The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

On today’s show we are looking at a fundamental economic concept, called the law of supply and demand. I have been a huge believer in the law of supply and demand as one of those fundamentals that must be respected. I treat it like a law of physics similar to gravity. You can try to bend the laws of physics, but gravity will usually win that battle. Suppliers, often struggle with assessing demand,...

Shawn Moore is based in Park City Utah where he specializes in short term rentals. On today's show we are talking about the state of the short term rental market and how it is changing and "growing up". To learn more or to connect with Shawn, visit https://vodyssey.com -------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Sara Martin is an architect and project manager with HED specializing in design of data centers for high capacity computing installations. On today's show we are talking about the data center industry and the characteristics of a modern data center. To learn more you can visit hed.design or connect with Sara directly on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-martin-7b61b546/ ------------...

On today’s show, we are looking at different types of money printing to understand the impact that money supply has on consumer price inflation. Have you wondered why we don’t have hyperinflation with the tens of trillions of dollars that are loaned into existence through the banking system? There is one school of thought that says all forms of inflation are rooted in debasement of the currency. T...

Today’s show is another AMA episode (Ask Me Anything) Allan asks: I have been listening to your show for about two years now and love the depth and variety of what you share. I’m amazed at how much you can pack into just a few minutes. My question is, what are your minimum deal standards when you consider a new development deal? I’m finding that the numbers are more difficult to make work in the c...

On today’s show we are talking about how maturing cities handle growth and development.  There are two costs associated with growth. There is the initial cost, and then there is the lifecycle cost.  Buildings and neighbourhoods go through cycles of development, stagnation, decline and renewal. Cities therefore go through cycles as well.  When a city is growing it costs money to build roads and sch...

On today's show we are announcing the contest winners. Chris De Celle David Ortiz Emilio Tucker Emails have been sent to each of you to get your mailing details. Congratulations to our winners.   On today show, we are talking about an impending surge in unemployment.  This is not on many economists radar and certainly we don’t have government talking about it. Certainly the mainstream media ha...

On today’s show we are looking at one of the most convincing economic indicators in advance of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting. We hear politicians talking about how the economy is strong and how unemployment is near record lows. Inflation is coming down, but core inflation remains elevated. Maybe there will be a mild recession or a soft landing in the fourth quarter of this year. For now, we...

Jmi Pfeifer is the founder of Left Field Investing an online investment club with about 1,800 members. On today's show we are talking about how the community operates. To connect or to learn more, visit leftfieldinvesting,com -------------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@Victorjm.com

Leandro and Arturo are principals at Primestor, a Culver City development company specializing in building in some difficult parts of South Los Angeles. I love what these two guys are doing. You can connect with them at primestor.com ---------------- Host: Victor Menasce podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we are talking about how to evaluate a proposal from a consultant. We are going to look at two proposals from different geotechnical engineers. These two proposals differ significantly in both price and scope. One proposal is nearly double the price of the other. How would you evaluate which quote to accept? Which proposal is better? Let’s start with even asking the question: Why d...

On today’s show we are talking about some of the tricks that bureaucrats use to manipulate the inflation metrics that are being used to decide monetary policy. The cost of money affects the cost of virtually everything we buy. So the power to manipulate the economy and affect the fortunes of an entire population is in the hands of a handful of people who quite frankly have not earned the right to...

On today’s show we are taking a look at a looming problem that threatens the functioning of the entire legal system in North America. Justice delayed is justice denied. The rule of law depends upon having a functioning legal system. In the absence of a working legal system, criminals will increasingly take their chances that the statute of limitations will prevail and they will get away with offen...

This question comes from Elizabeth who asks: I’m looking at a property which borders on an environmentally protected wetland area. Of the acreage, about 80% is outside the environmentally protected zone. So I should be able to develop on the part that is not environmentally protected. What should I look out for when considering this property? ------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victor...

On today’s show we are taking a look at the weeks ahead. We are expecting a number of announcements including the upcoming interest rate policy when the federal reserve meets near the end of July. The latest numbers coming out of Washington suggest a robust economy. At least that is the official narrative. Yet there are so many other metrics pointing in the opposite direction. ------------ Host: V...

Vikas Gupta is based in Pasadena California with a software startup called Azibo. Azibo is a software company that specializes in serving smaller independent landlords with a property management system that is highly integrated, but still easy for smaller landlords to use. To learn more or to connect, visit azibo.com ------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Calvin Roberts might be the youngest insurance brokerage principal I've ever met. But he is clearly one of the most knowledgeable. On today's show we are talking about the massive increases in insurance premiums and explaining the underlying factors. To learn more or to connect with Calvin, visit falconinsagency.com. ------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we are talking about the architecture of the future. We are all accustomed to seeing the usual rectangular buildings with the vertical walls and 90 degree angles everywhere. Architects made them more interesting by articulating the facade with indentations and projections. Changing the materials on the exterior creates a sense of form, superimposed on what is still a rectangle.  I...

Today is a milestone for the Real Estate Espresso Podcast. This is the 2000th episode of the podcast. It seems like yesterday that the podcast was a concept, an idea. I had been experimenting with various ways of communicating and had been a guest on numerous shows. Publishing a show for 2,000 days in a row has definitely been a project.  In fact, of the 2M podcasts out there, 90% quit after 3 epi...

Today’s question comes from Matt who asks: I have a property that we are considering buying that is in a hot neighborhood. The rents in the area are $2,500 a month for a 2BR apartment which is strong for the city as a whole. The city is a rustbelt city that has seen a lot of growth  The subject property was an industrial site that likely has contamination. The phase 1 indicates there is lead in th...

On today show, we are looking at the market for construction workers. With the rising interest rates, there has been a significant reduction in the number of construction jobs underway compared with the same period Last year. It’s no secret that there is a shortage of workers in construction jobs.  According to a report in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, many builders in Florida are experiencing...

On this podcast we keep trying to make sense out of this economy. It is confusing and there are numerous contradictory signals.  On today’s show we are taking a look at why there appears to be a labor shortage. We keep hearing about the so-called labor shortage and politicians and the Fed keep pointing to the historically low unemployment rate.  So where did all the people go? There was not a labo...

Stewart Heath is based in the Huntsville market where he invests in stabilized commercial assets that have a customer facing component. On today's show we are talking about the opportunity that is coming in the world of commercial real estate, as well as some of the risks and pitfalls. Stewart can be found at harvardgracecapital.com ------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Our book this month is The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential, by Wim Hof. Wim is famous. He has broken more than 26 world records. Some people call him the Ice Man.  In this book, Wim takes the reader through his personal life journey of accidental discovery. I’ve taken several training courses on the Wim Hof method. Each and every time I come away with a deep sense of calm that i...

On today’s show we’re talking about household formation and why some adult children are living at home for so much longer than in generations past. It’s not secret that home affordability is a problem for many who are newly independent young adults. There are a few paths: 1)   After kids leave home they get a job, the best job you can get, and hope to save money from left over after they’ve  paid...