 

CM: Can you share more about the portfolio of assets supporting these vehicles, and why are the eight specific markets you focus on particularly appealing? 

LT: Christina Real Estate Investors portfolios currently consist of multi-family, high street NNN leased retail, and garden office buildings, all located in the eight sub-markets of the Westside Region of Los Angeles. The eight premier sub-markets of the Westside Region of Los Angeles boast strong economic fundamentals, driven by constrained supply and sustained demand. With affluent demographics, idyllic weather, stringent land use regulations, and proximity to major job centers, these sub-markets create the ideal environment for real estate investment – underpinning rental growth, propelling values, and providing pronounced downside risk protection. 

CM: As the greatest generational wealth transfer in history gets underway, how does CREI establish itself as a pioneer for investors seeking to preserve and grow wealth? 

LT: The generational wealth transfer will provide significant additional capital for participation in Christina Real Estate Investors offerings for many decades to come. Ultimately, we believe that our CREI strategy and structure will become the standard for private real estate investment.