Madison Place and Lincoln Sky Landing are owned and operated by StarFirm, LLC.

Our company is dedicated to real estate investments that operate with a net community benefit in mind. Madison Place was attractive to us because it is an aesthetically beautiful home with a remarkable history in the Ogden area.

As the first investment property of StarFirm, LLC, Madison Place has shaped its community investment model in several significant ways.

1. Location: The neighborhood where Madison Place is located is a recognized qualified opportunity zone. While StarFirm is too small to take advantage of any of those tax benefits, it is important to recognize that the local area was very run down with significant amounts of drug trafficking. That being said, Ogden City has been proactive in recent years in its efforts to change this. We could see the impact that the city was having with the newly renovated elementary school, library, and their heightened focus on the emerging Nine Rails Creative District in the area.

2. Neighborhood improvement: The first thing we did when purchased the property was set up a comprehensive network of Ring Floodlight cameras. We collaborated with the Alano Club next door to strategically place these cameras with the mutual goal of reducing and eventually eliminating the flow of drugs through the immediate vicinity. The information we gathered from the camera footage made it obvious to us where we needed to install security fencing and no-trespassing signs. We coordinated with the local police and neighbors in the community to instate numerous letters of agency and put a stop to the trespassing and significantly curtail drug trafficking in the area. Within one year the impact on our small area was so profound that one of our good neighbors decided to step in, purchase, and renovate a known problem property in our immediate vicinity.

3. Short-Term Rental as a mechanism for positive community change: As a first-time property owner in Ogden, I explored many options from long-term market-rate rentals to Section 8 rentals to student housing. After carefully considering all of those options, it became clear that we really needed to invest more into the property and try our hand at short-term vacation-style rentals. Short-term rental platforms are powerful tools with the ability to change the course of a community. Critics say that these disruptive platforms ultimately lead to increased rents and that they can be used in ways that are ultimately detrimental to a community. Fundamentally, the critics are not wrong, but critics often overlook the positive ways that these platforms can be implemented that improve local communities. Thoughtful implementation of short-term rentals in strategic locations can serve to break up and push out unwanted social elements especially related to drug production and trafficking. Platforms such as Airbnb require a certain amount of sophistication and creditworthiness to use. Time-limited stays effectively eliminate opportunities for nefarious activities to creep in and take root. Naturally, short-term guests who care about their reputation on the platform come with the mindset of an invited guest, this mindset is remarkably different than someone wanting to rent for a year or more.

4. Local business development: Functioning as a fully furnished rental with flexible stay durations, Madison Place endeavors to drive the local economy. We continually seek out local business partnerships that make sense. When choosing the type of coffee to offer our guests, we tried all of the local roasters and decided which roasting company we liked best. Coffee roasting in Ogden is surprisingly competitive, but a partnership was struck with our favorite local coffee roaster, Wasatch Roasting Company. Darren, the owner, was receptive to our proposition and we now offer our guests a small complementary bag of coffee for their stay. Guests may also take advantage of in-person and online discounts with Wasatch Roasting Company even after their initial stay. We also offer a complementary gift certificate to Cuppa, a darling cafe in the Nine Rails Creative District. They have a remarkable selection of teas and vegan fare. Again, the owners were open and excited to collaborate with us on our program that would both add value to our business and drive our guests into their establishment. Other such propositions are in the works and we are always open to new opportunities that make sense.

5. Art Exhibition: Madison Place appreciates local artist Holly Morphet for her work in designing the Madison Place logo. Madison Place will also be opening up our space as a unique exhibition space for local artists. We intend to invite artists to show their work and present their bios here for an extended period of time so that guests can have the chance to live with the art and hopefully purchase it if it is for sale. We will also market this unique experience through the Airbnb experience platform and encourage guests to take photos of themselves with the art, and post it on their social media pages tagging both the artist and Ogden’s local art organizations as well. We hope that this will leverage social media in a way that creates a unique lens through which the world will be able to view Ogden’s blossoming art community.

6. The Nine Rails Film Festival: Madison Place, in partnership with other local businesses and local artists periodically put on a mini film festival benefit. This festival brings together a curated film with local connections, local artists, and business owners for a great time! Local artist Steve Stones has always been generous in offering his artwork toward this goal. You may see some of his work permanently installed in the Madison Place suites.