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

For this week’s episode, we have former university basketball coach, Greg Lyons, walk us through how they help real estate professionals create passive income. Click on that ‘Play’ button to learn more about capital raising, passive income, wealth generation, and more! Greg Lyons is a former basketball coach who used to lead university basketball teams to victory. In 2020, Greg and his brother Tim Lyons started Cityside Capital, a real estate capital raising firm that helps other real estate professionals make the most out of their investment dollars. More than that, Greg is the co-host of The Passive Income Brothers, a podcast that highlights the investor journey in generating multiple streams of passive income. In this episode, Greg talks about how he went from being a basketball coach to a full-time real estate professional. He highlights the benefits of capital raising as a whole, including the simplified process that they have created for investing in multifamily assets. Greg also shares his experienc

What a ride it has been! Today, we hit another huge milestone for the podcast—our 300th episode! In this week’s interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Cody Bjugan, the mastermind behind VestRight. Cody Bjugan is an entrepreneur, investor, real estate developer, the Founder & President of Bjugan Enterprises, Inc., and the Founder of VestRight, an educational resource where aspiring investors can learn how to get 6 to 7-figure paychecks through land deals. Cody started out as a flooring salesman before he discovered the power of real estate investing. Since 2002, Cody has been in the Land Development space, amassing millions of dollars in revenue by investing in high-return deals. He created VestRight as a way to give back to the community and teach others to access the “back door” in real estate investing. And today, Cody shares a sneak peak into what the land development space is like. In this interview, we get to learn all about land deals, particularly the common challenges, the different r

Many of our guests have had non-real estate-related careers before delving into the investing world, but we don’t often get pilots on the show! Join me in welcoming Tait Duryea on the show, an airline pilot and real estate investor from Honolulu. For many years, Tait Duryea has been a full-time airline pilot from Honolulu Airlines. But then, he discovered the wonders of investing in real estate, and the rest is history. Tait is the CEO of Turbine Capital where he helps other pilots secure passive income through cash flowing real estate—without becoming a landlord. Tait loves traveling, his career, and spending time with loved ones. Just like many other investors, Tait has found real estate as an effective tool to build generational wealth while doing the things he loves. In this episode, we talk about being intentional with your time, jumpstarting your mornings, and, of course, how he invests in amazing deals with partner pilots. As you can see, having a full-time job—even one as time-consuming as being a

Today, I’m very happy to welcome a good friend of mine to the show—and a fellow investing podcaster, at that. Joining us on this week’s episode is Steven Pesavento of VonFinch Capital and the Investor Mindset Podcast! If you listen to Steven’s podcast, you’ll know that he’s passionate about helping other people achieve success through changing the mindset. The Investor Mindset Podcast is one of the most successful in the real estate investing niche. But that’s not the only successful thing Steven has built from the ground up. He is also the President of VonFinch Capital, a private real estate investment firm that makes it easy for investors to make passive income. On top of that, Steven is also an active real estate investor, marketing expert, and Youtuber! Today, we have the privilege of hearing Steven’s five principles of success; principles that he learned from speaking with hundreds of highly successful people over the course of his career. We talk about focus, intention, mindset, investing in assets (a

Sitting down with us today in the Intelligent Investor Real Estate Conference is a brand new guest to the show—Ryan Gibson of the Spartan Investment Group! Join us on this live interview where he shares how he built his self-storage business from the ground up. A little bit more about Ryan: he is the CIO of the Spartan Investment Group, a fast-growing investment firm that focuses on commercial real estate investments. He has extensive experience in many aspects of real estate, including self-storage, finance, sales, marketing, and investor relations. All that said, we’re very happy to have Ryan share his knowledge with us today. In this uncut episode, Ryan walks us through the particulars of the self-storage business, including spatial requirements, market-based demand, and pricing, among many others. Of course, Ryan also tells us all about the growth of Spartan Investment Group; their scaling strategies; their culture; their structure, and so much more. Ryan lays down some sound advice on how to scale you

Today, we have a very special episode for you guys. Recorded live at Intelligent Investor Real Estate Convention in sunny California, join us in our thought-provoking talk with none other than Christopher Nelson of Wealthward Capital. Christopher Nelson is a real estate investor, author, speaker, and the Principal and Co-Founder of Wealthward Capital, a private equity real estate firm that helps busy technology professionals build their real estate portfolios. As a Technology Executive, Christopher has helped teams deliver high-value technology innovations within growth-driven startups and SaaS companies. And in the real estate branch of his career, Christopher manages a firm that has over $300 million in investments within Central Texas. Our interview with Christopher is quite fast-paced, but we get to cover some very interesting topics. Among the things we talk about include the mobile home industry, with a focus on how Christopher and his team managed to scale their operations quickly and efficiently. Pl

Learning is a vital pillar of building a business. Today, join Timothy Kenny and I as we talk all about accelerated learning; how you can acquire knowledge more effectively, retain it better, and use it to catalyze success in your real estate business. Timothy Kenny is the author of Accelerated Learning for Beginners, a book where he takes you through a hidden world of accelerated learning. He is also a teacher and speaker, helping ambitious individuals accelerate their learning so that they can build successful businesses of their own. Timothy has taught at the Harvard Innovation lab, The Tufts University Entrepreneurs Society, General Assembly in Boston, and has been a featured teacher on Skillshare and Udemy, among others. Today, Timothy teaches us all about the most effective strategies for accelerated learning, including repetition, active recall, mindfulness, and much, much more. Of course, we also talk business. Timothy and I go over real estate-related topics, most notably: marketing, communication

Join me in welcoming an old friend to the podcast, none other than the great Paul Moore! Paul has been on our show a couple of times before in the early days, and today, he is back to share even more helpful advice on real estate investing—particularly, in the self-storage industry. Paul is a seasoned real estate investor, the host of the How to Lose Money podcast, a regular contributor at BiggerPockets, and the founder and managing partner at Wellings Capital, a real estate private equity firm that helps investors grow their wealth through commercial real estate. With his extensive experience and proven expertise, Paul is one of the best people to when it comes to commercial real estate. We touch on quite a number of topics on the self-storage industry today. Specifically, we talk about how it has grown during the pandemic, the advantages and the drawbacks, and the factors you need to know before investing in this asset class (location, traffic, visibility, income, etc.). More than that, we explore the ope

If you’ve been in the real estate community for a while, you probably know who Brandon Turner is. Today, we’re in luck! Jump in on this in-depth interview with Brandon, where we talk about his upbringing, his journey with BiggerPockets, and his unique principles when it comes to building a rockstar team. Brandon Turner is a real estate investor, best-selling author, host of the BiggerPockets podcast, and VP of Growth of the BiggerPockets.com—one of the biggest real estate investing communities in the world. Brandon bought his first home at only 21 years old, and with the help of BiggerPockets (plus his innate investing skills)—he grew his investment portfolio rapidly. Brandon is also the founder and managing member of Open Door Capital LLC, a private real estate investment firm that helps clients achieve risk-adjusted returns through the acquisition of nationwide value-add assets. No one knows how to build a real estate business better than Brandon. In this episode, we talk about his unique financing metho

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking to Tony Whatley, more famously known as the “Sidehustle Millionaire.” Tony learned how to build his own empire from scratch—no inheritance, no rich parents, just hard work and passion--and he is here to tell us how he did it. So, who is the “Side Hustle Millionaire”? Tony Whatley is an investor, entrepreneur, speaker, and executive coach. He is the host the 365 Driven podcast and the Founder of 365 Driven, a community of passionate entrepreneurs that aim to turn passion into profit—regardless of one’s backstory. Tony is also the author of the Amazon #1 bestselling book the “Sidehustle Millionaire”, which has sold over tens of thousands of copies since its release in 2018. Tony has been an entrepreneurial soul ever since he was a young lad. However, the Life Script kept him in the corporate world for twenty-five years while he built his own path in business. Through hard work and perseverance, Tony has built multiple successful side businesses that brought and continue

We welcome the new year with an outstanding interview with Chris Craddock, the man behind The Redux Group, one of the top real estate teams in Northern Virginia. Chris Craddock is a nationally certified Life Coach, the founder, and CEO of The Redux Group, the host of The Uncommon Real Estate podcast, a realtor, and a successful entrepreneur with multiple businesses in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Chris closes 30 to 60 deals a month alone and generates over $10 million in revenue from all his businesses. His company, The Redux Group, is the most innovative real estate group in Northern Virginia and has generated $160 million in real estate volume in 2020. Chris knows exactly how to make the most out of every transaction. His successful real estate group and multiple businesses speak for themselves! In this episode, Chris shares how he managed to thrive in the pandemic by focusing on what matters, reading the data, and making the most out of every opportunity. We also talk about the effects of COVID-1

What a year 2021 has been! We are closing strong with a review of this year from an investor’s perspective, done by yours truly. The pandemic has put us all through a massive rollercoaster of a year. People have lost their livelihoods, loved ones, and their normal lives. Bringing with it significant changes in the market, the “pandemic inflation” has also made life harder, especially for low-income families and individuals. In this episode, I share my insights on the most important aspects of the pandemic inflation, including its effect on the supply chain, wages, migration, and cost of housing and living. Moreover, we go over the pandemic’s effect on investor behavior, which will perhaps be the most interesting topic for everyone listening in. The pandemic has caused major shifts in the market, which is why I want to talk about my observations on current deals in comparison with normal times to help my fellow investors tread carefully during these volatile times. So, buckle up, put on your headphones, and

We have a hot new topic to talk about today: co-living! Join Johnny Wolff and I as we talk about modernized co-living, investing in co-living facilities, the benefits of co-living on both ends of the spectrum, and more. Johnny Wolff is the CEO and Founder of HomeRoom, one of the fastest-growing co-living companies in the United States. HomeRoom makes it easier for renters to look for short-term housing and, at the same time, provides an avenue for investors to find renters in a more structured set-up. While co-living is not a new concept, HomeRoom has transformed this type of housing into something more accessible, more harmonious, and ultimately—more profitable. Johnny walks us through the concept of co-living and how his company maintains standards in roommate set-ups. He also explains how companies like HomeRoom influence the sharing economy, as well as what co-living accomplishes for the average U.S. renter. And, of course, we talk about how he and his team choose where, when, and how to invest in perfe

Today, we share an inspiring story with you all. Meet Mike Morawski, the real estate veteran investor who spent ten years in prison for fraud charges and is now rebuilding his empire. Michael “Mike” Morawski is a 30-year veteran real estate investor, investment consultant trainer, coach author, and public speaker who has handled over $285 million in real estate transactions and syndications. He hosts the podcast Insider Secrets by My Core Intentions where he shares advice, insights, and strategies for multi-family real estate investments. Michael has been an entrepreneur his whole life. And today, he devotes his time to helping others achieve extraordinary lives for themselves. Mike is also the founder and owner-operator of My Core Intentions, a valuable resource where entrepreneurs can access education, training, and coaching services to build their own empires. Check out his website through the link below. In this episode, Mike talks about how he went from fixing up houses to selling homes to syndicating

Meet Sam Wilson, the accidental real estate investor who is now syndicating niche commercial assets with highly stable returns. Join us for this episode as we talk about niche real estate assets, building a life outside of work, and giving back to the community. Sam Wilson is an active and very versatile investor in various real estate assets, namely, retail, self-storage, multi-family apartments, RV parks, and much more. He also hosts the podcast How to Scale Commercial Real Estate, where he shares the most important commercial real estate strategies to maximize returns to both rookie and experienced investors. (Check out his episode with yours truly!) Unlike many investors in the industry, Sam got into real estate by accident. He saw a foreclosure listing one day, bought the house, and the rest is history. Nine years later, Sam helps others maximize their investments in real estate, and hones his passion of creating a machine that allows him the best level of financial freedom possible. In this intervie

For this week’s episode, we are pleased to welcome back a recurring guest of ours, M.C. Laubscher, for another educational session on cash flow, investing, and financial freedom. M.C. Laubscher is a seasoned entrepreneur, family man, educator, and cash flow specialist. He is the founder of Producers Wealth and Cashflow Ninja. He also runs his own successful business and investing podcast, Cashflow Ninja, which eventually grew into an educational company that helps audiences become self-reliant through actionable education. In this episode, we talk about M.C.’s latest book, The 21 Best Cashflow Niches: Creating Wealth In The Best Alternative Cashflow Investments, which aims to help investors diversify their portfolio by investing in various niches—from agriculture and bitcoin to real estate and blockchain. We also go a little into what he talks about in the book, particularly about the pros and cons of each alternative cashflow niche on the list, most notably—cryptocurrency. If you’re interested in learning

Managing risks is always going to be one of the toughest parts of real estate investing. Thankfully, we have risk management and value creation expert Michael Episcope with us today to shed some light on how you can prevent all of your cards from toppling over. Michael Episcope is the Principal and Co-Founder of Origin Investments, a private equity real estate firm that serves high net worth individuals, family offices, and wealth management firms. With his co-founder David Scherer, he created Origin to provide the same caliber of service, terms, and results that were exclusive to only large institutions before. To date, Origin has over $600 million in assets under management and works with more than 400 investment partners. Michael, David, and their team found a way to scale in the individual market and created a wonderful product out of it. In this episode, we talk about how Origin came to be since its birth in 2007; the hits and misses Michael and David came across; how they applied their risk managemen

When you consider all the nitty-gritty details that go into it, real estate investing can be pretty tedious. Let’s find out how Sharad Mehta, the founder, and CEO of REsimpli, makes it easier for real estate investors to score more deals at a lower marketing cost. Sharad Mehta is a seasoned real estate investor with over 400 deals under his belt in the last 6 years. Over the years, he has developed multiple systems that automate the most tedious parts of real estate investing, including CRM, list stacking, file storage, e-signatures, and many more. Today, he leads REsimpli, the first-of-its-kind all-in-one CRM system where users can manage leads, marketing, revenue, accounting, contracts, and many more in only one software. In this interview, Sharad and I talk about the most prominent features of REsimpli and how they make the lives of business owners easier. We also delve into how REsimpli came to be, considering how Sharad entered the venture with no background in software. If you’re interested in learni

We’re broaching quite a different subject for this week’s episode. Today, we’re talking all about vacation rentals—including how to invest in, develop, and manage vacation rental properties—with Alex Jarbo, a former marine turned real estate developer. Alex Jarbo is a former marine, real estate developer, and the Operations & Property Manager at Recession Proof Property Partners, where he handles the identification, procurement, and development of land and vacation rentals. He also has his own YouTube channel called Alex Builds, where he educates people on how to invest in, develop, and manage vacation rentals. On this episode, we talk about some of the most important things that the average investor needs to about vacation rentals, such as valuation, the specific problems of vacation rentals (e.g. cleaning, pest control), finding the right lender, and more. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Access is an important factor to consider when choosing the right land to develop. 2. Finding the right investors to work with is

We talk a lot about financial independence on this show. Today, we have Chris Larsen to share more valuable insights into building financial freedom while keeping the important things in life close to your heart. Chris Larsen is the founder and managing partner of Next Level Income, a platform that helps people raise their income, make smart investments, and achieve true freedom in life. He is a former medical devices professional, clocking in over 18 years in that field. And while on that route, he has also been investing in real estate, earning him 20 years of investing and managing experience. Aside from real estate, Chris has invested in equities, oil & gas, small business lending, as well as angel investments. He is also the author of Next Level Income: How to Make, Keep, and Grow Your Money Using the ‘Holy Grail of Real Estate’ to Achieve Financial Independence, a book that he wrote just last year to help people seek true financial freedom. In this episode, we touch on a lot of topics about real