Who is Hans Schoff?

Having been raised in Northern California for the first half of my life, you may wonder what brought me, Hans Schoff, out to Rocket City (Huntsville), Alabama from from Lake Tahoe, California over five years ago. Why would I give up the beauty and serenity of the world-renowned lake and snowy mountains? In a word, opportunity…

As you’ll read in my story below and my various blog posts, I’ve been very focused on creating wealth.  From the day I discovered the concept of self-development (over a dozen years ago), I’ve continually sought out books, audios, courses and seminars to help me get further ahead in all areas of my life, broaden my financial education, increase my financial IQ and become an all around better person…

(Today I have an even larger vision, a major component of which is creating wealth, in addition to solutions in order to thrive amidst the many major challenges we face today in this uncertain global economy… click here to read my “Welcome to HansSchoff.com 2.0” page for more details)

It was just after starting my first business at 18 when I started to understand that the wealthy operated in a whole different world from the world I grew up in and had been “educated” in.  When I came to that realization in the beginning of my self-education journey, I knew it was the world I wanted to live in, it was the reality I wanted to live each and every day.

So ever since, I’ve continued to educate myself on finance, business, economics, wealth, marketing, trends, cycles… it has almost become an obsession, but I love it.  It gives me a feeling of empowerment and I am very passionate about it and helping others to learn the same important lessons and really, life skills.  So now that you have a little background into my frame of mind and focus, I hope you can better appreciate the decisions I’ve made and the struggles I’ve had to endure to be able to live life on my terms…

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…So what opportunity would cause someone like Hans Schoff to literally pickup and move away from the great California weather, climate and scenery some 2500 miles east to a hot and humid Alabama where we knew no one and had only visited but twice before?

Call me an opportunist, call me a dreamer, call me what you like, but when you believe in something strongly enough – when the facts speak so loudly – and you’re committed to achieving your goals and going after your dreams – you’ll do whatever it takes, you’ll put your money where your mouth is, so-to-speak.

Did leaving California seem crazy at the time?

From an emotional point of view, from a comfort point of view, from my friends and family’s points of view: yes.

From a business and financial point of view?  From a taking my life forward point of view?  From a personal growth point of view?  No, it 100% made sense and would have been crazy for us NOT to go.  Let me clue you in to the rest of the story:

It was evident at the time (in early 2007) from all our market research and analysis of the California market cycle and conditions and other factors that California would continue to move toward economic obsolescence, that the good times there would soon come to an abrupt end because the fundamentals for doing business and investing in California no longer made sense, in fact they just continued to get worse.

We had maximized the potential for the opportunities we saw around us and being young and ambitious, hungry for more, we wanted to position ourselves to be able to take maximum advantage of the incredible opportunities the coming economic landslide would create.

It became clear that relocating to Huntsville, AL to get in front of the growing demographic, employment, business and other economic trends was the best way to continue along our creating wealth journey to grow our businesses, accumulate more assets and find or create additional investment opportunities (plus I had to live in a city that pronounced in German is Hans-ville, right? :). Lol.

Where it all began for Hans Schoff…

Ever since I had my first taste of independence, I’ve always resisted going with the flow, which has caused lots of conflict over the years, whether it be with the school system, family, a JOB or a way of life but I just like to be different. It was about a dozen years ago in my first year of college at SDSU that I discovered a different path for myself, one that would eventually take me towards my life-long dreams and goals.

Starting my first business that year at the age of 18 was the best education I ever received.

It put me through the University of Hard Knocks (where I learned more than I ever did in college), having to learn the lessons necessary for success from the ground up -sometimes the most painful but best way to really learn, a philosophy I still follow today when it comes to really mastering something; reading and studying is one thing, but doing and taking action is quite another.

That first business forced me to develop the business & life skills necessary for success and survival, aiding in the expansion of my business throughout California and then on to Europe where I, too, expanded my horizons.

I spent several years in Europe as I built up and tested different business approaches and marketing strategies while increasing my education & skill sets in preparation for bigger & better things.

Hans Schoff Expands Into Other Industries…

When I returned to the US, I felt the timing was right to leverage our business experience and skills to jump into Real Estate & Finance not just with both feet but all my appendages! I bought our first apartment complex in Lake Tahoe, California, starting again from the ground up. As the full-time handyman/bookkeeper/property manager/real estate agent/loan officer/asset manager/investor, I ate, drank, slept and breathed real estate.

Again, an invaluable experience which has now today resulted in a multitude of businesses and companies including residential & commercial real estate investment, development, construction & management to name a few, while I also now mentor & consult various real estate groups and students all the while continuing to grow my assets.

Then, with all the financial and real estate market turmoil and turbulence in 2007-2008, I began to see an unmistakable trend going mainstream.  Whether for cost cutting, efficiency, better profits, better technology or for more exposure to a bigger market, business was going online.  Many businesses had already begun integrating internet technology and some online marketing into their business plans of course, but technology was finally advancing to the point where even small business owners could seriously compete and make money in the online world, marketing almost anything.

(For reference, that’s about the time that the iPhone came out, which once again revolutionized the way that many people and businesses not only communicated but conducted business – a completely life-changing experience for me as well.)

I had some prior experience building websites and marketing online in the early days of 2000 but the internet had since come quite a long way, now with this “web 2.0” technology, for instance.  So I got to work learning how to market online, seeing the huge new opportunity “online marketing” could present in the future and setup my first blog.  Then after many, many weeks of trial and error, I had my blog and a few other sites set up, I was article marketing, advertising, creating leads and generating sales.  I then took my internet marketing skills and knowledge into the offline world to see how I could impact the sales for a more traditional business (tornado shelters) and within 6 months was able to create over 6 figures worth of sales from this website I created.

But the best part of it all though is being able to share my wisdom of acquired knowledge & experiences with others – hence this page, my blog and other internet resources…  Having earned my education through self-application, home study, hard work and lots of trial and error, I have a passion for helping others find their own way, whether that be through investing, starting your own business, creating home based income, marketing online, or something else.

I also like to give back through local cash flow, investing & training events like the buying tours we do, where we take students by the hand into an absorbing/expanding market to show them how to successfully invest for positive cash flow, for example.  I also take take on new business partners on occasion, showing someone the ropes of what it takes to build a successful business from home utilizing the internet as well as more traditional business building methods.

As I continue to grow my businesses and investments, I plan to expand back into Europe and beyond in the future taking advantage of the foundation we laid out there some years ago when the time is right.

Life can be tough… 🙂

In the free time I do have I love to travel; Destin, Florida as you’ll see from my many photos is a new hot spot I love to drive to (as well as the mountains for Colorado and Lake Tahoe whenever possible).

This also fulfills another joy of mine, which is listening to mp3s & podcasts while driving as I love to learn new skills and techniques to help me grow and improve in all areas of my life. My boy Claude (black lab) also keeps me very entertained!

(See more photos at bottom, down below…)

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Schoff Global Investments – Commercial Real Estate Investments & Businesses

“After taking his first business international at 19, Hans Schoff left the highly volatile telecommunications industry after 7 good years, having built a sales team over 500 people strong.  In the last few years while he was still overseas in Europe, Hans focused any free time he had to mastering the intricacies of real estate investing.  His initial exposure came from the family real estate business of 35 years, specializing in real estate development.  But it wasn’t until Hans returned to the US faced with the prospect of having to rebuild his prior telecom business that he decided to jump into real estate with both feet…”

(To read the rest of this intriguing story and all it’s twists and turns, visit the source of the information at Schoff Global Investments )

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Did you find any part of my story or background interesting, inspirational, boring, educational?  I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions and comments – just post them below!  Feel free to peruse my blog and search for any articles or content that can help you in achieving your goals and dreams.

Also, if you think anyone you know may benefit from hearing my story, please share, like, +1, or retweet this page – I’m sure they’d appreciate it as would I!  Take care and looking forward to your reactions!  Thanks again for stopping by and enjoy the photos below…

Hans Schoff

PS> If you’d like to contact me, just fill out the form here.  Thanks!

Crusing in Destin Bay, Florida – I love the ocean!

My boy Claude and I in the snow at Vail, Colorado

My brothers and I on a Lake Tahoe cruise

SKAT spielen! Playing German cards in Frankfurt

With cousins and brothers on Lake Tahoe for my brother’s wedding

Hiking up Horsetail Falls in Desolation Wilderness, California with family and friends

Backpacking through Freiburg & the Black Forest

Main Space Shuttle Engine – Huntsville, AL with Family