The Best Ever CRE Show

Today we’re taking a look back at some of the Best Ever clips from the past year. Today, we’re bringing you Part II of our two-part Best of 2024 recap.In this episode, Andy Weiner invests where nobody else wants to, Rachael Jones survives a nightmare deal, Neal Bawa is land squatting, and Don Wenner teaches us how to scale.Listen to their full episodes from 2024 below: Andy Weiner — JF3675: The Secret Sauce Behind the Boring, High-Cash Flow Sector Most Investors Avoid Rachael Jones — JF3624: What Really Happens After an Apartment Complex Fire Neal Bawa — JF3645: The Biggest Opportunity Nobody's Talking About, the Truth About Pref Equity, and Why CRE Has Officially Bottomed Out Don Wenner — $5 Billion in Deals, Building Thriving Communities, and the Goal of 1 Million Affordable Homes Also, visit besteverconference.com and use the promo code podcast25 at checkout to receive 25% off your ticketSponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With only a couple of days left until 2024, we’re going to take a look back at some of the Best Ever clips from the past year. And there were so many to choose from we couldn’t fit it all into just one episode. So today’s show is Part I of a two-part Best of 2024 recap.In this episode, John Fedro shines a light on an unconventional niche in mobile home park investing, Aleksey Chernobelskiy shares the truth about capital calls, CRE legend J Scott teaches us how to invest like him, and John Wilhoit Jr. gives a mini masterclass in due diligence. Listen to their full episodes from 2024 below: John Fedro — JF3547: The Unconventional Mobile Home Park Investing Strategy Nobody's Using (Part I) Aleksey Chernobelskiy — JF3544: LPs Beware - Red Flags to Look for When Answering Capital Calls J Scott — JF3534: Strategy Secrets That Made J Scott a Real Estate Legend  John Wilhoit, Jr. — JF3517: Cheat Codes to Accurately Assess Capital Expenditure Needs Ahead of an Acquisition Also, visit besteverconference.com and use the promo code podcast25 at checkout to receive 25% off your ticketSponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Best Ever CRE Show, Joe Cornwell interviews Ira Fishman, owner of North Loop Investments, who manages a portfolio of over 400 units across Illinois, Wisconsin, and South Carolina. Ira shares his 15-year journey in real estate, including his early experience with a challenging 12-unit Section 8 property before the 2008 recession. The conversation focuses heavily on HUD properties and affordable housing, with Ira explaining the differences between traditional Section 8 vouchers and HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) contracts. He reveals that about 55% of his current portfolio consists of HUD properties, driven by his personal mission to help others inspired by his experience raising a son with special needs. Ira and his wife have even developed specialized housing for young adults with disabilities. The discussion explores the challenges of managing aging affordable housing stock from the 1970s, what he calls a "CapEx tsunami," and broader housing market trends. Looking ahead to 2025, Ira predicts more buying opportunities may emerge as sellers become more realistic about pricing and interest rates potentially improve toward year-end.Ira Fishman | Real Estate Background Owner, Manager and Founder of North Loop Investments Based in: Chicago, Illinois Say hi to them at: Linkedin www.NorthloopInvestments.com Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Best Ever CRE Show, Matt Faircloth interviews Chris Stout, a former New York City firefighter turned real estate investor who has built a portfolio of over 700 apartment units. Chris shares his journey from living in a mobile home park at age 10 to becoming a successful real estate investor, starting with buying two-family homes in Staten Island. The conversation explores his innovative approach to property management, including his "ruthless asset management" philosophy of focusing on operational efficiencies like consolidating maintenance work orders to one day per week. Chris details a recent successful project where he purchased a 24-unit townhouse community in Fayetteville, Arkansas for $2 million, invested $500,000 in renovations, and is selling the units as individual condos for $180,000-$200,000 each, generating approximately $1.6 million in profit. The discussion covers the surprisingly simple process of condo conversion in Arkansas compared to Northeast markets, as well as Chris's strategy of targeting properties with below-market rents for acquisition. Chris emphasizes the importance of location and purchase price as the two factors investors can't change after acquisition, and shares how he's leveraging his track record to secure favorable local bank financing for future projects.Chris Stout | Real Estate Background Owner of Stout Capital Based in: New York City Say hi to them at: LinkedIn www.stoutcap.com Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Best Ever CRE Show, Slocomb Reed interviews Brandon Reed, founder and chief visionary officer of Loft Six Four, a boutique firm specializing in rooftop amenities for large apartment complexes. Brandon shares insights from his landscape architecture background and how his firm has evolved to focus on creating immersive outdoor experiences that drive property value. Despite the current narrative of development slowdown, Brandon reveals they handle 30-50 projects annually, though this represents a 50% drop from peak levels. He notes that development continues in markets like Dallas and Utah, primarily driven by well-capitalized developers with deep pockets or family offices who can weather high interest rates. Brandon explains that properly designed amenities can generate an additional 10-20 cents per square foot per month in rent and help maintain high occupancy rates. The conversation explores trends in amenity design, with a focus on creating hospitality-like experiences that foster community and justify premium rents. Brandon emphasizes that while individual amenities like pools and fire pits are important, the key is creating cohesive outdoor living spaces that become talking points and drive resident retention.Brandon Reed | Real Estate Background Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Loft Six Four Based in: Salt Lake City, Utah Say hi to them at: LinkedIn LoftSixFour.com Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Brian Spear, principal and co-founder of Sunrise Capital Investors. Brian shares his journey from living in a mobile home park at age 10 to building a portfolio of over 20 mobile home parks and $100 million in parking facilities across 14 states. The conversation explores how Sunrise transitioned from a fix-and-flip model to a long-term hold strategy, with Brian explaining their focus on returning capital quickly through refinancing while maintaining infinite cash-on-cash returns. The discussion heats up when Ash challenges the industry trend toward generational holds, leading to a debate about investor liquidity and market timing risks. Brian details their recent acquisition of a parking facility near Charlotte's Spectrum Center, breaking down how they carved out a $31 million parking asset from a $250 million distressed mixed-use property. The episode also covers how technology and dynamic pricing are transforming the parking industry, and why Brian views parking lots as the ultimate "location, location, location" play.Brian Spear | Real Estate Background Principal & Co-Founder Sunrise Capital Investors Based in: Clearwater, FL Say hi to them at: LinkedIn www.SunriseCapitalInvestors.com Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Horizon with John Chang, John interviews economist John E. Silvia to discuss economic outlook and housing market trends. Silvia shares insights on consumer sentiment improvement and housing affordability challenges, particularly in coastal markets. They explore how high interest rates, construction costs, and labor shortages are impacting housing supply, with Silvia noting significant regional disparities in affordability. The conversation covers rental housing trends, with particular focus on Sun Belt markets experiencing high supply growth but strong absorption. They discuss the emergence of build-to-rent models and alternative housing options like townhouses and condos as solutions to housing shortages. Silvia predicts continued strong housing demand over the next 5-10 years but expects construction to remain in "second gear" relative to historical levels, maintaining the current housing shortage of 3-5 million units.John E Silvia | Real Estate Background CEO and Founder of Dynamic Economic Strategy Based in: Captiva, Florida Say hi to them at: LinkedIn www.johnesilvia.com Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Jeff Berlin joins host Joe Cornwell to discuss his journey from dentist to real estate investor. Berlin shares how reading "Rich Dad Poor Dad" led him to start investing in real estate, beginning with single-family homes in the Midwest before scaling to multifamily properties. He discusses his experience buying and selling a 30-unit property in Cincinnati and a challenging venture into assisted living facilities in California that taught him valuable lessons about partnerships and staying focused. Berlin emphasizes the importance of specializing in one area of real estate rather than getting distracted by "shiny object syndrome." He also provides insights on current market conditions, noting how broker expectations and underwriting standards have changed over the years, making it more difficult to find cash-flowing properties even in traditionally stable Midwest markets.Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Stephen Lee-Thomas joins host Slocomb Reed to discuss his journey from IT professional to full-time multifamily investor. Lee-Thomas explains how he started as a passive investor in 2017 before transitioning to becoming a GP with a current portfolio of 1,400 units across six properties valued at over $100 million. He focuses on value-add properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where he has experienced both successes and challenges, particularly with properties purchased using bridge debt during the recent interest rate increases. Lee-Thomas shares insights about market cycles, emphasizing that while some properties are currently struggling with debt service, he remains optimistic about future opportunities, especially given the lack of new construction starts and continued population growth in Texas markets. He stresses the importance of choosing the right partners and being prepared for challenging times in multifamily investing.Stephen Lee-Thomas | Real Estate Background Founder of Multifamily Mastery Hub Based in: Fresno, CA Say hi to them at: LinkedIn Multifamily Mastery Hub Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Hunter Thompson, CEO of RaisingCapital.com and Asym Capital, joins host Ash Patel to discuss capital raising in today's market. Thompson shares how his firm pivoted from raising capital for multiple operators to focusing solely on multifamily investments in Phoenix. He discusses the challenges of capital raising in the current environment, emphasizing that difficult periods often present the best wealth-building opportunities. Thompson provides insights on handling investor relationships during downturns, the evolution of capital raising through LinkedIn and social media, and the importance of maintaining proper legal compliance. He also addresses the education platform he built through RaiseFest and his outlook on Phoenix's multifamily market. Throughout the conversation, Thompson stresses the importance of transparency with investors and building scalable systems for raising capital rather than relying solely on friends and family networks.Hunter Thompson | Real Estate Background CEO of RaisingCapital.com Based in: Los Angeles Say hi to them at: LinkedIn Instagram Sponsors:Altra RunningSunrise Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices