Our History
Investing in real estate isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are. Discover how Michael S. Stevens established a property management company with exceptional service in mind.
It All Began in 1981…
On a mission to own and manage multi-family real estate properties within the Houston area, Michael S. Stevens founded Michael Stevens Interests, Inc. in 1981. It was his desire to create real estate relationships full of honesty, loyalty, and integrity. Instead of just focusing on the bottom line, Michael’s ultimate goal was to serve the needs of others from acquisition to full-time management.
Legacy of Michael S. Stevens
But Michael’s greatest contribution was not just to his own business, but to the City, State, and Nation that he loved. In early 1995, Mayor Bob Lanier asked Michael Stevens to serve as the City of Houston’s first Assistant to the Mayor for Housing and Inner City Revitalization. Stevens’ longtime involvement in the commercial real estate market in Houston, his talent in the financial arena, and his dedication to public service made him a natural candidate for the volunteer position. Stevens was the driving force under Mayor Lanier responsible for the major downtown revitalization currently underway.
Downtown projects in which he was directly involved include the renovation of the Rice Hotel, the development of the 1,200 room downtown Convention Center Hotel, the Astros Minute Maid Field, the Houston Texans/Rodeo’s Reliant Stadium, the Houston Rockets/Aeros Toyota Center Arena, the Bayou Place Entertainment Complex, Midtown apartment development, the redevelopment of Gulfgate Mall, the demolition and reconstruction of Allen Parkway Village and the related Fourth Ward revitalization. These projects represent over $1.5 billion in construction, 3,000 downtown jobs, over 3,500 downtown housing units, and over 10,000 permanent downtown residents.
Stevens is also credited with the creation of the Homes for Houston program which built, rehabilitated, or improved over 20,000 units of affordable housing stock in the city of Houston during the Lanier administration. This program was hailed by then H.U.D. Secretary Henry Cisneros as the number one affordable housing program in the United States.
Who We Are Today
Since its inception, Michael Stevens Interests, Inc. has developed, acquired and managed more than 80 real estate projects. From over 10,000 apartment units and 40 different commercial projects, MSI’s investments have been valued at over a billion dollars and represented more than 10 million square feet of rentable building area.
After the passing of Michael S. Stevens in 2008, Kim Stevens assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer and President. The mission of MSI remains the same as it did in 1981 – own and manage multi-family real estate properties with excellent service, honesty, and integrity. Today, Michael Stevens Interests employs more than 150 people and currently owns and manages over 4 million square feet of rentable building area covering 22 real estate operating properties in the state of Texas.