Real Estate Addicts

It's been about 3 years since we checked in with our good friend Ricky Beliveau and a lot has changed at Volnay Capital. We discuss the transition from smaller scale multi-family residential to developing much larger 100+ unit buildings and where we see the real estate market going.

In this episode we are joined by Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Executive Director of & Jonathan Berk, Board member of Abundant Housing Massachusetts. Massachusetts has a severe housing shortage. We aren't building enough homes to keep pace with demand, especially near jobs and transit. In this episode we discus how Abundant Housing MA is working to foster policies and take local action to: Create More housing near transit and jobs Reform of exclusionary zoning rules Institute Sustainable development practices and communities Check out Abundant Housing Massachusetts website to learn more: https://abundanthousingma.org/

In this episode we are joined by our friends Dave Matteo & Dave Winick who founded Cedarwood Development, a private real estate development and investment company specializing in condominium and apartment buildings back in 2005. The guys share the story of how they've grown their business from building decks over the summer in college to a large, successful full-service real estate development business with an extensive portfolio all over greater Boston. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY. Co-hosted by Ray Hurteau, Dan Rubin (Instagram @hrvhomes) and Marc Savatsky (Instagram @choose_boston) Follow Real Estate Addicts Podcast on Instagram @Real_Estate_Addicts

This week are extremely excited to be joined by Matthew Martin, Snr. Urban Designer at the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA). In this episode Matthew provides incredibly helpful insights that he's gained over his 20+ years in urban design at the BPDA. The conversation is wide ranging and interesting throughout. Some of the topics discussed are highlighted below: 0:45 What is the BPDA? 2:00 On a scale from Texas to Paris in terms of rigidity in planning and land use, where does Boston rank? 8:15 – What are the key components that you might look for when reviewing a new project and how have those components evolved? 10:40 – What happens if an applicant deviates from approved plans during construction?! 12:10 – What is a mockup? How are they used? 14:00 – Does the BPDA prefer traditional or contemporary architecture? If a developer wanted to propose a more modern design how is that perceived and what tips can you offer? 18:00 – The natural evolution of architecture and change of design within a city 19:30 – Discussion of the “neighborhood process” and concerns related to “othering” that is sometimes inherent in this process 21:30 – Parking! 26:30 – Tension between controlling initial investments in preliminary/unapproved projects and later concerns related to buildability and technical aspects 31:00 – Advice for architects and developers on how to submit a thorough set of design documents that will lead to fewer rounds of revisions during the design review process? 36:00 Under-rated / over-rated / appropriately rated!

This week are joined by construction attorney, Bradley Croft, President and Chair of Litigation Department at Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C. Attny. Croft has built a successful practice representing architects, contractors, sub-contractors and developers. The conversation was wide ranging and full of important concepts and insights that every contractor and developer should understand. Some of the topics we touched on include, the fundamentals of construction contracts as well as specific terms and conditions that you should always look out for, mediation vs arbitration, issues related to construction delays including consequential damages and liquidated damages, Duty to Defend which is an insurer's obligation to provide an insured with defense to claims, the concept of standard of care, how to manage change orders equitably, the prompt payment act, retainage, warranty work, mechanics liens and finally the nuances and implications of the statute of limitations vs statute of repose. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Disclaimer: this discussion was intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as legal advice Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

This week we are thrilled to be joined by Mark Erlich. Mark retired as Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC) in 2017 and is now a fellow at the Harvard Labor and Worklife Program. As a member of Carpenters Local 40 since 1975, he worked at his craft as an apprentice, journeyman, foreman, and superintendent. He continues to serve as a member on the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals, MassINC board, and the Federal Reserve Advisory Council. The conversation was interesting throughout and covered a lot of topics including, the great recession (depression?) of 2008, the current perceived labor shortage, how labor unions function as a key to climbing out of poverty and into the middle class, the seeming rise of labor strikes (“striketober”), the surprising trend in NYC towards open shop labor on large projects, thresholds or tipping points that may trigger union involvement in a project, advantages of using union labor (skilled tradesman, safety, quality, schedule), the growth of misclassifying people who are employees as independent contractors. Finally, we get Marks take on modular construction and his skepticism of tech evangelists who avow to ‘disrupt' the industry (i.e. Katerra) and Mark's impression of the positive changing dynamics of the Union Workforce. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

In this episode the guys take a deep dive into detail on interior finishes. We hit on product selection, approach, schedule, cost and potential pitfalls of taking your building from completion of rough MEP's & insulation all the way through Certificate of Occupancy. Blueboard plaster vs. Tape & Mudd? Building showers - how best to waterproof, drain options, curb vs. curbless? Finish carpentry - baseboards, kitchens? Wood floors - nail vs glue? Pre-finished engineered vs traditional? Finish electrical & finish plumbing. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

Scott Choppin, founder of Urban Pacific joins the guys to discuss multifamily development on the west coast. They talk about the differences in building code requirements, costs and how Scott typically funds his projects. In addition, Scott also discusses his "Urban Town House" model and how he is targeting tertiary markets providing work force housing in and around Los Angeles building middle income, multi-generational rental housing using all private capital.

This week we are joined by Jeff Fullerton, a veteran acoustics expert and Department Manager at Intertek in Boston. Jeff shares his secrets on ensuring your next multifamily project achieves acoustic privacy, a major topic of growing importance in our industry. Jeff shares how your project team can improve acoustics at the design stage, how the building code addresses acoustical performance, the difference between STC and IIC and how they are measured, the paradox of background noise, floor/ceiling and wall design acoustic principles. As a developer, you can spend almost unlimited money on achieving sound separation, so we spend the back half of the episode talking through the various sound control solutions currently on the market from resilient channel to HushFrame, gypsum floor underlayment's, damping compounds, laminated drywall and evaluate the pros and cons of each. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

In this episode we are joined by our good friend Nick Schiffer, owner of NS Builders, co-host of the Modern Craftsman Podcast and overall great guy! Nick has built a highly admired construction company focused on providing top quality craftsmanship to the high-end residential market. In this episode we discus the pressures of managing a job from clients to sub-contractors to schedule. Nick shares his views on making construction a more collaborative experience, his (strong) views on ensuring that design is deliberate and thoughtful, the challenges of running your own company, managing employees, as well as aligning team member incentives and expectations. Finally, we foray into Nick's vision for his company and get his take on real estate development and how he envisions taking his skills, experience, and team he's built and apply them to developing his own unique projects. Where to find our Guest: Nick Schiffer https://www.instagram.com/nsbuilders/ https://bit.ly/nsbuildersyoutube Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

Josu'e Velney served five years in the Marines and twelve years in the Somerville Fire department. He's been deployed three times. He's held titles including lead scout machine gunner and team leader & Lieutenant and now he's a broker, licensed builder, business owner & entrepreneur. Josu'e started buying and renovating homes in 2010 and after a bad experience with a dishonest general contractor he decided he needed to deepen his understanding of the build process and enrolled in Wentworth where he earned his bachelors degree in Construction Management at night. He's done rehab work, ground-up development and has his eyes set on continuing to grow into much larger multi-family projects. We have a ton of respect and admiration for Josu'e & had a great time hearing his stories of fighting fires (both proverbial and real ones) and solving problems as he builds his business. This episode is a can't miss. Thank you as always for rating and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners www.grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

The Addicts are joined this week by William (Billy)Senné. Billy takes us through his career in real estate from renting college apartments as a BC undergrad all the way through building out a broad and successful real estate development business focused on brokerage, real estate development, property management & real estate consulting. Billy shares his growth strategy, vision for the company, hiring & team building strategy, Thank you for rating, reviewing & sharing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast! Podcast Sponsor: First Boston Capital Partners https://grossmanco.com/private-lending/ Trusted partner & private lender providing loans to builders, developers and real estate investors in MA, CT, RI, NH & NY.

This week the Addicts are thrilled to be joined by Principals Kevin Deabler and Eric Robinson who founded RODE architects in 2006 and have grown the firm to a team of 30 talented architects who are continuing to enhance the vibrancy of the City with smart and exciting design. We discuss RODE's design process which begins with studying the massing and the bigger, more sculptural moves of the design to ensure the building is compelling and interesting while also fitting into the surrounding context. We discuss the state of architectural design and debate whether technology that makes the process of drawing buildings quicker and easier is always necessarily a good thing. We spend some time talking about how RODE strives to always find interesting moments within the design and how they pick those moments. Finally, we take on the major topics of affordability and sustainability and how those two topics are inherent to how RODE approaches their work.

Trevor is the founder and CEO of Carrot, a lead Generation Hub used by 7,000+ real estate investors & agents to attract and convert more motivated seller leads. Using Carrot investors transform their typical boring website into one that allows you to build a true online presence and stand out in today's crowded market. Carrot is designed to increase credibility and authority, amplify your marketing efforts, optimize SEO and lead conversion. Intrigued? Check out this episode and learn more about Trevor and his vision for the business and how it can help developers meet sellers directly and uncover valuable off-market opportunities.

This week we are excited to be joined by longtime friend of the Pod, David Grossman of The Grossman Companies. The Grossman Companies is a family-owned real estate firm with local roots dating back over 120 years. David leads the firms private lending group, First Boston Capital Partners. We discuss the criteria David looks for when extending loans to builders, developers, and real estate investors, what a typical loan structure might look like as well as other creative financing options David offers such as short-term bridge capital for acquisitions, ground-up construction or renovations. We talk about the current inflationary (?) trends in the market, the Grossman's 2.5 million SF portfolio of real estate. David also shares the story of how the Grossman Companies partnered with a local investor and was able to execute a very successful strategy aimed at capturing growth of the emerging market in East Boston between 2013 – 2015. If you'd like to connect with David and The Grossman Companies or have any lending inquires check out their website: https://grossmanco.com/ or DM the Real Estate Addicts on IG (@the_real_estate_addicts) and we'll be glad to make an introduction!

Most sequels usually pare in comparison to the original but, like the Godfather Part II this episode is the exception that proves the rule. We start by discussing recent escalating construction costs and supply chain issues. Is the lumber market like the market for toilet paper at the start of Covid or is this inflation and is it here to stay? Mike gives us a status update on their successful lease-up efforts at The Caldwell and the strategies they are employing to fill the building quickly (12:00). We talk about the growth and vision for Procopio Companies (17:40), Mike's hiring philosophy and even current open positions. Marc and Mike trade thoughts on the trajectory from small scale residential to building highrise and comment on the various inflection points one hits as they grow on that continuum (23:00). Mike offers his take on where the sweet spot is along that line. Dan somehow gets Mike talking about digital currency and NFT's (28:01), we talk automated parking (30:00), technology Procopio is employing in their builds (38:00). Finally, Mike and Marc take a deep dive on Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts versus lump sum contracts (45:00). Mike expounds on his strong beliefs around shared savings, contingency, liquidated damages and a few of the things he looks for when hiring a Contractor. We conclude with a game of over-rated, under rated or appropriately rated that you won't want to miss. If you enjoy this episode we'd greatly appreciate if you would leave a review and share it with a friend!

This week we're excited to be joined by our friend Adam Burns of Burns Realty & Investments. Adam is true entrepreneur who has built a successful and vertically integrated real estate business which aside from developing a large portfolio of apartments and condominiums also offers brokerage, property management and construction management (and Cannabis Distribution?). What does it take to make the leap from 3,6,9 units projects to 30, 60, 90 unit projects? Are reports of the death of real estate in the City greatly exaggerated? Adam's preferred mix of condos vs. apartments? How Adam raises capital for his projects. What it takes to find and attract family offices to participate in your deals. Give a listen & let us know what you think by rating/reviewing and sharing the episode! Also, check out Adam's new YouTube Series, "Bring It here: It"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW51aMgQswU

SHOW ME THE MONEY!! In this episode we talk about the most important ingredient in a development deal, cash. Brian & Doug from Finance Boston are "Capital Markets Advisors" (don't call them "debt brokers!"). We start with the basics like defining the capital stack, debt vs. equity and get down to the nitty gritty deal terms and concepts. It's easy to shop for the lowest possible interest rate but, we explore all the various other less obvious factors that you should be aware of when shopping for debt and equity. We cover some key metrics that lenders look for and discus why you might be missing opportunities and the best deals by going it alone without a "Capital Markets Advisor." Thanks as always for listening, rating, reviewing & sharing Real Estate Addicts with a Friend!

It might not be obvious but, landscape architecture (LA) plays a significant role in real estate development, especially during public process and project entitlement. Michael D'Angelo of MDLA is one of the best landscape architects in Boston and we are thrilled he could join us on the Pod. Topics covered include: LA's role on the development team and process, Trends in outdoor space for multifamily developers/office developers, overlap between civil design and landscape arch, value engineering considerations with landscape design and much more! We hope you get a chance to listen. Thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing!

In this episode Ray maintains his contrarian streak as we take a deep dive on interior finishes. Floating vanity or typical floor mounted vanity? Floors and then baseboard or baseboards and then floors? Conduction cooking vs gas cooking? Curbless showers? Countertop options? Window options? Casement vs Double Hung? Vinyl vs Fiberglass? Fiberglass vs Wood? Thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing the podcast!

This week the Real Estate Addicts introduce a new episode format called, "THIS OR THAT". Being a real estate developer is largely about evaluating tradeoffs and alternatives and making the best decision possible which is why this type of discussion is relevant to what we do everyday. Housewrap or Zip Wall? Engineered I-Joists or open web truss? Fiberglass vs. wood vs. vinyl windows. MDF cabinets vs plywood cabinets? New construction vs renovation? THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE PODCAST WITH A FRIEND AND FOR RATING & REVIEWING!

In this episode we are joined by our good friends Alex and Harrison of of Wollaston Real Estate of “Wolly Wednesday” YouTube fame. The conversation was fun, funny and interesting but, very candid and very real throughout. We talk about how Alex and Harrison became partners and got into the business, their model of buying and renovating buildings in emerging or gateway cities like Holyoke, how Alex and Harrison raise money. Alex shares how a few difficult deals early in their partnership set them back on their heels, what that was like, and how they’ve honored their word and climbed out ensuring all their investors capital was returned and how they’ve restored a strong footing towards success. Please give this one a listen and as always thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing!

Christopher Quinn, Partner at Apex Projects LLC, a high-end luxury residential custom home building company based out of New Canaan, CT joins us to talk construction. Chris shares his experience building some of the most bespoke homes in some of the nations wealthiest zip codes like Greenwich CT, Westchester NY & the Hamptons. Some of the topics we covered include typical build costs, building for fee versus spec development, typical fee structure for GC work in Chris’ market, managing the client/architect/contractor relationship, how to building a bowling alley & what is a pajama room?

Tyson Reynoso, Senior Director at King Street Properties joins the Pod to break down a complicated and seemingly recession proof sector within the real estate development space, Life Sciences. The news is flush with stories of the “Life Sciences Land Rush” and we dissect what that really means and cover such topics as, what are typical build costs to construct or renovate a life science facility? Once completed, what are the ranges of expected rents for these facilities? What are the key attributes that make for a successful retrofit of an existing building and why typical tall office towers are not ideal candidates? What is the range of project sizes within Life Sciences? What is the smallest viable lab development & could a small entrepreneur break into the space? If you enjoy this episode we’d be grateful if you could share it with a friend & leave us review on iTunes.

This week we are excited to be joined by Former Boston city councilor Josh Zakim who recently started a new nonprofit called Housing Forward-MA as well as Jenny Schuetz who is an expert in urban economics and housing policy and a fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. Jenny walks us through a recent report from the Brookings Institute that she helped to author called, “Zoned Out Why Massachusetts Needs to Legalize Apartments Near Transit”. We discuss the current real estate market as well as land use regulation, housing prices, urban amenities, and neighborhood change. This was an interesting and thought-provoking conversation throughout! We’re grateful to Josh and Jenny for joining us and to all our listeners for sharing the Podcast with a friend.

This week we are joined by our good friend, Tim Roman of Imperial Kitchen and Bath. Tim founded the company back in 2012 in Edgewater, NJ and has rapidly grown servicing real estate developers and builders up and down the E Coast. We enjoyed diving into the weeds on the latest trends in cabinetry and kitchen design, typical cost ranges for new kitchen installs, trends towards smart and maintenance free kitchens, common pitfalls of natural finish / wood cabinets and how to save money without compromising quality when designing a kitchen. Finally, Tim helps clear up the age-old question, what exactly is “European Cabinetry” and why does every new listing description like to say they offer it?! It’s always a pleasure catching up with Tim and we know you’ll find his passion for the business obvious and inspiring. Follow Tim's work on IG @Imperialkb

This week we are thrilled to have Deborah Ryan of Deborah A. Ryan & Associates join the Addicts to discuss state and federal accessibility requirements. These sections of code are technical, they can be complicated, but they are incredibly important to understand. We discussed how developers can ensure compliance with accessibility requirements during the planning and design stage to avoid costly mistakes. We cover a number of specific topics including the differences between Group I and Group II units and when each unit type must be provided, the definition of a “Townhouse” and how that is changing, the process for filing variance applications and why you might need a CD burner before you can submit one. We personally learned a ton throughout recording this episode and we know you will too. Thanks for listening & for sharing the Podcast with a friend!

Ted Tye, Managing Partner & Co-Founder at National Development is back for another episode! The world has certainly changed since our first episode we recorded with Ted (in person) about a year ago and we discus what those changes mean in terms of the real estate market. In this episode we discus issues related to local politics and the upcoming mayoral race, we check in on what’s happening with land costs, construction costs as well as rents and sales. We touch on the lending environment, developers decisions to hire union or open shop labor and how that varies by region as well as the advent of “virtual community process” and we conclude with a really fun game of over-rated, under-rated or appropriately rated.

Our good friends, Garrett Hogan and Max Taylor, Principals of OnPoint Capital join the Pod this week to discuss their real estate development business. We talked through OnPoint's experience with modular construction, how they structure development deals with investors, their experiences with zoning approvals in the City of Boston and we got into detail talking about numbers for ground up, renovation and modular builds. We typically try to storyboard an episode but, this conversation seemed to just go in all kinds of directions and was fun and interesting throughout. Thanks for sharing the Podcast with a friend & we hope you enjoy!

This week Gaetano (Guy) Morello joins the RE Addicts to discuss his experience developing high end Condos in some of Boston’s most desirable and expensive neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Back Bay and South End. Guy started out as a Real Estate Broker marketing luxury condo product in New York City and then transitioned his career back home to Boston where he joined his families business in real estate development. Guys firm, High Street Properties owns and manages about 200 units in and around Boston. We discus Guys approach to acquisitions, trade views on the current market and get into specific about what it takes to convert brownstones to luxury (dope?) condos.

Mike Joanis is a licensed professional fire protection engineer and code consultant. Mike has been a tremendous resource to the Real Estate Addicts as we’ve grown and navigated various design issues and worked with local building and fire officials and so we’re thrilled to have him on the Podcast. We start covering the basic like, When is fire suppression system needed? What are hydraulic calculations and FP narratives? What are the elements of a fire alarm system? A standpipe? When is a standpipe needed? Finally, we delve into the nitty gritty of NFPA 13 vs. NFPA 13R systems. Pros and cons of pump and tank systems & elements of a dry FP system.

Matthew Karr joins REA to talk all things estate planning and trusts. We cover the basics and then dive into the details like when does it make sense for someone to set up a plan? What’s the difference between revocable/irrevocable trusts? Living trusts vs land trusts vs realty trusts? Tax advantages to setting up an estate plan when including property in the trust? Costs associated with setting up an estate plan. Finally, Matt provides his best legal analysis on the Movie ‘Knives Out’ and what Hollywood gets right (and wrong) about estate planning!

In this episode Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliances joins the Pod to talk all things related to Appliances! Steve was very candid on his assessment of the industry, how to buy at the best price, when to spend money and when to pull back, what to look for in an appliance, what trends are here to stay and which are doomed to die. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it! As always, thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing.

John Balboni is a Principle at Sullivan & Worcester LLP and an expert on all things related to developing in Opportunity Zones. We dive into the weeds on the benefits this policy provides and the process which must be meticulously followed. An opportunity zone investment makes a good deal better but, can't make a bad deal good! Listen to this episode and find out why. Thanks as always for listening, reviewing and sharing The Real Estate Addicts Podcast!

This week we are pleased to be joined by our good friend Creighton Jones from Rev-A-Shelf, who specialize in Whole Home Organization, with a heavy focus on Kitchen Cabinet Organizers! Rev-A-Shelf is produced by Jones Plastic and Engineering, an American manufacturing company employing over 2,400 workers with over 1,000,0000 sf of plants in the U.S. In this episode we discus the history of Jones Plastic/Rev-A-Shelf, the keys to designing an organized kitchen, which products have been Rev-A-Shelfs best sellers and even which have flopped. We hope you enjoy the episode and we appreciate your sharing and reviewing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast!

In this episode, Marc, Dan & Ray continue the discuss about taking the leap from gut renovations to new construction. The guys share experience (& mistakes) taking a deep dive into framing and considerations which drive structural costs and how to avoid them. We appreciate your reviews and shares and welcome feedback (therealestateaddicts@gmail.com) to keep the podcast interesting and entertaining!

The Real Estate Addicts are thrilled to welcome back Matt Picheny of MJP Property Group, LLC to continue our conversation and dive into the fine points of deal syndication. In this episode we cover: • Mechanics of a syndication 1. Legal Aspects 2. SEC Compliance 3. Investment Structure 4. Financing Structure • Attracting Investors • Tax Treatment Thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast. E-mail us at TheRealEstateAddicts@gmail.com; we'd love to hear from you.

Rob Barresi, Senior Vice President at Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage joins the Pod to share best practices around insurance for development and construction. We begin with a high level discussion around the different types of policies and then dive into the details of proper risk transfer in owner/developer/GC/subcontractor relationships, indemnification and hold harmless agreements, waivers of subrogation, additionally insured endorsements, what to look for when reviewing a certificate of insurance and completed operations coverage which is extremely critical. This topic isn’t always glamorous but, it’s certainly critical to understand and get right.

In this episode we are joined by Joe Kriesberg, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Community Development Corporation (MACDC). We discuss community development issues and trends in Massachusetts and around the country. We cover the fundamentals like what a Community Development Corporation does, how an organization can become recognized as a CDC and the benefits which may accrue to an organization that does. Specifically, we touch on Gateway Cities, Chapter 40B laws, low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) and Community Investment Tax Credits (CITC). Finally, we discus the benefits of civic participation and perhaps certain limitations of this worthwhile goal. We hope you enjoy this episode as Joe explains these topics in a way which is easy to understand and appreciate.

The Real Estate Addicts are joined by Mat Picheny, Managing Partner at MJP Property Group. With an investment portfolio of over 2,000 units, Matt shares the ins and outs of acquiring and repositioning multifamily communities. Matt has over 14 years of experience in property analysis, financing, acquisition, construction, and operations. The conversation focuses on syndication which is a way for investors to pool their financial resources to invest in properties and projects much bigger than they could afford on their own. We hope you enjoy and thanks for sharing the podcast with a friend and for your reviews!

We hope you and your families are doing well and you are weathering this uncertainty. We are grateful to be joined again by one of our favorite guests, Juline McMullen of Dale Carnegie Training for a special discussion on managing stress during uncertain times. Juline brings us through the “5 C’s” which are tools to help us through these daunting times. Juline holds a master’s in psychology and is certainly an expert on this subject. We took a lot out of our conversation and we hope you will too!

Ben is native Bostonian and co-founder of ZeroEnergy Design Architects who now spends his time focused on his own developments and on design within the maker space at his business HomeMade Modern. Ben is a BIG thinker and shares his portfolio and work on his YouTube channel which has 1.2 million subscribers! In this episode, Ben explains why the HGTV model for television focused on flashy before & afters & peppy personalities is not viewers actually want (7:30). We continue talking about how Ben has looked to the food industry to draw design inspiration (11:30). We admire Ben’s remarkable talent in creating memorable design moments which tactically employ labor thereby reducing costs. Ben explains how he deliberately designs his development budgets such that costs are asymmetrical (18:35). Lastly, should we cater our developments to the broadest possible segment of the population or focus on a niche segment of buyers where there may be far less supply of product (24:00).

In this episode, Marc, Dan & Ray discuss taking the leap from gut renovations to new construction. The guys share experience (& mistakes), covering a lot of ground (pun intended), discussing soil and site classification, foundation options, demolition, engineering & civil engineering concerns, surveying as well as many of the “trip wires” or “landmines” to look out for along the way. We appreciate your reviews and shares and welcome feedback (therealestateaddicts@gmail.com) to keep the podcast interesting and entertaining!

Real Estate Addicts is excited to share this conversation with Ann Ehrhart, owner of the retail real estate firm Boston Urban Partners, and its newly formed sister company Boston Urban Places. Together, the firms help their clients substantially increase the value of their buildings by creating vibrant and sustainable retail, while fostering a sense of community for tenants living there. Listen in as Ann discusses what’s really going on with brick & mortar retail and the threats she sees, both real and exaggerated. She shares her insight on what landlords and developers can do to avoid the dreaded “dark, empty storefront,” and thoughts on where the industry is heading. Don’t miss this candid overview about real estate’s most rapidly changing sector.

In this 2nd part of our 2-part episode with Juline McMullen, Director of Client Strategy at Dale Carnegie Training we take on a wide-ranging discussion on Leadership. Juline explains how effective leaders recognize the potential in others and enable them to perform at their best. We discus the importance of responding instead of reacting, how to be assertive without appearing aggressive and the difference between feedback and criticism. We hope you enjoy the episode and thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast!

The power of presentation and public speaking makes a huge difference in our success or failure in many professions but, especially as real estate developers. In this episode Juline McMullen, Director of Client Strategy at Dale Carnegie Training joins us to offer her best advice on mastering public speaking and making effective presentations. We start with the basics like getting to know your audience and planning your speeches; then we dive into using your voice, gestures, and ideas to create impact presentations. Other topics covered include, communicating with clarity and conviction, engaging audience participation and using storytelling to improve effective communication. We hope you enjoy the episode and thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing the Real Estate Addicts Podcast!

The Real Estate Addicts are joined this week by Michael LeBlanc, principal at Utile, a Boston based“design firm built like a think tank”. Utile has grown from their founding in 2002 to a 64-member team that consistently produces some of the smartest and most innovative approaches to design and urban planning in the City. In this episode Michael shares his perspective on design, why Utile has no one “signature style” and how Utile’s urban planning work influences and improves their design work. Michael walks our listeners through Utile’s very involved client-driven design process and explains how this process yields the right design at the right budget. Finally, Michael shares a “case study” on the Gerard, a 160-unit apartment building which presented a number of challenges during design which Utile did a masterful job of resolving. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. We appreciate your feedback (therealestateaddicts@gmail.com) and your reviews and thank you for sharing!

The Real Estate Addicts are thrilled to be joined by Ed Glaeser, Professor of Economics at Harvard University and author of the compelling and provocative book Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier. In this episode we explore why change is unlikely to be as terrifying as people have convinced themselves it’s likely to be, why unleashing private developers and allowing real growth promotes affordability (hint: “There is no repealing the laws of supply and demand!”). We touch on the notion of “landmarks” and Ed explains why “History shouldn’t be a straight jacket”. Other topics we touch on include, public transit, regulatory creep, we compare Detroit to Silicon Valley, Congestion pricing and finally we answer the question, how are good cities like good libraries? Thank you for sharing, rating & reviewing & we look forward to your feedback!

Carrie Tennant of the Community Builders (TCB) joins the Pod to discus how Affordable Housing is financed and developed. We closely examine low income housing tax credits (LITC) and provide a guide for developers interested in this sector of development. How are LITC's awarded and under what criteria? What is an ideal size project for LITC's? What is a 4% or 9% tax credit? How much of the project will those credits finance? How long do affordable deed restrictions last and what happens when they expire? We hope you enjoy the Podcast and please e-mail us at The RealEstateAddicts with your feedback!

In this episode we are joined by Josh Brandt, co-found of Stack + Co. and discus how Stack + Co has grown to becoming a best in class Design Build Firm in New England. Josh walks us through the founding of the company through growing the business to the $20mm per year mark. We also discus Josh's first foray leveraging his design/construction background into real estate development. The conversation was interesting and engaging throughout. We hope you get a chance to listen and please e-mail us with your feedback to TheRealEstateAddicts@gmail.com

Mike Costello has served as Director of Recruiting and Talent Acquisition for major companies like Suffolk Construction and American Tower where he currently leads corporate recruiting efforts and is responsible for overseeing 300-400 new hires per year! We discuss tips and tricks for recruiters and job candidates alike so they can make the best hires and career decisions. Some of the highlights of our conversation include; how to formally structure an interview, how to ask behavior and situational based questions as well as the best strategies to answer them. We hope you enjoy the Podcast and please e-mail us with your feedback or questions to TheRealEstateAddicts@gmail.com