Since 2000, the DSF Group has invested more than $4.5 billion in multi-family real estate. With offices in Boston and Washington DC, and decades of experience, we strive to create unique, award winning properties designed to provide strong risk-adjusted returns.
Our three founding partners—Art Solomon, Josh Solomon and Thomas Mazza—are entrepreneurial owners who are passionate about what they do and enjoy being hands-on operators. The DSF Group takes a vested interest in the success of every project and is committed to being there every step of the way.
Strong Relationships
The partners of the DSF Group are involved on a day-to-day basis with every asset, working and collaborating side-by-side with architects, engineers, city officials, and contractors. The relationships we’ve established over the years provide us with advantages in sourcing opportunities, negotiating transactions, and navigating complex regulatory environments.
Meet Our Team
With over 125 years of combined experience in every facet of multi-family real estate investing, the partners bring a unique perspective, level of expertise, and entrepreneurial sensibility that helps maximize opportunities.
Arthur Solomon
Chairman | Chief Executive Officer
Before co-founding the DSF Group in 2000, Arthur was senior partner and head of both real estate investment banking and real estate principal investments at Lazard Frères, the global investment firm. He also served as CEO of Lazard’s five real estate funds.
Prior to Lazard, Arthur founded and served as the senior partner of Drexel Burnham Lambert’s real estate investment banking group. His experience also includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of Fannie Mae, where he created its mortgage-backed securities program, and President/CEO of the Berkshire Group, a national real estate and financial services firm.
Earlier in his career, Arthur was a tenured professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Executive Director of the Harvard-MIT Joint Center for Urban Studies. He holds a B.A. from Brown University, an M.A. from Trinity College, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Joshua Solomon
President
As Head of DSF Groups investments, Mr. Solomon is in charge of the company’s acquisition and development activities. He also evaluates and negotiates new investment opportunities and manages the business plan of each investment asset. Since the DSF Group’s inception, he has been responsible for more than $4.5 billion in new investments.
Prior to co–founding the DSF Group, Mr. Solomon served as a Vice President in the Partners Group of AEW Capital Management, where his group acquired commercial and multifamily properties throughout the Northeast and Mid–Atlantic United States.
Mr. Solomon is very active in the real estate industry and within his community. He sits on numerous boards and committees such as NAHB’s Multifamily Leadership Board, Heading Home Inc. which pioneered programs to end homelessness in Greater Boston and the Nashoba Brooks School. Mr. Solomon is also the owner of the Hartford Yard Goats, the AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. He lives with his wife Nancy and four children in the Boston area.
Mr. Solomon earned a B.A. from Northeastern University and an M.B.A. in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Thomas Mazza
Chief Operating Officer
As COO and head of Asset and Portfolio Management, Thomas manages the day-to-day operations of the DSF Group, including the financing, management, leasing, and disposition activities for all the firm’s properties.
Before co-founding the DSF Group, Thomas was with AEW Capital Management, where he was Vice President of Acquisitions and Portfolio Management, heading a team responsible for acquiring and managing real estate investments throughout the East Coast. His experience also includes serving as Vice President/Shareholder, Acquisitions and Dispositions at Copley Real Estate Advisors. Thomas is very active in the multi-family industry and within his community in the Boston area. He sits on numerous boards, including the NAHB Multifamily Leadership Board, and he is an active member of the National Multi-Housing Council and ULI.
Thomas is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has a B.A. in mathematics from College of the Holy Cross, as well as an M.B.A. from Boston College.
News & Awards
The DSF Group and the projects it has developed have earned many prestigious industry awards.
News
DSF Snaps Up Va. Rentals With Upside
September 2024 | Green Street
The DSF Group Acquires Woodway at Trinity Centre Apartments in Centreville, VA
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. (HFF) announced that it has represented The DSF Group in the $259.375M sale of Halstead New Rochelle Metro North, 40-story, 588-Unit, Class A apartment tower in New Rochelle, Westchester County, NY
The DSF Group Unveils Brand New Amenity Package and Rebranding at Halstead Malden Square
June 2017 | The DSF Group
The DSF Group announced the grand re-opening of Halstead Malden Square, a transit-oriented multifamily apartment community located within walking distance to the Orange Line MBTA Transit Station just outside of Boston, MA. The DSF Group purchased the property in 2016 and immediately commenced a complete renovation of the community’s common area amenity spaces and implemented their Halstead brand of high quality amenities and technology.
The DSF Group Acquires the 480 Main Street Apartments
August 2016 | Boston Real Estate Times
CBRE/New England's Capital Markets team announced the sale of 480 Main Street, a 195-unit, 100% market-rate, infill apartment community located in Malden, Massachusetts, to The DSF Group
The DSF Group, 2014 Best Development Company of the Year
Award
Herndon Awards
June 2014 | Best of Herndon
Halstead Dulles, 2014 Best of Herndon Apartment Community
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
October 2014 | NAHB
Halstead Square, 2014 Best Mixed-Use Community
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
October 2014 | NAHB
The DSF Group, 2014 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year; Finalist
News
No Picket Fence: Younger Adults Opting to Rent
October 2014 | The New York TImes
Here in suburban Vienna, about 16 miles west of downtown Washington, Joshua Solomon’s DSF Group is remaking a congested but nondescript intersection into a haven for young adults of the millennial generation. Like many other developers who survived the housing bust, he now expects a coming wave of renters who intend to stay that way for a while to help lead the industry to a brighter future.
Rentals Ramp Up - Snapshots of Real Estate News From Around the U.S.
October 2014 | The Real Deal
Construction of multifamily units is now at its highest rate in 25 years, while single-family home construction has barely reached pre-recession levels, the New York Times reported.
Rentals Ramp Up - Snapshots of Real Estate News From Around the U.S.
Vienna, Virginia
The recession added 875,000 more U.S. households to the ranks of renters, the website Trulia found. Developers have been adjusting: Construction of multifamily units is now at its highest rate in 25 years, while single-family home construction has barely reached pre-recession levels, the New York Times reported. Developers like the DSF Group are building rentals in suburbs near mass-transit hubs, where cheaper land affords the opportunity to offer more luxurious amenities. One report found apartment construction in some markets, including Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., and San Jose, California, excedes pre-recession peaks; DSF has buildings going up outside New York, Boston, and Washington, in Vienna, Virginia. The complexes feature outdoor fire pits, high-tech entertainment systems, and even a residents-only bowling alley.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti set a goal of adding 100,000 new homes by 2021, a massive effort to relieve one of the country’s worst housing crunches. According to the California Finance Department, LA has averaged a net gain of just 5,500 units a year since 1991, the Los Angeles Times reported. To reach 100,000 in seven years, the city will need a variety of strategies, including revising the city’s permitting process (a project that is already underway) to build smaller homes in existing backyards. Garcetti set a benchmark that 30 percent of units built on land owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority be affordable housing. The mayor also said that he would work with the state legislature to restore housing funding to offset the cost of the affordable-housing allocation.
San Francisco
A venture led by developer Trumark Homes is paying roughly $1.1 million per acre for a ranch about 35 miles outside of San Francisco, a price that represents a 30 percent increase in land prices in the area since 2010, according to Meyers Research. Trumark, in partnership with Isles Ranch Partners and Castlelake LP, will pay around $200 million for the 184-acre Wallis Ranch near Dublin, California, the Wall Street Journal reported. The price reflects the scarcity of developable residential lots in the area. Trumark will develop the land into 806 lots, which it will then market to homebuilders. The company expects prices for the homes built there to range from $700,000 for townhomes to $1.5 million and more for larger, detached dwellings. Zelman & Associates, a housing research firm, found in its quarterly survey that land prices across the country rose by an average of 13 percent in the third quarter, slowing modestly from a jump of 14 percent in the second quarter and 17 percent in the first. The Journal reported expectations that land price increases will slow further over the next year.
Dallas
Investors in The Grand Alps Resort DFW plan to build a $398 million, 1,900-foot-long indoor ski slope on 58 acres in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie by 2018. The investment group has raised $100 million through the State Department’s EB-5 program, through which qualified investors can receive visas for investing in projects that create jobs in the U.S. The project received $68 million from private-equity investors and another $35 million from Grand Alps itself, which is also building indoor ski resorts in Brazil, Malaysia, and China.
Telluride, Colorado
Tom Cruise listed his 10,000 square-foot home for $59 million. The 298-acre gated estate also holds a 1,600 square-foot guest house and private trail system. The listing says the actor spent several years designing and building the stone and cedar house.
Thackerville, Oklahoma
Terry Bradshaw put his 740-acre ranch, where he raises horses, cattle and pigs, on the market for $10.8 million. The NFL Hall of Famer’s 8,600 square-foot house has a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio with a kitchen, bar, fire pit, and TV for watching football. The ranch also has a two-story doghouse with its own pool.
Stinson Beach, California
Jerry Garcia’s 1.1-acre compound at the base of the Willow Camp trail, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, was listed for just under $4 million. “San Souci” has three buildings, including a one-bathroom, 2,652 square-foot studio where Garcia recorded while living there in the 1970s.
News
The DSF Group Unveils Brand New Amenity Package and Rebranding at Halstead New Rochelle
August 2014 | The Patch
The DSF Group is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the luxurious amenity spaces at the Halstead New Rochelle Metro North apartment complex in New Rochelle, New York.
DSF Group has acquired Avalon Danvers, a 433-unit multi-family complex in the northeastern Massachusetts town of Danvers, for $108M from Avalon Bay Communities.
The DSF Group Acquires the AVE in White Plains, NY
June 2013 | The DSF Group
The DSF Group purchased the 124-unit asset located at 25 Martine Ave. in White Plains, NY for $34 million, from Korman Communities and BlackRock, Inc. At closing, the property was introduced to the market as the Halstead White Plains Metro North.
News
The DSF Group Provides Largest Furniture Donation Ever to Furniture Sharehouse
June 2013 | The Patch
The DSF Group donated 50 apartments worth of furniture and home goods to Furniture Sharehouse, the largest donation to date during the non-profit's five year experience. Furniture Sharehouse provides free furniture to economically disadvantaged individuals and families living in Westchester, County, giving them the basic household furnishings that enable them to rebuild their lives and live with dignity.
DSF Group Brings Unrivaled Amenities to Reimagined Halstead Dulles Apartment Community
DSF Group, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2011 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year, announced the launch of Halstead Dulles, a community redesigned with extensive new amenities.
Award
Delta Associates - Awards for Excellence
June 2012 | Delta Associates
Halstead Square - The Rockwell, 2012 Best Northern Virginia Apartment Community
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Best in American Living Awards
June 2012 | NAHB
Halstead Square, 2012 Best Design Gold Award
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Best in American Living Awards
June 2012 | NAHB
Halstead Square, 2012 Best Mixed Use Community; Finalist
Award
Delta Associates - Awards for Excellence
November 2012 | Delta Associates
Halstead Square - The Rockwell, 2012 Best Lease-Up Pace for a Northern Virginia Apartment Community
News
The DSF Group Acquires the Metropolitan of Fairfax
December 2012 | HFF
HFF announced today that it has closed the sale of Metropolitan of Fairfax, a 244-unit, Class A multi-housing community in Herndon, Virginia. HFF marketed the property exclusively on behalf of the sellers, Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors and Kettler, Inc.. A fund advised by The DSF Group purchased the asset for $59.25 million free and clear of existing debt. Upon closing the property was introduced as the Halstead Dulles.
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
January 2012 | NAHB
Halstead Square, 2011 Best Mixed Use Community Site Plan
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
January 2012 | NAHB
The DSF Group, 2011 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year
News
DSF Group Opens Doors to Halstead Square Apartments at the Dunn Loring Metro
Vienna, VA – October 17, 2011 – Today DSF Group, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2011 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year, announced the grand opening of Halstead Square, a distinctive new mixed-use development of restaurants and retail at the Dunn Loring Metro.
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
January 2011 | NAHB
The DSF Group, 2010 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year; Finalist
Award
Delta Associates - Best Mid-Atlantic Mid-Rise Apartment
November 2009 | Delta Associates
Halstead Arlington, 2009 Best Mid-Atlantic Mid-Rise Apartment
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
October 2009 | NAHB
The DSF Group, 2009 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year; Finalist
News
Delta Associates - Halstead Arlington Selected as Winning Property
November 2009 | Delta Associates
Halstead Arlington has been selected as the winning property for Delta Associates' 13th Annual Apartment and Condominium Industry Awards for Excellence in the category of Best Mid-Atlantic Mid-Rise Apartment Community.
Award
Washington Business Journal - Deal of the Year
November 2008 | Washington Business Journal
The Halstead Tower, 2008 Deal of the Year; Finalist
Award
Institutional Investor - EPIC Awards
November 2008 | Insitutional Investor
The DSF Group, Developer of the Year; Finalist
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
October 2008 | NAHB
2008 Multifamily Development Firm of the Year; Finalist
Award
National Association of Home Builders - BALA Awards
October 2007 | NAHB
The Halstead Tower, 2007 Best Rental Development 5 stories and above
Award
Monument Award - Award of Merit
June 2007
The Alexander, 2007 Special Achievements in Overall Amenities
Award
Monument Award - Award of Merit
June 2007
The Halstead Tower, 2007 Best High Rise Rental Units
Award
Delta Associates
November 2007 | Delta Associates
The Halstead Tower, 2007 Best Mid-Atlantic High-Rise Apartment
Award
National Association of Home Builders - Pillars of the Industry Awards
October 2007 | NAHB
The DSF Group, 2007 Multifamily Developer of the Year; Finalist
News
Washington Smart Growth Alliance (2007)
December 2007
The Smart Growth Alliance's Project Recognition Jury has recognized Halstead Arlington Mixed Use as a Smart Growth Proposal.
