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Airing for one season from 1955 to 1956, the television Western series was based loosely on the life of the self-appointed "Law West of the Pecos".
Looking to escape the 9-to-5 grind and build true wealth? In this episode of the Jake & Gino Podcast, we sit down with Jens Nielsen, who immigrated from Denmark in 1996 and successfully transitioned from a 25+ year IT career to full-time real estate investing and high-performance coaching. Today, Jens is a direct owner or General Partner in over 2,000+ apartment units and 100,000+ square feet of industrial assets valued at over $250M. Discover how Jens started with a single $117,000 fourplex in Albuquerque, ran out of his own money, and used creative financing, joint ventures, and syndication to scale a massive commercial real estate portfolio. He also breaks down his recent pivot into industrial real estate, explaining the massive benefits of Triple Net (NNN) leases and small-bay flex spaces. As a Certified High Performance Coach, Jens also dives deep into the 5 pillars of success (Clarity, Energy, Courage, Productivity, and Influence) and shares how a near-fatal mountain bike crash completely shifted his perspective on taking immediate action in life. If you want to decouple your time from your income, master your entrepreneurial mindset, and learn how to navigate today's shifting real estate market, this episode is a must-watch!
In our latest episode of Syndication Nation, leveraged finance reporter Sunny Oh sits down with Mark Melchiorre, chief investment officer of Forza Investment Group, to discuss how insurance-focused asset managers are helping to finance America's new “Manhattan Project” — the rapid buildout of tech and AI-driven digital infrastructure.Melchiorre discusses his journey through credit markets and the appeal of hybrid capital in a world of growing dispersion. He also talks about the prospects for small modular nuclear reactors, which have garnered interest as power proves to be a key bottleneck in the race to develop new data centers.Check out coverage on leveraged finance and private credit at 9fin.com.Have any feedback on the podcasts? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com — thanks for listening!
Links & ResourcesFollow us on social media for updates: Instagram | YouTubeCheck out our recommended tool: Prop StreamThank you for listening!
Links & ResourcesFollow us on social media for updates: Instagram | YouTubeCheck out our recommended tool: Prop StreamThank you for listening!
In our latest episode of Syndication Nation, US investment grade editor William Hoffman and senior leveraged finance reporter Sunny Oh discuss one of the hottest topics in corporate credit — data center bonds.With billions of dollars of fresh debt hitting both high-grade and high-yield markets to finance the AI infrastructure buildout, investors are being asked to underwrite these project finance-type deals. That's changing the job of the average tech credit analyst, forcing them to exercise a due diligence muscle they don't typically use.For more detail, read Will, Sunny, Yiwen and Dan's latest piece discussing all the nuances and structures that lenders say can make or break one of these bond offerings. Find all our coverage of this new debt class at 9fin.com.Have any feedback for us? Send a note to podcast@9fin.com. Thanks for listening!
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT SEAN POGGI Sean is the Asset Manager of Uptown Syndication. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and brings over 14 years of leadership experience with Apple Inc. Sean has been actively investing in real estate since 2015, with experience managing both short-term and long-term rental properties, including out-of-state investments. As a passionate Project Manager and Entrepreneur, Sean is focused on driving operational efficiency, overseeing asset performance, and supporting the long-term success of each investment opportunity. ABOUT CHRIS SHEPARD Chris Shepard is an experienced real estate investor, property manager, and real estate agent. He owns property in multiple states and chooses to invest in Portland, Oregon. He has completed multiple 1031 exchanges and cost segregations to maximize the tax benefits of investing in real property. Chris also holds the principal broker's license for Uptown Properties LLC and is responsible for its real estate activities. On top of his state license, Chris holds a Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance from the University of Arizona. With his extensive background in deal analysis and negotiation, he provides incredible value to this company and its projects. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: Sean and Chris break down the first full-cycle deal Finding upside through low rents, neglected management, and deferred maintenance Negotiating a $75,000 seller credit during acquisition When the Freddie Mac loan fell through after a failed property inspection Pivoting to hard money financing to get the deal closed Tackling major mold remediation and taking one unit down to the studs Replacing roofs, improving exteriors, and executing the renovation plan Refinancing during COVID and navigating shifting lender requirements How COVID reserves impacted refinance proceeds The lesson learned from refinancing too quickly Why loan-to-cost restrictions limited early capital returns Stabilizing the property through improved operations and rent growth Dispositioning the asset in 2025 after completing the full cycle Key investor lessons and how they shaped future syndications KEY QUOTE: “Every investor remembers their first full-cycle deal because it teaches you what the spreadsheet never can.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #ApartmentInvesting #RealEstateSyndication #ValueAddRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #PassiveInvesting #ActiveInvesting #AccreditedInvestor #CashFlowInvesting #PrivateEquityRealEstate #FullCycleInvesting #MultifamilySyndication #RealEstateInvestors #InvestmentProperty #RentalPropertyInvesting #InvestorEducation #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom #AssetManagement #PropertyManagement #RealEstateEducation #RealEstateProfessionals #PortfolioGrowth #CapitalRaising #RealEstateOperator #IncomeProducingAssets #MarketCycleInvesting #InvestmentStrategy #UptownSyndication CONNECT WITH SEAN AND CHRIS: Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanpoggi Email: syndication@uptownpm.com Website: https://www.uptownsyndication.com CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this insightful interview, Steven Rinaldi shares his 37-year journey in private securities offerings, emphasizing the importance of niche expertise, resilience, and relationship-building in legal practice. Discover practical tips on fund formation, avoiding common pitfalls, and the mindset needed for long-term success in real estate and securities law. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Part 2 with Cam Hay from Mustr Racing — and this one's a ripper. Cam breaks down exactly how he picks the horses he syndicates, why his data analyst (allegedly living in a dark room under a house) is the secret weapon, and the heartbreaking yarn about the horse he was this close to buying — that went on to win a Caulfield Cup, then a Melbourne Cup. Yeah. Half Yours. Plus the boys get into why a failed vet check (Paltrow Miss) was actually the right call, how benchmark ratings work, and why Buckeye is the perfect tried horse for the Mustr syndicate — already winning by 5 lengths, well-bred, and racing again by early July. Cam also walks through the new Mustr Racing app — live updates, prize money straight into your wallet, marketplace, all the gear.
Knuckles sits down in Launceston, Tasmania with Cam Hay from Mustr Racing for the first ever Proper True Yarn pod recorded in Tassie. Cam runs Mustr Racing with his two brothers Michael and Tom — a micro-share syndication business making race horse ownership accessible to everyday Aussies. The boys yarn about Cam's failed-professional-punter grandfather, his dad's first horse share bought off a hot day at the races, and how Mustr has partnered with Alpha Blokes, Hello Sport, and now Knuckles himself on the new horse — Buckeye. Cam breaks down how a one-off $255 buy-in covers training fees, vet costs, race day events and a merch pack for the entire career of the horse — no surprise bills, no monthly invoices. Just the fun of being an owner without getting smashed by ongoing fees. Part 1 of 2 — next episode dives into how Cam and the boys actually pick the horses they syndicate.
What did you think of todays show??A Hawaii broker tracked Mike down by email to warn him a Pace Morby sub-to deal had collapsed, the investors were headed for the SEC, and the people at the top had already paid themselves. In this episode, Mike and Dylan break down who actually profits when a deal goes wrong, from wholesalers who squeeze the seller after the inspection to syndication fees you pay whether the fund performs or not. Plus, why a record slice of the stock market belongs to almost nobody.Topics discussed:Introduction (00:00)Working and closing deals while you travel (2:12)The $2 bill trick that builds business connections (4:05)The Pace Morby deal headed to the SEC (5:49)How the top five paid themselves first (8:28)Two kinds of operators: revenue vs sustainability (13:00)Why "equity pirate" wasn't really an insult (14:27)You don't know your ethics until you're tested (15:44)The price-drop that got wholesalers banned (17:40)Syndication fees you pay for zero performance (20:12)The 30-year mortgage tops 5% again (22:26)The stock market's record concentration at the top (30:01)Why companies, not governments, may run everything (31:35)Follow us on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/collectingkeyspodcast/https://www.instagram.com/mike_invests/https://www.instagram.com/investormandan/https://www.instagram.com/dylan_does_dealsThis episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com (https://podcastboutique.com/)
Now AvailableMatt Whipkey & The Movies / Regular RoomMatt Whipkey & The Movies / Self Imaginary LoveMatt Whipkey & The Movies / Lonely Town 2Matt Whipkey & The Movies / Ruffin
In our latest episode of Syndication Nation, US investment grade editor William Hoffman and LevFin senior reporter Sunny Oh break down a complicated mess of debt headed for the primary in the back half of 2026 to fund the combination of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery.The debt stack is expected to include $32bn of existing bonds and $49bn of newly syndicated debt split across asset classes for one of the largest financings of the year.For more detail, read William, Sunny and Will Macadam's latest piece breaking down the colossal $81bn debt stack that will finance this deal. Find all our coverage of the Paramount-WBD deal at 9fin.com. Have any feedback for us? Send a note to podcast@9fin.com. Thanks for listening!
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Tom St. John shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings to successful real estate investor. He discusses his strategies for scaling in multifamily, overcoming financing challenges, and the importance of action and mentorship in real estate success. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
In this episode of Syndicated Nation, senior reporter Sunny Oh welcomes Lotfi Karoui, managing director and multi-asset credit strategist for Pimco, to discuss how corporate credit has managed to hold up in the face of geopolitical jitters from the Middle East and worries around the terminal value of software businesses.Karoui also addresses the relative liquidity between direct lending and 144a private placements — often conflated with private credit — the growing dispersion of loan marks in business development vehicles, and questions around whether public bond markets can absorb the flood of data-center-driven issuance spurred by hyperscalers' AI spending.Find all of our coverage on leveraged finance and corporate credit at 9fin.com.Have any feedback on the podcast? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com — thanks for listening!
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Joel Block shares his journey from professional blackjack to real estate investing, emphasizing the importance of strategic thinking, intuition, and being an advantage player in business. Discover how to leverage math, psychology, and tactical skills to succeed in shifting markets. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Randy Langenderfer shares his journey from corporate America to real estate syndication, focusing on multifamily investments, market strategies, and the importance of education and persistence in building a successful real estate business. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
The HALO (heavy assets, low obsolescence) trade has gained traction in recent months — particularly in the equity markets — as investors turn away from software businesses amid AI displacement concerns.In this week's episode of Syndication Nation, 9fin's podcast on all things leveraged finance, LevFin reporter David Westenhaver joins US deputy editor Sasha Padbidri in unpacking HALO for our side of the market — which credits are actually benefitting from the trade, and whether this is truly a safe haven for LevFin investors.Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com. Thanks for listening!
Send us Fan MailOkay, here's the 4-1-1: Four men delve into science and figure out that ghosts are real and can be contained. It seems like this would change everything we ever thought about the afterlife. Hmmm… better to not think too hard about this. Kids, this is the story of how this ghost-busting show came to syndication. Who created this clever idea? Where did that earworm theme song come from? Twinkies? Why did it have to be Twinkies? All these questions, and more, will be answered in this look at THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS!Thanks for 'tooning in!
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Neil Henderson shares his journey from defense contracting to self-storage investment, emphasizing the importance of relationships, integrity, and hands-on experience in real estate success. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT ROBERT MARTINEZ Robert Martinez is the Founder and CEO of Rockstar Capital, a Texas-based firm specializing in the investment and management of multifamily assets. Under his leadership, the firm manages a portfolio of 4,415 units across 22 communities. Robert is the first individual to have been awarded the prestigious NAA Independent Owner of the Year twice, in 2013 and 2019. Since its founding in 2011, Rockstar Capital has earned notable industry recognition, including 19 city, state, and national apartment association awards. Rockstar Capital's in-house property management company has been top-rated by ApartmentRatings.com since 2015 and was ranked #4 in Texas for best online reputation management by J Turner Research. Additionally, five Rockstar Capital communities have been listed in the top 1% nationally for online resident satisfaction out of more than 116,000 communities. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: Robert Martinez's background in real estate investing From engineering and sales to full-time multifamily investing Discovering forced appreciation and the “magic formula” Building Rockstar Capital and scaling to 4,400+ units in Texas Early lessons from investing through the Great Recession Why resident retention drives apartment profitability Self-managing for culture, control, and performance Weekly leadership systems and operational accountability Fixing underperforming properties Changing property culture after acquisition Value-add renovations that actually improve resident experience Hiring, training, and promoting from within Lessons on leverage, debt, and surviving changing market cycles Why bad loans can sink good real estate deals Single-asset syndications vs. fund structures Winning deals through certainty, speed, and sponsor credibility Entrepreneurship, leadership, and long-term wealth building Connect with Robert KEY QUOTE: "If you know what you're doing, it's not risky. It's a controlled risk. It's a calculated risk.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #ApartmentInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #PassiveInvesting #ActiveInvesting #AccreditedInvestor #CashFlowInvesting #ValueAddRealEstate #RealEstateSyndication #PropertyManagement #AssetManagement #InvestorMindset #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom #PrivateEquityRealEstate #RentalPropertyInvesting #TexasRealEstate #InvestmentStrategy #PortfolioGrowth #CapitalRaising #RealEstateEducation #WealthPreservation #LongTermInvesting #RealEstateOperator #InvestorEducation #IncomeProducingAssets #ForcedAppreciation #MarketCycleInvesting #RealEstateProfessionals CONNECT WITH ROBERT MARTINEZ: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apartmentrockstar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theapartmentrockstar/ Website: https://rockstar-capital.com CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT CODY PAYNE Cody Payne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Flex Parks USA, a national brokerage, advisory, and platform exclusively focused on small-bay flex industrial real estate. With more than 20 years of experience and 1,000+ closed commercial real estate transactions, Cody is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities in the small-bay flex and multi-tenant industrial sector across the United States. Cody's background spans investment sales, leasing, asset positioning, and market strategy across office and industrial real estate. In addition to brokerage, Cody is a co-author of Flex Space Domination, a top-recognized book on small-bay flex investing, and a frequent speaker, advisor, and media contributor within the commercial real estate industry. His work continues to shape the future of flex space development and investment nationwide. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: Cody Payne's path into commercial real estate Why small-bay industrial is gaining traction What flex parks are and who uses them How Flex Parks USA finds and evaluates sites Key market research before development Ideal project size, layout, and tenant mix Why investors are shifting from multifamily Lease structure, rent growth, and cash flow Management and leasing in flex industrial Risks and realities of industrial condos Valuation metrics and underwriting insights Career lessons, mistakes, and long-term growth KEY QUOTE: “A lot of people look at small bay as the multifamily of industrial.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #IndustrialRealEstate #SmallBayIndustrial #FlexParks #PassiveInvesting #AccreditedInvestor #CashFlowInvesting #CREInvesting #RealEstateInvestor #InvestmentProperty #RealEstateSyndication #CommercialProperty #WealthBuilding #PortfolioGrowth #InvestorEducation #AlternativeInvestments #IncomeProducingAssets #AssetManagement #DealAnalysis #MarketResearch #PropertyInvestment #PrivateEquityRealEstate #MultifamilyToIndustrial #CashFlowStrategies #InvestmentOpportunities #BuildWealth #FinancialFreedom #LongTermInvesting #SmartInvesting CONNECT WITH CODY PAYNE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/codypayne/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/txofficeindustrial/ Website: www.flexbusinesspark.com CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
What does it take to go from a Chicago paperboy with nothing in his pocket… to a 5x bestselling author, musician, and host of one of the most globally recognized podcasts with 50 million listens? Tony D'Urso knows — and in this episode of Syndication Made Easy with Vinney "Smile" Chopra, he shares every step of how he got there. From his immigrant roots in Italy and Chicago to building a media empire with zero connections and zero experience, Tony brings raw honesty, practical frameworks, and genuine wisdom to every minute of this conversation. He and Vinney dive deep into Vision Maps, the "Burn the Bridge" mindset, AI and the future of work, passive income as a survival strategy, servant leadership, and Tony's brand-new inspirational music album. Whether you're an accredited investor, a real estate syndicator, or an entrepreneur trying to build the life you actually want — this episode will shift your thinking.
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Micah Johnson interviews Rachael Holladay, a seasoned real estate investor and chief lending officer at Bridgeline Capital. They discuss her journey in real estate, the importance of relationships, creative financing, and how AI tools are transforming the industry. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT JOE RINDERKNECHT Joe Rinderknecht is the founder of Cowboy Capital, a real estate investment firm focused on acquiring and operating value-add apartment communities with a hands-on, operator-first approach. He also oversees investment activity through Upgrade Partners Capital, where he has experience structuring and managing capital across joint ventures and fund investments. With nearly a decade in commercial real estate, Joe's background spans property management, construction oversight, asset management, and capital raising. A recent 54-unit acquisition built in 1998 achieved a $2.5 million increase in value within six months through disciplined capital improvements and operational efficiencies. Joe holds a BS in Finance with minors in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship from Utah State University. Outside of real estate, Joe enjoys fishing, traveling, and spending time outdoors with his wife and three children. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: Joe's path from ranch life and construction work into multifamily real estate investing How the 2008 crash shaped his views on risk, stability, and entrepreneurship Why he chose real estate over a more traditional career path His early house-hacking and small multifamily investing experience What working in property management taught him about operations and ownership How distressed properties can be stabilized through stronger management and accountability The role of asset management and construction oversight in creating value How Cowboy Capital was built through partnership, relationships, and complementary strengths What operators are seeing in today's multifamily market across different regions Joe's lessons on partnerships, authenticity, and learning by doing KEY QUOTE: “If you can provide a safe, clean community where tenants can call it home, they're going to be okay with paying for services that make life more convenient.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #ApartmentInvesting #RealEstateInvestor #PassiveIncome #CashFlowInvesting #AssetManagement #PropertyManagement #HouseHacking #ValueAddInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #InvestmentProperty #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom #InvestorMindset #PortfolioGrowth #RentalProperty #CashFlowStrategy #DistressedAssets #RealEstatePodcast #DealAnalysis #MarketCycles #EntrepreneurMindset #PrivateEquityRealEstate #AccreditedInvestor #NOIGrowth #PropertyOperations #WealthThroughRealEstate #InvestmentStrategy #RealEstateEducation CONNECT WITH JOE RINDERKNECHT: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerinderknecht/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_rinder/ CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
In this episode of Syndication Nation, 9fin's podcast on all things leveraged finance, LevFin reporter David Westenhaver joins US deputy editor Sasha Padbidri to discuss his recent reporting on the wild ride that is Six Flags.Fresh off the heels of a major refinancing, the company offloaded a handful of parks with the goal of deleveraging and focusing investment on a smaller portfolio. But will that be enough to fix the balance sheet? Or, after a decade of missteps, can the amusement park owner's new CEO complete the operational turnaround that investors have sought for years?Follow our reporting on Six Flags at 9fin.com. Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com. Thanks for listening!Footnote: The podcast mentions that Knott's Berry Farm has one of the oldest wooden roller coasters, and that it is 65 years old. The roller coaster referenced was GhostRider, which was built in 1998. The oldest continuously operational wooden roller coaster in the world is Scenic Railway in Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia. The coaster entered operations in 1912.
In this episode, Michael Blank breaks down the two biggest myths that stop aspiring investors from getting started in apartment building investing. Many believe they need years of experience or their own capital to do a deal—but Michael explains why neither is true. By reframing these misconceptions and focusing on building the right team and skill set, you can fast-track your path to your first multifamily deal and start scaling much faster than you thought possible.
What if the biggest reason you have not stepped into commercial real estate is not lack of money, but lack of clarity? In this episode, Jen Josey sits down with Michael Holshouser of Linville Team Partners to break down how accredited investors can build wealth through commercial real estate without getting lost in confusing deals, vague promises, or risky guesswork. If you have ever wondered how passive real estate investing really works, this conversation pulls back the curtain. Michael shares how his team created an investor portal that gives people deal-by-deal visibility, real transparency, and a clear path into commercial real estate investing. You will hear how underwriting works behind the scenes, what red flags can kill a deal, how preferred returns and profit splits are structured, and why control, cash flow, and market knowledge make real estate such a powerful hedge against inflation. This is practical, real-world insight from a team that closed major deals and built trust by putting their own money alongside their investors. This episode is for accredited investors, real estate entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone looking for smarter ways to grow long-term wealth through passive income. If you are tired of stock market volatility, curious about syndications, or ready to understand commercial real estate with more confidence, this is a must-listen right now. The right knowledge can help you avoid expensive mistakes and spot opportunities faster. 5 Powerful Takeaways Learn how accredited investors can enter commercial real estate with a lower minimum investment while still accessing larger, higher-quality deals. Discover why deal-by-deal transparency can help investors make smarter decisions instead of blindly trusting a pooled fund. Understand the underwriting process, including cash flow, lease terms, market risk, environmental concerns, and tenant strength. Hear how strong property management, local market expertise, and in-house deal analysis can protect returns and reduce surprises. See what a real passive investment structure looks like, from quarterly preferred returns to long-term profit at sale. About the Guest Michael Holshouser is part of Linville Team Partners, a commercial real estate investment team helping accredited investors participate in commercial deals with more clarity, transparency, and support. With more than 20 years of experience in commercial banking and commercial real estate finance, he brings deep expertise in underwriting, deal analysis, and investment strategy. Michael helps source projects, evaluate risk, and structure opportunities that are designed to be both understandable and scalable for passive investors. His team built an investor platform that has already attracted more than 100 accredited investors and supported tens of millions in deals. He is known for making complex commercial real estate concepts simple, practical, and actionable. Resources & Websites Mentioned https://ltpcommercial.com 00:00 REIGN Podcast Intro 01:02 Investor Friendly Realtors 03:51 Meet Michael Holshouser 05:48 Linville Platform Overview 07:14 Accredited Investor Explained 09:43 Investor Portal Walkthrough 10:10 Syndication vs Custom Fund 12:49 Deal Transparency Model 14:07 1031s and IRA Options 16:45 Underwriting Deep Dive 18:37 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid 22:06 Deal Breaker Red Flags 24:27 Sell Leaseback Case Study 27:14 Real Estate vs Stocks 28:51 Sweet Spot Deal Sizes 29:43 Lower Minimum Investment 30:41 Off Market Deal Flow 32:11 In House Expertise Edge 34:19 Sponsor Invests Alongside 35:02 Returns And Payouts 38:49 Conservative Underwriting 40:25 How To Invest Portal 42:56 Badass Book Picks 44:47 Advice And Network 47:32 Drive Goals Systems 51:07 Defining Success Wrap
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Send us Fan MailFilm Hustlers — Season 6 (now with video) — is a fast-moving Podcast for filmmakers, creators, and anyone hustling in today's shifting media landscape. Hosts Mark Roberts, Tuddy (Rod Rinks), and Davey Dave mix 30 years of indie filmmaking experience, industry news, practical advice on financing, distribution, and cross-platform content, plus candid conversations about making movies in the age of streaming, influencers, and microdramas. Expect insider stories, creative strategy, and real-world tips to help you make, market, and monetize your work.
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT STEPHEN MORELStephen Morel is the Founder and CEO of JurisDeed, a New Orleans -based PropTech startup that's democratizing access to tax lien investing. As a title attorney with 20 years of experience in property law. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home in 2005, Stephen rebuilt it with his own hands while simultaneously launching his legal practice. That experience revealed how broken and inaccessible the distressed property system was for everyday investors, inspiring him to create JurisDeed. He serves on the Louisiana State Law Institute's Tax Sales Committee and co-authored a complete re-draft of Louisiana's delinquent tax collection system. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: · Stephen's journey from property law · What is tax lien investing, and why it matters· How tax liens differ from tax deeds· Tax sale industry and institutional players· Diving into distressed property solutions· The post-Katrina backlog of tax deed properties · Creating systems for tax deed properties · Title Insurances and Distressed Inventory· Tax lien investing after purchase· How JurisDeed is built to simplify workflows· Making tax sale investing more accessible · Startup lessons on solving real customer problems KEY QUOTE: “Tax lien investing is powerful because it's secured by real estate and backed by a system counties depend on.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #TaxLienInvesting #TaxDeedInvesting #TaxSaleInvesting #RealEstateInvestor #PropertyInvesting #InvestorEducation #PassiveIncome #WealthBuilding #RealEstateWealth #InvestmentStrategy #RealEstatePodcast #PropertyInvestment #CashFlowInvesting #AlternativeInvesting #DistressedProperties #TitleInsurance #ForeclosureInvesting #LandInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #RentalPropertyInvesting #InvestorMindset #RealEstateOpportunities #AssetBasedInvesting #FinancialFreedom #RealEstateProfessionals #SmartInvesting #InvestmentOpportunities #BuildWealthThroughRealEstate #RealEstateEducation CONNECT WITH STEPHEN MOREL:Website: https://www.jurisdeed.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmorel-jd https://www.linkedin.com/company/jurisdeed CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
Lane Kawaoka explains passive real estate investing, syndications, and how high-income earners can build wealth without being landlords.In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack Hoss sits down with Lane Kawaoka from Simple Passive Cashflow to break down how real estate investors can build wealth without managing properties themselves.Lane specializes in helping high-income professionals transition into passive real estate investing through syndications and private placements.In this conversation, we cover:What passive real estate investing actually isHow syndications work step-by-stepWho qualifies as an accredited investorWhy high-income earners struggle to scale with rentalsThe shift from active investing to passive cashflowRisks and misconceptions in syndicationsHow to evaluate deals and operatorsWhy networking and community matter at higher levelsIf you're tired of managing tenants or want to scale beyond single-family rentals, this episode will open your eyes to a different path.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Meet Lane Kawaoka01:30 – Lane's Background & Engineering to Investing04:00 – What Is Passive Real Estate Investing?06:45 – Active vs Passive Investing Explained09:30 – What Is a Syndication?12:15 – Accredited Investor Breakdown15:00 – Why High-Income Earners Pivot18:40 – Risks in Passive Investing21:30 – Evaluating Deals & Operators24:15 – Building Wealth Through Networking27:00 – Common Mistakes Investors Make30:30 – Final Thoughts#PassiveIncome #RealEstateInvesting #Syndications #AccreditedInvestor #PassiveRealEstate #CashflowInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstatePodcast #InvestorMindset #RealDealChatWork With RealDealCrewIf you're already closing deals but your intake, follow-up, or visibility feels inconsistent, here are two ways to go deeper:Take the Deal Intake AssessmentSee how resilient your current operation actually is.→ https://assessment.realdealcrew.comBook a Fit CallIf you want to explore what a fully system-driven deal flow looks like, let's talk.→ https://realdealcrew.com/bookLIKE • SHARE • JOIN • REVIEWWebsiteApple PodcastsYouTubeYouTube MusicSpotifyAmazon MusicFacebookTwitterInstagram
In this episode of Syndication Nation, 9fin's podcast on all things leveraged finance, US LevFin reporter Zoe Han joins US managing editor Bill Weisbrod to discuss her recent reporting on the explosive growth of prediction markets — and whether credit investors are actually all in or just hedging their bets.Are prediction markets a legitimate “truth machine” for LevFin dealmakers? Listen in and draw your own conclusion!Got a hot take or just need to vent after blowing your bonus on a bad bet? Drop us a note at podcast@9fin.com.
Most real estate investors hit a ceiling — and they don't even know it. Lane Kawaoka scaled to 10,000 apartment units and over $1 billion in deals, and he's been completely transparent about what worked, what blew up, and what he's doing differently now. In this episode, Lane breaks down his "Wealth Elevator" framework — the actual stages wealthy people climb through, from collecting rentals to syndicating commercial deals to investing alongside nine-figure family offices. He shares why the 2022 rate hike stopped him cold, why he's now buying businesses instead of chasing risky multifamily deals, and what average retail investors get dead wrong when evaluating syndications. This one is packed. No fluff.
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT KAAREN HALL Kaaren Hall is the founder and CEO of uDirect IRA Services, LLC, a leading provider of self-directed IRA accounts since 2009. With over two decades of experience in real estate, mortgage lending, and property management (and especially Self-Directed IRAs) Kaaren has empowered thousands of people to take control of their retirement funds and invest in alternative assets, such as real estate, private lending, precious metals and more. Her expertise in self-directed retirement accounts has made her a sought-after speaker, and she has been a featured panelist and presenter at industry-leading conferences, including BiggerPockets' BPCON22, 23, 24 and 25. Adding to her accolades, Kaaren is now the author of the newly published Self-Directed IRA Investing: A BiggerPockets Guide, the definitive resource for investors looking to unlock the power of self-directed IRAs to build wealth. Published by BiggerPockets Publishing, this comprehensive guide combines actionable insights, real-world examples, and Kaaren's extensive industry knowledge to help investors confidently navigate the world of self-directed retirement accounts. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: Kaaren's journey from radio and real estate into self-directed retirement investing What a Self-Directed IRA is and how it differs from traditional retirement accounts The history and evolution of Self-Directed IRAs in alternative investing How investors use retirement funds for real estate, notes, metals, and private deals The role of the custodian and why compliance matters Prohibited transactions and the rules investors need to understand What IRA holders can and cannot do with IRA-owned real estate Using Self-Directed IRAs in syndications and private placements Why general partners typically cannot invest their own IRAs in their own deals Proposed changes that could expand 401(k) access to alternative assets Roth conversions, tax strategy, and long-term tax-free growth planning Teaching kids to invest early through earned income and Roth IRAs Comparing IRAs, 401(k)s, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, and HSAs Using retirement capital to complement broader real estate investing strategies UBIT, UDFI, and lessons from navigating fraud, scrutiny, and business resilience KEY QUOTE: “For investors, the biggest mistake is often not knowing what vehicles are available to them. The self-directed IRA lets you invest in alternative assets — it's a vehicle to let you do that.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #RealEstateInvestor #PassiveInvesting #AccreditedInvestor #AlternativeInvestments #SelfDirectedIRA #RetirementInvesting #WealthBuilding #CashFlowInvesting #FinancialFreedom #MultifamilyInvesting #PrivatePlacements #SyndicationInvesting #InvestorEducation #RealEstateWealth #IRAInvesting #RothIRA #Solo401k #TaxAdvantagedInvesting #PassiveIncome #CommercialRealEstate #InvestmentStrategy #PortfolioDiversification #LongTermWealth #SmartInvesting #AssetProtection #InvestorMindset #RetirementWealth #FinancialEducation #WealthStrategy CONNECT WITH KAAREN HALL: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaarenhall Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uDirectIRA X: https://x.com/uDirectIRA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAycexbDjYjHh8R8goug0A Website: https://udirectira.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/udirectiraservices CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
Ever feel like you can make good money and still lose the game because too much of it walks out the door?In this episode, Gary sits down with a multifamily investor who watched a massive real estate downturn up close, then rebuilt by learning how syndication works and how investors think about cash flow, taxes, and long-term ownership. They dig into cost segregation, bonus depreciation, and why mindset matters when you are running deals in a world you cannot control. 6 key takeaways → Market cycles are real, and over-leverage, plus building to sell instead of building to hold, can turn a boom into a brutal bust fast. → Syndication is one way investors pool capital to buy apartments together, starting smaller to build a track record before scaling up. → Know your role before you invest: general partners run the deal, limited partners stay passive, and the work plus risk profile is different. → Cost segregation can compress depreciation into a shorter window, which can create large write-offs when the math makes sense. → A resilient mindset is not motivational fluff; it is required because you do not control markets, interest rates, or tenant behavior. → The wealth game is not only income, but it is also retention: it is not about the money you make, it is the money you keep. If this episode sparked questions about real estate investing, syndication, or tax strategy, connect with Gary and share what you are trying to build. For more from the guest, start with YouTube by searching “Justin Brennan multifamily” and visit justincbrennan.com.
Check the episode transcript hereABOUT BRIAN BURKEBrian Burke is President / CEO of Praxis Capital Inc, a vertically integrated real estate private equity investment firm, which he founded in 2001. Brian has acquired over $1 billion dollars' worth of real estate over a 36-year career including over 4,000 multifamily units, over 1,600 senior housing units, and more than 700 single-family homes, with the assistance of proprietary software that he wrote himself. Brian has subdivided land, built homes, renovated a lakefront resort, and constructed self-storage, but his current focus is senior housing, specifically skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care. Brian is the author of The Hands-Off Investor: An Insider's Guide to Investing in Passive Real Estate Syndications, and is a frequent public speaker at real estate conferences and events nationwide. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: · Brian Burke's 36-year real estate journey· Selling down holdings ahead of the 2022 market reset· 2025–2026 outlook and where he sees opportunity by asset class· Why small multifamily can outperform in today's market· The pivot into senior housing: assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing· Demographics + post-COVID distress creating a “bottom of cycle” setup· Buying below replacement cost: the per-bed basis advantage· Operator-first investing and structuring for operational risk · Cash flow, hold periods, and multiple exit paths · Raising capital: single-asset syndications vs. funds and “semi-blind pool” strategy· Sponsor vetting and real track record beyond IRR· Lessons learned: the power of partnerships and the danger of overleverage KEY QUOTE: “The best opportunities are created in chaos.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. We would like to thank our Sponsors: OffsitePros and MyMoneyWorksForMe #RealEstateInvesting #PassiveInvesting #PassiveIncome #CommercialRealEstate #CREInvestor #SeniorHousing #SeniorLivingInvesting #AssistedLivingInvesting #MemoryCareInvesting #SkilledNursingInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #SmallMultifamily #RealEstateSyndication #RealEstateFund #AccreditedInvestor #InvestorEducation #DueDiligence #SponsorVetting #OperatorFirst #CashFlowInvesting #ValueAddRealEstate #ReplacementCost #MarketCycleInvesting #RiskManagement #CapitalRaising #PortfolioDiversification #InflationHedge #LongTermInvesting #WealthBuilding #FinancialFreedom CONNECT WITH BRIAN BURKE:Website: www.PraxCap.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/praxcap , www.linkedin.com/in/praxiscapital Social Media: Facebook / X / PraxCap Instagram / Brian's Instagram Book: www.BiggerPockets.com/SyndicationBook CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
Tell me if this makes sense… We live in a world today characterized by a fetishized pornographic addiction to rape. If it were not so, Law & Order: SVU wouldn’t have made it past a single season – let alone, into SYNdication for nearly 30 years…! I loathe Adorno and the CULTural Marxists who SYNthesized (read: weaponized) Marx and Freud to the general detriment of mankind, beginning with the ‘West’. But, he raised some legit points, as often the baddies do. It’s their SOLUTIONS we all need be wary of. For nigh on 100 years, we’ve basked in the jaundiced glow of the Frankfurt School, as legions of university students continue having their minds and spirits poisoned in the name of ‘Progress’. See also the ancient Roman Collegium, a concept dating back to (at least) the days of Plato – who, incidentally, literally wrote the book on The Republic. I digress… In Adorno’s “Fetish-character” essay, he states, a fetish is a substitute object of desire.[1] I would submit that in the latent undercurrent of this Nietzschean ‘power-evolving universe’ of today’s America; men and women, by and large, secretly harbor a craven desire for rape. It sounds crazy! Until one considers the popularity of Law & Order: SVU for the last 27 years. America is Kung-Fu LARPing, with each new iteration of the ‘fetish substitute object of desire’ further blurring the lines between fantasy and reality (schizoaffective disorder) as we creep ever closer to the Chaos Magick of bringing these secret desires to life. But, beware; LARPing has consequences.[2] The Epstein Saga has been publicly ongoing for 2+ decades. More than a thousand witnesses have come forward – including dozens who’ve accused Trump (E. Jean Carroll) – and yet, only Epstein and Maxwell have been ‘brought to justice’. Speaking of ‘justice’, Thomas Massie probably said it best:[3] Congress created the Department of Justice, Congress funds the Department of Justice, and Congress is responsible for the oversight of the Department of Justice. When will we see justice? I’ll tell you what I’ve not seen. I’ve not seen any arrests from the revelations in the Epstein Files – over 3 million documents describing horrible things, describing unspeakable things, much of it redacted. Over two dozen people have resigned; CEOS, members of government, worldwide. But, I haven’t seen any arrests or investigations here in the United States, from this Department of Justice. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who has since been stripped of his royalty, his royal titles, due to his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested. Peter Mandelson, who previously served as UK’s Ambassador to the United States, resigned in disgrace from United Kingdom’s House of Lords and the Labor Party, and he’s been arrested. Former Prime Minister of Norway Thorbjorn Jagland has been charged. But, we don’t see any charges, arrests, or investigations in the United States. What do we see? We see our FBI Director celebrating in the locker room at the Olympics overseas. It’s fine to be proud of this country. But, we should be proud of this country because we have a system of justice that works. And yet we do not. … We need justice. We want the Department of Justice to get to work, and that’s what they need to do – now. The Trump (45/47) DOJ is unwilling to rat itself out – and so are the other 77+ million co-conspirators… And then there’s the 77 million co-conspirators who voted for Epstein’s best friend Trump as many as three times, knowing he’d been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, and even after he was found liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. For 77 million men and women it was not a dealbreaker! He rapes, but he saves. He saves more than he rapes … but he probably does rape.[4] Considering the aforementioned, what would be crazy is not acknowledging America’s fetishized pornographic addiction to rape – which is precisely what we’re doing. We are gaslighting ourselves at this point, as we turn a blind eye to our own culpability. After all – on the eve of America’s 250th Anniversary of Independence – wasn’t this always to be a government of, by, and for The People…? 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; …21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, …24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: …26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. — Romans 1:18, 21–22, 24, 26–32 KJV 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things. — Philippians 4:4–8 KJV #Links Clips [1:58] Etymology (the origins of words) was taken out of schools in the early 1900’s for a reason. (See also entry below) [5:39] Demons in the Headlines EXPOSED: The War for Power and Souls in D.C. | Strange Encounters | Ep 29 – YouTube (See also Blaze Media article below) [3:15] Rep. Massie Asks, “When Will We See Justice” Following Latest Epstein Files Revelations (See also C-SPAN Congressional Chronicle entry below[3:1]) Previous RWR broadcasts referenced 2026-02-25 2026-02-26 Proof of America’s fetishized pornographic addiction to rape Amanda Seyfried Wore A “Prosthetic [redacted]” For ‘Testament Of Ann Lee’ Amanda Seyfried will go to extreme lengths for a film role — especially when it comes to feeling comfortable during a nude scene. The actor wore what she described as a “prosthetic [redacted]” in her recent movie The Testament of Ann Lee, as she revealed in a Feb. 25 interview with BBC’s The Scott Mills Breakfast Show. “This movie, it needed to be graphic, so, like, I had a prosthetic [redacted],” she said in a clip posted to Instagram, which understandably perplexed Mills himself. When pressed for more details, she surprisingly had a rave review about the experience. “It was cool. It was exciting.” Seyfried plays the real-life Ann Lee, a Christian woman in 18th-century Great Britain who viewed herself as a representative of God and eventually founded a religious sect called Shakers, with the film capturing her group’s move across the pond to New York during the Colonial era. Son of megachurch pastor sentenced after horrific materials found at home ‘among worst investigators have seen’ An Indiana megachurch once known for preaching purity and sexual morality has found itself at the center of a scandal that has shaken a congregation, rattled political allies, and ended with a six-year prison sentence. Jonathan Peternel, 24, of Pendleton, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in January to one Level 4 felony count of child exploitation and three felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. The case drew intense public scrutiny not only because of the disturbing evidence uncovered by investigators, but because his father, Nathan Peternel, remains listed as lead pastor at Life Church and is a longtime mentor and close associate of Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith. Why Viewers Say You Should Watch ‘Nymphomaniac’ Alone Due to Its Graphic Scenes Both volumes of Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac are streaming on Netflix in the U.S., and its return to an easy, familiar platform has revived a warning that has followed the film since 2013: ‘Watch this one by yourself.‘ … So why does this movie come with a warning like that? The movie’s name actually answers that on its own. The term nymphomania is used to classify someone who has an uncontrollable compulsion toward sex, and that is exactly what the film follows across 2 volumes and 8 chapters. It opens with a woman named Joe, found beaten in an alley. A man named Seligman brings her home, and she begins telling him the story of her life from her earliest sexual memories through decades of escalating need. Von Trier was telling the story of a woman whose entire life is shaped by a compulsion she cannot control. … The discomfort the audience feels isn’t incidental. It’s the mechanism. Von Trier built the film so that watching it puts you closer to Joe’s experience than any non-explicit version ever could. The surface reading is addiction… What Joe is actually chasing is not sex but connection. Every encounter she describes to Seligman moves her further from other people rather than closer to them. Sex becomes the thing she reaches for because the thing she actually needs keeps slipping out of range. That distance between the act and the need behind it is where von Trier plants the real story. The compulsion is real, but the loneliness underneath it is what he keeps circling back to. He called this technique “Digressionism,” a term he coined to describe a storytelling style that deliberately wanders away from its own plot. He cited Marcel Proust as an influence. Nymphomaniac is the final film in what von Trier and critics call the Depression Trilogy. Following Antichrist in 2009 and Melancholia in 2011. After years infiltrating child exploitation rings, expert reveals an even DARKER American underworld | Blaze Media Demons in the Headlines EXPOSED: The War for Power and Souls in D.C. | Strange Encounters | Ep 29 – YouTube [31:30–33:26] Back to the politics piece; everybody within politics – even if they disagree with exploitation or whatever – they show partiality. And, I believe it’s, is it second Peter? … It says, ‘where partiality exists, exists every form of deceit and evil’. We can look it up … but I think that’s it. But, where partiality exists, exists all forms of evil. ***[Did he mean this passage?]For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. – James 3:16–17 KJV*** And, what is happening in our political world that I’ve that I’ve seen now is; you have career politicians – even if they claim to be Christians – they sell access. And, it might be access to conservative organizations. But, they sell access – and they’re partial to donors. … they’re unbelievably partial. And, they’re partial to their ‘club’, as opposed to the people they’re elected to represent. And, you have a bureaucracy that’s in place, and you have these elitists that are in place, that think that they can buy – because they have been able to buy your position – buy you, buy access to you, or buy access to somebody else, and ‘own’ – in this case, a US Senator, what I’m running for. But, it’s across the board for everything; Congressmen, even the President … Everything’s for sale. And, it’s ‘access’ that they’re selling, right? And, that’s the thing that stood out to me the most; partiality. More proof / Trump-Epstein Saga DOJ’s Epstein Files Screwups Get Worse With Unredacted Nudes and Images of Kids The Justice Department is under fire after newly released Jeffrey Epstein case materials reportedly included unredacted nude images and photos involving minors. Analysis by CNN uncovered nearly 100 explicit pictures of two naked young women on a beach, the news outlet reported. The materials also included photos showing a young girl kissing Epstein on the cheek. At least one unredacted image depicted Epstein alongside a nude female, and additional selfie-style nude photos of at least two other unidentified females were also published, with their ages unclear, according to CNN. Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed and President Trump signed in late November, the DOJ is obligated to omit sexually explicit imagery and anything that might identify victims. The images have now been redacted. DOJ Gives Shameless Reason for Hiding Photo of Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein Donald Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is ‘Shocked’ the FBI Dared to Come for Her ‘Uncle Jeff’ shifts focus on Erika Kirk grooming allegations post-Epstein file release – We Got This Covered Most Americans in new survey dispute Donald Trump’s economic boom claim CBS’s new hire appeared 1,700 times in Epstein’s files, and John Oliver just exposed his disturbing emails – We Got This Covered Epstein Had Close Ties to Prosecutor Behind Key Provision of Plea Deal | The New Republic Turns out ICE is just a bunch of scared widdle guys Fear as senator discovers staggering true amount Trump spent on arming ICE – Raw Story Congressional Chronicle – Members of Congress, Hearings and More | C-SPAN.org[3:2] [standalone clip] Rep. Massie Asks, "When Will We See Justice" Following Latest Epstein Files Revelations | Video | C-SPAN.org The Purpose Of the System Is What It Does (POSIWID) Millions at Risk as Android Mental Health Apps Expose Sensitive Data US defense secrets sold to Russians for millions in crypto – Newsweek Tucker Carlson pushes DNA tests for Jews, ‘Khazar’ theory | The Jerusalem Post The largely discredited theory states that Ashkenazi Jews are genetically descended from a Turkic minority that converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages rather than from the 12 tribes of Israel. During Tucker Carlson’s interview last week with Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, both men made considerable waves with their takes on history and theology. Anthropic says it will not accede to Pentagon demands as deadline looms | AP News Anthropic said it sought narrow assurances from the Pentagon that Claude won’t be used for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons. But after months of private talks exploded into public debate, it said in a Thursday statement that new contract language “framed as compromise was paired with legalese that would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will.” From the Wayback. Why – and why now – is Daily Mail breaking these stories out of the dust bin…? Secret mind-control techniques using TVs revealed in disturbing patent | Daily Mail Online Declassified CIA memo reveals plan to turn citizens into unwitting assassins | Daily Mail Online On the lighter / brighter side… Why age is an advantage for starting a business – Fast Company Sardonic levity, as Rome burns… Images That Might Indicate Society is in Decline | eBaum’s World Caller Dialogue David – WI Feminism dating back to early 1800s (CH: Owenism – Wikipedia) Valerie Solanas, SCUM Manifesto – Wikipedia Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (1886)[5] Insanity in individuals is something rare–but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs it is the rule. Bitchute: Etymology (the origins of words) was taken out of schools in the early 1900’s for a reason. Also on YouTube: Etymology ~ The Origins Of Words Was Taken Out Of Schools In The Early 1900s For A Reason – YouTube James – Vancouver The Scribner-Bantam English dictionary : Williams, Edwin B. (Edwin Bucher), 1891-1975 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive #Footnotes Clowney, David W. “On the Fetish-Character in Music and the Regression of Listening” Reading Notes for the 1938 Essay by Theodor Adorno. 3 Nov. 2005, p. 6, users.rowan.edu/~clowney/aesthetics/ReadingGuides/Adorno.ppt. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026. More (e.g., “course guides” at Clowney’s aesthetics page: users.rowan.edu/~clowney/aesthetics/. ︎ Berenson, Alex. “On the Dangers of Cosplay.” Substack.com, Unreported Truths, 11 Jan. 2026, alexberenson.substack.com/p/on-the-dangers-of-cosplay. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026. ︎ C-SPAN. “Congressional Chronicle – Members of Congress, Hearings and More.” C-SPAN.org, C-SPAN, 24 Feb. 2026, www.c-span.org/congress/?chamber=house&date=2026-02-24. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026. Click on “Speakers” tab, select Thomas Massie in “Speakers” dropdown menu, and see timestamp (10:45:03 AM) and transcript of Massie’s remarks. ︎ ︎ ︎ [Massie:] Congress created the Department of Justice, Congress funds the Department of Justice, and Congress is responsible for the oversight of the Department of Justice. When will we see justice? I’ll tell you what I’ve not seen. I’ve not seen any arrests from the revelations in the Epstein Files – over 3 million documents describing horrible things, describing unspeakable things – much of it redacted. Over two dozen people have resigned; CEOs, members of government, worldwide. But, I haven’t seen any arrests or investigations here in the United States, from this Department of Justice. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who has since been stripped of his royalty, his royal titles, due to his affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested. Peter Mandelson, Who previously served as UK’s Ambassador to the United States, resigned in disgrace from United Kingdom’S House of Lords and the Labor Party, and he’s been arrested. Former Prime Minister of Norway, Thorbjorn Jagland has been charged. But, we don’t see any charges, arrests, or investigations in the United States. What do we see? We see our FBI Director celebrating in the locker room at the Olympics overseas. It’s fine to be proud of this country. But, we should be proud of this country because we have a system of justice that works. And yet we do not. Who are the men that should be investigated? I’ll name them right here. Leon Black; you don’t even have to see past the redactions to see that this man needs to be investigated. Jess Staley; accused of terrible things, it’s right there in the files. Why is he not being investigated? And, Leslie Wexner; why did the FBI list him as a co-conspirator in their own documents in a child sex trafficking case, and then tell him, according to him, that they had no questions for him? Why is that? Well, the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires the DOJ and the FBI to disclose to us their internal memos and emails about how they made those decisions, whether to prosecute or not prosecute. Yet, they have not delivered those memos. And, we still don’t have the memos and documents and emails from 2008, to explain why Jeffrey Epstein was given such a light sentence in what would have been an open and shut case of child sex trafficking, which allowed him to go back and recommit these terrible crimes, create hundreds of more victims, and ensnare so many other people in his conspiracy. Where are those documents that describe those decisions? We need justice. We want the Department of Justice to get to work, and that’s what they need to do – now! Jones, Marcie. “Gee, Look at All These Co-Conspirators in the Epstein Files That Pam Bondi and Kash Patel Say Never Existed.” Wonkette.com, Wonkette, 25 Feb. 2026, www.wonkette.com/p/gee-look-at-all-these-co-conspirators. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026. ︎ Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. 1886. Gutenberg.org, Chapter IV. Apophthegms And Interludes, ln. 156, 4 Feb. 2013, gutenberg.org/files/4363/4363-h/4363-h.htm. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026. from The Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche (1909-1913). ︎
In this episode of the Major League Real Estate Podcast, Thomas Castelli shares the full story of his journey, from attending local RIAs and investing as an LP, to joining the GP team on an 82-unit apartment complex, navigating hurricane due diligence, raising capital under pressure, and exiting during the chaos of COVID in 2020. But that's not all. Tom also opens up about: - The hardest lesson he learned about capital raising - Why most new GPs underestimate the importance of investor relationships - What changed in the syndication world since 2017 - The risks LPs don't think about (until it's too late) - How a failed ATM investment reshaped his investing philosophy -,Why experience matters more than ever in today's market For GPs raising money, LPs evaluating risk, or investors entering the syndication space, this episode shares practical, experience-backed insights. Request a free discovery meeting: go.therealestatecpa.com/mlre Subscribe to the REI Daily Newsletter: go.therealestatecpa.com/mlresubscriber Get the Ultimate Guide for Real Estate Syndications: go.therealestatecpa.com/mlreultimateguide Submit your questions to: contact@therealestatecpa.com The Major League Real Estate podcast is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, investing, financial, or accounting advice. Information on the podcast may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. No reader, user, or listener of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal and tax advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney and tax advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this podcast or any of the links or resources contained or mentioned within the podcast show and show notes do not create a relationship between the reader, user, or listener and podcast hosts, contributors, or guests. Any mention of third-party vendors, products, or services does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. You should conduct your own due diligence before engaging with any vendor.
When your corporate job feels "secure" until it suddenly isn't, real estate can become the Plan B that turns into your best move… In this episode of the #DoorGrowShow, DoorGrow founder Jason Hull sits down with John Casmon (multifamily syndicator, host of Multifamily Insights, and co-creator of the Midwest Real Estate Networking Summit) to break down how corporate professionals can transition into multifamily investing without becoming a stressed-out landlord. They dive into how John went from corporate bankruptcies to building a multifamily portfolio, what passive investors actually need to know before putting money into a deal, and why trust + clear expectations matter just as much as the numbers. Jason and John also unpack what this means for property managers: how to align with investor goals, why the best operators project calm control (even in chaos), where syndicators hang out, and how PMs can position themselves to win more multifamily doors. You'll Learn (00:00) Transforming Property Management: An Introduction (00:59) John Casmon's Entrepreneurial Journey (02:56) Transitioning to Multifamily Investing (04:33) Understanding Investor Types and Property Management (05:48) The Role of Property Managers (07:49) Investor Control vs. Trust in Management (09:33) Challenges in Property Management (11:17) Aligning Goals with Property Managers (14:19) The Real Product of Property Management (17:14) Managing Investor Expectations (19:50) Syndication: A New Avenue for Property Managers (23:44) Legal Considerations in Syndication (26:41) Calmness in Chaos: The Key to Success (31:40) Partnering with Syndications (33:54 The Role of Property Management in Syndication (38:29) Finding Syndicators and Building Relationships (42:24) Understanding Passive Investment in Syndication (47:45) Identifying Your Investment Goals (51:54) Assessing Risk in Real Estate Investments (55:15) Choosing the Right Market for Investment (01:00:12) The Three C's of Raising Capital Quotables "The first C is confidence. Confidence comes from preparation." "The investment itself, we got to go out there and execute. But that investor psyche is a completely different game." "It is not your job to hope. Your job is to analyze the information in front of you and make an informed decision." Resources DoorGrow and Scale Mastermind DoorGrow Academy DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrowClub DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason Hull (00:01) All right, five, four, three, two, one. All right, I'm Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow, the world's leading and most comprehensive coaching and consulting firm for long-term residential property management entrepreneurs. And for over a decade and a half, we have brought innovative strategies and optimization to the property management industry. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management business owners and their businesses. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. Now let's get into the show. So my guest today, I'm hanging out here with John Casman, a multifamily syndicator, host of the multifamily insights podcast and the co-creator of the Midwest real estate networking summit. And in today's episode, John's going to break down how corporate professionals can transition. into multifamily investing, how to find the best markets, how to raise capital effectively, and what separates successful operators from everyone else. John, welcome to the DoorGrowth Show. John Casmon (01:10) Yeah, Jason, thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here. Love the intro, your intro, not my intro, ⁓ but excited to be here and share as much as we can on our journey to help all of your listeners reach their goals. Jason Hull (01:22) Cool. So John, ⁓ it's great to have you. I would love for people to hear about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you get to where you are now? And then we can get into your business. John Casmon (01:34) Well, the short answer is bankruptcy, right? I worked for a couple of different companies that went through bankruptcy and that really made me consider my other options. You know, I was at General Motors back in 2007, 2008, 2009 when we went through bankruptcy and I was there and I watched what that did to a lot of my peers. I one day in particular when we were going to have a lot of layoffs, I went to work as late as I could. But when I got there, I had a red message, a little red dial on your phone. for anybody who's worked in corporate and remember voicemails. So I had a red dot on my phone, picked it up, pushed the play button and my heart skipped a beat because I thought maybe I was getting to the can, right? And it was actually a colleague of mine who sat kind of kitty corner in front of me and he had been let go. He, you know, was diabetic. He didn't know I was going to pay for his medication. He just was venting in his voicemail. And I just remember feeling empathy for him, but also a sense of I just never wanted to be in that situation. So it made me really start to think about Plan B. Eventually I moved to Chicago, realized real estate was going to be that path and learned everything I could about investing. So it kind of took me down that pathway to say, you know what, I need a Plan B because no matter what you do, when you work in corporate America, you do not control your future. You know, there's politics, there's policy, there's a lot of different things involved that you do not control. And sometimes it does just come down to someone not liking you for whatever reason, or they think you're a threat. And I didn't want to spend the rest of my career navigating those issues. So I figured I had to take more into my own hands. Jason Hull (03:16) got it. And so you start taking things in your own hands and what was the result? John Casmon (03:20) Yes. So we landed on multifamily investing, started with small multifamily. My first investment was a two unit building. We house hacked it, which is a common popular phrase now. But back then it wasn't quite as common. But we lived upstairs. We rented out the first floor unit and it worked great. You know, it worked so great that we went to refinance and we had created enough equity in that first investment to pull out a six figure line of credit and go out and buy another property. So. Jason Hull (03:45) Nice. John Casmon (03:47) That really got the ball rolling. bought a three unit building, we bought an eight unit building, and at this time I'm still working in advertising, still working in corporate America, and I enjoyed what I was doing, and I just had my second child, but the agency I was working for also went through bankruptcy right at this time. We had expanded, we were growing, and we had kind of combined with a few other agencies and kind of became this little conglomerate, and it just eroded just as quickly as it grew. I remember again, just sitting there and I've got some real estate. I've got a little bit of cashflow, but not enough to pay all my bills. New baby. And I just realized this real estate thing is working, but the exact strategy I'm employing doesn't allow me to insulate myself from these economic changes and shifts. So I had to change my strategy and that led me to syndication. Since then, we've acquired over $150 million worth of apartments. We've partnered with busy professionals to buy these properties and give them some passive income. And that's what we've been doing ever since. Jason Hull (04:50) Got it. So your area of genius really is helping these people that were similar to you, they're in the corporate environment transition into being an investor in real estate. John Casmon (05:01) Yeah, exactly. And I would say too, it doesn't have to be you're going to quit your job and do this full time. And in fact, most people don't, you know, but most people do want a little bit more control over their life. You want a little bit more flexibility. You want to earn and start building up, you know, your net worth. You want to have a little bit more liquidity. You have to look at your investments to say, what should you be doing? I think most people know that their 401k, their, you know, company issued life insurance. probably not enough to really get you on the fast track to retirement. So what else could you do? Certainly you can invest in the stock market. Lots of folks do that. But real estate is a proven vehicle. The challenge is, I don't know anyone who really wants to be a landlord, right? ⁓ Certainly you want the benefits of real estate investing, but very few of us want to get those 2 a.m. phone calls. So the shortcut there is, ⁓ hire a property manager. Great solution. But now you have to be able to manage property managers, right, which is this whole other business. And if you don't have enough scale, then it's hard to get that person really focused on your business. So we offer an alternative, right? You get all the benefits of real estate investing, all the ownership perks without any of the headaches of being the landlord yourself. So it really is a great marriage of being in real estate without having to do the heavy lifting yourself. Jason Hull (06:15) Okay. Okay, so ⁓ the target audience of this show are property managers. So if they're not gonna use property managers, then what's the alternative? How does this work? John Casmon (06:29) Well, first of all, what we do is not always for that individual. So I think that's the key, right? You've got to understand who you are from a psychological standpoint. So when it comes to investors, there's two types of investors. One wants control, right? They're not willing to be passive. And some people think they want to be passive until they're in a passive situation and then they're calling and they want to know why you did this and why you did that and how come you did do that. That's not a passive investor. And that's fun. Jason Hull (06:45) Yeah. Yeah, they're anxious. Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (06:58) And if that's you, you should be active, right? And you should work with a property manager, but you also want to work with the property manager who is going to be right for you, right? Because sometimes that is not how they operate. So you want to understand that. And that's a process to understand who you are as an investor, what kind of investment strategy fits you and what's going to be right there. When it comes to property managers, though, I think there are a couple of things. And as a matter of fact, we just left out of meeting with property management company yesterday. They have 2000 units. We talked about some other services that we offer. And one of things that stood out to me was just understanding some of the challenges that property managers face. And one of them is property managers are really in a position to think like everyone. They're supposed to think like an investor. They're supposed to understand maintenance and kind of the construction arm enough to understand what needs to happen at a property. But they are really little CEOs, right? Because for Our stuff, the large apartment stuff, those are typically million dollar annual revenue businesses. And this person is in charge of that asset of that business. They are making the day to day decisions. They are the face for the residents, aka the customers of that business. They are the face and their experience with that individual is how they view that business. So it really is an important role. And if you're working with property managers, it's really important to understand how to find the right people. to connect with them and have them represent your business, your brand, company in the right light. Jason Hull (08:30) So now you left an open loop that I want to close. So you said there's two types of investors, those that want control and maybe should go find a property manager, you said. And then what's the other type? John Casmon (08:34) Yeah. The other type is those who don't want control and they trust someone else to handle that. And for them, there are a couple of different ways of investing. One is investing passively with a group like ours. The other is turnkey investing where again, you hire a property manager, but you really entrust them to manage the property. The only thing I would say for either one of those groups, myself included, is you want to trust but verify. Okay. You've got to do a lot of your due diligence upfront. You want to understand how they operate. You want to talk to some of their other clients, some of their other investors, because you need to get a really good sense of what to expect. And a lot of people are great at selling themselves upfront, right? I can tell you everything you want to hear upfront. You want to know what is it like once you sign the paperwork? How often are we going to talk? How frequently am I going to get updates? And at what point am I able to weigh in and make decisions? Because if, if you are someone who wants to be more active or be heard, or you've got thoughts and opinions, Jason Hull (09:18) yeah. John Casmon (09:35) You want to make sure you have a voice in your investment. Otherwise you may get really disappointed or you may bring on someone who has a different perspective of what that relationship looks like and that never is going to work out. Jason Hull (09:47) Yeah, there's a big challenge in the industry and that's that most property management companies suck. so most investors that have dealt with property management to some degree are they have some scar tissue, they've been burned a little bit. They've a lot of property managers that started their businesses that come to me for help to grow their business. They started because they were investor and they couldn't find anyone else to manage the property good enough. And that's why they started their business, but it can be a difficult business to run. so none of them start their business saying, I want to suck. But that's kind of the default unless they get some really good support or figure some things out through a lot of trial and error. And so that's where DoorGrow comes in. We help them with that. But one of the things I coach my clients on a lot is that they need to shift into being daddy over these rental properties. They need to like tell the owner, hey, you need to trust me. And they need to be able to have a really effective business so that they can lean into that trust. because a lot of people are anxious. They'll come to them with concerns, but generally if a property manager is good, they're much better at this investing stuff than most investors. And they're much better at coordinating maintenance. They're much better at handling leasing. And so when an owner tries to micromanage a property manager, it kind of doesn't make sense to hire somebody to manage your asset just so you can manage them to do the job. And so I think the secret is finding a really good property manager that you can let go of control because you can trust them. And but yes, you need to verify that they can do the job that you need them to do. And so a good property manager will take ownership of it and they'll take control and they will, they'll display a lot of certainty and confidence in how they communicate and they won't allow you to micromanage them is what I've seen. So. John Casmon (11:37) Yeah, Jason, and I'll add to it. There's a two way street there. And I think it's easy for people to say, ⁓ most property managers suck or they're not good or whatever. And listen, there's certainly a lot of challenges there. A lot of folks who are not living up to par to the standards. But I will go back to this. We ask property managers to do the work of generally like a CEO. Right. I mean, again, they're managing million dollar businesses in many cases, yet they don't have that training. They don't have that experience. They don't have the ability to navigate. all of these various things. So part of what owners and investors need to also understand is that you play the role of asset manager. And that means giving clear direction of what success looks like so that that property manager has a framework to make decisions. It's not to micromanage those decisions, but to help them understand how their decisions impact the greater good. And part of that is like, again, just sitting down with annual goals. What are revenue goals? What are our goals on? Occupancy, what are our goals on in a lot? And this may seem simple, but I promise you a lot of folks don't do this. And if you don't do that, then that property manager is going to default to, for instance, I'll give you a great example. I've got a property manager. She's awesome rock star. But she always gets nervous when occupancy is not at like 96 or 97 percent of this property. So she is, you she starts apologizing profusely and all I did this or done that and like. Jason Hull (12:58) Yeah. John Casmon (13:04) Occupancy is one of our KPIs for sure. It's important, but that is not the KPI. I am focused on my net operating income. And if we're going to push rents, the impact of that is you're going to have higher vacancy and she is not comfortable with that. And that's probably because she's used to working with owners who want that thing fully rented and they are comfortable having 100 % occupancy. Jason Hull (13:13) Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. John Casmon (13:33) if they're leaving 50 bucks, 75 bucks, whatever it is of rent on the table. And that's the part where you've got to really align with your vision versus their vision, because what they have in the back of their mind may not completely align with what you have. Or they have residents in their face who are coming into the office. They want something fixed. They want it done quickly. They want it done right. They want it done yesterday. Jason Hull (13:49) Right. . John Casmon (13:59) So they've got that pressure of this person in their face. So they may go out there and spend the money or authorize the money to get spent. And maybe they're not picking the most cost effective measure. So you have that. And I'll give you one third one. A lot of times when you run into the flip side of that is maybe occupancy is low. They say, hey, we need to increase our marketing spend, right? We got to increase our marketing budget. know, ox is down to 88 or 90%. We got to spend more money. And we're not necessarily. really zeroing in on what the specific issue or challenge is at that property. So for an owner, your job as an asset manager is to partner with them and to help them see what the options are, help them work through with some of those challenges and solutions are and partner with them to find success. It's not to micromanage them and tell them what to do, but it's really to understand the situation better and give them that perspective. Jason Hull (14:49) Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. think, you know, one of the things I've seen is that I've noticed a lot of property managers, they make the mistake of thinking that the goal or the product that people want to buy from them is property management. But investors don't wake up in the morning and go, man, I'm so excited to get property management today. The thing that they want. And so the way I describe it to them as they say, property management is like the flight to Hawaii. It's not Hawaii. and you're trying to sell the flight. That's not the exciting part. You need to figure out what the investor wants, what their goal is. Where do they want to go? What's Hawaii for them, right? What's paradise? And then how do we optimize for that? And how do we help them create a path for that? Because the actual product that a property manager is selling is not what they do. It's not property management. The actual product is them. It's them and their values and their belief system and how they create trust and the team they build and the system and mechanism they build around them. That's the actual product the property manager is selling. so a lot of property managers make that mistake. They sit there and talk to you about maintenance coordination and leasing and inspections. And meanwhile, you're just wondering as an investor, can I even trust this person? Like do our values align? Yeah. So I don't know what your thoughts are on that, but. John Casmon (16:11) I think you're spot on, right? Because, I mean, ultimately, as an investor, you are only as good as the team you can build. And that property manager is in charge of the day-to-day aspects of the business. especially when you, you know, I've heard horror stories of folks who have done like turnkey investing, right? Where the property manager, someone owns it, they buy it, they fix it up, and then they rent it back to... an investor. And I've heard horror stories where that property was not being well managed. And that's the fear. If you're not in that marketing, you can't come and see it. So if you got an out of town investor, you really are trusting that property manager. So that is the most important thing, right? Everything else are tactical, daily situational things that can change. But it comes down to do I have the right people, people that I can trust, people who are going to make the right decision based on the information they have. because they may not know what I know or maybe something shifted and changed where they would have made a different decision. We can't, you know, ache on that. It really comes down to are they doing their best? Are they making good decisions? If they're not making good decisions, is it because they didn't have the correct information, which again, could fall back on you as the investor to say, hey, are they aware of what your goals are? Are they aware of maybe this situation, these tools, these resources, whatever it is? And that's on you to sit and collaborate. But trust is absolutely paramount because at end of the day, the thing that I think most of us are concerned with is who we partner with. And there's a great book I'm reading right now. And it gets into decision making and the fear of decision making for most of us and why deals stall. Why didn't you hire somebody? Why didn't you, you know, go with the vendor or go with the contractor or with the company? And the biggest thing is we are scared of making the wrong choice. All of us in decision and no action. Jason Hull (17:43) Absolutely. John Casmon (18:04) is better than the wrong action for many people because they once they take action. Well, now they're blaming themselves because you didn't pick the right person. Why did you hire that guy? You should have like now this starts to go on in their head versus doing nothing. Well, at least it's you know, it's not going to get worse, you know, it will in lot of cases get worse. So for a lot of people, that is the scariest thing. So if you can take that fear off the table as far as being the right person or being someone who is trustworthy. Jason Hull (18:07) Right, yeah. John Casmon (18:32) everything else gets easier. So if you can do that, that's, you know, the best thing you can do as an investor or as a property manager. Jason Hull (18:38) Yeah, I agree. think one of things that I talk about a lot is that clarity has to come before action because if you don't have clarity and you start taking a bunch of action, doing stuff, every action you take is a little bit wrong. Sometimes it's a lot wrong. so, yeah, we need to get that clarity first before we start ⁓ making moves. And you talked about, I love the example of your property manager that is trying to optimize maybe for the wrong thing. They're like, want to optimize to the, making sure their vacancy is super low. But that might not be the goal. That's not the primary goal. The goal is money, you know, and there's a really good book is by Elihu Goldratt. It's a good book for operations people, but it's called The Goal. And spoiler alert, the guy's trying to figure out the goal through this whole book, the story and it's money. That's the secret. The goal is the of the business, should be making making money. And what happens in this book is that people are over optimizing individual pieces in this flow at this warehouse. And it's actually not helping to make money. It's causing more constraint. And so if we over optimize at one stage, it actually creates waste, bloat, inventory, additional work for the next stage. And so sometimes the best thing certain departments can do is slow down and do less in order to get the outcome to be maximized outcome. And there's some really great examples in that that I think are really powerful. But I think the if you're optimizing for the wrong thing, then you're not making it effective. So you want to make sure you're optimizing for the right thing. Otherwise. ensues. You get mad at somebody, but nobody understood what the goal was. And so I think, yeah, getting a greed upon set of criteria of what what the outcome is and asking the property manager, can you help me achieve this? And they know, they know if they know what the problem is, usually they can, they know how to help you get whatever goal that you have. And they know whether your goal is probably realistic or not, because they've helped probably a lot of people do this similarly. And so, but yeah, I think it's very important. Make sure you know, where's Hawaii and maybe property management is the vehicle. Now you had mentioned like, I'm really curious about this idea of, you know, maybe creating syndications. Some property managers are now starting to think, maybe I should create a syndication. What's your criteria for, what's a good syndication and what are some of the, I'd be really curious to get into if some of the property managers listening were wanting to do kind of a little bit of what you do, how they might be able to get started in that. Like what are the beginning steps to make sure they don't make the mistakes you probably already figured out in the beginning? John Casmon (21:27) Well, I think the first thing is, you really want to get into it? Right. Because for a lot of people, you got to understand it's a different business. Now you're not talking about real estate investing. You're not talking about property management. You're really talking more about, you know, investment management. You're talking about bringing on private investors who are looking for a return. That is communication skills. That's building up a network and a database of Jason Hull (21:35) Mm-hmm. Right, returns. John Casmon (21:54) prospective investors, it's understanding the return projections that they're looking for. And it's really kind of managing the investor expectations, not necessarily the investment. And to give you a great example here, I had a deal where the investment went great, but it was slightly lower than what we initially projected. And I had an investor who was upset. Jason Hull (22:07) Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (22:23) about that. And we had communicated all throughout the entire process where things sat and he wasn't too upset, but he still made it a point to let me know, hey, well, this is less than what you initially thought. And that's challenging because the market shifts, right? Anybody who's bought properties in 2022 and beyond knows the market has shifted drastically over the last three or four years. So those projections made in a 2021-22 environment Have a hard time standing up in a 25 26 environment We still make good money on that deals double-digit returns for investors ⁓ But you know there was that that was that feedback I got from one of the investors conversely We just exited deal a couple months ago, and we completely exceeded our return projections You know we delivered on a almost a 2.7 equity multiple Hit all you know mid 20s on the IRR completely unheard of stuff in this environment And I have one investor call me and say, hey, John, I just checked my account. Is this right? And I'm like, yeah, it's it's right, man. He's like, my gosh, you guys killed it, man. my. Like, this is amazing. And it's great to hear. But again, that is separate from the investment. Right. Happy to manage the investor expectations and concerns. But that was an up and down investment where we had, you know, a moment where we actually had to put some of our general partner capital into the deal to keep it going. Jason Hull (23:27) Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (23:48) We have floating rate debt. had to refinance out of that. And we had to kind of rush to do that before rates started to go crazy. We had moments where our construction or renovation costs were much higher than we anticipated. So there are a lot of things that we had to navigate. And I think what happens for a lot of operators, a lot of people who get into syndication, they know the real estate and want to do the real estate, but they do not understand the perspective of the investor. And when you don't communicate to investors on a frequent basis and a clear, transparent nature, Jason Hull (24:19) Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (24:19) They fill in the blanks and the first concern every investor has and they won't say it. Most of time they don't say it, but I promise you they're thinking it after they make that investment. my gosh, did I make a mistake? Am I going to lose money? Is this person going to run off? Is this going to be some sort of fraudulent thing? Is this deal going to fail? These are all that we're wired like that. This is caveman stuff, right? We're wired to protect ourselves. Jason Hull (24:36) Hmm. Right. John Casmon (24:45) And when you make an investment, and by the way, our investments are typically $50,000 and up, right? So these are not small investments. So when you make that investment, people start to second guess that decision. So my job when it comes to this side of the business is to keep them grounded that, hey, you've done your research, you've made an informed decision, you've picked a good partner, we've done this before. ⁓ Jason Hull (24:50) Yeah. Right. John Casmon (25:13) And it's really to make sure that they feel comfortable with that decision. It has nothing to do with the investment, right? The investment itself, we got to go out there and execute. But that investor psyche is a completely different game. So first thing I would tell any of your property managers when they get into this business is understand, do you actually like people? Do you want to manage investors? Are you comfortable managing people's money? ⁓ And then beyond that, you have to do it the legal way. There are a lot of regulations around accepting capital from other people. Jason Hull (25:31) you John Casmon (25:42) So you can do it as a joint venture. The more common way of doing it, the more accepted way of doing this is by doing a formal syndication, which requires you to file SEC documentations. ⁓ know, there's regulation D and regulation A and there's some couple others, but typically it's going to be reg D 506 B or 506 C filing, which basically is the the structure that allows you to offer ⁓ passive investment opportunity or a security to investors. So again, for some people, It's overwhelming. they're like, nope, never mind. But for some people, they love it. They want to get into it and they can learn more about that process. Jason Hull (26:19) Got it. Yeah. I think I love your idea that it's more about managing expectations rather than the investments. And I think, I think that's good advice for all the property managers listing. This is something we spend a lot of time coaching clients on because they think their job is to manage properties. But really, if they're not strong in managing expectations and managing the relationship, it's 10 times to 100 times harder to manage the properties. their operational costs go through the roof because owners are getting anxious. They're asking more questions. They're getting all these interruptions and calls, tenants, owners constantly. And if they had just managed the relationship and expectations and set strong boundaries at the outset, everybody would feel calmer. And I think really for business owners, I think the thing that really stood out to me that I've been focused on, and this is I've done some personal coaching and this is just nervous system regulation. If you can, and John, seem like you're pretty chill and pretty calm and I'm sure the investor feel safe with you, which is why you've had success. If you are a person that is anxious and you're running around like a chicken with your head cut off, you're going to have, you're going to struggle in leading anybody, especially in relationships to your spouse and like everybody else. so having a calm, regulated nervous system allows your investors. to entrain to your nervous system and to feel safer and to calm down. And that's not something you can pretend or you can just fake. You have to be that and they can sense and they can feel that it'll come across in your tone and in your body language and how you communicate. But if you can make sure that you're in that space and that you're able to regulate your own system, you're able to stay calm when other people are coming at you. and other people are angry and other people are emotionally heightened. And you recognize this isn't really you. It's just that's them. And you can maintain that calm. You will be able to create a lot more safety. And that's really what people want to buy. Most people out there, their primary basic need is safety and security. Most people. That's why they aren't entrepreneurs. That's why they don't go start jobs. That's why they aren't like you and me. And if you're a property management business owner listening to this, Most people are not like you. They want safety and security. That's why they get a property manager. They want peace of mind. And so, and I'm sure investors in a syndication, they also want some peace of mind because this is a big chunk of change. John Casmon (28:55) They do. And I will say to most of the property managers I come across thrive in chaos. Right. They're used to stuff getting thrown at them. Right. And when you talk to them and get to know them, you learn very quickly. They like it. They do. They like the fact that they don't know what the day is going to bring. It could be a. Yeah, yeah. Could be a tenant coming with some crazy issue. It could be something from it's never boring and they thrive in it. However. Jason Hull (29:00) Yeah. Yeah. They like the variety and unique challenges that property management brings, for sure. It's never boring. John Casmon (29:25) What happens then if you if they're going to look to work with investors and particularly raise capital and kind of do their own syndications, they have to understand that while they may thrive in chaos and uncertainty, most other people want organization. You want everything you said right. You want to have the calmness. You are looking for a captain to steer the ship. And for that part of the personality, they're going to have to tap into a different side of it to demonstrate how they handle chaos. Jason Hull (29:37) Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (29:54) not that they are chaotic. And I think what happens a lot of times when you're working with property managers is that they don't project that level of control. It just feels like they're reacting. So part of it is that, and they're really, really good ones. The ones who make it to that next level who are the regional managers and get those promotions, well, that's what they do. They manage the chaos and they manage up. They do a great job of telling the owners, Jason Hull (30:06) Yeah. Mm. John Casmon (30:23) the leadership, whoever they need to talk to, they're telling them, hey, here's how here's our process. Here's how we're managing the situation. Here's what's going on. Here's what we're into. Hey, we had a water main burst here. Here's we bought. call three companies. We've got three quotes, but it's calm, right? It can be the worst. I'll give you a real example, right? At a fire, one of my properties and I was going to meet a property manager and I just happened to have a meeting with her that day at the property. She called me. I was literally about to get in the car. She called me and said, Hey, I just want to let you know we've got a fire going on at the property. I'm not sure if you still want to meet. You're happy to come. We already have, you know, the fire department's here. They're they're putting the fire out right now. We already have another company that's coming in. They're going to walk through the damages once this is kind of settled. And I've already talked to the residents. Residents are good. We've got them hotels for the evening. We've checked with insurance. This is covered in your policy. So they're good to go. So you're happy to come down and talk and all of that if you want to. Or we can let things settle down and maybe we can meet next week. This is a fire, right? This is like a scary situation. She called me. Jason Hull (31:26) Right. A literal fire. Yeah. And there's plenty of fires in managing properties. The literal ones. John Casmon (31:33) Her calmness, she was so calm. Not only was she calm, she had handled 90 % of it, right? It was the stuff you could handle in the moment. She handled it. So was like, hey, I don't think it makes sense for me to because I'm probably just going to add more anxiety to the situation at this point, right? It seems like you've got it under control. Why don't we let things settle, literally let the dust settle? And then once it's there, I'll come down. We can assess the damages, figure out what else needs to happen, what other next steps need to take place, right? Jason Hull (31:41) Yeah? huh. question. Yeah. John Casmon (32:03) but had it handled like a rock star. Now, a lot of other folks would have saw the flames, called immediately, my God, there's a fire. ⁓ my God, what are we gonna do? So now you freaking out, everyone's freaking out, no one's controlling the situation, right? So now everyone's mind is just spinning and going. it does really take, kind of go back to where we started the conversation, that mindset of someone who was the boss, who was leading. Jason Hull (32:05) Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Freaking out. Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. John Casmon (32:32) who is going to take charge, even though it's not their property, they're going to take charge. Here's what needs to happen next. Maybe you have an emergency response plan already put in place, but you have these things already scheduled and ready to go. So when they happen, you're not shocked. You're not surprised. You're not asking questions that maybe you should have figured out upfront. And that's what a great property manager does. And if you convey that to owners, you're going to stand out above and beyond your competition because most people cannot convey that level of control, the level of planning and the level of expertise that it takes to truly and effectively manage properties from the front, being proactive as opposed to just reacting to whatever the issue of the day is. Jason Hull (33:13) Got it, okay. So ⁓ I'm reading, I just read, well, I didn't just read. I read in the past a really great book called Extreme Ownership. Really good book. Yeah, phenomenal book. ⁓ I'm going through their newer book, which I think is even better, called The Dichotomy of Leadership. leadership is what we're talking about right now, is that that, John Casmon (33:23) Yeah, I think I got it like right here. It is right there. Absolutely. Jason Hull (33:38) creates a huge impact and there's a lot of misunderstandings of what leadership is, like it's control or it's being aggressive or, but yeah, it's really that calm presence of letting people know I've got it. Like we can take care of this. We've got a plan and staying regulated and calm. So I love that. ⁓ have a, so another question I have is how can the property managers listen to this? How could they maybe target or partner with, if possible, syndications like you, like people that are doing what you're doing. Is there a chance that they could be a resource or do most syndications just in-house and do, they are a property management business? John Casmon (34:19) No, no, most ⁓ most that I know work with third party manager companies. So I would say first and foremost, if you and syndications, I mean, it sounds like a big, huge, fancy word. But I mean, honestly, anytime you work with passive investors is technically a syndication. So it really comes down to figuring out who is looking for third party management and whether or not it's technically a syndication or not is really irrelevant. You want someone who is going to be managing or owning the property. Jason Hull (34:24) Okay. Yeah. John Casmon (34:49) They want third party, but you have to understand their plan, going back to understanding the goals, right? Most syndications are looking to sell in a three to seven year timeframe, typically five to seven years. Most buy and hold owners have not decided or have not identified their exit strategy. So that's probably the biggest difference is when you have, let's just call it an individual investor or maybe it's a Jason Hull (35:01) Okay. Right. John Casmon (35:17) a family or whatever that's buying and they want a third party manager, they don't know the exit. They haven't predetermined that they're going to sell in five years. So they are buying and holding it. And that goes back to the the I think the separation of understanding the objective, because for that person, having a full property is great. It means they're maximizing the revenue potential today. When you are syndicating. most syndicators already assume 5 % vacancy. That's that's in everyone's underwriting. So you being at 100, they won't even give you credit banks don't even give you credit for it. So all of these things are already assumed. So for us to be above that is actually a miss, because it means we're not being as aggressive on the rent. So just understanding the mindset of a syndicator, which is they are looking to sell typically they're looking to double their money over a five or six year period. So how can you create value? And that's something most property managers don't fully understand. But I would sit and I would talk to that syndicator. And if you want to be a syndicator or partners, not just be a third party vendor, but you actually want a partner, which we have seen a lot of folks look to do. You want to figure out how you can bring value to the table, because now we are aligning your interest with that syndicators interest. And now you've got a great partnership. because every syndicator is going to need property management and they're going to need construction management to drive value. So if they can bring those people in as partners, that's a great opportunity for you. And if you're a property manager, you may have phenomenal relationships. You may already have contractor or the vendor partners that you trust in that marketplace. And if you could then take that and get a slice of the equity, that makes you very valuable for both sides. Jason Hull (37:08) Do syndications, do they also need investors in capital or do most of them have that, are they really good at that? Okay. John Casmon (37:15) Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. mean, I mean, syndication at its core really just comes down to the need of capital. If someone had the capital themselves, they would probably just buy it directly and not go through the process of syndication. Because the syndication is literally just raising the money from passive investors. And in that scenario, again, being able to manage that, manage the communication, ⁓ that's really what a syndication truly is. Jason Hull (37:42) So a really good property management partner could bring property management, some of the construction elements and investors and capital to the table. So it could be a nice little. John Casmon (37:51) That would be amazing. I'll be honest, man. That's because I don't want your listeners sitting here like, oh, I don't have one of those. I don't know if I've ever met one that had all of those. If you do have all of them, yes, you should consider syndicating yourself because you got all the pieces to the puzzle. Typically, what happens is a property manager has the property managers. I'll give you a great example. I got a 54 unit down in North Carolina. OK, so I came in as a key principal. I've got a. Jason Hull (38:03) Okay. Okay. John Casmon (38:20) to my coaching clients. It's his property that he found. He asked me to come help him with the loan, which I did. One of the members, one of the partners is the property manager. So that's kind of their role to the table is they're managing the property. That's what they kind of came on. They had a couple of relationships, but their main role is the asset and property management side of it. So that's a great way to come to the table. But. Just like anything else in business. Jason Hull (38:33) Mm-hmm. John Casmon (38:49) It's very hard to find someone who checks every single box. I mean, that's like finding the marketer who's a CMO, who's also the CFO, who's also the COO, who's also the chief of human resource. very like no one, people don't really have like top notch excellent skills at every single one of those, right? Like you might be great at business, great at sales, great at marketing. You're probably terrible at finance, right? Like you just, you just forget to do your expense report type person, right? So it's hard to find someone who's checks all those boxes. And I think typically when comes to property management, you want someone who's great with people, can resolve issues, but also has to be somewhat, you know, sufficient when it comes to the numbers, tracking all the data, tracking all the, you know, the rent roll, the leases, the income and expense statements, things like that. So usually they're not going to do every single box. But again, if you can find someone or that's where partnerships make sense. Jason Hull (39:24) Mm-hmm. John Casmon (39:43) If you've got that awesome. And again, I'm not saying a company doesn't have that. I'm just saying a single individual doesn't, which is why it's great to partner. If you can find someone who maybe brings a set of skills that you don't have, whether they're joining you in your property management business or they're partnering up where you're bringing your property management skills to the table with their investing or their networking skills, that makes for a good partnership. Jason Hull (39:43) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I got it. Well, we've got several clients, you know, all over the U S that are really good at property management. They're really good at handling the maintenance stuff and they obviously have a pool of investors as clients and, and, know, and they know that they can't do everything. So we coach them in making sure that they would do time studies. They figure out which, what their purpose is. We start to align them towards more fulfillment, more freedom, more contribution and more support in their business. John Casmon (40:32) Yeah. Jason Hull (40:38) And they start to build the right team. So they're getting operators, they're getting BDMs, they're getting the things they're not like strong in. And so we just make healthier businesses. So for those of maybe my clients listening that have healthy property management companies. And, but they don't want to do syndication. They're just like, man, that's a whole nother business. If I stay in my lane, I can grow that faster. How do they find syndicates? Like, how do they find people like you? Cause you've got a lot of properties connected to you. and they would probably love to chat with somebody like you. Where do you syndicate people hang out? What's the title? Who runs a syndicate? What are they called? Do they have a specific title? John Casmon (41:15) You Yeah. Yeah, great. Great question. Multifamily syndicator is is kind of the name just syndicator. We're all over. So I've got a podcast called Multifamily Insights. I interview like minded individuals. I've been doing that for a long time. We've done our seven hundred and seventy plus episode. So lots of people, lots of syndicators there. Definitely conferences. So if you look up any multifamily conference in your city. Jason Hull (41:25) Okay. Nice. Okay. John Casmon (41:46) meetups, lot of meetups in different cities as well. Those are great places to find syndicators. I think the biggest thing though is this. Figure out who your avatar is. Because while we're talking about syndicators, ultimately, if you want to scale your property management business, I presume you're trying to scale with folks who are looking for third party management and the best option for that. OK, and let me back up. had one of the guests out of a podcast some years back, ⁓ Ashley Wilson. Love Ashley. As you said, something really changed when I thought about the business. And she said the best way to find any vendor, any vendor is to figure out who relies on that vendor next and ask them for referral. So if you think about it, if you want a great drywall person, ask a painter. A painter is going to know who's great at drywall because they're going to know who makes their job easy and they can come in and just start painting versus a drywall guy who maybe doesn't, you know, you know. Jason Hull (42:38) I like it. John Casmon (42:55) mud the drywall properly or doesn't sand it down. So they got to do all this extra work before they start their process. Right. So a painter is going to know a great drywall guy. And in this case, it's really hard on ⁓ the property manager because you guys are the ones who do the work. But if you are looking for syndicators, OK, well syndicators, person who buys the deal. Well, who sells the deal? A broker. Find brokers. Go to a broker, commercial multifamily broker and ask them, hey, Jason Hull (43:01) I love this. Yeah. John Casmon (43:25) Do you know some groups or you have properties that you're going to list? Here are the kind of deals we want to do now on the flip side of that. You got to be good at your job, right? You got to sell yourself and share what you do. So if you've got a great track record, a great resume, showcase that, bring that broker through and let them know, hey, we're looking to scale our property management business here. Here are the kind of assets that we want to manage. If you come across any of these that you're going to list, would you mind keeping our main name out there or referring us or giving us introductions to any of those buyers? Jason Hull (43:53) Yeah. John Casmon (43:54) so that we can throw our hat in the running to manage these properties. That's a phenomenal way to do that. And it allows you to shine and expand your relationships in your core networks and in your core markets. Jason Hull (44:06) Brilliant. think I love the, I love Ashley's idea that you shared, you know, the drywall. Yeah. The painters, like they don't want to be painting over a crappy drywall. They're like, this is a mess. Like this doesn't even look good in my job. Now I'm going to look bad. Yeah. So the brokers know who maybe those best syndicators are. And so they could just go to the brokers and say, Hey, who's, who's doing deals like this? Who who's got things going on? Like who could you connect me with? And I avoid maybe. John Casmon (44:36) And on top of that, keep in mind, too, like what are the times when? Yeah, but think about to like when is a property hiring or bringing on a new property manager? Right. So it's either a current owners firing the existing property manager or the property is being sold. Right. So, I mean, if you can get in during that transition phase, that's going to help you tremendously. And if even if they're firing their existing property manager, you can think through, OK, how do I? Jason Hull (44:51) Yeah. Yeah. John Casmon (45:06) work myself and get my name out there. And a lot of times, again, you're going to ask, right? You're going to ask other investors. If I were going through that process, I'm going to call my buddies into space, right? And say, hey, man, having a hard time, my current PM is not working out or we're not hitting our objectives, looking at some other options. Do you have any experience with these guys? What do you know about these guys? Or do you have anybody you could recommend? It's word of mouth, right? So that's what's going to start happening as well. So you kind of have to get out there and network and let folks know who you are, what you do. But you want to be someone who people can say, yeah, these guys are amazing. You know, they, they only had an eight unit, but they crushed my eight unit for me. I'm sure they kill your 25 unit or your 50 unit. And you've got to start building that rapport and building your reputation in your market. Jason Hull (45:44) Yeah. Nice. This is good advice, my friend. So, cool. For those that maybe are investors listening to this show, ⁓ I'd love to hear a little bit about what you do, how you do run your syndication, and how they can ⁓ make things more passive, if that's what they're looking John Casmon (46:08) Yeah, man. So there are lots of different ways to get in. If you are looking to be more passive, ⁓ high level, here's how it works. OK, so first and foremost, me and my team would go out. We look for the deals. We focus on a really tight radius. So we're in Cincinnati. We like Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville, Kentucky. Really a two hour radius of the Cincinnati market is where we focus. And right now we actually think there's more opportunities locally. So we're really honed in on Cincinnati right now. But we focus on that once we find a deal. We reach out to folks in our network. So we have folks in our investor list. ⁓ Once they're on our list, we kind of have a quick vetting process and then we can share opportunities with them. Once they see that opportunity, they get a chance to review it. We like to have a webinar where we answer any questions about the deal. I think for new investors, it's a great way to learn because we have a lot of experienced investors who ask very intelligent, thoughtful questions that Many first time investors probably would not even think of. And that's a great way to learn, right? And ultimately when it comes to this space, it's really about education. know, it's educating yourself, understanding how you think about risk, how you mitigate risk in your investment choices. And those webinars are a great chance for you to learn about that the first time. Once you've done that, you can go ahead and fill out our official paperwork with our SEC documents. Jason Hull (47:30) Mm-hmm. John Casmon (47:30) And then once you're through there, you can make the investment. But the first thing is just to get on our list, you can have access to the deals. And before you do that, we've actually put together a guide that can help people because I found that when I have these calls, people don't ask great questions. Sometimes they do. But I want to make sure that you are informed and well educated because this is a big investment. You know, this is not a 599 thing. And if it doesn't work out, OK, well, I just wasted six bucks. No. Jason Hull (47:54) . John Casmon (47:59) We're asking you to make a pretty large investment, whether it's with us or with others. If that's what you're looking to do, I want to make sure you're well informed. So we put together a guide. It's seven questions you must ask before investing in apartments. You can get that on our website. It's casmancapital.com slash seven questions, but it gets into questions around the market itself, the operating team, what you should be looking for, the deal. What is the story of this property? What's the business plan? And it helps you identify different levels of risk because the reality is Anything can work, but you want to mitigate risk as much as possible, particularly when you're a passive investor, because you are basically saying, I'm trusting these people to find the right deal and execute. And you want to make sure that you are finding and identifying the right individuals who have a proven track record doing the thing that they are asking to do. When I hear about people losing money in real estate. At least 50, if not 70 % of the time. Jason Hull (48:35) Hmm. John Casmon (48:57) It is someone doing something for the first time. It is the first time in the market, first time doing this kind of deal, first time doing this kind of business plan. And. I can't tell you how frustrating it is because it's a big red flag, and it's not to say they can't do it and can't have success. But if it's your first time, I want to see how you're mitigating that right. You want to partner with someone who does have the experience you want. Like there are lot of things that you can do to put the odds in your favor. And when you're a passive investor. Jason Hull (48:59) Mm, yeah. John Casmon (49:26) It is not your job to hope. Your job is to analyze the information in front of you and make an informed decision. So this guide can help you do that. Jason Hull (49:34) Yeah, love it. I'm going to run a quick word from our sponsor real quick. Our sponsor for this episode is Vendero. And many of you tell me that property management maintenance is probably the least enjoyable part of being a property manager and definitely the most time consuming. But what if you could cut that workload by up to 85 percent? That's exactly what Vendero has achieved. So they leverage cutting edge AI technology to handle nearly all your maintenance tasks from initiating work orders. Troubleshooting, coordinating with vendors and reporting. This AI doesn't just automate, it becomes your ideal employee. Learning your preferences, executing tasks flawlessly and never needing a day off and never quitting. This frees you up to focus on the critical tasks that really move the needle for your business, whether that's refining operations, expanding your portfolio or even just taking a well-deserved break. Don't let maintenance drag you down. Step up your property management game with Vendero. Visit vendero.ai slash door grow today and make this the last maintenance hire you'll ever need. All right, so John, this is super helpful. love you've got your list. ⁓ You got your webinar, you've got your guide. I would recommend property managers listening to this. If they're curious about the world of syndication, that they start getting into your stuff and seeing how an expert like you is doing this and maybe even get involved in some of the deals with you or something might be a good idea. And they can kind of get a feel for how this works. And then maybe they'll say, I don't want to do what John does. And I'll just find people that do, but they'll at least understand how they could partner with people like that. then, or they may decide, you know what? John's clever, but I'm clever too. I might be able to figure out how to do this too. And maybe they'll do it too. And, but I think there's a solid opportunity for property managers that want to be in the multifamily space and do multifamily management to find third party people that are doing these syndication deals. They need good property managers and property managers want more doors and they want to grow. And if you don't, because your business sucks and it's uncomfortable, then reach out to me. I'll help you out. We'll get you dialed in. But ⁓ John, what else would you say to the investors that are maybe they're familiar with this and they've done some real estate investing and they've worked with some syndications ⁓ and they get on your list to do the webinar. What would you say to them next? John Casmon (51:56) Yeah, I think the biggest thing is understand what you're looking for. You know, I think one of the biggest challenges for investors is when you can't pull the trigger, it's typically because you haven't figured out what you're solving for. Are you looking for passive income? So you're just looking for a cash flow? Are you looking for long term wealth appreciation? Are you looking for tax benefits and to reduce kind of your tax liability? Do just want to diversify? Maybe you got feel like you have too much in a stock market, just like we put something somewhere else. So. Figure out what you're actually solving for. Understand your risk tolerance, you know, because every deal is different. In our case, we do value add B class deals. That's a fancy way of just saying we like properties that already making money that are solid, solid tenant based. Think of when I say B class, I'm thinking of all stuff that was built maybe 30 years ago, maybe 40, maybe 20 years ago. Stuff that. your teachers, your firefighters, your police officers, places where they might rent. So desirable locations, not luxury, not super high end, not, you know, super courts, everything. ⁓ But, you know, places that you would want your kid, your kid was in college, places you would be fine with your kid living, right? So you're thinking about that stuff. That's, you know, I don't say affordable stuff. That's not crazy price. So that's kind of what we focus on. Jason Hull (53:15) So would that be like, is that how you find the best markets then? John Casmon (53:21) That's part of it. That's our strategy. There are different strategies that people utilize. I have found for us that is a sweet spot where we can take those kind of assets, modernize them and create value for potential renters. Some people like to focus only on they call it core plus right where they're buying newer stuff, stuff built five years ago or three years ago. And maybe it was, you know, leased up and they're just going to go in and hold it longer. You'll find other ways to add more money through amenities. Jason Hull (53:35) Okay. John Casmon (53:50) So some people do that strategy. Some people like older properties where they're buying more distressed or much older properties and are trying to fully renovate them and bring them up. There are strategies out there, something like new construction, stuff that doesn't exist. They want to build from the ground up. So it really comes down to you. Every investing strategy has a different level of risk. This has nothing to with real estate, right? This is investing in general. you're buying, you know, know, value stocks versus growth stocks versus Internet, it's the same stuff, right? So you just have to figure out your level of risk. We like value at B-class multifamily deals. Once you understand your level of risk and balance that with your return expectations or projections, that's when you can figure out which investments actually make sense. You know, I have some folks who they like to invest in what we call trophy assets. And... They may not know that right away, but when you send them a couple of deals and they look at the property like, ⁓ it's okay. They want something. They want something they can brag about. They want to drive you by like, see that building over there? That's me. And if that's fine, if that's what you want, understand what comes with that, right? That's going to be a lower term, right? Because these are, there's not much value to create, right? You've got a brand new property. It's A class, rents are $2,500. There's not a whole lot you can do there. And because of that, Jason Hull (54:49) Yeah, they don't want to show that off. Look what I'm connecting. OK, right. Thank Yeah. John Casmon (55:13) There's not as much risk. So you're going to get less return because there's less risk. That's fun. Some people want to maximize their return, right? Hey, I don't need this money. I want to let it ride for 20 years. So they might want to do new construction or they might want to do a deep discount, highly distressed vacant property that needs, you know, $50,000 per unit to renovate it and turn around because the upside is there. So it just depends on that investor and your level of risk. Right. And most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Jason Hull (55:27) Thank John Casmon (55:43) which is kind of our strategy. figure out your level of risk tolerance, what you're looking for. And sometimes you don't know until you start looking at a Because you might think you're a cashflow person until I show you what cash flows. And you're like, oh, no, I don't want to be in that de
ABOUT BEN MURPHYBen has a proven track record of successfully closing approximately $600 million in multifamily transactions in Oregon and SW Washington since 2014. His outstanding market relationships and reputation are best in class and will significantly enhance our existing reach across all divisions that we work. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Ben is a dedicated supporter of environmental causes, actively contributing to organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and Greenpeace. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Multifamily Northwest Government Affairs Committee. THIS TOPIC IN A NUTSHELL: · Guest Introduction – background and journey in real estate· Blue State vs. Sunbelt Investing· Market Cycles & Supply Trends · Current Lending Environment· Multifamily Distress Reality Check · Broker Metrics & Prospecting Data · Cap Rate Expansion & Value Decline · Expense Pressure on NOI · Transaction Volume Slowdown · Outlook for 2026 & Market Bottom · Affordable Housing & Policy Challenges · Preparing Assets for Sale · Connect with Ben KEY QUOTE: “The best real estate strategies are built for decades, not market cycles.” ABOUT THE WESTSIDE INVESTORS NETWORK The Westside Investors Network is your community for investing knowledge for growth. For real estate professionals by real estate professionals. This show is focused on the next step in your career... investing, for those starting with nothing to multifamily syndication. The Westside Investors Network strives to bring knowledge and education to real estate professionals that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. The host AJ and Chris Shepard, are committed to sharing the wealth of knowledge that they have gained throughout the years to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow in their investing. They own Uptown Properties, a successful Property Management, and Brokerage Company. If you are interested in Property Management in the Portland Metro or Bend Metro Areas, please visit www.uptownpm.com. If you are interested in investing in multifamily syndication, please visit www.uptownsyndication.com. #RealEstateInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #MultifamilyInvesting #CREInvestor #MultifamilyRealEstate #ApartmentInvesting #RealAssets #HardAssets #LongTermInvesting #BuyAndHold #CashFlowInvesting #CapRate #ValueAddRealEstate #RealEstatePortfolio #WealthBuilding #InflationHedge #InvestmentStrategy #PassiveIncome #RealEstateMarket #InvestorMindset #BlueStateInvesting #MarketCycles #RiskAdjustedReturns #CapitalPreservation #SmartCapital #CREWealth #FinancialFreedom #RealEstateEducation #ProfessionalInvestors #GenerationalWealth CONNECT WITH BEN MURPHY:Email: ben.murphy@cinw.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-murphy-35968935 CONNECT WITH US For more information about investing with AJ and Chris: · Uptown Syndication | https://www.uptownsyndication.com/ · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/71673294/admin/ For information on Portland Property Management: · Uptown Properties | http://www.uptownpm.com · Youtube | @UptownProperties Westside Investors Network · Website | https://www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/ · Twitter | https://twitter.com/WIN_pdx · Instagram | @westsideinvestorsnetwork · LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13949165/ · Facebook | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Tiktok| @WestsideInvestorsNetwork · Youtube | @WestsideInvestorsNetwork
In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Michael Blank reconnects with Rod Khleif, multifamily investor, educator, and entrepreneur, to unpack what's really happened in real estate over the past few years. Together, they discuss the current multifamily downturn, rising expenses, distressed assets, and why pain in the market often creates the greatest opportunities. The episode also explores alternative asset classes, operating businesses, syndication beyond apartments, and how investors can position themselves for what's coming next.Key Takeaways Multifamily is going through a real reckoning, driven by rising interest rates, expenses, and maturing debt—not a broken asset class.Separating the past from the future is critical — what happened over the last two years doesn't define the next cycle.Syndication is the transferable skill, applicable to real estate, senior housing, self-storage, and even operating businesses.Distress creates opportunity, especially with forced sales, refinancing challenges, and upcoming loan maturities.Partner selection matters more than ever — misaligned or weak partners can destroy otherwise solid deals.Diversification across asset classes and strategies can create resilience during volatile market cycles.Connect with MichaelFacebookInstagramYouTubeTikTokResourcesTheFreedomPodcast.com Access the #1 FREE Apartment Investing Course (Apartments 101)Schedule a Free Strategy Session with Michael's Team of AdvisorsExplore Michael's Mentoring ProgramJoin the Nighthawk Equity Investor ClubReview the Podcast on Apple PodcastsSyndicated Deal AnalyzerGet the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael BlankFor full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session510/
Anyone who was in the LevFin market in 2022 may remember banks using term loan As to fill the financing gap when rising interest rates disrupted the syndicated loan market. That instrument has made a comeback — except this time, the TLA is no longer a back-up, but a tool to get larger financings done.In this episode, Cloud 9fin deputy LevFin editor Sasha Padbidri sat down with reporter Yiwen Lu and senior reporter Sunny Oh, to discuss the resurgence of the so-called pro-rata market.We broke down the key features of TLAs, how banks use them to differentiate themselves from direct lenders, and the evolving lender base of TLAs. We also discussed how it played out in recent jumbo buyouts, including Hologic.Have any questions? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com. You can also check out our feature on TLA here. Thanks for listening!
Whitney Elkins-Hutten of PassiveInvesting.com interviews Caleb Johnson of Red Sea Capital Group to dive deep into a 14-unit studio in Van Buren, a redevelopment in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona and unpack the real-world challenges behind acquiring a bank-owned, 1940s-era property—from navigating hard money lending and skyrocketing rehab costs to pivoting business plans when co-living no longer penciled. Caleb shares candid insights on due diligence for vacant assets, negotiating purchase price, raising capital in a cautious market, and why experience and the right team matter more than chasing big returns. If you want a transparent, deal-level breakdown of how seasoned investors create value in today's multifamily market—this episode delivers lessons you won't want to miss.
In this engaging conversation, Paul Shannon discusses the nuances of being an investor versus an entrepreneur in the real estate space. He emphasizes the importance of asset agnosticism, multiple exit strategies, and the evolving role of limited partners in today's market. The discussion also touches on current market conditions, investor sentiment, and the significance of teamwork in multifamily investing. With a focus on long-term wealth building and strategic decision-making, the conversation provides valuable insights for both seasoned investors and newcomers alike.TakeawaysThere's a distinction between being a good investor and a good entrepreneur.Asset agnosticism allows for flexibility in investment strategies.Having multiple exit strategies is crucial for risk management.Day one cash flow is important to ensure stability in investments.Floating rate debt can be risky in volatile markets.Limited partners are becoming more educated and cautious.Investor sentiment is improving but still cautious after recent market challenges.Teamwork is essential in multifamily investing to cover various skill sets.Long-term wealth is built through patience and strategic investments.Current market conditions suggest a cautious approach to new acquisitions. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage02:11 Investor vs. Entrepreneur Mindset03:56 Asset Agnosticism in Real Estate06:49 Frameworks for Evaluating Deals12:15 Long-Term Financing Strategies15:43 Current Cash on Cash Returns20:16 The Limited Partner Perspective27:02 Shifting Sentiments Among LPs30:52 The Future of Syndication and LP Education33:18 Navigating Market Cycles and Investor Mindset34:56 The Importance of Partnerships in Investing36:13 Balancing Entrepreneurial Spirit with Investor Discipline38:08 Understanding Local Market Dynamics40:40 The Role of Interest Rates and Economic Indicators42:59 Operational Excellence in Multifamily Investments46:15 The Entrepreneur vs. Investor Mindset49:13 Personal Habits for Success52:39 Bold Predictions for the Multifamily Market We're here to help create real estate entrepreneurs... About Jake & Gino: Jake & Gino are multifamily investors, operators, and owners who have created a vertically integrated real estate company. They control over $350M in assets under management. They have created the Jake & Gino Premier Multifamily Community to teach others a simple three-step framework for investing in multifamily real estate. Connect with Jake & Gino here --> https://jakeandgino.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.