The LSCRE Podcast

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Casey Stratton, who shares his journey from corporate layoffs during the GFC to building a real estate portfolio using the 1% rule – buying duplexes for $100K that rented for $1K/month. Now focused on Eastern Washington's Tri-Cities (one of the top 20 fastest-growing MSAs), Casey discusses how they're navigating today's 0.75% reality...

In this episode, Craig Mcgrouther sits down with Axel Ragnarsson of Aligned Real Estate Partners, who's carved out a unique niche buying 5-20 unit properties direct from sellers in Southern New Hampshire. Since 2016, Axel has built a 525-unit portfolio by maintaining long-term follow-up with sellers, often nurturing relationships for 12-18 months before closing.  He explains how 75% of his de...

In this post-LSC Summit episode recorded in NYC, Craig McGrouther and I reflect on another successful investor event and dive deep into current market opportunities. We share behind-the-scenes insight on why our summit is designed to break even, the power of curated in-person networking, and the culture of accessibility that sets our events apart. We break down why 1970s-80s vintage multifamily is...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Andrew McNair, founder of SWAN Capital, who shares his remarkable journey from saving $62K working at McDonald's and Denny's as a teenager to losing it all in the stock market at 19. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad at 14, Andrew worked for free at a wealth management firm while maintaining jobs, eventually building a portfolio of 54 rental...

In this episode of the LSCRE podcast, Craig McGrouther, Sam Morris, and I tackle the "hackneyed" concept of value-add investing and why it's been reduced to a one-trick pony of kitchen renovations. We explain how value-add became overused to the point of losing meaning, with sponsors pitching newer construction as "value-add opportunities". We explore alternative value-add...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Marcin Drozdz of M1 Capital, who shares his 20-year journey from buying his first property at 19 to raising $300M for Ken McElroy during the 2008 crisis. Marcin reveals how he bought medical amd dental plazas for 20-30 cents on the dollar during the GFC, targeting insurance-backed tenants that remained recession-proof. He breaks down the "3 P&a...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther and I dive deep into the nuances of "above the line" and "below the line" expenses in multifamily underwriting. We explain how the "line" is Net Operating Income (NOI), with operating expenses like payroll and insurance sitting above, while CapEx and debt service fall below. I reveal the art behind these classifications and how a unit...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Bernard Pierson, co-founder of EHP Capital, who's been LP investing since 2012 and now focuses on value-add multifamily in Kansas City. Bernard reveals a counterintuitive insight from his 50+ LP investments: deals projecting 15-17% IRRs often outperformed those advertising 30%+ returns. He shares how Kansas City has consistently ranked in the t...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther and I tackle two of the most frequently asked questions from investors: bonus depreciation and 1031 exchanges. With 100% bonus depreciation returning, they explain why this doesn't automatically mean 1:1 depreciation for investors, breaking down how leverage, CapEx, and land allocation affect your actual depreciation ratio. Using our current deal as an exampl...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Bryan Morris, co-founder of Seven Peak Capital, who shares his journey from earning $50K at Pepsi to building a successful fund management firm serving tech sales professionals. Bryan reveals how Rich Dad Poor Dad at age 22 changed his trajectory, leading him to buy his first rental property for $88K with just $17K saved. After relocating to NYC and...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Joey Mure from Wealth Without Wall Street, who shares his transformation from earning $300K+ in the mortgage business to building $50K/month in passive income. Joey reveals why traditional financial advice kept him trapped in the "never enough syndrome" despite high earnings, and how a beach vacation where he missed family time for work ca...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther and I discuss the upcoming Lone Star Capital Summit and why this curated event stands apart from typical real estate conferences. We then shift to market analysis, discussing why Class C properties and 1970s vintage assets are facing extreme pessimism, creating potential contrarian opportunities where capital isn't flowing. We also touch on the dramatic marke...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Derek Dombeck, host of Generations of Wealth podcast and veteran real estate entrepreneur with 23 years of experience. Derek shares his story of losing everything in the 2007-2009 crash. Instead of playing victim, he learned to negotiate his own short sales and transformed his approach to real estate, swearing off institutional financing in favor of...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther, Sam Morris and I break down Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and its massive implications for real estate investors. The return of 100% bonus depreciation is a game-changer, allowing investors to front-load tax benefits in year one of ownership. We discuss how wage growth has outpaced rent growth for 31 consecutive months (per Jay Parsons), creating a...

In this episode of Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther sits down with David Thompson, founder of Thompson Investing, who shares his journey from corporate executive to full-time real estate investor and capital raiser. David reveals how he pivoted into real estate syndication, what he learned from investing across economic cycles, and why diversification is critical in today’s environment. He discusses...

In this episode, Craig and I tackle the controversial topic of promote structures and fund manager compensation. We break down the double waterfall structure for fund managers and why projected compensation is never guaranteed. I share the framework for evaluating deal quality across four key factors: location, vintage, leverage, and business plan. We explain why chasing deals with sky-high projec...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Hannah Wyatt, LSCRE's Director of HR, who shares her remarkable journey from Executive Assistant to building our HR infrastructure. Hannah reveals how she absorbed HR operations when they brought everything in-house, creating systems that now support over 5,000 units across our portfolio. She breaks down their innovative hiring pipeline using A...

In this episode of Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther interviews Sarah Miskelly, founder of Hylee Capital, who shares her inspiring journey from growing up in multifamily property management in Toronto to becoming a location-independent fund manager living between Costa Rica and Canada. Sarah reveals how real estate created lifestyle freedom for her family and why she pivoted from being a top-producing...

In this milestone 100th episode, Craig McGrouther and I share an incredible news: Preserve at Copperleaf, a 240-unit, 2003-vintage apartment community LSCRE acquired in May 2024, just closed on a hugely successful 45% cash out refinance! We acquired this property for $34M and it appraised at $53.7M, allowing investors to receive 45% of their investment back while the remaining equity continues ear...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Scott Croul of George Smith Partners to discuss navigating the longest multifamily downturn in recent memory at 36 months and counting. Scott breaks down the current capital stack dynamics, revealing that preferred equity is now pricing at 12-14% with roughly 50% current pay, making it surprisingly competitive for sponsors. They dive into why bridge...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther welcomes Pascal Wagner, founder of Grow Your Cashflow. Pascal shares his journey from managing a $150M venture capital fund at Techstars to becoming an LP investor with $250K+ in annual passive income across 23 investments. He reveals how his Venture Capital background shaped his investment thesis approach and why he shifted focus to debt funds in 2022, perfect ti...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Sawyer Zimmerman from our asset management team to discuss what really drives property performance in today's challenging market. Sawyer manages over 2,000 units across our portfolio and shares how we've revolutionized our hiring process using Culture Index assessments to find the right talent for each role. We dive into why curb appeal an...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther is joined by Dasha Beardsley, Director of Investor Relations at LSCRE, and Brandon Claisse from Tribevest, to walk through exactly how fund managers and capital allocators can raise capital alongside Lone Star through our fund-to-fund program. This episode is specifically for capital allocators and fund managers looking to raise $500K+ for our deals. We walk throu...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Ellis Hammond, VP of Capital at Aspen Funds, fresh off our co-hosted mastermind in Austin. Ellis shares his unconventional journey from college pastor to raising $250M+ in equity and reveals why Aspen's oil and gas fund raised $60M in just 60 days while their industrial fund struggles at $4M. His key insight for fund managers: "The lifeblo...

In this episode of the LSCRE podcast, Craig McGrouther and I sit down with Sam Morris to discuss the significant positive shifts happening in the multifamily market after three challenging years. We reveal how our property insurance costs just dropped 32% at renewal, potentially adding millions in property value and increasing investor distributions by nearly 1%. We share exciting success stories...