Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast

When Justin Richards and Aaron Lenartz were last on this show, they shared everything they'd just gone through in finding, negotiating, syndicating, and closing on a 144-unit apartment complex in Memphis Tennessee.  You can check out Episode #140 to hear that story.  Today, you're going to find out what happened after the close and how its affected their outlook and decision making process ever since. Justin and Aaron are going to share some of the challenges they faced and how they came up with the solutions to solve them.  We'll discuss the engineering report and the cash shortfall that can occur when the lender reserves funds from the closing to make immediate repairs, but doesn't release that money until after the repairs have been completed.  We'll learn about some difficult partnerships that Justin & Aaron have had to walk away from, as well as the key members they've since added to their team. Justin and Aaron share some painful experiences of the acquisitions that have fallen through since then, a

For many of our American Active Duty Military and Veterans, investing in Real Estate may seem like a far-off objective, especially if they're deployed overseas or moving from location to location without any sense of permanence.  However, if you're Active Duty Military, or a Veteran, you have some serious purchasing power that you may not be aware of. Eric Upchurch has made it his mission to help those in the military understand and realize the power of creating monthly passive income through real estate, even while they're active duty.  Eric served six years in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and is the author of "Military House Hacking: How to Live Free, Earn Passive Income, and Create Generational Wealth".  Eric also hosts the "Active Duty Passive Income Podcast". Eric is going to help us understand the incredible firepower of the VA loan, and how it can help our military service members invest in real estate and live for free through house hacking.  We'll also discuss the unique challenges

One of the Best Books I've read this year is "Burn Zones", by my guest today, Jorge P. Newbery.  In his book, Jorge tells a fascinating and brutally honest story of his rise from newspaper boy to Punk Rock Entrepreneur, from International Cycling Champion to Mortgage Broker, Distressed Apartment Investor, Publicly Vilified Landlord, and Socially Conscious Entrepreneur. Today, we're going to focus on three crucial periods in Jorge's incredible life: His early beginnings as an entrepreneur in the 1980's Los Angeles Punk Rock scene, Why he bought a run-down apartment building when the city health inspector warned him he'd end up in jail, and what really happened at Woodland Meadows, an 1,100 unit apartment complex in Columbus Ohio that was nicknamed "Uzzi Alley" for all of the murders and gun violence that had occurred there. There is nothing safe about this episode or Jorge's investing experiences.  Jorge's willingness to charge into challenges that other investor's would find impossible have made him hugely su

By his own account, Sam Newell grew up poor on the wrong side of the railroad tracks in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Today you're going to find out how he transitioned from his humble early days into a successful real estate investor and realtor with sales over $150 Million. Sam is an apartment investor, syndicator, and real estate agent who's been in the business for over 10 years.  He's also the co-founder of IPI Acquisitions, and a real estate agent at Century 21 Everest Realty Group in Utah, where he heads up their commercial division. Sam is going to share how his work ethic and training in door-to-door sales and cold-calling led him to be an ultra-successful salesman.  You're going to learn Sam's best practices for door knocking, delivering bad news to clients, and how he informs and communicates with his investors.  You'll also hear Sam's perspective on whether or not you should get a real estate license while investing in real estate, and whether or not your should pay yourself out of your cash flow or inve

Can you believe that the iPhone is only 12 years old?  When you consider all of the advantages and efficiencies that smart phone technology has created for rental property owners, its hard to imagine doing any type of business without it. My guest today is going to tell us What's Next on the Technology Horizon that will not only revolutionize the way we show and lease our properties, but will also help us control our expenses and increase our income. Ryan Wendlandt is currently employed in the Technology Industry and is focused on 5G technology.  Today he's going to share his unique insight into the benefits of 5G, including the use of Augmented and Virtual Reality to aid in showing our units, built-in sensors that will monitor our resident's utility and trash usage, and the increased capacity we will have to make more money. Ryan is also a Real Estate Investor who has acquired five deals in the past year in Grand Rapids, while investing from San Diego.  He's going to share how he's able to find his deals and

Is the Landlord profession overdue for a Revolution?  Is the Business Model of covering mortgages and operating costs by charging rent no longer sufficient?  My guest today believes both of those statements to be true. Al Williamson is known as the "Worlds First Landlord Scientist", and he's on a quest to help other landlords maximize their Cashflow through alternate income streams such as Short Term Rentals and Corporate Housing.  He also has other valuable tips on increasing income and lowering expenses, many of which I'd never thought of before our conversation. Al's going to share the tips and techniques he's used in many different modes of real estate investing, including turning around inner city houses and neighborhoods, an inexpensive way to avoid costly plumbing issues, why vacancy is a function of marketing, and how he makes money off of corporate rentals even when he doesn't own the property. Al is also the author of "40 Ways to Increase The Net Income of Your Rental Property", and he can be contac

If you had to guess the #1 reason  why many entrepreneurs and real estate investors fail, what would it be?  Lack of money?, Opportunities?, or Bad Timing?  According to my guest today, Lack of Focus and the inability to set Clear and Specific Goals is the number one reason. Nick Disney has spent the past ten years learning how to implement strategic goals in order to build a portfolio of 17 rental properties and 20 performing notes.  He owns a real estate business called "Sell My San Antonio House" and specializes in the different aspects of real estate investing, self-development, entrepreneurship, and running a small business. Today we'll discuss the importance of focusing on what exactly you're trying to achieve and how to break it down into the key activities you need to focus on each day.  Nick will relate these ideas to the specifics of how he achieved his goal of reaching $10,000 monthly income. We'll also discuss the crossroads that investors come to and how they must shift their goals as they find s

What do you do when your business partner goes rogue and ends up destroying your entire Real Estate Portfolio?  If you're like my guest today, then you pick yourself back up and commit to building an even bigger & better one step-by-step. Seth Ferguson is a Canadian real estate investor with 11 years of experience investing in single family, apartments, and helping others as an award-winning real estate broker.  He's also an author, Cable-TV host, and has his own podcast "Purchase To Profits". Today Seth is going to dig deep and share his most painful experience, the disastrous breakup of his business partnership and the Red Flags he should have paid more attention to.  He's also going to explain 'Negative Gearing', which basically means buying properties with negative cashflow, and why investors are willing to buy this way. We also discuss the pitfalls of the Canadian real estate market, the differences in their residential loan structures v.s. the United States, and the movement toward rent control and

There are some great books available that can teach you how to invest in Commercial Real Estate, and one of the best of these books was written by today's guest. Brian Murray is the Best-Selling Author of "Crushing It In Apartments And Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It BIG".  He's also the Founder & CEO of Washington Street Properties, which owns and operates a large portfolio of assets in upstate New York.  Brian has invested in Apartments, Office Buildings, Retail Centers, Storage, Billboards, Parking, and Mixed Use. Today Brian is going to share how he was able to build his entire portfolio through the "Value Add" process, without raising any capital from outside investors.  You'll learn what those Value Add strategies are, how Brian negotiates with sellers to acquire Seller Financing, what it was like to transition from his first Office Building to investing in Apartments, and why he sometimes will overpay for the right property. At one point in his career, Brian was a full-time

Today we're going to compare the Pro's & Con's of investing in Multifamily & Apartments V.S. two other commercial asset classes: Self Storage & Mobile Home Parks.  Which is harder to acquire in today's market, and which will do the best during a good economy as well as a bad one? Paul Moore has returned to the show to help us answer these questions.  You might remember Paul from episode #42, where we talked about his book "The Perfect Investment: Create Enduring Wealth From The Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing".  Paul has since changed his outlook on Multifamily, and today you're going to find out why. Paul is also the Founder & Managing Director of Wellings Capital, which manages two private equity funds in commercial investments.  Paul is going to share the Value Formula he uses to exponentially create wealth in commercial properties, the tax benefits provided through Real Estate Investing, and the types of returns he strives to achieve for his investors.   Paul also hosts the podcast "

When people ask me about investing in Detroit, my stock response is that there are a lot of great opportunities, but you really need to work with someone who understands the neighborhoods and where to find those opportunities.  Because, if you're one or two blocks off, you could lose a lot of money. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of traveling around Detroit with a seasoned investor who was kind enough to show me the neighborhoods he's investing, improving, and profiting in.  We also got to see a number of properties that he's in the process of rehabbing, flipping & selling. Today I'm excited to have Todd Chunn on the show.  Todd is a Detroit Real Estate Investor, Wholesaler, and Auction Expert at Best Invest, LLC, and he also owns a property management company called 'Investors Property Management Detroit' specializing in managing Detroit rentals for out-of-state & local investors. Todd shares a lot of great information in this episode: how he went from an employee mindset to owning several busi

Today we're going to talk about Adaptive Re-use of Commercial Space and how it can be turned into an Asset Class that is Very Attractive & Extremely Profitable. My guest is Scott Krone, the managing partner of Coda Management Group, a company that teams up with investors to purchase and convert undervalued warehouse space into climate controlled Self-Storage Facilities. Scott has a Masters of Architecture Degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and he's created 47 syndications and has over 400,000 sq. ft. & 2,759 storage units under management, along with over 25 years of development & design-build experience. Scott is going to share the process he goes through in converting old warehouse space to self-storage, including his typical costs per sq. ft. for acquisition, construction & soft costs.  He'll discuss the financing that's available for these projects and how Coda builds and sells their developments to REITS.  Scott & I also discuss the importance of Mentors, what ever happe

My guest today is Frank Maratta, a listener & fan of the show who contacted me with some great questions.  So I thought I'd have him on the show to answer them with the help of Justin Workman, another friend of the show who's been on many episodes. Frank is an experienced investor and landlord with 12 units that he rehabbed & manages.  Frank's favorite strategy is to buy a property, rehab it using his own subs and serving as the General Contractor, and then complete a cash-out refinance in order to pay himself back and raise money for the next deal. Frank has some excellent questions that Justin & I do our best to answer, even though we disagree on several of our answers: Should Frank get a 30-year or 20-year mortgage? Should he "buy down" the points in order to get a lower interest rate? Will a new roof increase the appraisal value? (the answer to this will surprise you) What is our current outlook on the market? Frank's questions make for a lively discussion (& arguments) with Brian & Ju

Jonathan Twombly spent 12 years as a corporate attorney for some of the most prestigious law firms in New York, Boston, and London, before switching tracks and becoming a full-time real estate investor and syndicator. Now, Jonathan is the owner of Two Bridges Asset Management and his attention to detail, creative thinking, and tendency to notice overlooked connections has had a huge impact on his returns, as well as those of his investors. Today we'll discuss how Jonathan chooses his partners, and why you shouldn't treat your partnership like a marriage.  You'll also learn how Jonathan overcame some setbacks early on when his deals didn't pan out, and how he spent three years chasing opportunities before completing his first deal. Jonathan also shares tips on working with attorneys, how he presents his opportunities and tells the story of the deal, what it means to have a fiduciary responsibility to your investors, and his outlook on the multifamily and apartment market. Jonathan also hosts the Real Estate La

Today we're going to talk about Raising Capital from a source that we typically don't consider when putting together the equity for our investment opportunities.  We've discussed syndication and raising funds from high net-worth accredited investors, but what about the Ultra-Wealthy - those with over $30 Million in net worth? My guest today is Richard Wilson, the Founder & CEO of Family Office Club, and he is going to help us understand what the Ultra-Wealthy look for when investing their capital, and the top 6 headaches of Family Offices worth over $100 Million.  He'll also reveal how you might be able to help them while funding your own opportunities. Richard also shares what he teaches investors about coming up with their 'one-line pitch', why its better to be 'long-term greedy' and create lasting relationships with family offices, what a typical deal structure might look like, and what not to do when pitching to the Ultra-Wealthy. Richard is also the author of "Centimillionaire Migraines", as well as

Todd Dexheimer is a former teacher who has been investing in real estate since 2008.  He's accomplished over 200 flips and currently controls over $15 million in Apartments and Multifamily.  Today, Todd is going to share how he's managed to grow his portfolio so quickly, and what he's done to raise over $10 million in private equity. Todd is also the host of the "Pillars of Wealth Creation" Podcast where he interviews successful business leaders.  He's also the principal owner of Venture D Properties which syndicates Apartment Opportunities in emerging markets around the country. Todd and I will discuss how he scaled his business from Single-Family to Apartments, investing in markets outside your backyard, the importance of realistically budgeting for Cap Ex improvements, and the mentors and books that have helped him achieve his success. There's a lot of great insight and information packed into this episode.  You can contact Todd through the following websites: http://www.venturedproperties.com http://coach

Today we're going to talk about New Construction & what it takes to be a Real Estate Developer.  A lot of people think this is an exciting and rewarding career - but is it? My guest today is going to help us figure that out.  Bradley Hartwell is the Founder and Real Estate Strategist with North Town Real Estate, a West Michigan Real Estate firm specializing in acquisition, brokerage, consulting, and development of residential and commercial properties.  He's also a Professor of Real Estate at Central Michigan University. Bradley has been an instrumental player in developing several large commercial and residential projects in the Grand Rapids area, and today he is going to take us through the process - from identifying the site and other pre-development tasks, to the construction process and the eventual completion and leasing of the property. We'll also discuss the strategy of building apartments that can be converted to condos later on, and the role financing and fund raising plays in the process.  Brad

Today we're going to talk about Mobile Home Park Investing with a renowned expert on the subject.  Many of you know Kevin Bupp from his popular podcast "Real Estate Investing For Cashflow".  Kevin is a serial entrepreneur with over $100 Million in transactions, including apartments, single family homes, office buildings, raw land, condos, and his favorite, mobile home parks. Today Kevin is going to tell us how a lunch meeting turned him into a Mobile Home Park Investor, how this asset class compares to apartment investing, why cities and municipalities are zoning these parks out of existence, and what you're really investing in when you buy one of these communities. Kevin will also share his tips on working with the homeowners and residents of these parks, the criteria he uses when conducting due diligence on an investment opportunity, and how to avoid the pitfalls that can cost investors a lot of money.  Kevin shares a scary story about a very lucrative-seeming investment that went wrong because the utilitie

One of the bonuses of attending the RPOA's Annual Conference this past February, is that everyone had the opportunity to enjoy a special Q&A session with Jeremy Cole & Ramon Huerta.  If you don't know who these guys are, you soon will. They're the stars of "Gritty To Pretty", an HGTV show that was just about to air its 2nd episode on the DIY Network, and has since been picked up for a full season by HGTV - which they are currently shooting. Jeremy & Ramon are both passionate about improving the Kalamazoo, Michigan neighborhoods they invest in, and Jeremy is on a mission to save homes that the city would prefer to tear down.  In this episode he goes into detail on the true cost of tearing down homes in terms of dollars, neighborhood impact, and the availability of affordable housing. This is a wide-ranging Q&A with a lot of great questions from the audience about investing, rehabbing, and being on a hit reality tv show.  It was a lot of fun to record, and I know you're going to enjoy this episo

Anna Myers acquired her first 500 Multifamily units in 2018, and another 300 units in 2019 (so far).  Today we're going to find out how she's been able to grow her portfolio so quickly through her systematic approach to analyzing markets and opportunities, as well as her ability to create pivotal & strategic partnerships. From single-mother, to surviving the tech market crash of 2000, to becoming a small business owner and eventually the Vice President of Grocapitus, Anna has always relied on her analytical skills to improve her opportunities.  Today we're going to learn how she's seized certain opportunites along the way that have led to her success.  Whether it be volunteering to build an analysis tool for her mentor, Neil Bawa, or becoming an educator and trainer on commercial underwriting through MultifamilyU. Anna will share how she uses her systematic approach and knowledge of data science to find the best markets that will weather the next downturn, analyze potential multifamily opportunities, and