Straight Up Chicago Investor

Michaela Gordon is a seasoned Realtor and Designer with over 10 years of experience acquiring and renovating properties in Chicago! Michaela kicks things off by talking about her background in architecture and design. She explains the significance of the different Chicago lot sizes and their impact on a building's footprints and redevelopment potential. Michaela also compares Chicago architecture...

Kevin Greer joins us to break down Community Banks, Commercial Lending, and the State of the Lending Market! Kevin explains the differences between Regional Banks and Community Banks. You'll learn how you can build and leverage a relationship with your local Community Bank. He also shares how his investor mindset and strategy have changed throughout his years of investing. Then, Kevin tells us his...

What is the Chicago Real Estate Rumble and how can I participate, attend, or donate? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Ryan Cotter, The Mortgage Corp Link: Fighter Orientation - Chicago Real Estate Rumble 2023 Link: Real Estate Rumble Series Sponsors: Midwest RE Networking Summit and  Essex Realty Group -------------...

Brian Basic is a seasoned investor with experience ranging from Condo Deconversions to Buy and Hold Rentals! Brian starts by explaining the origins of his family's REI business and the lessons learned from his wide range of investing experience. Next is a deep dive on the differences between being a landlord in the City of Chicago compared to the Suburbs. Brian discusses his geographical areas of...

Roger starts by discussing how he found a niche in New Construction and jumps into lessons learned throughout the years. Leaning on his decades of investing experience, he's able to provide insight on red flags leading up to the last housing crash and discuss the emergence of north side neighborhoods like Uptown, Edgewater, and Buena Park. Roger breaks down how he identifies areas where new constr...

What is the future of rent control in Illinois and what are the implications based on rent control from other cities? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Mike Baker & Mike Hagensen | New Era Chicago | NBOAChicago Link: Why Rent Control Doesn't Work - Freakonomics Link:

Ignacio Gonzalez joins us to explain everything you need to know about the neighborhood he was born and raised in, and currently invests in; Back of the Yards! Ignacio jumps right in by explaining how he started investing in the neighborhood and defines its geographical borders. He shares lessons learned from his first (over budget and over schedule) rehab project and other large gut renovations t...

Interested in investing near a Chicagoland University to provide student housing?! Harrison Cohen joins us to share how he's built his portfolio using this model! Harrison explains why he decided to focus on student housing and the nuances of student housing near different universities, including University of Chicago, UIC, DePaul, and Loyola. Harrison dives deep on the leasing process and how it...

What should I expect when I hire a contractor for my first remodel? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Matthew Nosal, NEGC Remodeling ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.

Do short term, mid term, and new construction rentals interest you?! Andrew Holmes provides great insight on how he's been utilizing all of these investment vehicles to grow his portfolio! Andrew kicks things off by discussing the differences between today's real estate market and the 2012 market when he got started in real estate. He transitions into the new construction development that he and h...

Interested in investing in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, but wondering if you're too late to the party?! Jason Stratton joins us to provide his perspective as a seasoned realtor, investor, and resident of the neighborhood. Jason starts by sharing what attracted him to Bucktown and his first deal. He defines the street borders of Bucktown, the amazing attributes of the neighborhood, and shares h...

What must an investor consider when planning to work with a contractor? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Matthew Nosal, NEGC Remodeling ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.

Prashanth Mahakali returns to the SUCI Podcast (Episode 21) with his business partner Fernando Lopez to discuss all things related to New Construction Builds. Prashanth and Fernando discuss the formation of their partnership and their complementary skill sets. They explain how they've made the new construction design and development business model profitable. They dive deep on the level of customi...

Nick Chaplain joins us to explain how real estate investors can leverage life insurance policies to "Be Your Own Bank". He jumps right into leveraging policies and building cash value as collateral for other investment opportunities. Nick explains how the wealthy take advantage of these strategies and their significant tax benefits. Mark also chimes in on how he has utilized this to help pay for h...

An incident happened at my building and now a reporter has reached out. How should I respond? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Myk Snider of Sphere Public Relations ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.

Catalin Maticiuc of Compass joins us to share a wonderful immigrant success story involving house hacks on the North Side and BRRRRs on the South Side of Chicago! Catalin talks about him immigrating to the United States and getting started in real estate! He speaks about the sleepless nights he had on his first house hack in Humboldt Park involving a FHA 203k loan to renovate that property. He goe...

Interested in learning how our guest has acquired 12 doors before age 30?! Although it may sound glamorous, Ben Sussman gives us a raw breakdown of the mistakes he's made and how he's rebounded strongly to continue growing his real estate portfolio! Ben talks about his start in real estate and explains why he was attracted to the Belmont Cragin and Back of the Yards neighborhoods. He shares a horr...

What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a property in your personal name or in an LLC? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Bibek Das of Das Law ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.

WE'VE REACHED 200 EPISODES!!! Matt Feo, Jake Fugman, and Blake McCreight celebrate with us through an amazing panel discussion on all things Chicago Real Estate! Are you curious on which areas of Chicago are next to double in value? Our panel provides their opinion. Local real estate trends is another topic discussed including golden tips on desirable property characteristics that will maximize yo...

Matt Menna, Managing Principal of Sterling Bay, joins us to discuss Lincoln Yards; a 53-acre mixed-use community development along the North Branch of the Chicago River! Matt kicks things off by talking about the history of the Lincoln Yards site and the process of acquiring that industrial land. He explains how Sterling Bay has been able to get input from all stakeholders on such a large scale de...

It's that time of the year again - tax season is upon us! Michael Procaccio, a tax advisor and Chicagoland investor, joins us to provide insight on optimal tax planning to increase your bottom line! Michael starts by explaining how he got into investing in franchises and kicked off his accounting career! He talks about the latest updates to the tax code and how investors can take advantage. Michae...

What are the four main mistakes investors make when underwriting multifamily deals? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Mike Morawski, My Core Intentions ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.

John kicks things off by talking about underwriting, estimating rehab costs, and formulating the offer to purchase a multifamily building sight unseen. He explains Cicero point of sale inspection and the negotiation process. John then talks about the initial management and dealing with tenants involved in drugs and other criminal activity. Managing a blown rehab budget is another topic of discussi...

Victoria Barkate joins us to discuss how she has quickly scaled her rental property portfolio as a W2 employee! Victoria starts by explaining her decision to move to Chicago specifically to invest in real estate. She talks about how she decided which neighborhoods to invest in and how she has utilized partnerships to scale. She dives into the ins-and-outs of her first couple house hacks including...

What do I need to know when fixing or building a garage in Chicago? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Vince Sliwa, A-Windy City Garage Corporation ----------------- Production House:  Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2023.