Skylines and Strategies: Navigating New York City Real Estate with Bob Knakal

 

Skylines and Strategies: Navigating New York City Real Estate with Bob Knakal

 

Guest: Join us in this episode as we sit down with Bob Knackal, Head of the New York Private Capital Group at JLL, a seasoned investment sales broker with a 40-year career in the dynamic New York City real estate market. Bob shares insights into his impressive journey, highlighting his role in transforming the skyline through strategic land deals and development projects.

 

Big Idea: Bob Knakal takes us on a journey through his four-decade-long career in the New York City real estate market. From the early days as an investment sales broker to leading the New York Private Capital Group at JLL, Bob shares key strategies for success, highlighting the importance of expertise, data-driven decision-making, and product specialization. The discussion delves into the nuances of the market, examining recent corrections, development opportunities, and the unique challenges and advantages of navigating the complex world of New York City real estate. Bob’s insights provide valuable lessons for both seasoned professionals and those looking to make their mark in the ever-evolving real estate landscape.

 

 

    

Dan Breslin: All right, Bob Knakal, welcome to the REI Diamond Show. How are you doing today?

Bob Knakal: Great, Dan, thanks so much for having me on.

Dan: Yeah, when the booking agents had gotten the request I said, “Oh, wow, this is cool.” Bob Knakal just applied to be on the show. We’re going to approve that one, and then they finally got our schedules to Massey, and here we are. So I was excited to have you on the show, but maybe for listeners who don’t know the name, Bob Knakal, you could give a Reader’s Digest version about who you are and the highlights of your career today.

Bob: Sure, absolutely. Well, Bob Knakal, I currently am the head of the New York Private Capital Group at JLL. I’ve been an investment sales broker in New York City for 40 years now. For 26 of those years, from 1988 to 2014, I owned and ran a company called Massey Knakal Realty Services. We were investment sales in New York. Co-Star started tracking the marketplace in 2001. And in 2001, we were surprised to see that we had sold more buildings than any other company. And from 2001 to 2014, the number two company in New York sold a little over 1300 buildings. Massey Knakal sold over 4000. So we lapped the field by more than three times. Sold the business to Cushman and Wakefield in 2014 for $100 million. And I was three and a half years at Cushman, five years now at JLL. I think Dan, the thing that I’m most proud about our firm was that number one, we focused on culture training servant leadership mentality. And that has very tangibly manifested itself. Today, in New York City, there are 29 investment sales brokerage companies or divisions of companies that are either owned by or run by people who learned the business at Massey Knakal. So the legacy is significant and something I’m very proud of. Last week, I closed transaction number 2321. It’s about $22 billion worth of sales. And fortunately, even though I’m in year 40, I still love this business as much today as I did the day I started. And that’s what keeps me going.

 

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.us.JLL.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Bob Knakal & I Discuss New York Real Estate:

  • Expertise and Differentiation: Bob emphasizes the importance of becoming an expert in a specific niche of the market, using statistics rather than adjectives to answer key market questions.
  • The Map Room Advantage: Bob discusses the creation of the Map Room, a unique data set that tracks every building under construction and potential development site in New York City, providing a competitive advantage in selling land.
  • Product Specialization: Bob talks about the shift from geographic orientation to product specialization in recent years, focusing on specific property types such as land transactions and multifamily properties.
  • Market Correction Dynamics: Bob provides a detailed overview of the New York City real estate market’s recent corrections, emphasizing the autonomy of different product types and the changing behavior of lenders in response to market conditions.
  • Development Opportunities: Explores ongoing development opportunities in various sectors, including the challenges and prospects in the condo land market, the impact of rezoning projects, and the transformation of the hotel market.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 238 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Unlocking Wealth Beyond Real Estate: A Conversation with Steve Selengut

 

Unlocking Wealth Beyond Real Estate: A Conversation with Steve Selengut

 

Episode: In this episode, we’re breaking away from the traditional real estate discussions to explore an intriguing investment avenue – stocks, securities, and closed-end funds. Dan sits down with Steve Selengut, a seasoned investor with a unique perspective that challenges conventional real estate thinking. Steve shares insights into his investment journey, influenced by his father’s real estate background and how it shaped his income-focused approach. Get ready to delve into a conversation that could change the way you view wealth creation.

Guest: Steve, a seasoned investor with over 50 years of experience, evolved his career from pension investment to managing a successful investment business. His journey was inspired by his father, a real estate developer, teaching him the crucial importance of cash flow. Steve’s investment philosophy centers around income focus, profit-taking, and building a diverse portfolio of high-quality assets. With a background in managing over $110 million in capital, he shares his insights on the podcast, offering a unique perspective on stocks, closed-end funds, and navigating the intricacies of the investment landscape.

Big Idea: In this episode Steve discussed his income-focused investment strategy. Drawing parallels between real estate and his closed-end fund approach, Steve emphasizes the importance of consistent cash flow for sustainable growth. By prioritizing income over market value, he introduces a methodology that mitigates risk and offers a practical alternative for investors seeking stable returns.

 

 

    

Dan: Nice. So we’re taking it different direction completely than like 98% of the guests on the show and we’re going to be talking about buying stocks, securities, closed-end funds, the kind of investments that quite frankly a lot of real estate investors who are probably listening are like, “I’m never going to do it or I did it and got burned and I’m getting out of it.” But to anyone having those thoughts right now stay tuned what Steve and I are getting ready to talk about is interesting and that’s coming from like my own background as a fully committed real estate investor and operator. So why don’t you maybe, Steve, give the evolution, brief evolution of your career what you do today, and maybe you even tuck in this little bit of the story about your dad that we were talking about before the show.

Steve: Yeah. I think that’s a that’s really a good place to start. It might, some of your audience might even know like a Patcong in North West Jersey where my father was a real estate developer. He had probably a thousand homes in the development over the years on like Patcong and I never wanted to go there because of all the time, he spent in planning Board meetings and talking to town officials and just he seemed to be working 24 hours a day. And of course what happened to me, I wind up in a different area working pretty much the same amount of time. But a lot there were a lot of parallels when I look back at it and in listening to like I said to some of your podcasts, he owns land, he built homes, he ensured those homes. He gave people the mortgages. He had rentals. He sold and resold again, and he even owned a Lumberyard with his attorney so that they could get a break on the supplies as that they went into building houses.

 

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://TheIncomeCoach.net/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Steve Selengut & I Discuss Unlocking Wealth Beyond Real Estate:

  • Income-Focused Investing: Steve’s strategy centers on prioritizing income generation over market value, creating a resilient investment portfolio.
  • Closed-End Funds: Understanding the role and benefits of closed-end funds in income-focused investment strategies.
  • Market Volatility: Embracing market volatility as an opportunity for strategic trading and maximizing returns.
  • Quality Criteria for Investments: Steve discusses key principles and criteria for selecting high-quality investment options.
  • Realized Returns vs. Paper Returns: Differentiating between realized returns, focusing on income growth, and the potential pitfalls of chasing paper returns.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 237 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

From Immigrant Hustler to Real Estate Titan: Rod Khleif’s Psychology of Building & Rebuilding Empires

 

From Immigrant Hustler to Real Estate Titan: Rod Khleif’s Psychology of Building & Rebuilding Empires

 

Guest: From wearing hand-me-downs to owning thousands of doors, Rod Khleif’s real estate journey is one of epic upswings and gut-wrenching falls. He immigrated to the US at 6, faced childhood poverty, and built a real estate empire, only to lose millions in the 2008 crash. But Rod bounced back, fueled by an unshakeable mindset and a deep understanding of psychology’s role in success. Today, he’s a multi-millionaire, podcast host, and mentor, sharing his hard-won wisdom to help others avoid his pitfalls and achieve their own real estate dreams.

 

Big Idea: Real estate success isn’t just about brick and mortar; it’s about mastering the mental game. In this episode, Rod reveals the powerful mindset strategies that helped him climb back from rock bottom, and how anyone can leverage psychology to overcome fear, limiting beliefs, and market downturns. He emphasizes goal setting, decisive action, and resilience as the cornerstones of building and rebuilding real estate empires.

 

 

    

Dan Breslin: All right Rod Khleif. Welcome back to the REI Diamond Show. How you doing today?

Rod Khleif: Good buddy. It’s great to see you again man. And It’s so cool to know that you’re right up the street. But what’s really cool, is we’re both wearing the same freaking watch which you know [crosstalk]. We both have these gorgeous Hublot Big Bang watches on. Our favorite brand. And so that was really crazy. It’s the first time that’s ever happened to me. So, very cool. Well it’s great to see you man. Thanks for having me back.

Dan: Yeah we are. Hey you too. So if listeners want to go check out the original episode. I want to say this was in 2021 if I’m not mistaken. But the title was “Making them losing 50 million bucks with Rod Khleif”. And I hate to brand you that, the money-losing guy. Because that’s not who you are and you recover from that. But why don’t you give any listeners who may not have caught that original episode, Rod. Give them a brief rundown and what that looks like, and then how your business is grown today.

Rod: Sure. Well, first of all it sucked, okay. It was no fun at all. Let me say that. But let me back up a little bit down real quick and just give a brief history on me. So, I’m an immigrant. I was born in the Netherlands, wooden shoes and windmills. Immigrated when I was 6, with my brother Albert and My mother’s mancha[?]. Ended up in Denver Colorado where we lived for 30 years. Struggled initially. I wore hand-me-down clothes from the Goodwill and the Salvation Army. We eat expired food, believe it or not. They had a store that sold expired food, drank powdered milk with our cereal in the morning. I mean really struggled.

But my mom had an incredible work ethic. So she babysat kids so we would have enough money to eat. And with her babysitting money, she was a bit of an entrepreneur and she’s the reason I got into real estate. Because she used that babysitting money and bought the house across the street from us when I was about 14, for 30 grand. Then when I was 17, she told me she’d made $20,000 in her sleep, it gone up in value. I said, “What? You made 20…”, this is when 20 Grand was a lot of money, okay? And I said, “You met 20 grand and you didn’t do anything?”. Forget College, I’m getting into 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://RodKhleif.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Rod Khleif & I Discuss How to:

  • Discover how a single, resolute decision can propel you from observer to active investor.
  • Learn to navigate the fear of the unknown and take that crucial first step in the dark.
  • Reframe fear as an illusion and leverage it for action and a positive mindset.
  • Identify and crush the limiting beliefs holding you back from unleashing your full potential.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 236 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Elevating Your Life: Unraveling the Journey to Freedom and Fulfillment with Brad Chandler

 

Elevating Your Life: Unraveling the Journey to Freedom and Fulfillment with Brad Chandler

 

Guest: In this episode we speak with Brad Chandler, the driving force behind Express Home Buyers and a true pioneer in the real estate industry. From building a successful company with a formidable SEO presence to a transformative shift in mindset and lifestyle, Brad’s story is nothing short of remarkable. Discover how he overcame limiting beliefs, harnessed the power of hypnosis, and found the keys to happiness and longevity. This episode is a beacon of hope for those seeking not just success in real estate but a holistic approach to well-being and fulfillment.

 

Big Idea: In this episode, our guest Brad shares his personal journey of self-discovery and the tools he developed, such as the Joy Regenerator and hypnosis, to break free from negative patterns. The conversation explores the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, emphasizing that success in real estate and life requires a holistic approach that goes beyond financial achievements.

 

 

    

Dan: Yeah, for sure. It was very exciting. I mean, I’ve seen the Express Homebuyer’s website for a long time. You guys have a very strong SEO presence in a very large number of markets around the country. I assume it’s intentional or not, but there’s a bit of notoriety and a bit of fame around the company itself, and it’s really cool to have someone who has been part of building that company here on the show today.

Brad: Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Dan: So for listeners who don’t know who Express Homebuyer’s or maybe Brad Chandler is, do you want to give an introduction and maybe a reader’s digest version about how you got to where you’re at today?

Brad: Sure. Yeah, I’ve read a book in ninth grade by Robert Allen, who I got the pleasure of finally meeting after 30-something years or 40-something years at a mastermind that I’m involved in. How to buy real estate with no money down when I was in ninth grade and then knew I always want to do real estate because I wanted to make a ton of money.

We’ll get to why in a bit. In 2002, an investor bought my neighbor’s house in Vienna, Virginia, and I went and talked to him and he’s like, yeah, I buy houses at 30% below market and I resell them. I’m like, I must have read that book too long ago because I forgot you could do that. At the time, I just had a newborn son and I decided I was going to do it. I was going to make a company buying houses, but I was working full-time, so I’d come home, spend six days with him, put him to sleep, and that went on for eight long months then. I mean, I was busting my hump and every week that went by, I couldn’t find a deal, but I was going to these meetups and seeing all these deals and I was like, if they can do it, I can do it. In July of 2003, I bought my first house. In July and August, somehow I bought six houses and then October of that year, I went to my boss and said, “I quit”, came home and told my wife at the time I quit. She goes like, “Are you crazy?” I was like, “no, I just started Express Homebuyers. It’ll be fine.” Here we are 20 years later in 4,000 houses and we’re not still married, but it’s been fine.

 

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.Facebook.com/BradChandlerCoaching

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Brad Chandler & I Discuss Elevating Your Life:

  • Building a Strong SEO Presence: Strategies and insights for establishing a powerful online presence in the real estate market.
  • Navigating Real Estate Challenges: Brad’s experiences and lessons learned from buying and selling thousands of houses.
  • Overcoming Obstacles in Real Estate: How to persist and thrive in the face of challenges and setbacks.
  • The Power of Networking: The significance of connecting with like-minded individuals and building a supportive community in the real estate industry.
  • Transformative Mindset Shift: Brad’s journey from a traditional real estate approach to a mindset-focused, streamlined business model.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 235 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Real Estate Uncovered: Building Success and Weathering the Storm with Doug Faron

 

Real Estate Uncovered: Building Success and Weathering the Storm with Doug Faron

 

Guest: Doug’s extensive experience in the real estate industry, combined with his innovative strategies, has made him a sought-after expert in the field. Throughout his career, he has successfully navigated high-growth markets, mastered the art of property management, and achieved remarkable returns on investments. Join us as Doug shares his invaluable insights, practical tips, and the secrets behind his real estate success.

 

Big Idea: In this episode, we sit down with Doug Faron, a highly experienced real estate investor and operator with a remarkable track record in the industry. Doug provides valuable insights into his journey, emphasizing the importance of maintaining family values while building a successful real estate business. He shares his expertise in navigating the real estate market, even during challenging periods, and highlights the key factors that have contributed to his achievements.

 

 

    

 

Dan: Yeah, for sure. When the booking request came through, I was personally most excited about the operator, developer. You guys have a huge background, Shoreham Capital of very large projects. It seems like from all the research that I’ve done, I probably can’t do as much justice on an introduction as you, so why don’t I give you the floor, allow you to give an intro on kind of your career, [inaudible] capital and what the trajectory of you work guys investment strategy looks like today.

Doug: Sure. Perfect. Well, again, thanks for having me and happy to introduce myself and then tell you a little bit about Shoreham Capital. My name is Doug Feron and I’ve spent most of my career on the institutional investment side of the real estate business. I started my career in investment banking. I then went to work in corporate private equity for a number of years and then transitioned after business school to real estate private equity, working with a firm called the CIM group based out in Los Angeles. I spent about 10 years at CIM, had a really great experience and ultimately was a managing director on their investment team and running their East Coast investment practice. But I had shifted from corporate to real estate really looking at one book, being very interested in the asset class and also being interested in trying to do something entrepreneurial.

One day I felt that in real estate there was a much bigger opportunity for that than corporate private equity. So after about 10 years with CIM, I was doing some family events and otherwise decided it was the right time to take a look and looking for a seed to that thesis or a seed for that business. One of the areas I’ve been really interested in at the firm and we’d been working on a white paper on was single-family rental. I had been pursuing that and through a friend was introduced to one of my partners, Nick Zumas, who’s a sizeable home builder in both New York and Florida. In meeting Nick, we sat down and had the opportunity to sort of flush out a business plan to shift a lot of his forward pipeline from for sale to for rent but along the backs of that, build a larger real estate developer operator investor that would do both traditional multi-family, both ground up and value add, alternatives like build to rent single-family rental senior student, and then also still have an allocation for special situations and the background I had of doing different asset classes, debt and equity, wherever the sort, the opportunistic opportunity is.

 

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://ShorehamCapital.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Doug Faron & I Discuss Building Success and Weathering the Storm:

  • The foundation and vision of Shoreham Capital.
  • Successfully managing large real estate development projects.
  • Strategies for weathering the storm in a challenging real estate market.
  • Insights into the cost and yield considerations for real estate projects.
  • The importance of location, entitlement risk, and site plan approval.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 234 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Tech to Real Estate: A Unique Journey with Kranti Ponnam

 

Tech to Real Estate: A Unique Journey with Kranti Ponnam

 

Guest: Kranti Ponnam, an accomplished engineer with a strong background in technology, embarked on a remarkable journey in the real estate world. Born and raised in India, Kranti’s early exposure to his family’s deep involvement in real estate ignited his passion for the industry. Despite a successful career in technology, he remained steadfast in his belief in real estate as a more reliable investment avenue than the stock market. Kranti’s real estate journey began with the acquisition of small condos and apartments in San Diego. From there, he expanded into the commercial real estate sector and became a limited partner in syndicated deals.

 

Big Idea: Join us for a deep dive into the thriving Atlanta real estate market and discover investment opportunities that extend beyond the city’s limits. Our guest, a seasoned investor, takes us on a journey through different facets of real estate, emphasizing the importance of market selection, effective strategies, and adaptability in achieving long-term financial security.

 

 

    

 

Dan: Yeah, you and me both. You and I were talking before we got to record about me having to cancel and you twice, and I was like so excited and looking forward to the episode once our booking agents started the conversation, like wow, here’s a really cool conversation. We’re going to have multi-family investment syndication in the Atlanta market, which the listeners know. I love the Atlanta market, I’m bullish on it. It’s going to be a great market, I think for another five, 10 years at least into the foreseeable future. But you also had this tech data driven background, which I think is unique, right? For people who come on the show and people who are usually syndicating real estate deals, usually they start flipping houses, maybe buy some things, develop, buy, build a three unit, and now they’re going to buy a 100 or 200 unit apartment building. I think your path was different and that was part of why I was excited. Maybe you could tell the origination story, the brief play by play on how you got to where you’re at and what the business model looks like now.

Kranti: Sure. My background is an engineer, and then came out of college, took a job in a field that was totally unrelated. I went to school for mechanical civil engineering master’s degree and then came out and did work in the technology space. So always was in the technology space. But growing up, and I grew up in India, my dad, my whole family has been in real estate and real estate was more of a second nature. So once I started making money and started building businesses and going into it, I’ve never invested as much in stock market, still don’t believe it one bit. So I have some holdings, but always been a believer of real estate and that’s how I first started buying. I bought my office complex that we basically had our company located. I think we did really well on that particular building and sold it in about a span of eight years for five x the price.

 

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.kipi.bi

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Kranti Ponnam & I Discuss Teach to Real Estate:

  • Transition from Technology to Real Estate Investing: Kranti delves into his unique journey transitioning from the technology sector to real estate investing, highlighting how his strong belief in real estate, coupled with a technology background, paved the way for his substantial success in the real estate market.
  • Exploring Different Real Estate Asset Classes: Kranti’s diverse investment portfolio spans various real estate asset classes, from small condos to retail strip centers and multi-family properties. He shares his strategic diversification tactics, showcasing his adaptability and astute investment acumen across diverse segments of the real estate market.
  • Unveiling the Potential of the Atlanta Real Estate Market: Kranti’s enthusiasm for the Atlanta market is fueled by its remarkable potential. He outlines key factors, such as population growth, job opportunities, and affordability, which make Atlanta an enticing and sustainable market for real estate investment.
  • Strategic Scaling: Kranti’s approach underscores the significance of strategic scaling in real estate investment. He provides insights into adding value to non-performing assets, optimizing property performance, and maximizing returns while diligently managing risk factors within a dynamic market.
  • Impact of Market Trends on Real Estate Investments: Kranti shares valuable insights into how market trends can significantly affect real estate investments. He addresses the evolving market dynamics, particularly focusing on factors such as interest rates and rental growth, which play a pivotal role in influencing investment decisions and asset values.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 233 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Inside the Self-Storage Industry with Jacob Vanderslice of Van West Partners

 

Inside the Self-Storage Industry with Jacob Vanderslice of Van West Partners

 

Guest: Jacob Vanderslice is a real estate investor and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the founder of Van West Partners, a real estate investment firm that specializes in self-storage facilities. Jacob has an extensive background in residential fix and flips, multifamily, adaptive reuse retail, and town-owned development, but his passion lies in the self-storage business. Jacob explains the reasoning behind his shift towards storage, the company’s investment philosophy, and how they create value in their facilities.

 

Big Idea:  Real estate investor and entrepreneur Jacob Vanderslice shares his expertise in self-storage investment. Jacob discusses his journey in real estate investing and how his company, Van West Partners, moved from single-family rentals to self-storage investments. He emphasizes the importance of creating value through income streams and optimizing unit mix for maximum revenue. Jacob also talks about his investment philosophy, which centers around value-add investments in growing markets.

 

 

    

 

Dan: This is a pretty quick return, right? 6 months later, here we are. I don’t recall if we did it when we were on the call live recording or when we were spending some time before or after the episode, but we were talking about a fund you had set up for self-storage that had a pretty big dry powder dollar amount looking to allocate. I think my comment was, “Do you think you can actually allocate that?” I think that might be a good place to start so you can divulge the details as you see fit there and some adjustments to the playbook for VanWest going forward to get us started.

Jacob: Yeah, well, hopefully, six months ago my answer was the same as it is now. Because we could start to feel the shift back then. We had targeted a pretty large equity allocation when we launched this in January of 2022, which might as well have been 10 years ago relative to the history of the real estate market. Not much has changed, but we’ll end up closing the fund with 11 assets, just over 80 million in total capitalization leverage in the low 60s. We love the assets we’ve bought. We started acquiring in April 2022, and our last acquisition was in June of this year, so we’re raising our final round of capital. We’re going to close out the fund by 1231. Really, the reason for that is, first of all, we’re a closed-ended fund, and we’ve been open for a little while. Secondly, deal flows have substantially diminished. The bid asks spread is still very wide. It’s been widening, it feels like the last year or so. Sellers are just not transacting and you’re not seeing as many deals come to market. Buyers are having a harder time making their assumptions work, just give them what the interest rate environment has done. Bank financing is more difficult to get. You’ve got this incrementally declining transaction volume, and I think it’s going to just continue through the end of the year and we’ll see what 2024 looks like, but I think there’s going to be some opportunity coming up.

 

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.VanWestPartners.com

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Jacob Vanderslice & I Discuss the Self-Storage Industry:

  • The evolution of Van West Partners’ investment strategy
  • The state of the US real estate market and the impact of COVID-19
  • The role of technology in the real estate industry
  • The potential impact of government policies on the market
  • The outlook for the real estate market in the near future

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 232 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Insights from Crowdfunding Expert Adam Gower

 

Insights from Crowdfunding Expert Adam Gower

 

Guest: Adam Gower, a seasoned real estate crowdfunding and syndication expert hailing from Central Coast California, has embarked on an extraordinary journey in real estate finance. His diverse experiences, from dwelling in Beverly Hills to navigating the California Coast’s tumultuous waters, have uniquely sculpted his perspective on real estate investing. Within his captivating background lies an intriguing PhD thesis, delving into the historical intricacies of banks underwriting financing during the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war. Adam’s profound knowledge of financial history and its practical application to real estate investment is genuinely enlightening.

 

Big Idea: In this episode, Adam Gower, a real estate crowdfunding and syndication expert, discusses the evolving landscape of real estate financing, emphasizing the importance of risk management, adapting to changing market dynamics, and leveraging syndication and crowdfunding opportunities for real estate investors.

 

 

    

 

Dan: That’s right. So, Adam, we’re going to get into GowerCrowd, Crowdfunding as our main topic. But before we do it, I thought a cool place to start would be where we are talking about right before we hit record. You have this PhD in an interesting topic. Would you mind briefly describing that?

Adam: Sure. I wrote a thesis that examined how banks underwrote their financing of Japan during the 1904 and 1905 Russo-Japanese war. Oh my goodness, how obscure could that be? What I found interesting about it, why I ended up writing this thing was that when you look at, it’s called the historiography, when you look at how people have reported this particular period in American banking history. The way they reported it was that Kuhn Loeb was headed up by – oh they complete it with JP Morgan. And this was in the day of the railroad barons and the robber barons, they were called. And Jacob Schiff and Kuhn Loeb, and JP Morgan, all these guys, they were all part of that party. The historiography says that Kuhn Loeb took really huge unnecessary risks, and I just didn’t believe it.

When I got the idea to write this PhD, I was working for East West Bank. I was brought in during the global financial crisis, so 2007-2008. I just thought, no, banks don’t take risks like that. They don’t just randomly invest because, whatever, some kind of wacky political points of view, which is what everybody said Kuhn Loeb had done. So, I decided to dive into it. And so, what I did was, it was really cool actually, Dan, seriously, I mean, I was able to access all the telegrams that went back… It was a syndicate of banks, the finance Japan. I look to handwritten letters, telegrams that went back and forth, and contracts. They were all handwritten in those days. It was really, really cool. I read all of this stuff that they never anticipated. They never thought anyone will ever read this. I got into all of this stuff. I figured these guys, they were really, really diligent on not only underwriting the risk but making sure, a couple things, one, they made absolutely sure that their investors were going to get their money back. Even if whether Japan won or lost. If you read between the lines here, you can see how this applies to real estate investing. But they were very, very sure that their investors would get their money back because they had guarantees from the Japanese government. And number two, even more importantly, as bankers, and I”ll extend this to real estate sponsors today, they were also extremely careful in the way they structured their deals that they made money, didn’t really matter if anybody else did at the end of the day.

 

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://GowerCrowd.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Adam Gower & I Discuss Crowdfunding:

  • Market Migration Trends: Exploring the migration of people from California to Florida and its potential impact on the real estate market.
  • Risk Management: Drawing lessons from historical financial practices to highlight the crucial role of risk management in modern real estate investing.
  • Changing Real Estate Dynamics: Understanding the impact of fluctuating interest rates, insurance costs, taxes, and other factors on real estate investments.
  • Principal-Agent Conflict: Emphasizing the importance of active management and hands-on involvement in real estate deals to maximize returns.
  • Syndication and Crowdfunding: Exploring the legal aspects and online visibility needed to attract investors through crowdfunding and syndication, along with strategies for scaling real estate businesses.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 231 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Navigating Real Estate Investment: From Young Enthusiast to Mobile Home Parks with Mitchell England

 

Navigating Real Estate Investment: From Young Enthusiast to Mobile Home Parks with Mitchell England

 

Guest: Mitchell England is a dynamic real estate investor and entrepreneur known for his strategic prowess in property investments. With over a decade of experience, Mitchell’s journey in real estate began during his teenage years when he was inspired by “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” He has since built a diverse portfolio spanning multiple states and property types, with a particular focus on mobile home parks. Mitchell’s investment philosophy revolves around long-term holds and leveraging smart debt, all in pursuit of his vision for generational wealth and financial freedom through real estate.

 

Big Idea: Mitchell England shares his journey into real estate investing, starting as a young enthusiast inspired by “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” He discusses how he began with single-family properties, the importance of cash flow in his investment strategy, and his transition to owning and managing mobile home parks across the United States. Mitchell emphasizes the advantages of mobile home parks, such as stable cash flow and lower maintenance costs, and highlights the challenges of managing tenant-owned units. He also delves into the concept of good debt and how it has evolved over time, the ideal characteristics of a perfect mobile home park, and strategies for handling tenant turnover in older communities.

 

 

    

 

Dan: Okay, cool. So as our origination story, maybe you can kind of touch on how you got in real estate and sort of how you evolved into the space that you’re in now, and then kind of a summary of where you’re at now, just to get us started.

Mitchell: Yeah. So I started really young. I stumbled upon Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which I know a lot of people listening to this probably have a similar story. But I read that book and it changed my whole perspective on life and how to provide value, and it made me start to question everything. I probably read the book at 16 years old. I was in high school at the time, and I was watching the run-up happen. That was like 2004, 2005, right in there. I was watching a lot of people make a lot of money in real estate. And so, that book paired with this huge run-up in the market, I was like, “Man, I got to get in this game.” I know you’re laughing, right? Because what happens next? But that was my first like, “Hey, what is this thing? How do I get into the game?” And I started asking that question. So early on, I jumped in, I bought a couple of pieces of property, thinking, “Hey, I’m going to go make some money on these things.” A couple of bare pieces of property, actually like vacant land. And you know what happens next, right? Oh, [inaudible] and I’m holding the bag, right? I’m holding these two properties going like, “Huh, maybe I don’t really understand this game as close as I thought.” And so, throughout my 20s, I was really interested in real estate. And I dove into a couple of other land deals, a couple of smaller duplex, single-family type stuff. And for me, the big aha was like when I got my first cash flow property, I thought, “Oh my gosh, someone else can pay for this. This is pretty amazing.” I probably should have been a faster learner than that, but it took like six or seven years to figure out like, “Oh, I could put a renter in. This is pretty incredible.” But I got addicted to the cash flow real estate. I just got addicted to it because I thought, “Well, gosh, this could give me not only like pay for my real estate, but also give me freedom.” And so, that first cash flow property was sort of a house hack. And from there, I started to buy some other single-family duplexes, kind of some smaller stuff. And then during that time, I was also working my corporate job. I was working at a med-tech company. And so, life was really busy, but I started to see real estate as like this escape, this thing that I could do. I could build up cash flow properties and slowly leave my job. And so, that was really like the catalyst.

 

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.CadiaCapitalGroup.com/

https://www.zeroto100tribe.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Mitchell England & I Discuss Navigating Real Estate Investment:

  • Ideal Mobile Home Park Characteristics: Mitchell discusses the key attributes of an ideal mobile home park, including city utilities, paved roads, and tenant-owned units.
  • Tenant Turnover and Value-Add Strategies: The challenges and strategies associated with tenant turnover and value-add opportunities in mobile home parks.
  • Good Debt and Financing: Exploring the concept of “good debt” in real estate investing, emphasizing the benefits of non-recourse loans and favorable terms.
  • Investment Philosophy and Long-Term Hold Strategy: Mitchell’s investment philosophy centered around long-term holds, cash flow, and building a portfolio that’s inflation-resistant.
  • Challenges in Mobile Home Park Investments: Addressing the complexities of managing older and newer homes in the same community and finding solutions to attract new tenants to older park communities.

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 230 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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

Taylor Loht: Navigating Multifamily and Self-Storage Real Estate Investments

 

Taylor Loht: Navigating Multifamily and Self-Storage Real Estate Investments

 

Guest: Taylor Loht is a seasoned real estate investor specializing in multifamily and self-storage properties. He hosts the “Passive Wealth Strategy” podcast and has a diverse investment portfolio spanning various markets, including Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and mid-Michigan. Taylor employs syndication models to raise investor capital for strategic property acquisitions. His approach emphasizes value-add strategies to boost net operating income and property value. Taylor’s insights highlight market selection, the importance of a well-executed business plan, and considerations of interest rate trends. Through his podcast and expertise, he offers valuable guidance to real estate investors of all levels.

 

Big Idea:  In this podcast episode, Taylor Loht, a real estate investor and host of the Passive Wealth Strategy podcast, shares insights into his investment strategies in multifamily and self-storage properties. He discusses the importance of choosing the right markets and property types, emphasizing a preference for B-plus multifamily assets and larger self-storage facilities. Taylor also highlights the impact of rising interest rates on investment decisions and the need to make sound financial plans, cautioning against relying too heavily on Internal Rate of Return (IRR) metrics.

 

 

    

 

Dan: So do you want to give us a reader’s digest of your business model right now, Taylor?

Taylor: Sure, absolutely. So I invest in multifamily and soft storage deals. Again, pretty well spread out around the country. We do the syndication model where we raise investor capital to buy these properties. Our investors invest their equity and ride along with the investment for whatever the hold period is. Historically, there were a lot of folks holding in the say, three to five-year range, especially when the market was very hot and interest rates were falling, everything like that. Now that we find ourselves in a higher interest rate environment, shall we say, I think hold times are generally going to get more extended maybe five to seven years. But that’s probably a topic for another part of our conversation here. So investing in commercial multifamily and self-storage deals with a value add strategy. So your listeners are probably familiar with flipping residential real estate.

I understand that’s what you do. Well, this model is similar but different in many ways. Our hold periods are much longer, which changes the capital gains tax and everything around that situation. But that’s not the only reason. The value add strategy in commercial real estate is really based around raising a net operating income of the property. So in the case of multifamily, getting into a property with say, 100% classic interiors, old outdated interiors where tenants in the area would be willing to pay more for updated interiors, maybe improve the management, improve the exteriors, things that would make somebody be willing to pay more in rent for the units. Get in there, fix ’em up, raise the net operating income, and that in turn raises the value of the property. And depending on the strategy of the deal, you can either refinance and return capital to investors or just choose to sell lock in your gain, and move on to the next one.

So some folks look at it as flipping commercial real estate. Generally, there are some key differences. The timelines are longer, we generally look to cash flow from the property as well while we hold it, rather than having it all vacant and fixing it up. We need to be producing income in order to demonstrate that the value of the properties are going up. But they are pretty straightforward and I think well-proven business models as long as it’s implemented properly with the correct financing and reserves and everything around that.

 

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.PassiveWealthStrategy.com/

 

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

https://AccessOffMarketDeals.com/podcast/

 

Taylor Loht & I Discuss Navigating Multifamily and Self-Storage Real Estate Investments:

  • Market Strategy: Navigating Secondary and Tertiary Markets for Success
  • Property Preferences: Maximizing Returns with B-Plus Class Multifamily Investments
  • Interest Rate Impact: Capitalizing on Current Interest Rate Trends in Real Estate
  • Investment Strategy: Crafting Effective Business Plans and Deal Rationality in Real Estate

    

Relevant Episodes: (There are 229 Content Packed Interviews in Total)

 

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