Global Investors: Investing in U.S. Real Estate

Marshall Sykes grew up in a real estate family, learning early how building and holding properties could create lasting wealth. After serving 24 years as a U.S. Navy Captain in the Civil Engineer Corps and later managing billion-dollar projects at ExxonMobil, Marshall turned his focus to investing. Starting with single-family rentals, he soon discovered the power of scale in multifamily real estat...

Are you still managing your rentals on your own? In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo explains the Top 5 Benefits of Property Management for Investors and why hiring a property manager often pays off. You’ll learn how property managers help with tenant screening, bookkeeping, vendor negotiations, legal compliance, and market knowledge. If you’ve ever wondered whether to self-manag...

Luis Belmonte, founding partner of Seven Hills Properties and a former executive at AMB Property Corporation, joins Charles Carillo to share lessons from his 57-year real estate career. From his first duplex in 1964 to managing $250M in warehouse developments, Luis explains how to underwrite commercial properties, avoid exit strategy mistakes, and thrive in both constrained and oversupplied market...

One small insurance claim can cause your landlord premiums to skyrocket or even get your policy dropped. But the good news is, you can prevent it. In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo shares 7 proven tips that help landlords lower insurance costs, avoid costly claims, and protect their rental properties. From dryer vent fire prevention to water heater replacement strategies and th...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo interviews Jay Biggins, a seasoned investor with over 25 years of experience in value-add affordable housing strategy and LIHTC multifamily investing. You’ll hear how Jay built his business without syndication, scaled from small C-class properties to a large portfolio across multiple states, and why he prefers self-management over th...

Buying a property with unpermitted work can be a costly mistake but it can also be an opportunity if you know how to handle it. In this episode, we break down how to find open permits on a property, the cost to legalize unpermitted renovations, and how to protect your investment. You’ll learn the real estate permitting process for investors, the biggest unpermitted construction risks buyers should...

Cory Harelson went from pulling 80-hour weeks as a structural engineer to building a cash-flowing portfolio of mobile home parks. In this episode, he breaks down how he made the leap, found his first deal on Craigslist, and built a team to scale nationwide. You’ll learn why mobile home parks are a powerful value-add asset class, how to source off-market deals, and why this niche is still overlooke...

Thinking of using the BRRRR method to build your real estate portfolio? Before you Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, and Repeat… listen to this episode. In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the biggest mistakes investors make when using the BRRRR strategy — from underestimating rehab costs to refinancing disasters and overleveraging. If you’re a new or growing real estate inve...

In this episode, Charles Carillo interviews Joe Downs, co-founder of Belrose Group, about his journey from financial advisor to owning over 20 self-storage facilities. Joe shares how he went from losing it all in a failed bar venture to building a successful storage investment company. We cover: The power of self-storage as a value-add investment The difference between Pro Storage and Small Bay Fl...

Is your tenant falling behind on rent — again? One missed payment turns into three, and suddenly you're stuck with a non-paying tenant, lost income, and a costly eviction. In this episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the exact steps he uses to reduce rent delinquencies fast. From smarter tenant screening to payment systems and eviction strategies, this guide is designed to protect your rental inco...

Can you build true passive income without owning rental property? In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo sits down with Jamie Bateman — Army veteran, ex-DOD civilian, and founder of Labrador Lending — to unpack the business of mortgage note investing. Jamie shares how he transitioned from a W2 career to a portfolio of first-lien, re-performing mortgage notes in the Midwes...

In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo reveals how to analyze rental demand like a professional real estate investor—before you ever buy a property. This deep dive covers everything you need to understand your local rental market: population growth, job trends, affordability gaps, income levels, vacancy rates, supply absorption, and long-term crime trends. Charles also explains how to...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo interviews Dave Codrea, the co-founder of Greenleaf Capital. With over 20 years of real estate experience, Dave shares how he transformed underutilized properties—particularly vacant call centers and suburban office buildings—into high-performing assets across the Southeast. They dive into topics like adaptive reuse, tenant demand, t...

Is your rental unit sitting vacant longer than expected? In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo dives into the hidden costs of vacancy and shares the key strategies he uses to reduce downtime, increase lease renewals, and keep units filled. Whether you're managing a duplex, multifamily, or turnkey rental, you’ll learn how to avoid common marketing mistakes, improve tenant retention, an...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo talks with capital-raising expert Dave Dubeau. Dave reveals how he completed 18 real estate deals in 18 months using creative financing — and how he’s helped investors raise over $325 million in private capital. You'll learn how podcasting can become your most powerful tool to attract accredited investors, and how to start raising mo...

Tenant turnover can quietly destroy your cash flow if you're not paying attention to the hidden costs. In this episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the real cost of tenant turnover—why it's more than just lost rent—and how smart landlords reduce it without overspending. You'll learn the difference between vacancy and turnover, how to calculate your actual turnover rate, and the strategies you can...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo sits down with Andy Weiner, President of RockStep Capital, to explore how shopping center investments can outperform multifamily in today’s high-interest environment. Andy shares his journey from operating 159 retail stores to building over 10 million sq ft of shopping centers across 11 states. You’ll learn how grocery-anchored asset...

Raising rents can feel risky but not raising them could be even worse. In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo shares a proven strategy for increasing rents without losing your best tenants. Whether you’ve just bought a property with under market rent, are dealing with inflationary pressures, or want to boost your cash flow without causing turnover, this episode will walk you through...

  Morgan Keim joins Charles Carillo to share how he transitioned from raising over $500 million in venture capital for food-tech startups to building long-term wealth through real estate investing. In this episode, Morgan breaks down his strategy behind launching a 75-unit affordable housing fund, investing in over 50 multifamily syndications, and using creative structures like subject-to and sell...

Not all property upgrades are worth the price. In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo uncovers six common rental property renovations that don’t increase rent, resale value, or return on investment—and in some cases, they can actually lower your NOI. From unpermitted work to luxury appliances and layout changes that backfire, Charles shares real examples and lessons learned from yea...

How does a mechanical engineer go from aerospace to full-time real estate investing? In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo sits down with Christopher Lento, founder of EM Capital, who shares his journey from corporate defense work to building a portfolio of value-add multifamily properties across the Southeast U.S., including markets like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh....

Bad debt is one of the most overlooked threats to your rental property’s performance—and it can silently eat away at your NOI. In this episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the concept of bad debt in real estate, how to calculate your bad debt ratio, and—most importantly—how to reduce it. From poor tenant screening to inefficient rent collection, Charles shares real-world strategies for eliminating...

Joey Muré, a former mortgage branch manager turned entrepreneur, joins Charles Carillo to share how he broke free from the traditional financial system. In this episode, Joey explains how he transitioned from trading time for money to building over $50,000/month in passive income through the Infinite Banking Concept and personalized investment strategies. He reveals how his Passive Income Operatin...

Most real estate investors rely on cap rates. That’s a mistake. In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo introduces a powerful underwriting tool that experienced investors use to avoid bad deals: Yield on Cost. You'll learn: What Yield on Cost (YOC) actually is How it's different from cap rate When and how to use it in your underwriting What makes a “good” YOC spread How YOC helps you ev...

Ed Mathews is a seasoned real estate investor and the founder of Clark Street Capital. A real estate investment company with a focus on multifamily properties. Ed has over 25 years of Silicon Valley experience, culminating in his transition to full-time real estate investing in 2018. Today, his firm aims to empower professionals toward financial freedom through passive investments. Learn More Abou...