Brick x Brick Podcast

We are back with another new guest: Brandon Liebeskind of Liebeskind Insurance ( https://liebeskindinsurance.com/ ). In the first half of a back-to-back with Brandon, we discuss the basics -- and nuances -- of Property Insurance. Tune in to understand: How carriers evaluate your insurance risk What considerations you should give to your coverage The types of exclusions your policy may carry How mu...

We're back at it again with Victor Liu of Clear Skies Title Agency! In this episode, we'll take a break from the nuts and bolts of real estate investing with a discussion on entrepreneurship. How does a data search company turn into a thriving title agency with 27 employees? We'll follow Victor's journey as an entrepreneur to learn how he managed to build a career (and a few businesses) without ev...

BREAKING NEWS: We'd like to introduce to you the first ever guest on the Brick x Brick Podcast -- Victor Liu from Clear Skies Title Agency in Cranford, NJ! After a brief introduction to Victor, we dive into the history of title insurance and an inside look into how the industry functions. Topics include: the difference between a "deed" and "title" how the title insurance industry aids in helping t...

What is real estate law? What is property ownership? What is a purchase contract? And why does it matter?! This is the first in a series of real estate law focused episodes. Our aim is to answer questions you face as a real estate investor and to provide some of the legal context behind these topics. Real estate law is confusing, and understanding the lengthy history of property law sheds some lig...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship (and of life). This week, John and Ryan channel their inner BuzzFeed with the "Top 3" successes and failures as entrepreneurs and real estate investors. Care to share yours? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or via email (john@libertyhudson.com and ryan@libertyhudson.com ).

Mistakes: We all make 'em. For some of us, they're the reason we even exist. For us, they present an opportunity to learn. Our team uses Slack for communication, and we've established a habit of logging our mistakes in our #mistakes channel. While it's great to log them, the goal is to learn from them. In this episode, we'll go through our first month (August 2019) worth of mistakes, and we'll exp...

"Do-it-yourself," they say. "You will save money!" "Leave it to the professionals," they say. "You'll avoid mistakes, and ultimately save time and money!" John and Ryan are back to debate the age old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Oops, we mean: Should I do-it-myself, or hire it out to the pros? Spoiler alert: There's a use case for both, but choose wisely!

Do you have a job, or are you a business owner? John and Ryan are back to discuss the ongoing challenge of building a business amidst the chaos of running one. How do we balance growth while ensuring that the business continues to fire on all cylinders? This topic we'll be discussed at length in the future. Consider this Part One. (Fun Fact: This is the first BxB episode recorded on location! Can...

Ben and John are back with tales from Building Departments! The duo shares war stories from an assortment of jurisdictions, including a few obscure encounters. Learn from their experiences and share your own with us on Instagram @brickxbrick_podcast!

After a long hiatus: We're back! Well, at least John and Ben are back... Today's topic: Education! Is college a viable path to breaking into real estate? Ben talks through his experience in NYU Shack's Undergraduate Real Estate Program. (Not to be confused with Shaq's real estate program, which is coming soon to a university near you. Fun fact: Shaquille O'Neal is an active real estate investor!)...

In this follow-up episode to Real Estate Debt Financing 101, the team discusses various ways to sort through your options when it comes to sourcing debt. (Transcript below.) Ben Shelley: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Brick x Brick Podcast. Today's episode is part two on the topic of debt financing. If you haven't heard Part 1 I encourage you to listen back. Part two is focused on discussing diffe...

Time to talk about leverage! In part one of this two part series, the BxB team discusses the essentials of real estate lending, including industry terminology: LTV, DCR, DTI, NOI, and more! We also talk pricing, terms, and additional variables to ensure that you match the right loan with the right project.   (Transcript below.)   Ben Shelley: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Brick x Brick Podcast. T...

The BxB team discuss various pieces of technology that they use in their real estate and construction businesses to help with everything from communication to document storage to project management and invoicing.   (Transcript below.)   Ep 14 - Leveraging Technology as a Real Estate Entrepreneur.mp3   Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome back to the Brick x Brick Podcast.   Ben Shelley: [00:00:09] I'm...

Broken toilets, leaky boilers, non-paying tenants, and mice infestations... Today, the BxB team discusses the glorious world of property management! The team touches on the good, the bad, and the ugly in order to prepare you for what's in store as a property manager -- whether you're self-managing or hiring it out to a property manager. Property Management is a make-or-break for any real estate in...

Rents - PITI = Cash Flow?!?! Nonsense! John, Ben, and Ryan discuss the real costs of owning and operating rental property. Here are a few buzz words: cap rate, NOI, cash flow after debt... Don't we sound smart now? We'll de-mystify common real estate jargon to ensure you'll know what your broker is talking about when he tries to impress you by offering you "a steal at a 6-cap".   (Transcript below...

This week, Ben, John, and Ryan explore the art of understanding new real estate markets -- including what drives appreciation, occupancy, and rent growth.   (Transcript below.)   Ep. 11 - Location, Location, Location - Deciding Where to Invest   Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome to the Brick x Brick Podcast. I'm Ben and I'm here with John and Ryan for today's episode. We're going to discuss the geog...

Ben, John, and Ryan peel back the curtain on the ugly side of entrepreneurship. What is it really like to be your own boss?    (Transcript below.)   Ep 10 - The Joys (and Pitfalls) of Real Estate Entrepreneurship   Ben Shelley: [00:00:06] Welcome back to the Brick x Brick Podcast. I'm Ben and I'm here with John and Ryan today and we're going to talk about being an entrepreneur. Probably a little b...

The Liberty Hudson team continues their discussion about the construction process. The conversation covers selecting finishes, communicating about timelines, and what to do when your construction project isn't going as planned. The team also rehashes the importance of documentation throughout the process. (Hint: Document everything!)   (Transcript below.) Ep. 9 - Managing the Construction Process...

In the debut of our new longer format, the guys discuss the construction process through the eyes of a real estate investor and landlord: What is a general contractor? What is a subcontractor? How do I interact with my GC? Where should I spend my money? Who is on my construction team? Who will be working on my project? What is everyone's responsibility? Why is my project taking so long?!?! And muc...

The BxB crew discusses the importance of creating your real estate team and best practices for real estate networking.   (Transcript below.)   Ep. 7 - Building Your Real Estate Network - Transcript Ben Shelley: [00:00:08] Welcome to the Brick by Brick Podcast where we take you from the ground up on all things real estate. I'm your host Ben Shelley. We are fortunate to have Ryan and John back with...

The team examines the complex topic of real estate investment funds from a high-level and in the context of their real estate investment business.   (Transcript below.)   Ep. 6 - Raising a Fund for Real Estate Investment - Transcript   Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome to the Brick x Brick Podcast where we take you from the ground up on all things real estate. I'm your host Ben Shelley. We are fortu...

John, Ryan, and Ben explore the range of financing options available for real estate acquisitions. John and Ryan walk through a sample deal using a hard money lender.

John, Ryan, and Ben discuss deal sourcing basics and the range of options for finding deals. John and Ryan debate the merits and drawbacks of various deal sourcing techniques to find dynamite real estate deals in a competitive market.   (Transcript below.)   Ep. 4 - Sourcing Real Estate Deals - Transcript Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome to the Brick x Brick Podcast where we take you from the groun...

John and Ryan discuss an upcoming renovation project in Livingston, New Jersey. The two debate potential exit strategies and play out various scenarios. (Transcript below.) Ep. 3 - The Anatomy of a Deal in North Jersey - Transcript   Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome to the Brick by Brick Podcast where we take you from the ground up on all things real estate. I'm your host Ben Shelley. We are fortun...

Host Ben Shelley walks through Ryan and John's journeys toward becoming full-time real estate investors. (Transcript below.) Ep. 2 - Becoming A Full Time Real Estate Investor   Ben Shelley: [00:00:07] Welcome to the Brick by Brick podcast where we take you from the ground up on all things real estate. I'm your host Ben Shelley. It is once again my honor and pleasure to be joined by Ryan Goldfarb a...