Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast

One of the best ways to increase your net operating income and cashflow is to get control over your utility expenses.  Whether it’s through improving your existing systems and mechanicals, adding renewable sources such as solar panels, or installing water saving aerators to your faucets, there are many ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your properties. However, this does require an investment of time and money. If you don’t have the funds to make this investment, you may be missing out on a huge profit opportunity. Today we’re going to be discussing some of the energy efficient and cost-saving changes you can make to your investment property and the different types of programs and loans available that will cover the costs. With us today is Scott Ringlein, the founder and CEO of The Energy Alliance Group of North America, who’s mission is to develop and deploy innovative solutions to energy, waste, and environmental challenges through the combination of technical and financial solutions.  Scott wil

You’re about to hear an incredibly informative conversation I had with Chris Ressa about Commercial Retail investing.  We recorded this on March 11th, just before our country went into lockdown, and as we all know, retail has taken quite a beating over these past months.  What I’d love for you to do is to listen through this conversation to get a detailed understanding of how retail investing works, and then at the very end you’ll hear my follow-up conversation with Chris that we recorded this past week. Chris is going to update us on how his $3 billion portfolio has survived during the past three months.  Definitely stick around to the end, because you won’t want to miss it! Every time I drive by a strip mall with a TJ-Maxx, or a ROSS Dress For Less, or a Burlington Coat Factory, I always wonder, “Who owns that property, and what does that investment actually look like?”  Today we’re going to talk about investing in retail. What are the factors that make this a profitable asset class, how do we value it, wha

One of the asset classes that’s expected to hold up well during this Coronavirus Pandemic is Self-Storage.  In fact, it tends to do well no matter how the economy is performing.  Today we’re going to take a look at the factors that make Self-Storage so attractive and help you understand how to successfully invest in this sector. And here to take a deep dive into this strategy is Kris Benson, the chief investment officer for Reliant Investments, a subsidiary of Reliant Real Estate Management, which is one of the top 25 commercial Self-Storage operators in the U.S.  Reliant has completed over $650 Million in Self-Storage acquisitions and dispositions in the past 5 years. We’ll also be discussing what it takes to put together a $50 Million fund, and Kris’ role in raising money for Reliant’s portfolio. For those of you who are syndicators or raising money for your own fund, you’ll definitely benefit from learning how Kris raises money from investors, how Reliant structures their investment opportunities, and the

My guest today made a lifestyle real estate investment in an asset class that most of us can only dream of. He bought an Island!  And he’s turning that island into the world’s sexiest off-the grid private luxury resort featuring over-water villas, treehouse jungle suites, and the world’s first over-water beach on stilts. You may know Dan Behm from his online blog called “Why I bought an Island”, and if you’re from the West Michigan area you may know him as the Founder and Past CEO & President of the wildly successful tech company ‘OST’, or Open Systems Technologies. Dan is also an entrepreneur and investor focusing on residential and commercial real estate, small businesses and international resorts. He’s received many awards over the years including the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the West Michigan MSU Business Person of the Year. And today, Dan is going to tell us why he bought this island in Panama, the engineering and structural challenges his team had to overcome to turn it into a wo

Ellis Hammond is my guest today and he began investing in real estate while he was serving as a college pastor in San Diego.  While his goal was to create passive cash flow for his family, he realized that investing in Real Estate could be an incredible resource to help his family and many others achieve financial freedom.  He and his wife invested in a San Diego duplex in 2018 and 9 months later he became a Co-General Partner on a 144-unit apartment complex in Memphis TN. Ellis is the founder of Kingdom Capitalists, the #1 mastermind community for Christian real estate entrepreneurs.  He hosts a top-rated podcast called “Kingdom Capitalists” where he features other successful Christian entrepreneurs and business owners discussing their faith and success. Today Ellis shares how he grew his real estate portfolio and how he uses his evangelistic skills to network and create communities on linkedin and meetup groups.  He’ll break down his strategy for creating content that attracts opportunities and investors, a

My guest today is one of the UK’s most successful self-made property investors.  She started her first business at the age of 22 and even then she knew she had an entrepreneurial spirit which could not be constrained by a JOB.  She broke out of the corporate world to follow her dreams and founded the Good Property Company UK which she has been running for over 10 years. Susannah Cole believes anyone can make millions from property, and that it is possible to succeed even with very little money to start with.  She has sourced, bought or let out more than 200 properties with a value of $45 Million Pounds, and has invested her own capital to develop her multi-million-pound property portfolio. Susannah’s top priority is helping others achieve, or surpass, her own success.  Today she’s going to share the strategies that have made her so successful.  We’ll be discussing ‘HMO’s’, Homes of Multiple Occupancy, which are quite common in the UK.  We’ll also be discussing the concept of ‘Deal Packaging’, which is similar

Many Multifamily & Apartment Investors are looking for opportunities wherever they make sense.  Today's guest found what appeared to be an excellent upside opportunity in Macon, Georgia that he and his partner got under contract, completed due diligence on, raised the equity and sourced the financing.  Everything was all set to close, until something came to light that changed the entire deal. Today you're going to hear a story about why it's so important to keep looking, digging, and asking questions, even after you've completed your due diligence. Here to share his story is Ken Jenkins, principal for Integrated Property Group Managers which owns and operates 181 units in South-East Michigan.  Ken is also my cousin, and you may remember his previous appearances on EP# 16 & 17. No matter what level of investor you may be, you will definitely benefit from hearing Ken's deep dive into a deal that looked like a winner but ended up being one he had no choice but to walk away from.  You can reach Ken by em

Do you know what your financial freedom number is? The answer is the amount of passive income you’d need to achieve in order to cover all of your expenses and replace your job income.  When you ask most people what their financial freedom number is, the most common answer is $10,000 a month in passive income. Well today we’re going to talk to someone who has achieved that number.  Ryan Chaw is a single-family home investor who has managed to create a six-figure rental portfolio in California where most houses are overpriced and cash flow is limited.  Today he’s going to share his strategy for managing 4 single family homes himself while still working his full-time job.  We’re also going to discuss important tips on preventing high-cost emergency repairs along with Ryan’s system on super targeted marketing.  Ryan is fast becoming an expert on converting traditional home rentals into multi-bedroom student housing.  I know you’re going to appreciate learning more about the tools he’s using to manage remotely, en

When David Toupin was last on this show he was well on his way to real estate success as a co-owner of a $7 Million portfolio of 120 units, plus a successful single-family fix & flip business. Well at some point David invested in a rocket ship, because his momentum since then has been stratospheric. Today David is a Top Millennial real estate investor, speaker, and entrepreneur.  He co-founded Obsidian Capital with our previous guest, Glenn Gonzales, and has acted as a key principal with over $50 Million in real estate holdings and he’s raised well over $10 Million in capital.  He also designed and developed a best-selling multifamily deal analyzer, and used that as a platform to found a new software company called Real Estate Lab. You’re definitely going to want to hear why David moved his business from Detroit to Austin, Texas, the importance of financial analysis in deal-making, how he utilizes social media to attract investors, and how you can achieve his level of success no matter where you are in li

One of the RPOA’s goals during this Coronavirus Pandemic is to keep you as up-to-date as possible with information that will help you survive and thrive as real estate investors. That’s why I’m so excited to be talking with today’s guest about the economic impact this pandemic is going to have on our real estate investments.  If you’ve been looking for real data on our city, state & country’s economic strength & what all this means for your real estate portfolio, then you’re definitely going to want to hear this economic forecast with Paul Isley. Paul is the Associate Dean and Economist for Undergraduate Programs in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.  If you’ve ever been to the RPOA’s annual conference then you already know that Paul is the most popular speaker by far.  This year his presentation was standing room only, and his economic forecast was incredibly eye-opening. Now, 8 weeks into this pandemic, Paul has new data that will shed light on the state of our economy

Last year at the RPOA annual conference I met Ramond Harris for the first time.  After hearing his story about flipping, wholesaling and rehabbing in the Detroit area, I knew we needed to record a podcast.  You may remember the Mastermind conversation we had with friends of this show Justin Workman and Patrick Spitzley on episode #168 where we helped brainstorm ways Ramond could fix his broken business model, decrease his debt by shedding some unused assets, and set himself up for huge growth. Now, a year later, we’ve all met back up at the RPOA 2020 annual conference and we’re going to mastermind again with Ramond to see what’s changed and how his business has progressed since we last talked.  We’ll also be discussing some new marketing and deal flow challenges that have cropped up, and how he might tackle them. Joining us as well is Stephen Benedict, local Sheriff’s Sale Auction expert from episode #101, who has some valuable advice on how to beat out the competition at the auction table. I know you’re goin

My guest today wants you to know that if he can make it as a successful real estate investor, then anyone can.  Glenn Gonzales began as a maintenance man working for several other successful real estate investors.  As he grew more confident in his job, he began to realize how the proactive decisions he was making were improving the health of the properties he was maintaining.  But it was the other lessons he learned on the job that propelled him to where he is today.  Glenn is now the CEO and Co-Founder of Obsidian Capital, a real estate investment firm out of Austin Texas.  In the past 6 years Glenn has accomplished over $290 Million in total acquisitions, 5,000 total units, and raised over $80 Million. Glenn is also the author of the bestselling book “Maintenance Man to Millionaire: Real Estate Wealth Creation for Everyday People”. He’s also a great guy with a lot of fun stories to share, and today he’s going to tell us how he was continuously pushing himself to take on new challenges at the property manage

Back in the pre-covid-19 days when people could actually sit together in the same room, a group of rental property owners met to answer one simple question:  "When is it time to sell your rental property?"  Even though the world has changed considerably since then, the answers they came up with still hold true today. Let’s say you’ve acquired a decent sized portfolio of rental properties, they’re cash flowing, well-managed, and achieve your goals of long-term wealth.  But maybe the cash flow you’re receiving isn’t enough to allow you to quit your job, or retire early, or pay for that cruise ship vacation.  However, there is enough equity in your portfolio to sell for a substantial profit. Is it time to sell and take your chips off the table?  Or are you better served to stay on the ‘buy & hold’ path that you set out on so long ago? Many investors are faced with this very question, and I have two of them in the studio with me today.  Plus, I have a very special guest who’s going to help us talk through thi

Imagine what it’s like to get started in real estate investing when you have nothing.  No money, no experience and no network.  Now imagine you’re also in your 20’s and have more student loan debt than actual capital to invest in deals.  On top of that, you have a job in corporate America, but you’re still BROKE. That is where today’s guest was 8 years ago.  Ryan Narus is a self-made real estate entrepreneur and accredited investor who started with nothing and now owns and operates 12 Mobile Home Parks spanning over 1,300 units.  He’s the co-founder of The Archimedes Group where he works at home, has 5 employees, and hosts his own podcast called ‘Mobile Home Parks in Real Life”. Today Ryan is going to share why he was eager to sacrifice and do things others weren’t willing to do, so that he could live the life others only dream of.  We’re also going to discuss the nitty gritty of mobile home park investing, including the times Ryan has had his life threatened while confronting drug dealers on his properties. 

Hello everybody.  I hope you’re all safe & healthy and maintaining your sanity in this Coronavirus world we now find ourselves in. If you’re a rental property owner or investor, you might have some questions about the State of Michigan's Executive Order to stay in place and what this means to you.  We still have tenants to take care of, buildings to maintain, units to fill, and bills to pay.  It’s not always clear which of those activities are considered essential, and which ones will get us in trouble. Luckily the Rental Property Owners Association has been in communication with the Governor’s office here in Michigan, and we’re going to clarify what you can and can’t do in this very special episode with Clay Powell, the Director of the RPOA of Michigan and Grand Rapids. You can access the RPOA’s online courses by going to www.rpoaonline.org You can also call the RPOA at 616-454-3385 Or email:  contactrpoa@rpoaonline.org

I hope all of you are safe and healthy.  Here in Michigan we are on lockdown, and wherever you are in the world I hope you’re doing well and taking this coronavirus pandemic seriously. There is no way to discuss real estate right now without admitting that every asset-class will be impacted heavily.  Today I’m talking with Kevin Bupp about his investments in mobile home parks across the United States to find out how he believes they’ll hold up in this new economic reality.  Kevin is going to share the high-level conversations he’s been having with his team and the processes they’ve put in place to help their residents who suddenly find themselves unable to pay their rent. We’ll also be discussing Parking Lots as an Asset Class.  Kevin is going to share why they’re such an under-appreciated & over-looked asset, the economics of owning them, and how he’s finding Mom & Pop type operators who are willing to sell them. Kevin is the Founder & CEO of Sunrise Capital Investors and he has over 16 years of

This coronavirus pandemic has changed our society and the way we live in a very short amount of time.  Those of us who own investment property can’t help but ask: “How bad will it get, what does this mean for my investments, and will there be new opportunities that arise from these unfortunate circumstances?” There are so many opinions and overnight experts sharing those opinions, that it can be difficult separating the good information from the bad. That’s why I’m excited to have Neal Bawa on the show today in order to cut through the clutter and give us a clear-eyed perspective on what we can expect. Neal is not only a real estate expert with a $250 + million portfolio of multifamily, mixed-use and self-storage, but he’s also a technologist who successfully applies data science to his systems and processes. Neal is also the CEO and Founder of Grocapitus and Multifamily University and he’s known as the Mad Scientist of Multifamily. In our conversation today, Neal is going to help us understand the two distin

Are we heading into another recession?  If so, how will it affect housing and real estate prices? Mike VanderWoude doesn’t have a crystal ball to answer that question, but what he does have is historical data from the previous five recessions to help us understand what might happen.  And you’ll probably be as surprised as I was by his answers. And if you’re wondering what effect the Coronavirus is having on real estate so far, Mike also shares his ‘on-the-ground’ perspective in a quick update at the end of this episode. Mike is an Associate Broker at Edison Brokers + Co in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He was also a guest on Episode #79 where we discussed his dilapidated & run-down 2-unit that he had purchased and renovated on the West-side of Grand Rapids. It was right next door to a 4-unit that I owned.  Since then, Mike has purchased my 4-unit and he’s going to let us know how its working out. I believe you’ll find great reassurance from Mike in this episode that, based on historical data, real estate is li

What do you do if you have a 'no pet' policy and your tenant decides that they need an Emotional Support Animal.  What if that animal happens to be a pig, or a goat, or a bat?  Well, as crazy as it sounds, this is happening to landlords and its protected by laws and rental rules. Part of the RPOA's mission is to fight these types of laws that are adverse to a rental property owner's ability to control the well-being of their property and business. And helping us fight these laws and pass better ones here in Michigan is Tabitha Zimny, an Associate Lobbyist for Karoub Associates out of Lansing.  Also joining us is Clay Powell, the Director of the RPOA of Michigan and Grand Rapids.  Today we're going to discuss legislation having to do with Emotional Support Animals, Short-Term & Vacation Rentals, Rent Control, and the upcoming LLC bill that allows landlords the ability to represent themselves in eviction court even if they own their property through an LLC. Clay will also be making a special announcement re

My guest today is Rod Khleif, who many of you know through his popular podcast “Lifetime Cashflow through Real Estate Investing”, or his bestselling book “How To Create Lifetime Cashflow through Multifamily Properties”, or his many Real Estate Training & Multifamily Events that Rod personally teaches every year.  Some of you may even remember that Rod & I both started our respective podcasts in early 2016 within weeks of each other.  In fact, we were both guests on each other’s shows with Rod appearing on episode #23 of this show, and I appeared on episode #28 of his. But what’s shocking to realize is that even though we both started on a level playing field, Rod has completed almost twice as many podcast episodes.  While this show has over 800,000 listens, Rod’s show has ten times that many at over 8 Million!  This show has 133 ratings & reviews, Rod’s has over 1,100! On just about every level, Rod has managed to blow away all of the competition. Not only that, but Rod is a multiple business owne