The Hitmaker with Nathan Morris
We catch up with Nathan Morris of Boyz II Men to talk about his new show on the DIY Network, Hit Properties with Nathan Morris, tips for those looking to get into flipping and his group’s residency at The Mirage, Las Vegas.
When you think about R&B you always come to Boyz II Men who had one hit after another with their cool sound, great sense of style and music videos that you remember when thinking about their songs. Although they are a phenomenal music group, we had the chance to hear about a project one of the founding members and Grammy winning artist, Nathan Morris is doing with the DIY Network in his new show, a four part series premiering on Oct 6th – Hit Properties with Nathan Morris. We had a moment to chat with him while he talked about the legacy of his group, his interest in real estate, how this show differs from a number of flipping programs and what we can find him doing when he is not touring and flipping houses!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we get into your new show on DIY Network, we know you kicked off this year’s NFL season with Boyz II Men at Lincoln Financial Field. We’ve been a fan of the group since Cooleyhighharmony. How have you guys continued to be an amazing group that has produced a number of hits, videos and more?
NATHAN MORRIS: I just feel that we are truly blessed to still be able to do what we love, to see our fans and for them to still find that after 27 years, our music is still relevant to them. Our fans are from all over the world and they give us so much love. When you hear fans say that the first song they slow danced to was, “I’ll Make Love to You” or they had a Boyz II Men baby – to know that we have been a part of people’s important moments is crazy!
AM: You guys have a residency at The Mirage in Las Vegas – how is it to prepare for these shows and is there a place that you have yet to perform that you would still like to do?
NM: We love that our fans know that 22 weekends out of the year, they can come see us at The Mirage – we have done this for the past 3 years. We know a number of our fans who have really enjoyed our music over the years may have never seen us in concert - so this is the venue to do it!
We just signed an additional 3 years there.
I’d love to see us performing throughout South America and we’d love to be able to have the chance to go to the Middle East and to perform in Duabi. We’d also love to go to Africa as well.
AM: Clearly, we know you’ve been a powerhouse in the music business but how did this translate to real estate?
NM: I’ve had the pleasure of investing in some serious real estate deals on the business side and on the personal side, I’ve done some construction, renovation and designing.
AM: Tell us about your new show Hit Properties with Nathan Morris?
NM: I’m really excited about this show. I know that there are a lot of shows about flipping houses, but we really go in there to show you what it’s like. I take this old mansion in Orlando and I Nate-a-cize it – I love luxurious upgrades and I really like smart home upgrades, remote controlled toilettes and WiFi enabled lighting. In addition to showing the work of taking this 8,200 sq feet mansion from a decrepit place to a glamourous one, we also have humor in this show and you see my right hand man, Bryant Gipson working right along side with me as he has done in other projects that we have partnered on together.
AM: Why did you focus on Orlando?
NM: Mainly, the weather is ideal there as you can pretty much work year around and it just made sense to do it there.
AM: What do people who want to get into the flipping industry need to know about the business?
NM: If you’re a person who can’t be flexible and only has a plan if everything goes right – then this is not for you! You also have to remember that when you're flipping a house, you're not building it for you. You want to put finishes and touches that someone buying it could see for themselves. If you make it with amenities that you personally want, you may find that they are too much to your taste and not universal.
AM: What are areas that you suggest a flipper should focus on when doing a home?
NM: I believe that the kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms are essential. I spend the most time in these areas of my home after my bedroom. These are areas where you want to be able to relax. I don’t like small spaces so you’ll see in the show that I increased one of the rooms by 15 to 20 feet in order to be