The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

On today’s show we are taking a close look at one of the most insane ideas to hit the market this year. In a bull market, everyone looks like a genius. But there is a cautionary tale here. Don’t ever mistake intelligence for luck in a bull market situation and that seems to be what Zillow has done over the past year with its Zillow Offers business. Let’s recap how Zillow offers was supposed to wor...

On today’s show we’re talking about artificial deadlines. These types of manipulations exist all over. They’re designed to create a sense of urgency to cause people to act. One of the sources of competition for someone’s action is simply doing nothing. Often doing nothing is the default. The world of sales and marketing is full of techniques designed to cause a buyer to act now. You have no doubt...

On today’s show we’re taking a look at what’s happening in the travel sector. Many real estate investors, even large commercial real estate investors own portfolios of rental properties and portfolios of short term rental properties. This can mean short term rentals in the core of business district, or it can mean a ski chalet in the mountains or a cottage on the lake. All three of these are going...

Today's question comes from Ken in Idaho.  I have a property that is zoned rural and I’m considering developing for residential and I understand that I need a zoning change in order to build what I want. But I’m confused about terms like the official plan and the neighborhood plan and how they affect the zoning. The property needs to be annexed into the city to get the residential zoning. I’m...

On today’s show we’re talking about what’s happening in the world of industrial real estate. In the past week, the brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap published 44 market reports on industrial real estate for Q4. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive segment analyses I have seen. On today’s show we’re going to dive into a few of those markets to contrast what is happening.

Our book this month is "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt. This book was originally published in 1984 and was the groundbreaking book on the Theory of Constraints.  The book is written as a narrative surrounding a manufacturing plant manager named Alex who moves to a small town to take over the management of the plant. But the plant is struggling. Deliveries are late, the plant is losing money, and c...

Arjan Erkel is based in Rotterdam. His story is one of the most powerful stories of overcoming adversity. While on a mission with Doctors without Borders, he was taken hostage and held in captivity for nearly two years.  He is an extraordinary person who has truly embraced life and is making things happen.  He is also a founder of an organization combatting human trafficking called Free...

On today's show George and I are talking about current events and the impact to real estate investors. -------------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

There is always something, some constraint, holding back progress. On today's show we're talking about how the Theory of Constraints can be game changing. Today's show is also a prelude to the book of the month coming up on November 1.  ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we’re talking about how to hire. I can tell you that I’ve hired hundreds of employees over the years. We have recently brought several new members into our team and have focused on hiring for character. You can’t train character. People either have the kind of characteristics and attributes that will mesh with the organization or they don’t. You can’t train people to be committed....

On today’s show we’re talking about the anxious buyer. The anxious buyer is desperate to get a deal done. They are usually lacking local relationships in the market and are trying to buy using the public MLS. They’re hoping to get a deal, but are finding the environment too competitive. The anxious buyer behaves like the last waffle is about to disappear from the breakfast buffet. But the truth is...

On today’s show we’re talking about mineral rights. When we buy property, the mineral rights are usually part of the property itself. However, this is not a given. Often the mineral rights are separated from the property and can be subdivided in any number of ways. For example, you might separate the oil and gas rights and sell those separately from the property to one entity. You could sell the w...

On today’s show we are talking about the short term energy crisis that has gripped much of Europe and parts of Asia. You might be wondering what energy has to do with real estate. But the economy is inextricably linked to energy, and real estate is inextricably linked to the economy. We have to remember that we are in the shoulder season between the extremes of summer heat and winter cold. This is...

Dan Haberkost specializes in development land. Based in Colorado Springs, he finds distressed development projects and resurrects them. This weekend we're talking all about land. Often finding deals means looking off the radar and allow the crowd to keep doing what they're doing. ----------------

Our guest today is Peter Badger with Farm Folio. Peter describes a unique offering in the market that seems aimed at reducing the risk associated with investing in agricultural real estate. They have vertically integrated the entire supply chain and eliminated the middle-man. Today's show is a unique perspective on agricultural land.  To connect with Peter, you can email him directly at...

On today’s show we’re talking about the transition from rural to suburban. We have several projects underway that are making that transition from agricultural land into urban subdivisions. When we think of suburban streets, we often think of tree lined streets with curbs and sidewalks. What we don’t see all the utilities that are buried beneath the ground, each with their own infrastructure. The p...

On today’s show we’re talking about how to qualify a waterfront property as having potential for development. This show was the result of several inquiries from a friend who is looking to build a waterfront permanent residence on a desirable body of water near a major city. Waterfront properties have a reputation for being expensive. These properties are in short supply compared with inland proper...

Today is another AMA episode (Ask Me Anything). Our question comes from Magin who writes. I have 3 young adult sons (18, 19 1/2 and 21). I'm proud to say They are interested in investing and are all participating in the upcoming Real Estate Investor Summit in June 2022.  I have no doubt that all three of my boys are going to be "rock stars" when it comes to investing!  That being said I...

Today’s question comes from Paul in our own development team. Paul asks, When is the right time to hire more people, either inhouse or as consultants to manage projects in order to save time and gain leverage within the business? Working directly on projects has given me such a huge education The value to me in personal growth in doing those projects directly has been huge. I can’t help but wonder...

Today is another AMA episode - "Ask Me Anything". Tom Blake asks, “First things first, your podcast is fantastic. What are your two favorite creative transaction strategies that maximize the likelihood of finding a win/win outcome between you (as purchase, partner, option holder, etc.) and owner, and why?” Tom, this is a great question. If you were to take a class in creative strategies, you would...

On today’s show we’re re-playing a recording with special guest Gene Guarino. If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you’ll know that we are developers of assisted living facilities. Gene was the founder of the residential assisted living academy which has served as a source of momentum in the development of the residential assisted living product in the marketplace. Sadly, Gene Guarin...

On today's show I'm coming to you live, at street level, in central Rome. We're talking about how things are different here in Italy compared with the US and Canada. ------------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we’re answering another listener question. Emilio from El Paso Texas writes, I continue to enjoy your podcast every morning. I want to ask you if you had any references that you could share regarding how to adequately price an option to buy a piece of land. Any help would be appreciated. Emilio, this is a great question. Let’s define first what we mean by an option. An option is qu...

Today's question comes from Chris in Florida who asks, I’m considering a property South of Houston for an industrial equipment storage facility. The address was located in the email. I have a good understanding of what that segment of the market needs, but have limited knowledge of the Houston area. Chris, this is a great question. The specific location that you’ve highlighted is not a good locati...

On today’s show we’re talking about the acute shortages that have been created by the massive shift in our economy over the past year. I hope to convince you on today’s show that the price inflation we are experiencing is not temporary. ------------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com