Opportunity Zones Podcast

Ashley Tison and I have been to nearly every Opportunity Zone Expo since the group began organizing conferences in early 2019. While the early Expos were focused on navigating the new legislation and regulations, this most recent Expo in Phoenix earlier this month served to highlight the need for the more mature industry -- now four years into the program -- to tell more Opportunity Zone success s...

Opportunity Zones are helping drive capital into the revitalization of mobile home park communities in some of the country's poorest areas. Sam Hales, founder and CEO of Saratoga Group, joins the show to discuss how he has used Opportunity Zones over the past few years to revitalize poorly run mobile home communities, and why MHCs can be a good inflation-resistant asset class for investors. Show n...

The stock market is down, inflation is at 40-year highs, and interest rates are on the rise. How are rising debt costs impacting the operations of Qualified Opportunity Fund operators? James Brunger, chief sales officer at Capital Square, joins the show to discuss Capital Square’s DST and Opportunity Zone programs, and how recent moves by the Fed are impacting where investors can still find value....

The true potential of the Opportunity Zone program has largely been left unlocked. On today's episode, seven OZ insights that every investor should know. Today's episode is a re-post of an earlier episode of The Alternative Investment Podcast. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/09/7-insights-219/

Which cities have the largest number of Opportunity Zones? The top three cities -- New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago -- are to be expected. But numbers 4 through 10 may be somewhat surprising. On today's episode, we review the top 25 cities with the highest amount of Opportunity Zones, and take a deep dive into the top 10 cities, walking through geographic maps and income data. Show notes: https:...

Is there a ticking time bomb that may disqualify more than $1.3 billion of funds raised by Qualified Opportunity Funds? Kirk Walton, co-founder and managing partner of GPWM Funds, joins the show to discuss potential solutions to QOF filing errors and his approach to Opportunity Zone investing. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/09/kirk-walton-217/

Cost segregation to achieve accelerated depreciation and can greatly improve after-tax returns for real estate investors. But it can be a an even more powerful tool for Opportunity Zone deals. Valerie Grunduski, partner and real estate tax specialist at Plante Moran, and Jeremy Sompels, principal and cost segregation senior manager at Plante Moran, join the show to discuss how the effect of cost s...

Passive real estate investing can bring cash flow and appreciation to investors who don't necessarily want to be actively hands-on. John Rubino, founder and COO of JID Investments, joins the show to discuss how High Net Worth investors should think about passive real estate investing with Qualified Opportunity Funds. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/08/john-rubino-215/

The inefficient real estate marketplace in Puerto Rico can create compelling opportunities for investors seeking value. Local tax incentives layered in with Opportunity Zone benefits can drive highly attractive return projections. But investing on the island does not come without risk. Ari Kresch, strategic advisor for Island Paradise QOF, joins the show to discuss how he finds value in Puerto Ric...

Ashley Tison of OZ Pros joined OZ Pitch Day last month to field live questions from our attendees. Over the past three years, Ashley has helped form well over 1,000 Opportunity Zone entities. On today's show, Ashley answers questions about rental properties, trusts, raw land, grants, and more. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/08/ashley-tison-213/

In April, members of Congress in the House and Senate introduced bipartisan Opportunity Zone legislation that would extend and improve the four-year-old tax policy. In this panel from OZ Pitch Day Summer 2022, Blake Christian, partner at HCVT, and Reid Thomas, executive vice president at JTC Americas, discuss the new legislation and how it may impact investors and the OZ marketplace if enacted. Sh...

Investing in Opportunity Zones can be an effective tax mitigation strategy for High Net Worth investors. But when are OZs the right investment structure to use when considering taxation and overall portfolio construction strategy? In this panel from OZ Pitch Day Summer 2022, Louis Reynolds, CEO of Synergistic Exchange Solutions, and Nick Rosenthal, managing director at Griffin Capital, discuss how...

Debt is commonly used to amplify returns on real estate investments, and Opportunity Zone deals are no exception. But what is the proper amount of debt to appropriately leverage any given investment, and why might that target change for an OZ deal? Louis Dubin, principal and managing partner at Redbrick LMD, joins the show to discuss how he determines the optimal amount of debt to use in Opportuni...

Inflation recently hit a four-decade high of 9.1%. The stock market is down double digits year to date. The U.S. economy is likely in a recession. What do investors need to know right now about Opportunity Zones and macroeconomic turbulence? Chris Loeffler, CEO and co-founder of Caliber, joins the show to discuss how investors should consider these issues, and whether there may be opportunities to...

While other major U.S. cities experienced a resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s, Detroit got left behind for several years. But now, the ongoing resurgence of Detroit may be creating a compelling investment opportunity for Opportunity Zone investors. Jed Howbert, partner at Greatwater Opportunity Capital, joins the show to discuss Detroit's bankruptcy and ensuing economic transformation, and the opp...

The stock market is down more than 20% year to date. Interest rates are on the rise to tackle the highest inflation rate in 40 years, but this may inevitably lead to a recession. How are Opportunity Zones potentially being impacted by these turbulent macroeconomic conditions? Erik Hayden, founder and CEO of Urban Catalyst, joins the show to discuss inflation, the market downturn, cap rate compress...

The Section 1031 exchange has been around for over 100 years. Much like Opportunity Zones, chaining together a series of 1031 exchanges can offer an incredible tax incentive for real estate investors. But when might an OZ investment be a better option? Lawrence Jatsek, managing partner at CRE Development Capital, joins the show to discuss how Opportunity Zones compare to 1031 exchanges, and when t...

A housing affordability crisis currently plagues our nation. Can Opportunity Zones be utilized to effect real change that would bring more high density housing stock online? Brad Padden, founder and CEO of Housing Diversity Corporation, joins the show to discuss how Opportunity Zones can help fulfill housing abundance and job creation in economically distressed communities. Show notes: https://opp...

Ultra High Net Worth investors and family offices are ideally suited for real estate investments in Opportunity Zones. The long holding period and strategic differences between OZs and other tax-advantaged investments can be complimentary in a large investment portfolio. Alex Bhathal, founder and executive chairman at Revitate, joins the show to discuss the evolution of Opportunity Zones and how f...

Oregon has been scrutinized for some of the state's Opportunity Zone selections, particularly those in downtown Portland. Vanessa Sturgeon, founder of Sturgeon Development Partners, joins the show to discuss how the Opportunity Zone nominating process unfolded in Oregon, why it was so controversial, and where her firm is developing in the state. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/06/vaness...

When a High Net Worth investor triggers a capital gain, there are a few different tax mitigation options available, including the 1031 Exchange, a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investment, and Opportunity Zones. But when is each of these options appropriate? And how can advisors place their clients into the appropriate tax mitigating investment products? Louis Reynolds, CEO of Synergistic Exchang...

Real estate securities laws that apply to Qualified Opportunity Funds can have a huge (and often times ignored) impact on OZ developers and project sponsors. Coni Rathbone, real estate and securities attorney at Dunn Carney, joins the show to discuss what real estate developers and fund operators need to be aware of before raising Opportunity Zone capital from investors. Show notes: https://opport...

Community activation may be the key to long-term success of Opportunity Zones. Chris Cooley, CEO of OZworks Group, joins episode #200 of the Opportunity Zones Podcast to discuss OZ advocacy, why community-led OZ projects are crucial to the long-term success of the initiative, and updates on the progress of OZworks Group's online community. Show notes: https://opportunitydb.com/2022/06/chris-cooley...

It's incredibly easy for Qualified Opportunity Fund managers and limited partners who invest in such funds to get tripped up by many of the novel complexities that arise from the statute and regulations dictating Opportunity Zone investing. Andrew Gradman, a tax attorney who specializes in Opportunity Zone transactions, joins the show to discuss his recent article for California Tax Lawyer, titled...

Multifamily is the most popular asset class for Opportunity Zone investors. According to the latest Qualified Opportunity Fund survey data from Novogradac, approximately 80% of all QOFs have exposure to residential real estate. Scott Hawksworth, co-founder of MultifamilyInvestor.com, joins the show to discuss multifamily real estate investing trends that are unfolding in 2022, how current macroeco...