Investing In The U.s. - An Aussie's Guide To U.s. Real Estate

Let’s welcome an old friend who joined our podcast way back in 2019—Jens Nielsen! What has Jens been up to in the past two years? Let’s find out. Jens is a seasoned multi-family real estate investor and certified high-performance coach. He is also the principal at Open Doors Capital, a private equity firm that helps individuals build passive income through real estate. More than that, Jens teaches other people how to start investing in multi-family real estate through his coaching business. Tune in to this episode and learn how Jens helps other people achieve passive income, the key areas of influence, the importance of role modeling in real estate, and so much more. Whether you’re in need of a coach or an aspiring coach yourself, Jens’ story can teach you a thing or two about high-performance coaching. If you want to learn more about Jens’ background, check out his first interview in Episode 159! KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Once you start addressing what’s holding you back, things will start taking off. 2. Teaching

In business, rewards are not immediate. It takes time to find your groove while starting a business from scratch. Fellow entrepreneur and podcaster Andrew Schutsky is here to tell us his secret sauce to building a business while working a day job. Andrew Schutsky is the founder of Redline Equity, a real estate investment firm providing passive investment opportunities to busy professionals; the CIO of TE Connectivity, a $700 million medical technology company, and the host of the Crushing Cashflow podcast. Andrew found out early on much opportunity there is in real estate. Like most entrepreneurs, he started his real estate journey working through limitations before he found strategies that worked for him. In today’s interview, we talk about finding the balance between your day job and business, how to prioritize while starting from scratch, the importance of understanding what niche you are in, and a whole lot more. Building a business from the ground up is not easy, nor is it quick. If you’re struggling

Derek and Dr. Sophie Clifford are two nomads traveling the world while handling Elevate Equity, a real estate investment company helping busy professionals create multiple degrees of freedom. Both Derek and Sophie are passionate educators and seasoned investors, working hand in hand to help others find a way out of the 8-to-5 grind. Let’s take a look at the dynamics of this power couple’s relationship, what it’s like investing in real estate with your spouse, and the importance of being on the same page in a partnership. We also learn about the relationship between financial and physical wellness, the three types of freedom Elevate Equity is helping others achieve (time, financial, location), and how Derek and Sophie became full-time nomads. Interested in learning how to enter the real estate business as a couple? Click that ‘Play’ button now and listen to Derek and Sophie’s story! KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. When you’re working for someone else, you know you’re dispensable. 2. People looking for financial wellness

Today, another fellow immigrant shares his story of how he got started in US real estate investing. Join me in welcoming Van Sturgeon to the show, renovation expert and mentor with over three decades of experience in the game. Van Sturgeon is a seasoned real estate investor, flipper, multifamily specialist, and business owner. Over 30 years ago, Van’s family bought an apartment building in the middle of an economic crisis. Through grit and hard work, Van and his family made it through by doing the hard jobs. Thirty years later, Van owns multiple businesses, has flipped thousands of properties, and helps other investors become millionaires through real estate investing. In this episode, we get to hear how Van got to where he is today. We talk about his early days in real estate investing, the importance of building an ecosystem in your business, and how you can get started investing with something you can afford. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Establishing relationships is the hardest part of real estate investing. 2. O

Have you ever thought about investing in wines? How about comic books? Or vinyl records? Stefan von Imhof is with us here today to talk about alternative assets and how you can make good money from them. Stefan von Imhof is one of the great minds behind Alts.co, a unique alternative investment community, fund, and investment platform. He is also a seasoned writer, product leader, and traveler. We touch on quite a lot of exciting topics in this episode. Stefan shares his golden tips on attracting traffic to your website through the most cost-effective options. Plus, we talk about investing in alternative assets on Alts.co, from comic books and video games to wines and vinyl. If you’re interested in investing in alternative assets, this episode makes a good crash course before you dip your toes in the market. Learn more about alternative investments from vaulting, value calculation, depreciation, and more! KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Traffic is the most important thing for a website. 2. You can build traffic in many w

Wealth and happiness do not always go hand in hand, but Ben Lapidus has found a way to achieve both. Listen to Ben’s philosophies in life and learn how you can build success without sacrificing your happiness. Ben is the Chief Financial Officer for Spartan Investment Group, LLC and a co-founder and host of Best Ever Conferences. His extensive finance and business development skills helped him construct a portfolio from $0 to over $500 million in assets under management. Ben has been through lots of ups and downs. He created startups that didn’t work out, lost more than $200,000 of investor money, and had to build a business from scratch. Today, his portfolio is worth over half a billion dollars, and he helps other investors achieve financial freedom. Tune in to this episode to learn more about Ben, his business, and how to build the life that you want without sacrificing your happiness. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Spend your time on something at the intersection of three things (something you’re passionate about,

Our guest for this week’s episode is fellow ex-pat Billy Keels. But instead of the US, Billy is operating his business all the way over in Barcelona, Spain. Billy Keels is a seasoned traveler, real estate investor, podcast host (Going Long), and the Strategic Advisor of First Generation Capital Partners, an investment group that helps high-wage earners build their wealth without working more. Like many real estate investors, Billy started out working a 9-5 before getting into the real estate space. Along the way, he learned the value of investing time in a way that produces the most returns. Billy takes great joy in taking as much knowledge as possible, be it about European culture or commercial real estate, and we can all take a page from his book. We cannot take wealth to our grave, but we can rest easy leaving a life well-lived. Listen to Billy’s story as we talk about his travel experiences, his opinions about investing in the US real estate space as an ex-pat, and how he reinvented himself into the ma

Let’s welcome two of my fellow ex-pats on the show, Ashok Patil and Mohit Bansal—the brains behind Prime Investment LLC. Prime Investment LLC is led by Ashok Patil and Mohit Bansal, two seasoned real estate investors focusing on multifamily and commercial investments. Together, they help aspiring investors invest in commercial real estate syndication and generate recurring passive incomes. In today’s episode, we go over the differences between Indian and US real estate, what the real estate space looks like in India in a post-COVID world, and how they help Indian investors navigate the US market. We also dive into how Ashok and Mohit educate their investors unfamiliar with how the US real estate market works and how they eventually gain their trust. All in all, we get a glimpse of what it’s like to invest in US real estate as an ex-pat or aspiring immigrant. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. People are looking for appreciation more than cash flow. 2. Proper education is essential for foreign investors looking to invest

Join me in welcoming another esteemed guest on the show, a fellow operator and the co-founder of one of the most successful self-storage companies in the country—Jacob Vanderslice. Jacob is a co-founder and partner at VanWest Partners, a real estate investment company specializing in self-storage facilities and other opportunistic investments in commercial real estate. To date, VanWest Partners has deployed over $238 million in capital and manages 42 properties, 19,000 units, and 2.7 square feet of space. Multifamily and self-storage assets are similar in quite a few ways, and Jacob is here with us today to go deeper into those similarities. If you’re interested in investing in self-storage facilities, Jacob also gives us a peek at what you can expect in self-storage investments at this time. We go over a lot of topics in this episode--cap rates, interest rates, current investment environments, and more—so buckle up, ready your notes, and let’s learn what it takes to invest in self-storage! KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sunil Saxena was a serial entrepreneur before becoming a full-time real estate investor. He tried so many things before discovering his true passion—including finishing a medical degree! If you’re still trying to figure out who you are, you will definitely relate to Sunil’s story. Sunil Saxena, MD, is a lifelong entrepreneur, having started six successful real estate companies since 2001. To date, he has completed over 100 projects, from minor rehabs to massive multi-unit projects. He is now a Managing Partner at Hyperfast Development, an investment program that makes off-market multifamily deals accessible to aspiring investors. This week, Sunil shares his story about going from a medical career to full-blown real estate business. He also goes into what it was like starting multiple companies, including restaurants and painting businesses, before he found the right one—something that our serial entrepreneur listeners will be able to relate to. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Real estate has an almost unlimited ceiling f

How are investors dealing with inflation? What should you do in the face of rising costs and diminishing affordability of housing? Let’s hear what Bronson Hill has to say. Bronson Hill is a seasoned multifamily investor, passive income creator, keynote speaker, and the host of the Mailbox Money Show. Like many of our previous guests, Bronson left the corporate world to pursue a more fulfilling route in real estate. Today, he runs Bronson Equity, an investment group where he helps aspiring passive investors achieve financial freedom through multifamily deals. In today’s interview, we focus on Bronson’s strategy for content production. We go over how to create valuable content, repurpose content, and build systems that can make all that work easier. We also dive into how to invest in the multifamily space, considering the changes that the pandemic brought about. Want to invest in something lucrative but without the volatility? Tune into this week’s episode and learn all about how Bronson Hill does it! KEY T

Real estate investing can be highly competitive. But sometimes, the best deals are born when investors work together. Like most entrepreneurs, Ian Ippolito started in the corporate world. After a long time of being a computer programmer, Ian decided to find a better way to use his talents. He created multiple businesses in the software industry, but his endeavors eventually fizzled out when the dot com bubble crashed. Luckily, Ian found his way to the real estate field. Today, Ian is a real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of The Real Estate Crowdfunding Review, a community that helps fellow investors make the most out of crowdfunding ventures. Take the time to learn about Ian’s journey from the software world to the real estate industry, how The Real Estate Crowdfunding Review came about, and what goes into creating such an outstanding community of passive investors. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. You can generate a lot of wealth through active investing, but it will take a lot of time and

Say hello to one of our first live interview guests in Denver—Salem Vanderstel of Naked Capital Group! Salem is the Founder of Naked Capital Group. Coming from a Chemistry and Corporate Strategy background, Salem used his talents for analytics to build ultra-high net worth asset management products at one of the world’s largest investment banks. After discovering significant risk-adjusted returns associated with specific real estate investments, Salem diverted his energy into the real estate space. Today, he helps other investors build and manage their real estate investments through Naked Capital Group, a full-service real estate operator, advisory, and investor. With this quick interview, Salem gives us a glimpse into what he does at Naked Capital Group and his #1 advice for investors looking to invest in property management. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Paying above the market is one of the best ways to find the top talent for your business. 2. Find ways to churn around assets to discover more opportunities beyond

Hundreds of thousands of women suffer financial abuse in the U.S. at the hands of their spouses and families. Find out how one woman is helping other female investors achieve empowerment through real estate. Kaylee McMahon grew up being constantly told that she wasn’t good enough. But instead of giving up, she broke out of the mold others put her into in a way not a lot of people would expect—by investing in real estate. Kaylee is the founder of The Apartment Queen, a female-focused real estate firm that helps women build wealth through multifamily investments. She is also an advocate for women’s empowerment, having spoken at multiple events and podcasts about empowering young women through entrepreneurship. Learn more about how Kaylee started her investment journey, how she built her business from the ground up, and how she now helps other women break through the glass ceilings through real estate investing. Woman or not—we can learn a lot about The Apartment Queen’s story. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Financial ab

Everyone knows how much time you need to put into your job when you’re a medical professional. Dr. Jeff Anzalone knows exactly what it’s like to work super long hours with seemingly no way out. How did he manage to take the reins? Dr. Jeff Anzalone is a periodontist and the CEO of DebtFreeDr.com, an educational resource where doctors and other medical professionals can learn how to create passive income. But before he got into real estate investing, Jeff followed the typical lifestyle of work, work, work. With $300,000 in student loan debt and a young family to support, Jeff had to grind for years before he became debt-free. Along the way, he picked up a lot of investing principles that he now shares with other doctors and high-income professionals. In this episode, let’s take a look at Jeff’s journey from drowning in debt to being a successful real estate investor. Aside from that, we get to learn about Jeff’s personal principles on investing, running his business, and—something that we can all relate to—

We love powerful women on this show, and today’s guest is no exception. Tune in to hear the story of April Crossley and how she went from being a mom on welfare to the successful real estate investor that she is today. April became a mom at 16. For years, she had to work, study, and take care of her child all at the same time. On top of it all, she had to rely on welfare to make ends meet. That all changed when she discovered real estate investing. Now, April is a real estate specialist, multifamily investor, and the owner of Crossley Property Group, a private real estate investment company that invests in multifamily, mobile home parks, and storage facilities. Of course, none of this happened overnight. Join us today and learn all about April’s story from being a teen mom to a successful real estate investor. Plus, April tells us all about her direct-to-seller marketing system, team management techniques, and unique methods on how to find the right sellers. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Open lines of communication ar

Are you looking to diversify your portfolio with alternative assets? Join us in this episode to learn more about real estate, cryptocurrency, venture capitalism, and more! Ryan McKenna grew up in a very entrepreneurial family, but despite having the opportunity to join the family business, he decided to create a successful life on his own. Ryan is a seasoned investor, real estate syndicator, and serial entrepreneur that invests in all sorts of ventures apart from multifamily real estate. He is the CEO and Founder of McKenna Capital, a real estate private equity firm that helps investors grow their wealth through real estate syndications. In today’s episode, we talk about how and why Ryan invests in cryptocurrency alongside his multifamily business. More than that, Ryan tells us about the potential of the future of crypto as it matures, as well as how you can learn how to protect your downside. Click on that ‘Play’ button now and learn more about the benefits of investing in cryptocurrency and other altern

From a professional baseball player at the height of his career to a real estate investor, find out how John Kalinowski managed to knock the odds out of the park. Josh is a personal coach, the CEO of 8 companies, a renowned public speaker, and an ex-professional baseball player! When his career as an athlete inevitably ended, Josh found a new path to pursue in real estate. However, it was far from easy, and Josh is with us here today to share his inspiring journey from being a pro athlete to a successful entrepreneur. Josh knows all too well what it’s like to restart one’s life after reaching the peak. And this is not an uncommon thing in the world of real estate. Many people had different careers before entering this industry, and not every journey is an easy one. If you’re one of these people, listen to what Josh has to say about transitioning into a new career and achieving success despite all the odds. Aside from our heartfelt discussion on Josh’s experiences, we also talk about how to manage multiple

Inflation, capital raises, and tax efficiency—let’s talk about it! But first, join me in welcoming an old guest back to the show—my good friend and the Founder of Boardwalk Wealth, Omar Khan. Omar Khan is a CFA, a self-proclaimed global citizen like yours truly, and the Founder of Boardwalk Wealth, a premier private equity sponsor focusing on acquiring value-add and opportunistic real estate across the South East U.S. At Boardwalk Wealth, he is responsible for capital raising, strategic planning, and investor relations. With over 10 years of experience in global investing, Omar is one of the best sources of knowledge for multifamily syndication. In today’s episode, Omar shares his experience going from investment banking to real estate investing. More than that, he goes over how he diversified his investments by investing in both capital- and non-capital-invasive businesses. But what we really focus on for this episode are three critical topics: inflation, capital raises, and how to pay zero taxes. Inflat

Join us in welcoming a very special guest to our show, a financial engineer turned multifamily investor—Stefan Tsvetkov of RealtyQuant! Stefan moved here to the U.S. at 22 from Bulgaria. He started out as a financial engineer and managed over $90 billion in derivatives in portfolios. Then, he transferred his skills to the real estate field and founded RealtyQuant, a company that brings data-driven and quantitative strategies to the real estate industry. Stefan has been featured in over 30 podcasts and webinar events to date. Today, we have the privilege of having him on the Investing in the US podcast to talk about what goes into investing with quantitative techniques. Some of the topics we touch on include: the sustainability of the recent valuation jump in real estate, forecasting city performances, applying correlations in the market, and so much more. From market fluctuations to home valuations, there is so much data available for analysis in the real estate space. But the problem is that we often don’