The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

On today’s show we are talking about pharmacies. It used to be the case that pharmacies were considered AAA tenants when it comes to retail. There was an entire industry of land owners who had developed tax sheltered land offerings for investors seeking safe investments that would defer capital gains tax.  On today’s show we are looking at the pressure facing large pharmacy chains and why they are closing locations by the thousands as well as the impact on those communities, the retail landscape. Why are they dying and what will replace them? --------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)  

On today’s show I’m sharing what I’m learning at a conference. This is a small exclusive conference being held in a boutique hotel in Asheville NC. The conference is hosted by a large institutional lender and the attendees are mostly developers and investors in the lenders fund. There are about 80 attendees in the room. It’s a small intimate event where we have the opportunity to truly connect and learn from one another.  ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today’s show we are talking about how to secure a construction site. In any construction site there is a trade-off between efficiency and security.  When we are talking about security, there are three main aspects we are most concerned with. The first is for the safety of people who are prone to wandering onto the site outside of construction hours. The second relates to loss of valuable equipment and materials. The third layer is protecting the environment.  ------------ **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today’s show we are addressing a diversity of opinion on how valuation is determined for land in residential subdivisions. We recently had a builder assert that our pricing was too high for residential lots in a subdivision.  At the same time, we have also been successful in developing residential lots and selling them in the marketplace to builders across multiple markets.  When we price our land, we always perform residual land value analysis as part of our due diligence.  We put ourselves into the shoes of the home builder and reverse engineer their cost structure.  So if we are talking about a single family home subdivision, we subtract the builders profit from the retail price, then we subtract the hard cost of construction, the soft costs like permit fees and insurance, interest reserves, the builders general conditions. What’s left over is the price that the builder can pay for the land and still have a profitable business.  ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Amy Johnson is based in Salt Lake City where she is a partner at Y Street Capital. On today's show we're talking about how she went from high school teacher to developer. To connect with Amy, visit ystreetcapital.com ------------ **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Alec Denney is based in Denver Colorado, but is a global nomad at heart. Through his journeys with partner Krista Fettke, they have built an international business focused in helping US citizens buy properties in Europe, Mexico, and Panama. In some cases the golden visa programs can provide a pathway to residency or citizenship for those seeking a second home. To connect with Alec, visit gatewayinvestors.com or reach out to him directly at Alec@gatewayinvestors.com. -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today’s question comes from Ramon who writes: "Many thanks once again for providing such great information and insightful perspectives on so many important topics.  Writing to ask about something I heard from one source, but cant find much information to support (or refute). We all know insurance premiums have been increasing across the board. The common narrative is that insurance claim payouts for various events (eg, fires, hurricanes, etc) have increased substantially as more of those events have occurred in recent years. While that may be one of the reasons, I heard some information that suggested that a bigger cause is insurance company losses (or anticipated losses) in their CRE portfolios (eg, increase in loan defaults, office building vacancies, etc). Wondering if you have heard anything about this. " -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today's show we're dissecting yesterday's Fed rate cut announcement and what it means for us as real estate investors. The most meaningful part of the press conference was during the Q&A period when Chair Powell said that members of the FOMC shared their view in an informal poll. 17 out of 19 members said that they thought three more rate cuts would be appropriate in the next 12 months and that 10 out of 19 said that four more rate cuts would be appropriate in the next 12 months.Of course this informal poll of the members doesn’t identify which 12 members are the actual voting members at the time. Nor is it a commitment on a position in the future. Chair Powell was careful to say that they are making data driven decisions on a meeting by meeting basis. There is an interesting paper published by the Fed which links rate announcements to bank rates for certificates of deposit. Here is the link to the paper https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/feds/files/2014108r1pap.pdf The announcement is extremely helpful when it comes to investor psychology. It’s much more credible to have the Chair of the Federal Reserve  Saying that rates are falling than say the host of the Real Estate Espresso podcast predicting a fall in rates. None of us have a crystal ball, not even Chair Powell. But if Chair Powell is saying that Fed officials are predicting 3-4 more rate cuts in the next 12 months, we can include that in our investor communications. That doesn’t mean our borrowing rates will fall in reality. But the direction is at least somewhat clear.  ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today’s show we are talking about shingle chasers. These are the door to door sales teams that point out a problem on your roof and try to sell you on a new roof with zero out of pocket cost to you.  The scam works like this: Contractors knock on doors offering to inspect homeowners’ roofs for storm damage. They say they can help get a roof replacement covered by insurance, and they persuade the homeowners to sign away their rights to file the claims themselves. At that point the homeowner loses control over the claim and the contractor can sue the insurance company. But it's still the homeowner's insurance. The resulting settlement might be even higher than the original claim. But the first claim was fraudulent. --------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   I

On today’s show we are taking a look at an impending risk. We have talked about this on the show in recent weeks.  There have been several news reports in the mainstream media about an impending labour strike by US Longshoremen on October 1. There are reports in Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and others.  The international longshoremen’s association held a two day meeting on September 4-5 with their wage scale delegates. At the end of two days, the delegates voted last week unanimously to strike on October 1 if a new contract is not negotiated by Sept 30. The longshoremen are looking for a 77% increase in their wages over the life of the contract. They are also looking for assurances that jobs won’t be lost to automation. By comparison, their West coast counterparts received a 32% wage increase in their most recent contract negotiations.  Nearly 10 days later and no discussions have taken place between the ports and the union.  -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)