Ken Burros has plans to refurbish properties in ways it benefits neighbours and the short-term holiday rental market at the same time | Credit: Peter Milto/Shutterstock
Ken Burrows has been around the block in the U.S. mortgage game for nearly thirty years, and now he’s throwing his weight behind a bold new real estate venture called KinLux. The plan? Snap up distressed commercial properties—think rundown hotels, motels, or other forgotten gems—and turn them into vibrant, high-occupancy group rental spots for vacationers. Contrary to what listing excellent properties as short-term rentals for tourists do for local economies, Burrows’ plan will benefit the housing market as well as the vacation property sector.
To make it happen, KinLux is chasing a $50 million capital raise, splitting the effort between crowdfunding (Regulation CF) and a private offering for deep-pocketed accredited investors (Regulation D). And down the road?
They’re eyeing blockchain tokenisation to shake up how ownership works in this space. Burrows’ story starts young—he was just 19 when he jumped into entrepreneurship, eventually building a mortgage brokerage that operated across 13 states.
Bringing life back to run-down properties
The seed for KinLux was planted back in 2013, when he and his family rented out their Lake Tahoe home during a long road trip. That move turned out to be a goldmine, pulling in way more cash than they’d expected.
It lit a fire under them to acquire more properties, renovate them, and list them as short-term vacation rentals. But the game’s changed. “A lot of towns are cracking down on short-term rentals in residential areas because locals are fed up,” Burrows told viraltrendingcontent in an exclusive interview.
His tone throughout the chat with EWN carried the weight of someone who’s had to pivot hard. So, KinLux is shifting gears, zeroing in on commercial real estate instead.
The new playbook is all about grabbing distressed commercial properties—hotels, motels, you name it—at bargain prices, often 60 to 70 cents on the dollar.
Once they’ve got them, the properties get a makeover and a new identity as group vacation rentals. These aren’t your typical hotel stays. Each unit is designed for mid-sized groups, featuring five to seven bedrooms and accommodating 20 to 25 guests, with a mix of regular and pull-out beds.
“We’re not doing the hotel thing with staff buzzing around,” Burrows says, leaning forward as if he’s letting me in on a secret. “It’s about that family getaway vibe—your group rents the whole place, cooks together, hangs out, makes memories.”
Listing with the ‘major players’
KinLux plans to use the $50 million to pick up five to seven of these properties. They haven’t closed on any yet, but they’re eyeing a few in Lake Tahoe and nearby Markleyville, including a wild card: an 85-acre ranch they’re thinking of turning into a “hobbit-style” themed campground.
Yeah, you heard that right—hobbit-style. To secure these spots, KinLux will rely on the major players in vacation rentals—Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and Hotels.com.
They’re keeping things lean, with no full-time staff at the properties. A small back-end team will handle bookings, cleaning, and guest support, letting the operation run smooth without the overhead.
Andes Capital Group is managing the fundraising, and Burrows confirms they’ve already pulled in $85,000 through the crowdfunding route.
A bigger marketing push is coming in the next few weeks, with two agencies on board—one targeting everyday investors, the other focused on the accredited crowd.
Looking further ahead, Burrows is excited about integrating blockchain into the mix.
The future is digital, blockchain
“The future’s digital,” he says, his voice brimming with conviction. “We’re planning to issue one token for every dollar invested.” For now, those tokens will be off-chain placeholders. Once the business is humming—likely in a year or two—they’ll mint them on Ethereum or maybe a custom blockchain, possibly with a partner like DigiShares.
He’s had early talks with them, but nothing’s locked in yet. These tokens won’t be straight-up equity but shares in the business, with investors getting quarterly profit-sharing payouts—10 per cent of net earnings, to be exact. You can reinvest if you want.
The tokens won’t hit public exchanges right away; instead, KinLux is setting up a private marketplace through CoreConnex, a platform they’re using for trading and compliance.
Burrows calls the investor group a “club” with some say in big decisions, like new acquisitions or expanding to new regions. Token holders might also score perks, like discounts or special access to KinLux properties. Tokenisation is still at least a year off, thanks to regulatory hoops, but KinLux has a clear roadmap. After launching the commercial side and getting the blockchain piece in place, they’re planning a Regulation A filing to set the stage for a public listing.“We’re taking this slow and steady,” Burrows says, his tone grounded but optimistic. “This isn’t some meme coin nonsense. As the business grows, so will the value of these digital assets.”
Buying into a vision
Currently, KinLux is pre-revenue on the commercial front, with no properties acquired and the blockchain component still in development.
Early investors are buying into a vision, backed by Burrows’ long track record and SEC-compliant fundraising structures.
For now, KinLux is blending traditional real estate investing with a forward-looking approach to digital finance.
It’s planting itself at the crossroads of property and tokenisation, betting big on a future where distressed buildings become thriving group getaways—and maybe even a new kind of digital asset.
