Palm Beach · Martin · Broward
Build with what you’ve collected.
Collector cars, yachts, bullion, real estate and operating businesses, applied toward residential, commercial and investment construction. Each asset is appraised independently and credited under one contract.
The idea
Some of the best work gets paid for in Shelby Cobras.
A collector car spends most of its life under a cover. A yacht spends most of the year on a lift, accruing slip fees and premiums. They are among the most cherished things an owner holds, and among the least productive.
Builders have long accepted such assets in trade, privately and on a handshake: a Cobra for a kitchen, a Riva for a boathouse. The Collector’s Build puts the arrangement on paper. The asset is appraised independently and credited toward a residence, a commercial space or an investment property, with the balance in cash, under a single construction contract. Capital at rest becomes the building.
The process
- 1SubmissionOutline the project and the asset. Ben Hoadley reviews each submission himself, usually within a business day.
- 2ValuationAn independent appraiser, surveyor or assayer sets the figure, and title is examined in full before anything is agreed.
- 3ContractThe credit is written into the construction contract as payment. Title transfers at signing, before ground is broken.
- 4ConstructionOne principal, accountable from permit to certificate of occupancy, with trade partners of long standing.
Submission
Outline the project.
Scope, budget and any asset you would apply to it. Submissions are confidential.
Residential
Commercial
Investment
An approximate figure is sufficient.
The List
Assets we actively seek.
Shelby & Ford
Shelby Cobra 289 / 427
Porsche
356 Speedster and 356 Carrera
American classics
1963 Split-Window Coupe
Yachts
Sportfish: Viking, Hatteras, Bertram and Carolina custom builds
Aviation
Private jets: Gulfstream, Citation, Challenger and Phenom
Real estate
Waterfront lots and teardowns
Submissions from The List are reviewed first. Other assets of $50,000 or more, owned outright with clear title and documented provenance, are considered as well.
View The List
The builder
One principal, accountable from start to finish.
Hoadley Construction, LLC is a Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC 1518691) in West Palm Beach, led by Ben Hoadley. Ben holds an engineering degree from Purdue and has spent more than twenty years on job sites, from hospitals to waterfront estates.
He reviews the trade, writes the contract and runs the build himself. You will not be handed off.
Questions
Must every project include an asset?+
No. Most of our work is paid in cash. The program is for owners who would rather put a car, a yacht, metals, property or a business to work in a building than spend a year selling it.
Why trade rather than sell?+
A private sale costs a commission, months of carrying costs and the exposure of a public listing, and the price usually softens along the way. A trade is one private transaction, appraised independently and settled in your construction contract.
How is value determined?+
Independently. Inspection and auction results for cars; a marine survey and sold comparables for boats; assay at spot for metals; appraisal and title commitment for real estate; earnings for a business. If the figure is not what you hoped, you may withdraw before contract at no cost.
Which businesses do you consider?+
Any business or asset with steady, documented cash flow: service companies, manufacturing and fabrication, distribution, franchise units, storage, car washes, marinas, equipment fleets, routes and royalties. Each is valued on its earnings, usually as an asset purchase, with your CPA and ours involved.
Must real estate be in South Florida?+
No. A lake house, a mountain property, land or an income property in another state may all be considered when title is clear. If you would rather sell than trade, Ben can list a Florida property or refer one elsewhere to a broker he trusts, with that relationship disclosed.
Must the asset be owned outright?+
Yes. Every trade arrives with clear, marketable title in your name, free of loans and liens. Anything financed should be settled before it is submitted.
May I offer more than one asset?+
Yes. A car and a parcel, a boat and a coin collection. Each is valued on its own merits.
Can a trade cover an entire project?+
Rarely. The economics of a build seldom allow a trade to carry an entire project, so most are structured as trade plus cash and each is considered case by case. With an asset of exceptional value, a trade may cover the whole. That is the exception, not the norm.
Is a trade treated as a sale for tax purposes?+
Generally, yes, and no sales-tax trade-in credit applies to construction. The consequences depend on your situation; please consult your CPA before you sign. We do not provide tax advice.
Do you build commercial and investment projects?+
Yes. Tenant improvements and commercial build-outs, renovation and repositioning, and ground-up commercial; and investment projects including multifamily and mixed-use, hospitality and short-term rental, and industrial, flex and self-storage. Assets are accepted toward each on the same terms as a residence.
Do you work outside Florida?+
Yes, on projects of $10 million and more. Ben serves as owner's representative nationally: the owner contracts with the local builder, and Ben advises on the owner's behalf from design through completion. In states without state-level contractor licensing, and subject to local requirements, Hoadley Construction can also lead construction. Assets may be applied to either engagement.
Who builds the project?+
Hoadley Construction, LLC, a Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC 1518691) in West Palm Beach, led by Ben Hoadley. Ben holds an engineering degree from Purdue and has more than twenty years on job sites, and he runs every project personally.
Photography of the collection: Rylan Kealey, via Unsplash.