The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

Brené Brown, renowned for her research on vulnerability, courage, and empathy, delves into the heart of leadership in her book "Dare to Lead." In this captivating and insightful read, Brown explores the intersection of vulnerability and leadership, offering a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a daring and effective leader. Brene Brown is someone who I’ve been following for ye...

On today’s show we are talking about what is driving the economy.  There was a time when I thought the fear over communism taking hold in the west was overblown. Yes, communism had taken hold in China, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. But we saw how that turned out. Communism is a recipe for economic stagnation. I have visited parts of Eastern Europe, the Ukraine, and mainland China. I’ve see...

Kelly Koontz is based in Seattle Washington where he is a principal at Submetering Solutions. The company specializes in all forms of submetering for the major utilities like water, gas, electric and more. Some of the newer technology meters don't require cutting pipes and merely wrap around the pipes. To connect with Kelly or to learn more, visit submetersolutions.com/espresso and you will be...

The Fed is losing money. Now you might say, how can the Fed lose money? Isn’t the Fed the very definition of money? Can’t they just print more? Well I guess sure they can. But printing money only works as long as confidence remains in the currency. It works until it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, then it’s incredibly difficult to restore that confidence.  ------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podca...

Chris Prefontaine is based in Rhode Island where he invests in the local and nearby states. The strategies he teaches apply nationwide. To connect or to learn more, visit smartrealestatecoach.com. To get a copy of the free book, visit whickedsmartbooks.com/victor1 and they will mail a physical book to you at no cost. ------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we are talking about the technology in some of the newest materials for new construction. It’s increasingly common to have building plans examiners and building inspectors reject materials for use in a new construction project. This often comes down to an issue of liability.  Gone are the days of stick building a frame and slapping on some siding. There is an entire building scienc...

When I speak with listeners of the podcast, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions how I come up with topics for the daily show. More specifically, how do I decide what angle to explore on a particular topic.  I get this question often, so I decided to dedicate a few minutes to sharing how the background work happens in coming up with a new episode.  When deciding the content for the show, I’m look...

On today’s show we are talking about ways in which you could get a solar system almost for free. That’s right, you heard me correctly. Under the inflation reduction act, the US Federal government offers a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of a solar power generation system being installed. When talking solar power, I’m talking about commercial systems that would serve an entire business like a w...

On today’s show we’re talking about getting paid, and who gets paid and in what order. Investment options often include a waterfall provision. This defines the order of precedence of payment. This is an important element of any investment. On today’s show we are going to look at a few of the popular offerings we see in the market, and then we are going to share what we do in our projects. To be cl...

On today show we are looking at a tug-of-war that is underway in the financial markets. There is also a competition for capital between government and private enterprise. For the moment it appears as though government is winning that battle for dollars. We have an economy that is partially being controlled by two gigantic levers. The first lever is monetary policy and the second lever is fiscal po...

Galen Hair is a lawyer who specializes in litigating insurance claims on behalf of real estate owners against insurance companies. On today's show we are talking about the insurance landscape and what property owners can do in the current environment. To connect with Galen, visit https://insuranceclaimhq.com/ --------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Jason Buxbaum is based in Phoenix Arizona and invests in developing and redeveloping workforce housing across multiple markets in Arizona and Texas. On today's show we are talking about the market dynamics and how they're changing. Opportunity that disappeared for a while is now reappearing in a different form. To connect with Jason, visit JevanCapital.com

On today’s show we are challenging some conventional wisdom. Subtrades are pretty set in their ways about how things get built. They have their preferred suppliers. They expect materials to be packaged in a specific way. They have familiarity with a regular and repeatable process for installing materials. Any deviation from those tried and true methods is going to disrupt the normal flow.  The key...

On today’s show we are making a distinction between new supply and value added opportunities. Investors over the past few years have focused on two different investment theses. Thesis number one is the traditional value added project. This is where you take an existing project that was built a number of years ago. It’s getting tired and the lack of modern amenities and finishes makes the property...

On today’s show, we are looking at a market effect that could have been easily predicted. In fact, we made precisely this prediction on the show back in 2021. When markets over-shoot the long-term averages for demand, it is reasonable to expect a bit of a boomerang effect on the tail end of that demand. I have long maintained that second homes are a discretionary investment. People will do everyth...

On today show we are looking at what seems like a huge paradox in the world of energy. On this show we look at energy from time to time. Why is that? Because energy is the economy. If the economy is cooking, then energy consumption will rise. If the economy is faltering, then energy consumption will fall.  There is normally a correlation between prices for gasoline at the pump and the price of cru...

On today show, we were talking about the supply chain in construction, and how certain seasonal effects are clouding the picture of what is happening in the real economy. At this time last year lead times four windows and doors were running incredibly long. Many window manufacturers were quoting delivery times of 16 weeks for specialty windows and sliding patio doors. By March of this year, those...

Gabriel Lajeunesse is a wealth advisor with UBS and is based in Burlington Vermont. On today's show we are talking about investing in the current market conditions. To connect with Gabriel, you can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gclajeunesse/ -------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today's show, our guest is a full fledged CPA who specializes in Tax and real estate investors To connect with Cherry, visit realestatetaxtips.ca -------------- Host" Victor Menasce

On today’s show we are talking about the marketing of new development projects to city officials. It’s difficult to know what is the best way to communicate with bureaucrats and politicians who have a say in determining whether your proposed project is going to be approved or not.  Cities have well defined templates for submission and they try as much as possible to make all applications look the...

Today's question comes from John who writes: "You have answered a question for me in the past and is was well received for me. Next question is I have heard a few different people say that back in the 80s, the debt was inflated away.  I only know how to pay down debt.  I don’t understand how debt can become inflated away? " --------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm...

This question comes from Sam who writes: I have 7 acres near a major boat ramp North of Houston that I am looking to develop.  The area has grown 4.11% per year for the last 2 years according to the Census. With a major development up the road I expect this trend to continue. I am having trouble finding info on income growth do you have any input on where to find this data? Do you have a Developme...

On today’s show we are talking about a new program being offered by Fannie Mae that theoretically should make real estate more accessible than ever.  Starting the weekend after November 18, 2023, Fannie Mae will allow 5% down payments for owner-occupied 2-, 3-, and 4-unit homes. We don’t know exactly what the underwriting rules will be. The announcement was buried deep in the Desktop Underwriter a...

On today’s show, we’re talking about why the United States needs inflation. In order to understand us we need to go back to the. Following World War II. From 1945 until 1951 US government Debt went went from 110% of GDP to 50% of GDP. How did they do it? In 1945 US government debt as at an all time high as a result of the second world war. All wars are inflationary and WW2 was no exception.  There...

Daniel Angel is based in Atlanta where he invests in multi-family apartments. On today's show we are talking about the state of the market and navigating the headwinds that we are all experiencing. To connect with David and to learn more, visit apexinvesting.us . ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com