The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

On today’s show we’re talking about the news. I’m finding that in many cases the news isn’t really news. It’s not new enough to be news and it’s not old enough to be history. So what is it? It’s almost stuck in no-mans land. A lot of people, including investors rely on the news media to figure out what is going on in the marketplace. There’s no doubt that there is a lot of good content out there i...

Deann O'Donovan is the CEO of AHP Servicing, a Chicago based company that specializes in rescuing distressed loans. The company is crowd funded and combines a unique business model and an innovative funding model. You're going to love this episode.

This episode was recorded live as part of a keynote address to a real estate investment club in Lancaster, PA. An audience member asked a great question on how to become a developer, and a followup question on how to create the track record to attract investment capital whether it is debt or equity.  Two great questions. Check it out.

On today’s show we’re talking about some of the excellent global research performed by accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers. Two days ago we talk about the worst asset class in the PWC survey, that is retail. Yesterday we talked about Warehousing and Fulfillment which are at the top of the PWC survey. Today we’re talking about senior housing. This is an area where my company is making major in...

On today’s show we’re talking about some of the excellent global research performed by accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers. They recently published their latest prediction reports for a number of geographies around the world.  Yesterday we talked about the worst asset class in the PWC survey, that is retail. Today we’re going to the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s really a story about...

On today’s show we’re talking about some of the excellent global research performed by accounting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers. They recently published their latest prediction reports for a number of geographies around the world.  The data reflects the views of individuals who completed surveys or were interviewed as a part of the research process. The data comes from 1630 people who respond...

I personally don’t have a political affiliation. Politics in both Canada and the US have become increasingly polarized in recent years. If you’re like me, where I’m fiscally conservative, and socially liberal on some items, but not all, there’s no political party that speaks directly to me. In fact, I would propose that most people don’t agree 100% with either of the political extremes.  One...

On today’s show we’re examining the price volatility of a critical building material and the impact that it can have on the cost of both construction and renovation projects.  In March of 2018, the White House imposed tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. Overnight, prices jumped nearly 25%-30%. The impact on the construction industry was felt immediately.  Softwood lumber makes up about...

Mark Roscioli is the CEO of 17 Mile, LLC. His company specializes in buying and selling assets that have cellular towers as part of their makeup. This is one of the most fascinating ways to invest in real estate. It's highly specialized, but also one of the few truly passive businesses in the world. This brief conversation with expand your mind in ways you're not expecting.

Nick got his start in development with student housing. His very first project generated enough cash flow to enable him to transition from an employment situation to full-time investor in less than one year. Nick's story is not typical, but is a powerful example of what is possible with focus and drive.  You can connect with Nick directly at buildinginvestments.ca.

On today’s show we are talking about how a more expensive product can often be the least expensive solution. There’s so many examples when people try to save money they actually don’t succeed in the end. This is one of those counterintuitive situation.  On today’s show I’m going to challenge some loosely help beliefs. When I challenge loosely held assumptions, you’re probably going to say, “W...

Today’s episode is the story of how you may consider collecting rent each new month.  Rental income is much like the income a grocery store receives from its clients. Client goes to the grocery store and buys fruits and vegetables, maybe some bread and butter. It is recurring income. The customer is hungry on Monday when they go shopping. By Tuesday, they’re hungry again, and again on Wednesd...

On today’s show we’re talking about the challenges that governments face in creating rules that are appropriate and fair.  One view of the world is that rules should be uniform. One set of rules for everyone. That way, nobody can claim they were unfairly harmed by a rule that’s the same for everyone. Fairness should be at the core of our legal system.  If you look at what most local governments de...

We typically think of rent controls being imposed for residential leases. Housing affordability is a real issue. Access to housing is considered by many to be a basic human right. Landlord tenant laws all over North America have been enacted to protect both the rights of landlords and tenants.  The latest twist being pushed in City Council in NYC is a proposal for commercial rent control. Thi...

Customer perceptions about a rental property are formed in the first few seconds of viewing a property. Increasingly, today’s customer looks online before committing to drive to a location and view a model suite. Everyone has walked into an apartment with an old looking front door, entry flooring that testifies to the thousands of footsteps that have worn a path into the finish. The old white appl...

Today show is about a magical market that doesn't exist in reality. It’s the real estate market in the Town of Springfield. Springfield much like in the TV show The Simpsons is virtually any town, but nowhere at the same time. This imaginary town of Springfield is an amazing town. It is one of the hottest real estate markets in the world. Investors flocked to Springfield from all over the world. T...

On today's show I'm talking with two investors who live in a suburb of Chicago, but on the Indiana side of the border. They're built incredibly strong systems to manage thousands of transactions. These folks have a strong set of core values that enable them to make great decisions.

 I predict that this current generation of home buyers will be significantly delayed buying homes compared with previous generations. Many will be so late into the home buying cycle that they will become lifelong renters. In fact, the traditional early home buyers have consisted of the most educated in our population. After all, those with post secondary education make up the upper echelon of...

On today’s show we’re talking about automating systems in your business so that you the business owner can start to reap the benefits of the business.  We’re also going to explore the differences between earned income, passive income and residual income. These are words that sound remarkably similar. But their meanings are very different.  Businesses are all active businesses. There is n...

On today’s episode we’re talking about making sure your spouse or partner is on board with your business goals.  One of the greatest sources of stress in a relationship is when business goals are at odds with family goals.  How do I know about this? My wife is a marriage counselor and encounters situations like this on a regular basis.  I’ve seen several people make the transition f...

In order to be considered for book of the month, the book must meet a very simple criteria. It has to capable of changing you life, or your perspective on the world. Of course, whether it changes your life is up to you. You can consume the content, remark on how good it is and then continue your life without making any changes. In fact, that’s what most people do. If that’s what you do, you’re mis...

2018 saw a large number of unpredictable events. Many of them were politically originated, whether it’s a steel tariff, a partial government shutdown, a regulatory change. Any time there is a change, there are winners and losers. Some are positively affected and others are negatively affected by that change. I predict that 2019 will see an expansion of uncertainty. We will have more surprises to d...

Jack's company has added 400 properties under management and renovated over 100 homes in the past year. Doing this successfully requires a strong team and a disciplined approach to management. I loved this conversation about how to scale your business in a short time period.  

This episode was recorded live at the Family Office Summit in Miami with Adam Adams. Adam has hosted nearly 300 events in the past two years and is a huge believer in live events. This is an approach that has attracted a large following and a significant amount of capital for multi-family apartments. In this casual conversation Adam and I compare notes on investment strategy, due diligence, and li...

 Today’s episode is about the resilience of real estate. This is the real life story of a vacant lot in what was once a bad area. I’m telling the story of a single property, but quite frankly this story has repeated itself numerous times, and I could give half a dozen examples. This story is a story about resilience, about what can happen if you know your market, and how you can recover a pro...