Shauna the Tax Goddess on Legally Avoiding Taxes

 

Shauna the Tax Goddess on Legally Avoiding Taxes

 

Guest: Shauna the Tax Goddess, is a top-tier tax strategist with over 105 specialists under her wing, focusing on U.S. taxation. Shauna, a CPA with a Master’s in Taxation, and is one of the few Certified Tax Strategists in the country. With her extensive knowledge and experience, Shauna shares invaluable insights on how real estate investors can optimize their tax strategies to keep more of their hard-earned money.

 

Big Idea: Shauna emphasizes the critical importance of tax efficiency in wealth accumulation, particularly for real estate investors. She explains how a specialized tax strategist, instead of a general CPA, can significantly reduce tax burdens through customized strategies tailored to an individual’s unique circumstances, maximizing long-term financial gains.

 

 

    

 

Dan: I am also fantastic. I was excited. I was excited when I saw the booking agents get us on the show. I said, look at this tax strategy. It’s one of these topics that I’ve spent a good chunk of time reading over the 15 years I’ve been in business or so. I’ve had to learn so much of it myself. There’s people that I run into who are like, “I don’t really have anyone. I kind of need the right person.” So I was like, all right, great. We’re going to do this episode here and we’re going to talk a few scenarios. Maybe you are that type of person for people who’ve had that issue. So the big problem that I want to highlight before we get into the show is anyone who’s read The Snowball, Warren Buffett’s biography. One of the big lessons for me in that book was tax efficiency. When you’re not knowledgeable and intelligently structuring your business affairs year over year over year aware of the taxes, the taxes are chopping your gains down so that at the end of 15, 20, 25, 30 years, you may end up with a lot less than your efforts probably should have afforded you. So that’s the big problem that we’re really going to talk about a few of the solutions. I think everybody has a custom scenario here who’s probably listening into the show. So we’ll touch on a few of those. But before we get started there, would you mind giving the audience an overview of the tax goddess?

Shauna: I would love to. Thank you. So, Shauna the Tax Goddess, own a firm, tax goddess. At this point, we’ve got a little over 105 people in 17 different countries in the world, all focused, all trained on U.S. taxation. Now, really, I think the biggest thing and where people kind of get a little confused is, “Listen, Shauna, you’re a CPA. I’m a CPA, master’s in tax. I’ve got a bunch of letters after my name. What’s really the difference between a standard CPA and a tax strategist?” If you look at it from the statistics, according to Google, there are 665,000 CPAs in the U.S. CPAs do all sorts of things. They file taxes, but they’re also auditors, controllers, CFOs, bankers. I mean, they do all sorts of things. As you start to go up the chain specializing in tax strategy, there becomes fewer and fewer and fewer of us that really work on tax mitigation, minimizing that tax burden for business owners, for investors, for anybody involved. So when you start to look at these levels, the 665,000 CPAs, there’s only 60,000 that have master’s in tax. There are 607 that are considered certified tax coaches. As you go further up that chain, there’s only 15, one, five, that are what are called certified tax strategists. So we are the top of the top of the top of the food chain. So when somebody says, what do you do that’s different than other CPAs? Generally, a CPA’s job is to keep you out of jail. File the forms, check all the right boxes, keep you out of jail. It is not their job to deep dive, dig into every strategy, create a customized plan for you. Because as you said, you could be married with kids. I’m single. I’ve got dogs. You have cats. Every piece on the chessboard changes the customized view of a custom tax plan for that individual. Because there are no two sets of facts and circumstances that are identical that just doesn’t exist. So when you want to save the big bucks on taxes, you start looking for a tax strategist versus just your day-to-day CPA.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://TaxGoddess.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

Shauna & I Discuss Legally Avoiding Taxes:

  • Understanding the Role of a Tax Strategist vs. a CPA (02:13): Shauna explains the difference between a standard CPA and a tax strategist, emphasizing the importance of specialized knowledge in minimizing tax burdens for real estate investors.

  • Building a Comprehensive Financial Team for Real Estate Success (05:29) The discussion focuses on the need for a well-rounded financial team, including a tax strategist, CPA, bookkeeper, and other key professionals to optimize tax strategies in real estate.

  • Advanced Real Estate Tax Planning (2.0 Strategies) (11:36): Exploration of more sophisticated tax strategies beyond basic deductions, such as the integration of cost segregation and other advanced techniques for real estate investors.

  • The Security Dog Deduction(12:32): Exploring how real estate investors can write off dogs as a security expense for visiting properties.

  • Maximizing the Masters Exemption (14:13): Utilizing the Masters Exemption to deduct personal vacations as part of real estate operations.

  • Risk Management and IRS Scrutiny (25:08): The importance of maintaining documentation and understanding the risk of IRS audits when implementing advanced tax strategies.

  • Entity Structuring for Tax Savings (37:10): Shauna discusses the pros and cons of different entity structures like S Corps, C Corps, and sole proprietorships for real estate investors.

  • The Power of the Augusta Rule (00:42:03): A look at how the Augusta Rule can be used to write off significant amounts through home office deductions.

  • Importance of Documentation and Compliance (00:47:05): Shauna emphasizes the need for thorough documentation and following the correct procedures to avoid issues with the IRS.

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Deferring Taxes with Vanguard 1031 Exchange President Brandon Burns

 

Deferring Taxes with Vanguard 1031 Exchange President Brandon Burns

 

Guest: In this episode of the REI Diamonds show, host Dan Breslin welcomes Brandon Burns, a seasoned 1031 exchange expert. With over 4,000 transactions under his belt, Brandon runs one of the 119 1031 exchange companies in the country. His extensive experience and deep knowledge of real estate investment strategies make him a valuable resource for investors looking to optimize their portfolios through tax-advantaged methods.

 

Big Idea: The conversation centers on the strategic advantages of 1031 exchanges in real estate investment. Brandon highlights the geometric average problem and how 1031 exchanges can mitigate tax burdens, allowing investors to preserve and grow their wealth more effectively. By deferring taxes on property sales, investors can reinvest the full proceeds into new properties, enhancing their long-term financial gains.

 

 

    

 

Brandon: Yeah, that’s perfect. I run a 1031 exchange company. There’s 119 in the country. There’s a good amount, but not a ton. I think one of the things you mentioned that makes a lot of sense, even though I’ve been doing this for a while and I’ve been a part of about 4,000 transactions, I’ve still got a deal this year that I’m not going to 1031 exchange, right? I think there’s two points in life, and sometimes they overlap somewhat, but at one point in life, you’re in your wealth accumulation phase, and in another part of life you’re in your wealth preservation phase. One of the nice things about real estate is that there’s so many ways to win, right?

You can potentially get income, you can get appreciation, you can get tax benefits, and so on and so forth. Well, section 1031 of the tax code creates another benefit for people that own investment property, and it’s just another tool for someone to have. There’s actually two parts of the tax code that give benefits for people that own and are selling real estate that’s made money. The first one is section 121 of the tax code, which is if you’re selling your primary residence, if you’ve lived in it 24 out of the previous 60 months, and it doesn’t have to be consecutive, but a minimum of 24 to the previous 60 months, then you get 500,000 tax-free if you’re married, 250,000 tax-free if you’re single. Well, section 1031 says that if you jump over a number of hurdles that we’re going to quickly go over, then you can roll all of that money into all of your profits without paying taxes into one or more properties, which can be really powerful, and the math behind that is really interesting.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://Vanguard1031x.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Brandon & I Discuss Deferring Taxes:

  • Understanding Section 1031 and Section 121 of the Tax Code (03:00-07:00): Benefits of Section 1031 for investment properties and Section 121 for primary residences, and leveraging both for tax advantages.
  • The Power of Compounding and Avoiding Geometric Average Losses (07:00-09:00): Impact of compounding interest and geometric average problems, with emphasis on how 1031 exchanges help retain profits.
  • Navigating the Four Major Hurdles of 1031 Exchanges (15:00-18:00): Key challenges in 1031 exchanges—time, value, financial, and property type—and strategies to overcome them.
  • Combining Section 121 and 1031 for Optimal Tax Benefits (20:00-24:00): Scenarios where combining Section 121 and 1031 can lead to significant tax-free gains.
  • Scaling Up and Strategic Property Acquisition (32:00-36:00): Personal experiences on scaling from smaller to larger properties, emphasizing mortgage paydown and property management benefits.
  • Pitfalls in 1031 Exchanges (47:00-50:00): Common pitfalls, including incorrect paperwork and the importance of setting up exchanges before closing deals.
  • Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) Overview (59:00-01:03:00): Explanation of DSTs as an alternative investment for 1031 exchanges, including their benefits and limitations.

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Tax Lien Investing with Angela Duncan

 

Tax Lien Investing with Angela Duncan

 

Guest: Angela is a force in the personal finance industry with 25+ years of experience in helping people transform their lives by using passive investments to build generational wealth. Angela has a diverse career in banking and financial advising, owning a top 10 RE/MAX office for 5 straight years with over $2 Billion in sales and is now 100% focused on helping individuals create wealth through passive investing and lending with double-digit+ returns on their money while they continue their business life.

 

Big Idea: Changing your financial future begins with a decision. It is often a good idea to decide to get rich, then map out the plan for the steps to get your there.  Once you have cash, finding a safe & reliable return on that cash provides that passive income to carry you through the rest of your life with options.

 

 

    

 

Dan: I love it. So, do you want to give our audience some background on who you are and maybe a Reader’s Digest version of your career?

Angela: Yeah, absolutely. So, I grew up in Section 8 housing and welfare. I like to say that it’s a poverty mindset beginning. I didn’t know anything about money. My mom was a single mother, and I definitely didn’t enjoy being in poverty. I shared a room with my little brother, had free lunch programs, and I took the city bus to school. It was not a great, fun way to grow up. But at the same time, I do think it’s advantageous for me because when you don’t have money, you don’t really have that fear of losing it because you never had it. So, as soon as I was old enough to sign my own lease, I had several jobs, and I started my college journey. I really wanted to be a stockbroker. I thought I was completely fascinated with stocks. I wanted to go trade on the exchange. When I graduated and kind of got in that field, I quickly realized that I just don’t have the heart or the stomach to be in that industry. That’s when I switched to real estate.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://www.EmpowerHerMoney.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Angela & I Discuss Tax Liens:

  • Tax Lien Investing for 10%+ Returns

  • Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

  • Reprogramming Yourself Using a Bigger Vision

  • Asking Better Questions for Better Results

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Turn Key Rental Market Selection with Zach Lemaster

 

Turn Key Rental Market Selection with Zach Lemaster

 

Guest: Zach Lemaster is the founder & CEO of Rent To Retirement, a turn key rental company focusing on new construction single family & small multi family rental property. Starting his investment journey while serving as an Optometrist and Captain in the US Air Force, Zach strategically grew his portfolio to allow for early retirement from his medical career.

 

Big Idea: Buying rentals can set you up for a comfortable retirement or simply give you a larger pile of cash to reinvest later in your career. That said, selecting the RIGHT rentals in the RIGHT market can speed this process up while reducing the headaches and attention that come with a rental portfolio.

 

 

    

 

Dan: Yeah, for sure. It was very interesting. I saw the bookings come through. Turnkey rental property was a big topic a few years ago, so I’ve been in the business since 2006, and I remember those companies proliferating probably right as things started to come out of the great recession, there’s a lot of turnkey rental businesses in the Atlanta market. I knew of some in the Philadelphia market and I’ve seen some come and some go and I think some of them went, like in the Atlanta market, you could get houses for $25, $30, $35, $40,000. They were selling them for $75, $80, $90 while the prices ratcheted out that price point and then you couldn’t find the inventory. That became like a big issue for those companies, and they kind of wound them down. The investors were very happy because their investments went from a $100,000 deal to $250 and $300 without renovations or any other additional costs. So we’ve seen them come and go. You’ve been around for a while and you have an interesting model with the new construction. Do you want to kind of give the audience an overview of the business model here?

Zach: Yeah, I’d be happy to Dan, and thanks for starting there because I think turnkey in general, it’s a buzzword and like any business, but especially in real estate there are companies and different business models that work in certain market cycles and some that don’t work in other market cycles, as you just alluded to. It’s great. That’s the beautiful thing about investing in real estate. If you, I don’t want to say time the market, but if you invest over the long term, your properties should go up over time. It sounds like during that market cycle that you just mentioned in your history, there’s a lot of people that did really well. But turnkey investing, it’s a buzzword. There are a lot of people who may have had experiences with turnkey in the past or don’t really know what that means, or people saying turnkey could even be a broker saying, a house for sale is turnkey.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.RentToRetirement.com

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Zach Lemaster & I Discuss Turn Key Rentals:

  • Buying Lower Maintenance Property

  • Selecting the Best Markets for Growth

  • Going Bigger – Scale with Simplicity

  • 5% Down Investor Loans

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Private Money Lending Masterclass with Dan Breslin

 

Private Money Lending Masterclass with Dan Breslin

 

Guest:  This is a presentation on Private Money Lending by Dan Breslin, host of the REI Diamonds Show.

 

Big Idea:  Private Money Lending can be an effective and reliable source of above average returns for those with some cash. It is also an effective method to scale a fix & flip business.

 

 

    

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.DiamondEquity.com

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

I Discuss Private Money Lending:

  • How to Become a Private Lender

  • Earning 10% Returns by Investing Passively

  • Underwriting Private Money Loans & Borrowers

  • Finding Private Lenders

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Private Money Lending with Dan Breslin

 

Private Money Lending with Dan Breslin

 

Guest: This episode is actually Dan interviewing his father, Dan Breslin.  The elder Dan Breslin is a Private Money Lender for other fix & flip investors throughout the Northeastern US.

 

Big Idea: Private Money Lending can be an effective and reliable source of above average returns for those with some cash.  One often overlooked source of this cash is dormant IRA and other retirement accounts.  Dan and his dad cover private money lending on retirement accounts.  They also talk through the founding of Diamond Equity Investments – which is the volume fix & flip real estate firm founded by Dan (the podcast host).

 


    

 

Dan Breslin: Dad, welcome to the REI Diamond Show. How you doing?

Dad: I’m awesome. How are you today, Danny?

Dan: Doing well. I think for a lot of our friends, our family, the people who know us personally, they’ll probably think this is a really interesting story. To the listeners who catch us occasionally, I hope they find it interesting and intriguing, but I wanted to have you on the show here today to talk about your experience as a private lender from the private lender’s perspective. I think for the listeners who maybe don’t have as much affinity to hear our second topic of the founding story of Diamond Equity Investments and like my career as a real estate investor, I think hanging out and listening in to the perspective of somebody who is doing private money loans on fix and flip investors houses, is worth the time to do the research so that you listening can have that conversation with people who will potentially be a private lender for you and fund your deals.

While the main topic will be private lending, we are going to start off with the founding story of Diamond Equity Investments and to give some people contacts, our company in 2023 closed $57 million in real estate, meaning after the renovation was done, we sold it, we add up all those sale prices, that was $57 million. That was not our profit, that number will be not disclosed in public and that was 330 transactions. We’ve done that with a large team. We have the virtual offer app, we’re closing deals, we’re rehabbing deals in states, I think 19 states in 2023.

We didn’t step foot in the state at all to buy it, fund it, close it, do the work, and then resell it and get a retail buyer to go to the settlement table. We’ve been blessed to attract a team of high caliber talented individuals here to come together and put together the the volume of deal flow that we’ve done. That’s Diamond Equity, we did 54 million in 22 and 54 million in 21, so we’re no strangers to doing volume of deals throughout the United States, but I started from humble beginnings, which I’m sure [inaudible] in a few minutes. Dad, you got your Oliver shirt on there, and my dad’s name is Dan as well, but through this episode, I’m probably going to call you dad or Pop. That was[?] listening Pop. You got your Oliver shirt on, so maybe you could talk about your setup right now, brief summary of your career, where you live, and maybe how you fit into being a private lender.

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.DiamondEquity.com

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

My Dad & I Discuss Private Money Lending:

  • How to Become a Private Lender
  • Earning 10% Returns by Investing Passively
  • Vetting Potential Borrowers
  • The Founding Story of Diamond Equity

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Gino Barbaro on Large Multi Family Real Estate Investing in 2024

 

Gino Barbaro on Large Multi Family Real Estate Investing in 2024

 

Guest: In this episode, we sit down with Gino Barbaro, co-founder of the Jake and Gino brand and a titan in the multifamily real estate space. Gino shares his incredible journey from running a small family restaurant to managing over $350 million in assets. Gino Barbaro is a seasoned real estate investor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Jake & Gino, a multifamily real estate education company. With years of experience and numerous successful deals under his belt, Gino is dedicated to educating others about the intricacies of passive investing and multifamily real estate management.

 

Big Idea: Gino Barbaro emphasizes the importance of education, mentorship, and strategic partnerships in achieving success in multifamily real estate. He shares how investing in personal growth and building a strong network can transform a small business owner’s career into that of a real estate mogul. Gino highlights the importance of understanding the key pillars of passive investing: the sponsor, alignment of interests, and the deal itself. By focusing on these aspects, investors can make more informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls, leading to more stable and profitable investments. The key to success in multifamily real estate is viewing properties not just as buildings, but as revenue-generating businesses. Gino emphasizes the importance of systems and processes in managing properties, whether they are small six-unit buildings or large 97-unit complexes. He also highlights the significance of deal flow, broker relationships, and understanding market cycles to seize opportunities and maximize returns.

 

 

    

 

Dan: Why don’t we start with the origination story, like how did your career develop to where it’s at now? And we’ll do the Reader’s Digest version. We don’t have several years to experience the whole thing.

Gino: I got to take you back to when I got into business after college because that’s where it starts for me. I got into the restaurant business because my dad owned the restaurant and I went to college and I sat in a cubicle working at AIG back in 1992 on John Street in New York City, and that sucked and I’m like, “I can’t be doing that anymore.” And I went and bought a business, a restaurant with my family, and I loved it for years. You could actually earn an upper middle class income with a small business with 3 families eating from a seventy seat, a little Italian place in New York. Yes. That was the team, and the dream was alive in the 90s and even the early 2000s. In 2007 my dad passed away and I had to assess my life. I had to say, I’m I living his dream or am I living my dream?

I have to be honest with myself, I loved working with him, and I think the thought of working with him at the restaurant was greater than the thought of me scaling and building this restaurant thing, and in 2008 came, the great recession sort of wiped out a lot of people. I was working harder, making less. I got introduced to T. Harv Eker’s book, Secrets in the Millionaire Mind. I put off bookshelf, I start reading it and I’m like, “Damn, this guy’s a dick.” But he wasn’t, I was the dick. Everything he said in that book was the truth. Your fruits are in your roots. My fruits were non-existent. I couldn’t create value for the people. My roots were shallow.

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://JakeAndGino.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Gino Barbaro & I Discuss Large Multi Family Real Estate Investing in 2024:

  • First Steps in Multifamily Real Estate (03:14): How Gino partnered with Jake to start their first multifamily deal and the challenges they faced.
  • Importance of Mentorship and Education (10:43): The value of mentorship and continuous learning in overcoming initial fears and scaling up.
  • Three Pillars of Passive Investing (00:14:31): Explanation of the jockey (sponsor), saddle (alignment of interests), and horse (the deal) framework.
  • Loan and Financing Strategies (33:57): Gino discusses using community banks for 80% loan-to-cost financing, including renovations, and how he and his partner funded their deals.
  • Market Cycles and Investment Timing (36:03): The discussion covers market cycles, cap rates, and why certain assets are better investments during different market phases.
  • Interest Rates and Investment Viability (38:00): Gino explains why interest rates shouldn’t deter investors if the deal’s fundamentals are strong.
  • Advice for New Multifamily Investors (43:06): Gino provides advice for those looking to transition from single-family homes to multifamily properties, stressing the importance of mentorship and community.
  • The Role of Community and Networking (47:34): The value of joining groups and attending events to gain insights and build relationships with experienced investors.
  • The Importance of Autonomy in Financial Success (1:00:29): Understanding the relationship with money and its role in achieving freedom and autonomy.

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Redeveloping U.S. Malls Part 2 with Brait Fund Saul Zenkevicius

 

Redeveloping U.S. Malls Part 2 with Brait Fund Saul Zenkevicius

 

Guest: Saul Zenkevicius is a personal friend and prior business partner of mine.  We used to flip houses together in Chicago & Miami. Now he’s moved on to redeveloping underperforming Malls with his partner Rafik and their team. 

 

Big Idea: The biggest opportunity in commercial real estate is leasing up large amounts of vacant space.  This is how to earn profits exceeding $10,000,000.  The key to doing this is building a business focused on attracting tenants and building an ecosystem of tenants that will bring traffic to those properties over a long period of time.

 

 

    

Dan: Saul Zenkevicius, welcome back to the show. How you doing?

Saul Zenkevicius: Good. How are you, Danny?

Dan: Good. For listeners who’ve been around a while, March 1st, 2019, Saul was on the show. We talked about leveling up in real estate, and he was just getting into industrial properties, and I think getting out of the house, flipping business. Saul and I were also partners in the Miami market, and we did quite a bit of business together in the Chicago market before the focus became commercial. Saul is the founding member of Z Equity. Do you have another company or any other company associations at this point we know.

Saul: Yeah. I am also managing partner in Braid Fund where Rafik Morris is my partner over there and we’re buying malls with that company.

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.Zequitygroup.com

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Saul Zenkevicius & I Discuss Redeveloping Commercial Real Estate:

  • Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro
  • Leasing 300,000 sq. ft. in 15 months
  • Creating $10M in value in that same period
  • Simplifying Life instead of Chasing Money Exclusively

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Redeveloping Dying Malls with Brait Capital Founder Rafik Moore

 

Redeveloping Dying Malls with Brait Capital Founder Rafik Moore

 

Guest: Rafik is a seasoned commercial real estate operator with extensive experience in retail & industrial property.  His company, Brait Capital is now focused on very large retail & industrial assets.  Recently, he has closed on 3 shopping mall properties with large vacancy and is in the process of repositioning those assets.

 

Big Idea: Commercial real estate success is found in 3 components.  First, finding an asset at a favorable cost basis. Second, assembling the capital to buy & redevelop that asset. Finally, and perhaps most important, operating the business of leasing at a high level to quickly fill the asset with paying tenants – tenants who draw the missing traffic back and bring that asset back to life.

 

 

    

Dan: Yes, smart. I like that. Why don’t we start with a little bit of a back story, right? How did you get in real estate? How did your real estate career developed to the point where we’re taking down and running 200,000 plus square-foot dead boxes and bringing them back to life?

Rafik: I started with a job as a credit analyst at a bank. So, my approach into this industry came from the finance or ability to borrow money to buy real estate. As an underwriter, I worked for two years, learned a lot about credit analysis and what banks to look at when they want to borrow your money. It was a very critical experience in my understanding of how to get banks to lend me money later. After being a credit analyst, I became a sales guy. At first, I was an account executive, sales guy for the mortgages, and then ultimately, became a mortgage broker in 2003. From 2003 until 2008, I was a mortgage broker. We had about four shops and over 100 people, and that basically was my full-time job.

But my part-time job was flipping houses and starting from one house duplex after that and that flopped on a couple of first houses. It’s so hard to believe that starting with that and to sort of fast forward to what we’re doing today, which is four and a half million square-feet of real estate all over the country it’s just mind-boggling and very, very exciting and I guess, humbling. I have been very blessed to have met a lot of friends along the way. I’m all about building long-term relationships with long-term people. But yes, after flipping houses… Oh, by the way, when things collapsed, I started flipping houses professionally. We do 50 to 60 houses a year for about seven to 10 years and in 2012 and parallel, I bought my first commercial warehouse building which was a life-changing event. On that first deal, we made a million dollars, me and my investors. And we continued flipping houses, but commercial real estate became a thing for me, first thing. So, my partner continued running flipping business while I got into commercial full time.

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.BraitCapital.com

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Rafik & I Discuss Redeveloping Dying Malls:

  • The Evolution from Flipping Houses to Buying Malls
  • The System for Creating Astonishing Leasing Velocity
  • Creating a “product”, as opposed to doing a “deal”
  • Managing 700 Commercial Tenants

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Living by the Water: Real Estate Insights with Roger King on Waterfront Investments & Tax Benefits

 

Living by the Water: Real Estate Insights with Roger King on Waterfront Investments & Tax Benefits

 

Guest: Roger King, an experienced real estate investor now residing in Puerto Rico, joins us on the REI Diamond Show. With a career spanning over 30 years, Roger’s expertise ranges from residential to commercial real estate, with a particular focus on waterfront properties and leveraging the tax advantages of Puerto Rico. His journey from aspiring musician to a successful investor provides a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for those navigating the real estate landscape.

 

Big Idea: Roger King highlights how waterfront living enhances property value and personal well-being, sharing his own experiences of moving to Puerto Rico. The island offers a unique blend of scenic beauty and lifestyle benefits, complemented by substantial tax incentives such as the elimination of capital gains taxes and lower property taxes. This strategic move not only improves his quality of life but also bolsters his wealth-building efforts, showcasing the powerful synergy between lifestyle choices and financial planning in real estate.

 

 

    

 

This Episode of The REI Diamonds Show is Sponsored by the Deal Machine. This Software Enables Real Estate Investors to Develop a Reliable & Low Cost Source of Off Market Deals. For a Limited Time, You Get Free Access at http://REIDealMachine.com/

 

This Episode is Also Sponsored by the Lending Home. Lending Home Offers Reliable & Low Cost Fix & Flip Loans with Interest Rates as Low as 9.25%.  Buy & Hold Loans Offered Even Lower.  Get a FREE IPad when you Close Your First Deal by Registering Now at  http://REILineOfCredit.com

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://www.RogerKing.com/

 

For Access to Real Estate Deals You Can Buy & Sell for Profit:

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Roger King & I Discuss Real Estate Insights on Waterfront Investments & Tax Benefits:

  • Introduction and Background (00:00:26)
    Roger shares his current life in Puerto Rico and the positive influence of ocean views on his well-being and lifestyle choices.
  • Roger’s Real Estate Journey (00:13:54)
    Roger recounts his first real estate deal in Orlando and subsequent ventures, illustrating his progression from wholesaling to flipping properties and beyond.
  • Lessons from a Major Deal Gone Wrong (00:34:12)
    Roger discusses a challenging investment in a church property in Savannah, detailing the lengthy foreclosure and bankruptcy process and the valuable lessons learned.
  • Selecting and Managing High-Quality Partnerships (00:38:56)
    Roger emphasizes the importance of choosing reliable partners who bring complementary skills, sharing insights on joint ventures and ensuring all partners have a stake in the success.
  • The Value of Continuous Deal Flow (01:00:07)
    Roger explains the necessity of maintaining a steady stream of new deals, even in difficult times, to offset past losses and sustain momentum in real estate investing.

 

    

Relevant Episodes: (200+ Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

The transcript of this episode can be found here.
Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.