LIFE WITH MIKEY

The biggest threat to your portfolio may not be the market. It could be the story your brain is telling you. In this episode of Life With Mikey, we explore five common behavioral biases that can influence investment decision-making. Using historical examples including investor behavior during periods of heightened interest in cryptocurrencies and real estate markets between 2020 and 2022, we exami...

For two years, everyone's been watching interest rates. But there's a quieter number shaping home deals right now and many people aren't talking about it. In this episode, Mikey breaks down how home insurance went from a simple line item to a major factor in what can impact what you can actually afford. You'll learn why California got so expensive (it's not just the fires), how...

A viral clip says a family of six can "easily" live on $100,000 a year in California. So we pulled out the calculator and tested it line by line. Mikey Taylor and Michael Michalov break down the budget behind the clip. They look into mortgage, groceries, gas, health insurance, all of it and find out where it holds up and where it completely falls apart. The truth? The number you bought your house...

On July 4th, 2026, a rule will change that lets you do something you literally could not do before: borrow to buy your business AND the building it operates in, with the government standing behind both loans. In this episode, Mikey Taylor and Michael Michalov break down the two SBA programs. Every business owner should understand the 7(a) and the 504 in plain English, without the lending jargon. T...

The government is proposing a $1,000 contribution into an investment account for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. Many parents may overlook it because of one thing: the name. In this episode, Mikey Taylor and Michael break down what the new "Trump Account" is, how it is designed to work, and the questions families may want to consider when evaluating it. They walk through th...

In this solo episode, I break down the six pillars I use to run Commune Capital today, the operating system I wish I had when we were building Saint Archer, and walk through the three things you have to fight for at the closing table if you’re considering  selling a business. I also share a 90 day test that will tell you whether you’ve built a real company or just a high paying job with a brand at...

Graham Stephan told millions of people why he shifted away from real estate and is moving over to investments like stocks, bonds, and ETFs. The math may sound straightforward. The psychology behind decisions like this often isn’t. In this episode, Mikey Taylor and Michael Michalov break down the 5 behavioral finance biases that can influence major investing decisions. This isn't a takedown. It...

This week, LA land use attorney and California State Senate candidate Sara Hernandez sits down to break down Executive Directive 1, why banks have stopped lending on multifamily projects, and the math behind why rent doesn’t seem to be dropping anytime soon. Mikey and Michael lay out the 3 milestones most real estate development projects must navigate. If you’re trying to understand LA real estate...

Mortgage rates just hit around 5.99%. Existing home sales hit a nine-month low. A lot of people see those two numbers and assume the market is dead, but that may not tell the full story. Mikey and Michael break down what some are calling the biggest buying window in years, the hidden cost of waiting, and why today’s market may look very different from 2008.. They unpack the shifting trends between...

The housing market is not one market. It's three. And most people can't tell which one they live in. In this episode, Mikey and Michael give commentary on what's happening in 2026. Forty percent of U.S. cities are seeing prices drop. Other areas are still going up. The national news won't tell you which side your city is on. Your local data will. They walk through the numbers, mont...

In this episode, Mikey and Michael break down the seismic shifts happening in US housing right now: the  $17,000 tariff cost now baked into every new home, why building permits just hit their lowest level since 2019, and why fix-and-flip ROI has collapsed back to 2008 levels. Then they turn the conversation toward the group nobody is defending Gen Z. With 46 million US households now renting (an a...

Everyone is telling you the housing market is about to crash worse than 2008. They’re wrong  but the truth might be harder to hear. In this episode, I break down the numbers behind today’s housing market and compare them to the factors that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Topics include subprime mortgages, equity positions, supply dynamics, insurance costs, the lock-in effect. The data s...

Most people think real estate development is just construction. It’s not. The real game starts years before a shovel hits the ground and that’s where fortunes are made or lost. In this episode, Mikey Taylor and Michael Michalov break down the complete development cycle from raw land to stabilized asset. They cover how to assess whether buying or building makes sense for your situation, the entitle...

Most people will never buy a piece of real estate not because they don't have the money, but because nobody ever sat them down and walked them through every single step of the process. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on a real deal: a 37-unit multifamily building in North Hollywood, California. From the first back-of-the-napkin math to the moment the title transfers, we break down th...

Michael Mnatsakanian grew up in poverty as a first-generation American raised by a single mom. He got an engineering degree from UCSD, commissioned as a U.S. Army officer, and started investing in real estate from a barracks in Fairbanks, Alaska with little money. Five years later, he’s built a $25M+ real estate portfolio, raised over $10M in capital, and completely abandoned the Airbnb model for...

If all your income stopped tomorrow, how long would you last? Many people can't answer that question and  that's part of the problem. In this episode, Mikey and Michael discuss why society often prioritizes income titles, salaries, and promotions, while ownership remains an underexplored strategy for building long-term financial security.. They explore the difference between being rich and...

In today's market, access to capital has become more restricted, with banks lending less than in previous years. The real estate market may feel stagnant, and stock prices appear high relative to historical norms. However, periods of market uncertainty can often create opportunities for those who are well-positioned to act strategically. In this episode, we examine six investment strategies th...

Investing can feel complicated for a reason. In this episode, a former financial advisor breaks down how "big words" and Wall Street jargon may cause confusion, leading to decisions that aren't fully understood. We discuss common concepts like options trading, using a simple analogy to real estate contracts, and why complexity in investing may lead to middlemen who benefit from your...

Are current conditions in the self-storage market creating opportunities that resemble past cycles? AJ Osborne shares how he evaluates today’s self-storage environment, including comparisons to post-2009 pricing, differences in asset quality, and factors that may influence supply and demand over time. The conversation explores concepts such as replacement cost, barriers to entry, interest rate dyn...

Most people lock up money too early in retirement accounts and miss flexibility when opportunities show up. In this episode we walk through how we’d think about allocating $10k, $100k, and $1M , why we prioritize the employer match , how a self-directed IRA can expand options, and the tradeoffs between post tax dollars , real estate, and diversified holdings. Timestamps 0:00 - Setup & stakes 1...

Real talk for real estate agents and investors. Glennda Baker lays out the painful truth: the second you sell a property, your income stops. She breaks the “artist not operator” trap, shares the 50 percent commission rule that ends tax panic, and shows the ethical way agents can become owners without burning client trust. What you’ll learn Why selling fast keeps you broke and holding builds wealth...

High earners are not broke… they’re exposed. In this episode, Mikey Taylor and Michael Michalov break down why so many millennials and Gen Z feel trapped despite making good money and the exact playbook to escape the income treadmill. We cover the difference between income and ownership, why “spending is visible and wealth is silent,” how to buy back freedom with cash flow, and whether you should...

Real estate investors talk about the housing crisis every day. Very few are actually building solutions. In this episode, Mikey Taylor , cofounder of Commune Capital , takes you inside a rare position. Sitting on both sides of the table. Municipal leadership and private real estate development. One night, he’s voted mayor of Thousand Oaks . The next morning, he’s on site developing housing project...

Most investors think they’re diversified. Today Brad Barrett explains why 7 to 10 mega-caps can dominate your “broad market” exposure and what to do before the next shock hits. We cover the simple, boring habits that actually build wealth, when to hire an advisor, how behavioral biases wreck DIY plans, and why his firm keeps zero in crypto while opening access to a private equity fund with quarter...

Richard Mulder went from Girl/Chocolate pro to starting at zero in real estate. No residuals. No safety net. And every January 1 felt like day one again. In this episode he lays out exactly how he survived the reset: treat real estate like a contact sport, lead with questions to build real rapport, and stop pretending this is a side hustle. Watch if you care about: real estate sales, lead generati...