XN STATE

For today's episode we bring back our returning champion Omar Khan, founder of Boardwalk Wealth, an investment firm focused on Class B acquisitions with value-add potential. Recently, due to the run up in prices we have seen in 70's/80's vintage multifamily buildings, Omar has begun to contemplate alternate investment strategies, including ground-up development. Today's episode  is centered around this specific topic, as we try to shed some light on  the question of "What makes more sense today, acquisitions, or ground-up development?"The best way to reach Omar is through e-mail at omar@boardwalkwealth.com, as well as at Boardwalk Wealth's website, where you can register for Omar's newsletter. Below is Omar's newsletter which spurred our conversation:A great question to ask, when confronted with any claim:  "Compared to what?"  I was thinking of the risk profile of a new development. It's considered risky in general, but what comparisons do we have?  Well, the current market conditions are really frothy.  Let's take assets built in the 80s/90s. They are now trading at (or close to) replacement cost. This means that 30-40 year old assets are roughly selling for the same amount as the cost to build a new development.  These older assets typically have outdated floor plans with high maintenance expense. So they will require a huge investment, and ramp-up period, to make them work as attractive deals.  Compared to THOSE assets, a real estate sponsor can assume a similar level of risk in a new development. Once built, this new asset requires minimal maintenance. The old asset ramp-up period is comparable to the new development build.  But then the new asset is far more efficient on rent per square foot, as well as cost per square foot.  On top of this, residents in new build communities tend to have higher incomes. And they are able to withstand economic downturns (like a pandemic) better than residents in lower income housing communities.  So in that sense, the new development is lower risk.  Food for thought.   Let me know if you have a rebuttal or would like me to elaborate.  Omar Khan Managing Partner, Boardwalk Wealth 

Today we are pleased to have Ricardo Outi on the show. Based in Miami, Florida, AIC Capital is a research-based, data-driven alternative investment platform. The firm specializes in capital allocation in private real estate on behalf of funds, institutions, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Ricardo has over 20 years of Wealth Management and Real Estate Investment experience. Throughout a career with Citigroup, Ricardo held positions of head of strategy and business development at Citi Offshore Wealth Management in Miami, Head of marketing and sales strategy in Tokyo, and a senior position at Citi Ventures in Singapore. In today’s episode, we dive into: The backbone of AIC Capital’s strategy, their data and market research tool that has been developed and perfected over years of data sourcing and data management. We discuss how the company manages to filter over 3,000 opportunities that hit their desk every year. And we hear about the first steps Ricardo took when deciding to leave Citigroup to prepare him for the next chapter in his career. As a friendly reminder, please keep in mind that anything discussed herein is for conversational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice on behalf of Ricardo or AIC Capital.LinkedInEmail: Ricardo.outi@aic-capital.comThe Handbook of Real Estate Portfolio Management by Joseph L. Pagliari The Age Curve by Kenneth W. GronbachFROM THIS EPISODE:ON DATA“We have research reports that we read. We stay attuned just to ensure that we are in sectors and cities that we want to locate capital in. The data and this research is the backbone of what we do and why and how we allocate capital.”“Data has been improving. We live in an information age and data is like the new oil of this economy. So any company that is not leveraging data is just missing it [opportunities]."ON MARKET DEMAND“Depending on the sectors there are more variables that are more important. That's what we call the drivers of real estate demand. For example, if you are in the residential rentals/multi-family/single-family sectors what you want is to basically retain. You want job growth, population growth; Population growth will lead to rental growth and home price appreciation. Those are the key drivers of demand.”ON RISK“If you're prudent in terms of your capital stack, your amount of leverage; if you are prudent doing your homework in terms of being in the sector, it's very hard to predict losing your capital and losing your investment there.”“During downturn moments drives a lot of uncertainty across the board. And uncertainty drives people to freeze when it comes to making decisions like buying a house and making an investment. For us we like those moments. We like those moments because when you do your homework and are comfortable in your sectors and the capital decisions you're making, you have less competition.”ON SUCCESSFUL INVESTING“When you really want to be a better real estate investor you really need to have both your feet really in the industry. You need to own assets. You need to be in there. You need to be talking to your property managers. Besides researching and looking at data, you need to be investing your own money as well so you have skin in the game.”

As president and head of CA’s Latin American division, Tony DiBiase focuses on international investment and development opportunities.Prior to joining CA, Tony served as chief operating officer at U.S. Equities Realty, a Chicago based real estate company also in Latin America. In real estate for over 25 years, Tony has spent over 15 years growing operating companies and working with large-scale real estate projects in international markets. His real estate experience includes commercial management and leasing, property and facility management, retail and mixed-use properties, student housing, receiverships, start-ups, and business unit sales. In today’s episode, we dive into:Navigating the finance challenges with banks outside the US and how to get buy-in when the concept is completely new to their market.Growth and competition in global student housing and how CA Ventures defines a potential growth market. https://www.ca-ventures.com/FROM THIS EPISODE:ON US MARKET TRENDS“The Sun Belt in general has been the focus of people moving in those states and cities and I think that will continue to happen especially within this economy where we’re finding we can work almost anywhere. They are going to choose small-town living and temperate weather”. “This is why multi-family is the trend of the next foreseeable future. It’s primarily because of the younger generation who are valuing experience over ownership. The younger generation worldwide isn’t seeing the value in (homeownership). They would rather have a mobile lifestyle. They rather have an experience of living rather than an asset on their balance sheet.”ON FACILITY MANAGEMENT“Facility managers are the owners of the real estate but they are also the tenants of the real estate. They need real estate executives to make their space-efficient. They are not looking for a return on investment for space. What they want is an efficient use of the space.”ON MARKET OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD“We look at opportunities agnostic of the country. And what we find is Latin America has a massive need that’s not being met in student housing, industrial, and also in multi-family.”“Real estate is a transferable skill and a transferable product. The United States may be ahead of the curve in a lot of these product types but the rest of the world wants and needs it also. The challenge is having the financial systems in place that can keep up with the evolution of real estate.”ON RISK“Here’s the reality - there’s risk everywhere. It’s just a matter of getting comfortable with it. And that’s something I would like to see our universities do a better job with because I don’t think we are well-educated on identifying risk and overcoming risk.”“With student housing, you're underwriting the University, not the city. The difference is that without the University there is no secondary market. Whereas with multi-family, you’re underwriting the city or the geographic area and asking - does that area have growth? What type of growth? Are people moving to that area because jobs are prevalent or leaving because it’s a dying area?”“I think the market is not never-ending. Already we see that there is some slow down in student housing because it’s starting to get built up to the demand that it has today. Moving forward I think universities have a really big and important struggle that they will have to get through over the next decade which is maintaining their costs and/or lowering their costs of education.”Book mentioned in this episode: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

As Vice-President for Southern Home Builders, Steve spent the major part of the last decade leading the company’s expansion into the Texas market with what was a new product at the time, the office condominium. A venture that not only led to great success but also resulted in countless valuable insights and lessons, which we dive into. Today, Steve Hextell has his sights set on exciting new ventures, both through his property management company called The Houston Office Company, and through a new development company called Tenet Developers, conceived to seize opportunities within the office condominium space, and beyond. In today’s episode, we dive into:What exactly is the office condominium product, what makes it unique, why it flies under the radar, and why it works. We discuss marketing, storytelling, the significance of knowing your customer, we discuss managing trades and construction costs, we discuss the main attributes to consider when looking for land for development, and much, much more.Email: steve@thoc-llc.com Website: www.houstonofficecompany.com/ Book referenced: The Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellFROM THE EPISODE: ON OFFERING LIMITED OPTIONS FOR CUSTOMIZATION“First of all, the product was really good. The floor plan was outstanding. And so there wasn’t a need to structurally change a lot of things.”“People don’t like to make a lot of changes.”ON KEEPING CONSTRUCTION COSTS LOW“When you're recruiting trades, you have to find people that are the most value trades out there. You can get them to do your project if you can promise them consistent delivery of available ready units for them to get in and out.”“Construction costs are an ongoing management process of exploring and looking at trades, riding other projects, construction sites, constantly with your business card out looking for other trades that can come in and competitively bid.”“When you layer on a general contractor and you layer on commercial trades and big trades, the numbers just don’t work. You almost have to be a 1-2 person show keeping your costs so low and driving your costs.”ON MARKETING“We don’t advertise, there was really no awareness campaign at all because we knew who the target audience was.”“We had a really good brand. We knew early on in our first project that our website, our collateral, our image, our logo, everything had to be really first class.”“When you do a good job well then you get referrals, and you don’t pay for referrals, you just ask people.”“Your place has got to look great. You’ve got to build a good product, you’ve got to communicate, you’ve got to ask for referrals. But you have got to have a plan in place. A strategy to execute.”ON FINDING OPPORTUNITIES“One of the key tenets is I always looked for land. I try to buy land in up and coming areas but buy it soon enough that it’s affordable.”“Be prepared to get involved in the market… You have to join the chamber, you have to join the economic development council, you have to talk to people, you have to ride the construction sites and get to know the trades.”“I still think being there with the clients, talking to them and watching your costs every day is crucial.”“Have your hands in every aspect of it. You could lose vast amounts of money really easily if there’s a mistake.”“You have to understand and know every penny that’s being spent.”“There’s an opportunity to be excited about what’s coming. And jump onto as much of it as you can. Be positive about it.”“Be the positive person in the room. Be the positive person about the future of what’s coming.”

Elie Rieder is founder and CEO of Castle Lanterra Properties. An active real estate investor, owner, and manager since 1998, Mr. Rieder has been directly involved in acquiring in excess of 20,000 multifamily units.At Castle Laterra, Mr. Rieder specializes in value-add acquisitions, where property performance can be enhanced through multiple operational and capital improvements. His investments have shown a strong history of success in improving both the quality of life for the tenants and the cash flow to the owner through improvements to unit quality, community amenities, and property aesthetics. In addition to his activities with Castle Lanterra, Mr. Rieder is an equity partner in a substantial number of units owned and managed by Fieldstone Properties, an active New Jersey investor, owner, and operator of multifamily communities in the eastern United States.In today’s episode we discuss:The different principles Mr. Rieder acquired from his father and grandfather, and how these have played a crucial role in shaping his investment philosophy. The case for an acquisition-based strategy vs. ground-up development.The significance of having boots in the ground before making an investment in a new market. And we discuss on of Castle Lanterra’s latest acquisitions, The Triangle, a landmark property here in Austin, Texas. To learn more about Elie Rieder and Castle Lanterra Properties, please visit www.castlelanterra.com.

Today we host the founder and CEO of International Capital Partners, Agustin Barrios Gomez. Building on an extensive and varied career in both the business and political sector, Agustin has capitalized on his knowledge of 28 years of investment experience, parlayed with a partnership with FOINBRA, the largest private equity commercial real estate fund in Mexico, to create his real estate investment product.In today’s interview we discuss: Why Agustin sees his product as so attractive on a risk-adjusted basis and a must-have for any investment portfolio. The significance of the spread between cap rates and cost of financing and how this factors into ICP’s strategy. The characteristics that ICP values most in a tenant when considering an acquisition . And we touch on today’s political environment surrounding the US and Mexico, and what it means for investment purposes as we head into 2021.Agustin brings a tremendous perspective to today’s show. It’s quite impressive how well Agustin understands real estate, his markets, his product, and his investors.Thank you for tuning in to another episode of XN STATE.

Tiho Brkan runs The Atlas Investor, a personalized service helping investors gain access to attractive private deal flow, with a focus on real estate strategies. Tiho manages investments on behalf of his family and other HNWI and family offices across the globe. In today’s interview we discuss: The risk-reward balance between investing in real estate with an equity vs. a mezzanine debt structure. We raise the question, “Is it worth looking outside the US for real estate investment opportunities, and how challenging is it to do so?”. We discuss the demographic segment that will be the global economic driver in the coming decade. And Tiho gives us a tremendous detailed look into the hidden gem of the European real estate market as well as a clear look into what goes into his process of analysis. You can find Tiho on Twitter @TihoBrkan, by e-mail at tiho@theatlasinvestor.com, or by visiting www.theatlasinvestor.com.

Today we bring in Clint Turner, founder of Away Land Co. At Away Land Co, Clint and his team buy what are called 'recreational properties', which are properties, basically in the middle-of-nowhere, typically between 5-10 acres, that people buy for a few thousand dollars, and can now proudly call themselves landowners of some acreage that they can actually use. It’s a very intriguing model with fantastic system that Clint has managed to put in place and that is working out pretty well for him, particularly during COVID-19.If you are interested in learning all about Clint's strategies, in detail, and directly from him, please visit Clint's Facebook group Learn Land University at https://www.facebook.com/groups/learnlanduniversity/.You can also find Clint on social media @clintturner.land.

Today we welcome Cory Older, co-founder and president of Austin-based River City Capital Partners, a real estate development firm focused on urban infill commercial projects.In today’s interview we discuss how Cory got his start in real estate, we discuss current and upcoming projects on the pipeline for River City Capital Partners, and we discuss the ins and outs of opportunity zone investing.To learn more about Cory and the company's projects, you may visit https://www.rivercityus.com/.

Today we welcome Nick Massad, VP of Development at American Liberty Hospitality. Nick has been in the hotel industry quite literally since he was a child, being raised in and around hotels by his parents Nick and Vicki who founded ALH in 1973.Prior to joining the company in 2010, Nick worked at Hilton Worldwide and at the Four Seasons Hotel company where he held various management positions.Today, as Vice President of Development, Nick handles the complete development process for ALH's new endeavors, including financing, construction and pre-opening management.In today’s interview we of course dive into how the company’s assets have fared during the pandemic and what to expect within the industry in the months and years ahead. We discuss the action the company has taken to ride out this pandemic and remain strong throughout, as well as the investment opportunities that have arisen in the sector due to these very struggles, and we discuss the company’s latest ground-up development, a dual brand Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites that is under construction and set to open in the coming months in Houston’s prestigious Galleria area.To learn more about American Liberty Hospitality, please visit http://amliberty.com/.

Today we bring in Trevor Hightower, president and Chief Development Officer at Craftwork Group.Craftwork partners with developers and landlords to design and service the next generation of our buildings, one that integrates the experience created through Craftwork’s “space-as-a-service” platform that gives residents, tenants, and coffee patrons what we all long for: A true community connection in an increasingly isolated world. In today’s interview we discuss: How Craftwork is building partnerships with developers and landlords to expand their presence. We discuss what Trevor calls the hotelification of traditional commercial real estate. We discuss Craftwork’s laser focus on their end user’s experience. And we even talk about the company’s coffee roasting facilities in Fort Worth, TX. You can learn more about Trevor and his company by visiting https://craftworkgroup.com/.

This week we bring in Jeff Lahr, Managing Director for Slate Real Estate Partners. At Slate, Jeff is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and executing new development opportunities in the Austin and Dallas Ft Worth markets. Jeff’s industry experience includes the successful completion of over $500M in residential and mixed-use projects, ranging from luxury high-rise to garden-style apartments and even retail shopping centers. Today we discuss how Jeff and his team source and evaluate these opportunities. We discuss Jeff’s involvement with SEVEN, a luxury high-rise apartment building in Austin’s Sixth Street. And we discuss the impact that COVD is having on architectural design in their projects. Website: http://slaterep.com/

This week we host RCLCO’s Director of Business Development Joshua Boren to discuss digital marketing in real estate as well as how he and his company see the current real estate landscape. Joshua Boren is recognized industry-wide for his digital marketing skills and for the work he does to bring business to his company through social media and other digital tools that our industry has generally been slow to adopt. We touch on new products that have hit the real estate scene recently and are garnering attention quickly, such as Single-Family Rentals and Production Studios.You may reach Josh at Joshua.boren@rclco.com, as well as on Twitter @JoshuaABoren. Be sure to follow RCLCO on Twitter as well @RLCO.

Today we host Matt Shafiezadeh, founding principal at Urban Genesis, one of the most active multifamily developers in the city of Houston. In today’s interview Matt goes into detail behind the success his company is achieving. We discuss the company’s staple product, the Highline series, we discuss the difference between being a developer and a manufacturer, and we talk about where Matt has set his sights for the next product series from Urban Genesis. You may learn more about Matt Shafiezadeh and Urban Genesis by visiting www.urban-genesis.com.

In 2012, Reed Goossens quit his job in Australia and moved half way across the globe to the US to change his life, and to chase a dream. With limited funds, no investing experience, and no credit, Reed went from purchasing a small duplex to growing his own real estate investing firm. Today, Wildhorn Capital has over 2,000 units under management totaling over $250M. In our interview we touch on how Reed managed to get his start and reach current scale in such a short period of time, how he has been able to use his outsider’s perspective as a competitive advantage, and potential opportunities that he paying attention to in today’s environment, such as hotel reconversions into multifamily space. You may reach out to Will be e-mail at reed@wildhorncap.com and learn more about his business and investments at www.wildhorncap.com.

Cody Christoph joined the Houston office of Colliers International in 2006 as an Associate in the company’s Industrial and Land Services Group. After 7 years in the brokerage business, Cody decided to transition into the development side by joining Corner Store Brands, where he was in charge of site selection and development for the Houston and Louisiana Markets. After nearly 5 years at CST, Cody rejoined Colliers as a Senior Associate, where he remains today. In our interview we discuss stories and lessons learned from Cody’s experience at CST, what due diligence items pose a bigger red flag than others, Cody’s favorite type of property to buy, and how to look for opportunities in a post-Covid environment. Cody can be reached by e-mail at cody.christoph@colliers.com.

Cory Gardner, aka "Cory The Broker", is an Indianapolis-based real estate broker and investor. Today we discuss Cory's first investment, which he refers to as his "tuition", as it may have cost him financially but gave him the tools and experience that he needed and the confidence to move forward with subsequent deals which have turned out a lot better. We talk about what it takes to be successful as a broker, a business that relies on attention and volume.And we discuss Cory’s daily rituals that involve waking up at 4:30am every day. You can find Cory in social media @CoryTheBoker, and reach him by e-mail at cory@corythebroker.com.

Morgan Group is a vertically integrated, 3rd generation family business that invests in multifamily housing. In its history, Morgan Group has built or acquired over $3 billion of multifamily assets, consisting of over 20,000 units. As Executive Vice President, Philip Morgan is responsible for overseeing MORGAN's growth in development activities in Texas, Colorado and Arizona as well as spearheading the company’s growing acquisitions business. Prior to joining Morgan Group, Philip co-founded BlueRoot Partners to take advantage of opportunities acquiring distressed real estate assets in Texas. We discuss this experience in detail as well as how it relates to potential post-Covid opportunities that may arise in the coming months. We also touch on the specific markets that Morgan Group is in and dissect the details as to why this is the case. And we dive into one of their most recent and probably most complicated yet rewarding projects, Pearl Marketplace in Midtown Houston. You may find out more about Morgan Group by visiting their website morgangroup.com.

In 2010, Lance Langenhoven founded The Commercial Professionals, a highly-regarded commercial brokerage firm in The Woodlands, TX. In addition to running his business, Lance is a successful real estate investor, having generated excellent returns in the investments he has made in recent years that include a boat and RV storage, land purchases, and residential flips, through very interesting strategies that we discuss openly and in detail in today’s show. Lance recently published two courses. One is on developing and operating a profitable Boat & RV storage operation, and the other is on buying and selling commercial land for profits. I highly encourage anyone who is willing to put in the work to create wealth through real estate to check them out at cashflowguru.teachable.com. You may also reach out to Lance directly at 832-483-8655.

Today we host real estate developer and Vice President at SUEBA USA, Raymond Gabriele. Sueba is a company whose work I have followed and respected greatly since I began studying the Houston market. Raymond's background and education is in architecture, however after working as an architect, Raymond decided to change seats at the table and venture into private development, joining Sueba 7 years ago. Today Raymond oversees Sueba’s development efforts in the greater Houston area, including the planning, acquisition, capitalization, and development of the company’s new residential and mixed-use projects. During today’s interview we discuss: The process of developing in a city with high barriers to entry. What to look for in a property when evaluating its use for commercial development. And we discuss what the future holds for the multifamily and housing environment going forward.

Today we welcome Glenn Gonzales to the show, CEO and Co-founder of Austin-based Obsidian Capital. Glenn has over 30 years of real estate experience. Prior to founding Obsidian, Glenn spent many years working in multi-family and commercial property management with companies such as Equity Residential, Evergreen Management Group, Glacier Management, as well as Pacific Property Company, a value-add investment firm. This year Glenn published his first book, From Maintenance Man to Millionaire, a fantastic read that we discuss in today’s show. We also discuss the three things Glenn looks for in a multifamily project to identify opportunity. How he has been able to build equity in projects while having $0 in the bank. And how to find opportunities in a world that has been shaken by Covid-19. You can reach Glenn directly at glenn@obsidiancapitalco.com as well as through Obsidian's website: www.obsidiancapitalco.com.

Today we host Evan Holladay, founder of Nashville based Holladay Ventures, a development firm that specializes on the affordable housing niche of the multifamily sector. Throughout his career, Evan has developed and invested over $225 million across over 1,300 multifamily units. In our interview we talk about the factors that are driving the affordability crisis that we are seeing in the US today, as well as what needs to be done to tackle this issue. We discuss Evan’s journey of branching out on his own to found Holladay Ventures, something that he as a kid always knew he wanted to do. And we discuss the impact that Covid-19 has had on his projects and how he is reacting accordingly. To learn more about Evan please tune in to his Monumental podcast, as well as visit https://evanholladay.com/ and https://holladayventures.com/. Here is the link to the article mentioned in the show: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/great-affordability-crisis-breaking-america/606046/

Ten years ago, Juan Vargas was working at a BMW dealership in Houston, he had a wife, two young kids and felt that he was not spending nearly enough time with them as he should. And that’s when he decided to turn to real estate. Today, through his company GenWealth Capital Group, Juan oversees the operations of over 700 units and is an equity partner in over 1,500 units. In our interview we discuss: Exactly why multifamily often makes more sense than investing in single family. The process of acquiring an out-of-state property, and how to start from zero in a new market. And we go into some pretty specific aspects of the multifamily investing process, such as what banks want to see in a borrower in order to get comfortable with making a loan. You can find out more about Juan through his Commit To Wealth podcast, his all-Spanish podcast El Cashflow Café, as well as by e-mail at juan@genwealthcapital.com.

Today we welcome real estate investor, speaker and co-founder of Austin-based Obsidian Capital, David Toupin. David first acquisition was a 12-unit apartment complex in Michigan back in 2016. Today, David has acted as a key principal in over $50M in real estate holdings and has raised north of $10M in capital. In our interview today we dive into:How David got his start in real estate on the back of a strong financial background and underwriting skills. We talk about the key metrics and numbers to look at when evaluating a real estate deal. And we discuss Obsidian Capital’s current undertaking, a 50-unit garden style multifamily development that is breaking ground shortly. You may find David on Instagram @realestatejedi and at Obsidian's website https://www.obsidiancapitalco.com/.

Today we host a developer that is leading one of the most prominent mixed-use active developments in Houston. He is the Co-Founding Principal at Collaborate, Saul Valentin. Saul has been involved in more than one billion square feet of design and construction space. Today, Saul’s focus is on developing Village Center, a large P3 development in Jersey Village, that integrates Office, Multi-Family, Retail, and Hospitality. In our interview we discuss: The process of developing a vision for a project such as Village Center. We discuss how Collaborate got their hands on the site as well as other development specifics. And we discuss the intricacies of P3 developments. P3 being short for public-private partnerships.

Today we welcome yet another multifamily investor, the founder de’ Medici Group, Mauricio Ramos. In 2016 Mauricio decided to take his life on a different trajectory, he decided to leave his career in the commercial construction industry to become a full-time entrepreneur and investor. It’s a decision that has proven to be both gratifying and lucrative, as he has currently controls over $2.7M in apartment properties in South Central Texas, and is doing better than ever. Mauricio is doing something today that is accessible to many of us who want to invest in real estate and want to have real estate be a vehicle through which we build wealth throughout our lives. Today we discuss Mauricio’s unconventional strategy to finding deals, we discuss the signature feature of de’ Medici Group’s buildings, and we discuss the asset classes that Mauricio is looking to get into as well as the projects that he is kicking off today. Thank you for being back for another episode of XN STATE. You can reach Mauricio on Instagram @Maurms, and reach his company at demedicigroup.com. You can also reach him by e-mail at mauricio@demedicigroup.com.

Mac McElwrath is the co-founder and managing principal of Wayfinder Real Estate, a multifamily and mixed use development firm based in Austin, TX, one of the most active development markets in the country.Mac has been in the apartment industry for over 15 years. Before co-founding Wayfinder, he was the first employee at Oden Hughes, a company that is today one of the most active apartment developers in Texas. We talk about Mac’s experience as Managing Director there, and the role he played in taking the company to where it is today. We also discuss:The process behind why and how Mac decided to branch out on his own to co-found Wayfinder. The challenges of developing in a city like Austin that is known for its stringent regulations. The Troubadour, Wayfinder’s first development a 321-unit apartment project in central Austin. Mac has been someone I’ve been looking forward to sitting down with for a while due to his reputation in real estate and proven track record. There’s a lot to learn from this episode from a development standpoint.Thank you for tuning in! You can find out more about Mac and his company at wayfinderrealestate.com.

For today’s episode we interview Bijal Patel, founder of LAUNCH, an award-winning, commercially-focused Interior Design and Graphics firm based in Houston, TX.Bijal brings a fantastic personality and great energy to the show.We talk about:LAUNCH’s focus on high-end design, regardless of budget.Authenticity in design and how newer generations value authenticity more than ever. Bijal's transition from working at two prominent architectural firms to founding her own company. The importance of a designer’s role on the field dealing with contractors.The advantage of being a specialist rather than a generalist. New trends in design and the intersection of design with art and culture.Please follow Bijal on Instagram @welaunchyou as well as on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest trends within the interior design industry in commercial real estate.

Today we interview multifamily investor Adrian Salazar. Adrian's background in construction has allowed him to identify opportunistic assets in need of re-positioning in the central and southern Texas markets. Adrian's hands-on approach to re-development has allowed him to achieve excellent returns early in his real estate career through his company, Optimum Buyers.We talk about:Adrian’s start in wholesaling, and what wholesaling is.Adrian’s background in the construction industry. The importance of mindset and what Adrian does to keep his mindset at the level it needs to be in order to operate at a high level.The speed at which Adrian and his partners are moving in the re-positioning of their properties and how the manage to do so. You can reach Adrian on Instagram @adriansalazar or by e-mail at adrian@optimumbuyers.com.

Zach is a real estate broker and investor based in Indiana. At age 19 he bought his first property, a $28,000 house that opened the door for his real estate ventures. 4 years later, he is well on his way to building a stable cash-flowing portfolio.We talk about:What it is like investing in multifamily as an out-of-state investor.The underrated Indianapolis market and how it has evolved in the last 3 years.What it is like running into investing success at an early age.Zach’s first deal, a $28k home that got him in the door of real estate investing. His mistakes and lessons learned from this investment. How brokerage was a great jumping board on to real estate investing. An outsider’s opinion on the Houston market.Doing all of this while having fun. Which matters more than the importance we give it. I really enjoyed Zach’s down to earth perspective, moving fast but not in a rush. You can reach Zach at zach@zachhoereth.com as well as on his website zachhoereth.com. And on Instagram @zach.hoereth.

Andrew brings a fascinating perspective from an angle that we don't hear a lot from these days, bullish on the retail sector.We talk about:His outlook on an evolving retail industry. His firm belief on the importance of "bringing something to the table".How he partnered with two seasoned real estate investors when he was starting out.Andrew’s perspective on an “overpopulated” multifamily market.The demographic information that his company targets.How Gr8 Partners capitalizes on the current spread between financing interest rates and the cap rates that he is able to achieve in retail. You can reach Andrew through gr8partners.com, and I encourage everyone to check out Andrew’s Spanish podcast El Cashflow Café.

Today we interview Omar Khan. Omar runs Boardwalk Wealth, a private equity firm based in Dallas, TX that specializes in multifamily real estate opportunities of B and C class properties with value-add potential. We talk about:The markets Omar is in right now and the reasons why. The difference between investing in existing assets vs. ground-up development. How his company zones in on a target market and eventually finds a property there. Today’s market and where we are on the economic cycle. How much buyers are overpaying for assets today and what Omar is doing about it. Omar’s thoughts on the Houston market. Where Omar’s time is best spent today in the running of his company. The most important attribute Omar looks at when selecting a market and the most important attribute he looks at when evaluating individual property. You can find out more about Boardwalk Wealth and subscribe to their newsletter at boardwalkwealth.com, which I highly recommend. You can also find Omar on LinkedIn or reach out to him at omar@boardwalkwealth.com

Welcome to XN STATE! A podcast made to keep us at the forefront of what’s happening in the world of real estate through the words of the industry leaders of today and tomorrow, with one mission, finding out where the greatest opportunity in real estate is and what it takes to capitalize on it. Thanks for tuning in. Welcome to the show! -- Your host, JCQ (jcq@cqxglobal.com)