Real Estate Breakthrough

#182: Todd Bayer- Playing the Long Term Real Estate Game

"You have to put more skin in the game to make the deal work and end up making much less profit so we are very challenged right now in real estate especially with flipping and the long term rental market."

 -Todd Bayer

Today I am interviewing Todd Bayer. I've known Todd for many years and he has an extensive journey in the world of real estate from appraisals to flipping to launching the Rehab Loan Group and beyond. He partnered with Stephne McKee and started the successful networking group The Inland Empire Real Estate Investment Club. Todd would then pursue other avenues that included the tiny home and mobile home markets which also had its challenges. Now Todd is the Owner of FlowVestor which he launched after the pandemic which focuses on mobile home parks, multi family and self storage facilities. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How Todd was introduced to real estate 

• Trading a 9-5 for a 9-9

• Focus on what you're great at

• How The Rehab Loan Group was started

• Building a business while running one at the same time

• The power of networking 

• What is happening in the industry of lending 

• What are the current challenges 

• What is happening with real estate prices 

• There's not enough inventory 

• Best way to find a deal of market 

• Where to find off market deals

• How bad deals educate you as an investor 

• Stay in your lane 

• What is happening with the long term rental market

Listen now and find out how Todd found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Todd's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Todd here: 

Website FlowVestor.com

Email todd@flowvestor.com

"Do you as a private investor have the right education to be able to ask the right questions to these operators." - Matthew Owens

Today I am interviewing Matthew Owens. He is the CEO of OCG Properties, which is a real estate investing company that focuses on “intelligent” investing and education. OCG Properties helps investors create cash flow strategies for long term returns and investments. He has presented numerous times at my FIBI Pasadena meeting and is a frequent speaker at other real estate meetings in the southern California area. 

Matthew Owens: Started his career in real estate as a flipper and a licensed CPA. Over the past fifteen years, Matthew has successfully  flipped over 1,000 properties with over $35 million out to flippers currently. In 2006 he quit his job as a CPA and went into real estate full time.  Understanding the complexities of deals, Matthew founded OCG Properties to help people become educated on how to succeed in real estate using cash flow strategies and seller financing strategies for long term investing. He is a consultant, an advisor and host of the OCG Properties: Masters of Real Estate with Mathew Owens, CPA.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How to gain financial control 

• Everything falls on the owner 

• How to get a hold on your bookkeeping

• Are you cataloging your expenses properly 

• Why you should hire a team 

• How to hold yourself accountable as the business owner

• Separating your buckets of capital 

• Do you have proper reserves set in place

• Why you need multiple bank accounts

• The benefits of knowing how to talk to people 

• Networking is key

• Be open to new opportunities 

• Why invest in promissory notes

• Invest in syndications

• Is investing in real estate better than investing in stocks

• What is happening in the market currently 

• Will lowering rates add inventory 

Listen now and find out how Matthew found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Matthew's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Matthew here: 

Website OCGProperties.com

LinkedIn Matthew Owens

"It's not passive, it's your asset and it's your money so you don't just sit back and hope someone else is taking care of your money because no one cares about your money like you do." -Kaaren Hall 

Today I am interviewing Kaaren Hall who is the founder of uDirect IRA Services. uDirect helps thousands of people self direct their IRA's into private equity investments such as real estate, notes, performing & non performing debt, crowdfunding and more. Assisting people with taking their retirement out of wall street and into private equity, Kaaren opened uDirect IRA in 2009, just a year after the 2008 downturn. She has presented at many local meetings including my FIBI Pasadena meeting numerous times as well as been a previous guest on my show. 

Kaaren Hall: Prior to her career in IRA services and investing, Kaaren was a radio host and a news and on air traffic reporter. She then began working in the banking and real estate industry before taking a leap and beginning her own practice in Southern California. Understanding the importance of retirement and the power of taking care of your own financial freedom, uDirect IRA specializes in helping people create their own future in which they have full control over their retirement and financial freedom. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Being a woman in a male dominated industry 

• What are we responsible for 

• The importance of a morning routine 

• Inner determination 

• How do we build discipline 

• What you can and cannot do with a self directed IRA

• How do we make this process simple 

• Learn the rules of the game 

• New changes in the IRA industry 

• What is a 529 plan 

• What is a sep IRA

• How are people currently being impacted by the recession

• Has fraud died down 

• How do contribution limits impact an account

• What is Finra Broker Check 

• No one else will care about your money like you

• Why this is not a passive asset 

• The importance of multiple streams of income for retirement 

• What do you need to retire

Listen now and find out how Kaaren found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Kaaren's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Kaaren here: 

Website uDirectIRA.com

Email info@udirectira.com

"If you're getting in and starting now this is the golden opportunity that we've been waiting for for 10 years." -Andrew Cushman

Today I am interviewing Andrew Cusman. He is the Founder and Principal of Vantage Point Acquisitions, a private equity firm providing investment opportunities in multifamily assets. He has presented at FIBI Pasadena as well as been a former guests on my podcast. He has been featured on platforms like Bigger Pockets and Real Estate Rookie. 

Andrew Cushman: Graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in chemical engineering. In 2006 Andrew and his wife started flipping houses in southern California right before the 2008 crash. Then Andrew began his journey into multi family investing. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Why did Andrew get into multi-family investing 

• Where is money made in multi family investing

• Become an expert in one thing

• Is the multi-family market suffering

• Where are we finding stress in the market 

• How do cap rates work on commercial properties 

• Why have insurance premiums gone up all over the country 

• How do variable loan rates effect current properties 

• What is Andrews secret sauce

• Are syndicators underwater 

• Why is now time to invest

• Why is new construction falling 

• Money is made on the operations 

• Giving back to your onsite teams

• Build relationships with property managers 

Listen now and find out how Andrew found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Andrew's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Andrew here: 

Website VAPACQ.com

LinkedIn Andrew Cushman

"Passive income wasn't something ever discussed and getting an advanced education just taught me how to be an employee." -Amy Sylvis

Today I am interviewing Amy Sylvis, she is the Founder of Sylvis Capital, a syndication company specializing in multi family properties in upcoming markets. 

Amy Sylvis: Was born with a condition called cystic fibrosis in which she was told she would only live to be 9 years old. She is currently 42 and is ecstatic that she has the ability to live her life to the fullest. She spent 13 years working in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry before she came across the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," which led her into passive income using the vehicle of real estate. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• What is your story 

• Amy's health journey 

• "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod

• Working on the mind 

• Why we read "Rich Dad Poor Dad"

• Can you trade time for money 

• What servers your success 

• Data tracking 

• Love the choices you make

• Investing in the right markets 

• Are we already in a recession 

• The perks of multifamily investing 

• Marco economic trends 

• Is it hard to purchase a home right now 

• How to use market research data

Listen now and find out how Amy found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Amy's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Amy here: 

Website SylvisCapital.com

LinkedIn Amy Sylvis

I learned at a young age, like many other immigrants grit and how hard work has to happen so that you have a means to survive." -Jenny Gou 

Today I am interviewing  Jenny Gou. She is one of the Managing Partners of Vertical Street Ventures, a multi family syndication company offering investment opportunities by using a full service approach for apartment investing. Jenny is responsible for operations at VSV and is also the lead for the VSV Multifamily Academy. 

Jenny Gou: Began her career as a Sales Strategist for Procter & Gamble before transitioning to Vertical Street Ventures. She has a BA in Business Management from the University of Arizona and received her MBA from the University of Minnesota. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• What is Vertical Street Ventures

• Stop climbing the corporate ladder

• Teaching the next generation

• What being from an immigrant family taught me

• Where does the ambition come from 

• The value of a dollar 

• Is it hard being an entrepreneur 

• Why are people are greatest assets 

• What culture are we building 

• Ways to accelerate your business 

• Focusing on problem solving, not problems 

• Can we discern without judgment 

• What is residents first 

• What will VSV do during the upcoming recession

• Hire people that do it better than you 

Listen now and find out how Jenny found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Jenny's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Jenny here: 

Website Vertical Street Ventures 

LinkedIn Vertical Street Ventures

Facebook Vertical Street Ventures

Instagram VerticalStreetVentures

The more people I got to know, I realized there's a lot of money you can make in real estate and you can get involved or uninvolved as you want." Chris Collins

Today I am interviewing Chris Collins. He is the Managing Partner at Amity Cash Flow which acquires multi-family apartment properties and creates opportunities for accredited and non accredited investors. He has invested actively and passively in 6 states, over 2,500 apartment units totaling 200 million dollars. He has also presented at my FIBI Pasadena Multi Family Meeting. 

Chris Collins: Has a background in Hollywood as a television editor, but has been investing in real estate for a decade. His goal with Amity Cash Flow is to help people gain financial independence no matter the industry you are in. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• From Hollywood to real estate 

• The basics of real estate 

• Putting in the effort 

• Building strong relationships with partners from other markets 

• Transparency and investor relations 

• Make the business plan understandable 

• Encourage your investors to ask questions 

• The real estate business is a relationship business 

• Is there an abundance of real estate opportunities 

• Why you should partner with syndicators

• What challenges are multi family facing at the moment 

• How are interest rates affecting buyers and sellers differently 

• Tips for buyers 

• Why are sellers holding on to their properties 

• Should buyers explore alternative/creative financing 

• What factors push sales

• Why have rents risen 

• How will you handle the potential recession 

• How to maintain what you already have 

• How to deal with contractors 

• Why you need good oversight 

Listen now and find out how Chris found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Chris's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Chris here: 

Website AmityCashFlow.com

IG AmityChrisCollins

"We want people to invest with us because they like and trust us and we encourage people to diversify so they can have the ability to work with who they like." Reed Goosens

Today I am interviewing Reed Goosens and Ben Gray who are both the brains behind RSN Property Group which specializes in fix and flip multi-family apartment complexes. Although they both are from Australia, Reed and Ben both live and invest in the US. Reed has previously been a guest on this show, as well as presented at both my FIBI Pasadena Meeting as well as my ITI Meeting. Reed is a national speaker and is the host of the Investing in the US Podcast.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How Reed and Ben met 

• How to be sustainable as a multifamily syndicator 

• Investors should diversity 

• Keeping a tight team 

• How to reduce building cost

• The worldwide issue of unaffordability 

• What are they investing in

• How to incorporate other passions into real estate

• Maintaining a sense of curiosity 

• How do you keep a clear head

• Why is having a business partner necessary 

• How to stay connected to your purpose

• The uncertainty of entrepreneurship

• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable 

• Current challenges in the multi-family market

• Are we in a recession

• How have interest rates affected the market 

• What are operators currently challenged with 

Listen now and find out how Reed and Ben found their Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Reed and Ben's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about RSN Property Group here: 

Website RSNPropertyGroup.com

"It's about inner work so that the outer world can give you what you're seeking." -Christina Suter

Today I was interviewed by my mentor Raven Blair Davis on my recent feature in the Wall Street Journal in collaboration with Marquis Who's Who, which has been an honor. In this episode we talk about overcoming challenges, what it means to step into your power and how I am currently transitioning into my new practice.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE:

• Christina's 35 years of experience as a real estate investor 

• Chrstina's career in being an advisor working with 100+ clients

• Who's Who Nomination 

• Her feature in the Wall Street Journal 

• Christina's transition into the family office space 

• The importance of inner transformation 

• Christina's growth in the media and public speaking 

• How to use ones voice to create impact 

• How to push through personal challenges 

• The success and failures of working in real estate 

Listen now and find out how Christina found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Christina's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Christina here: 

Website ChristinaSuter.com

Youtube Christina Suter 

IG @RealChristinaStuer

LinkedIn Christina Suter

Twitter RealChristinaSuter

"It all comes down to impact and with the younger generations, we find they are also seeking ways to make a difference, but sometimes they don't get the opportunity to feel they are making a difference." -Franco Perez

Today I am interviewing Franco Perez. He is the Founder of Franco Mobile Homes, a company that focuses on providing affordable, efficient, and well designed mobile homes to residents of the Bay area of California. Franco's personal experiences of economic disparities landed him in the real estate field where he began his search for solutions. He is a beacon for the affordable housing movement whose goal is to give families the opportunity to become homeowners and obtain financial stability. 

Frano Perez:  Moved to CA at the age of 11 from the Philippines with his family. At 18 Fracno had to quit school so that he could work and provide for his family. He became a real estate agent and after working in the industry for a bit, Franco had a realization that the wealth gap was significant between the wealthy and working class. His question became how do I help people bridge the wealth gap and his solution was mobile homes. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How to gain new perspectives 

• Franco's early days as a real estate agent 

• How franco got into mobile home ownership 

• What is Francos mission 

• Mobile home conversions 

• How does the wealth gap affect home ownership 

• Where does the drive to change come from 

• Why is entrepreneurship important 

• How pressure can create resourcefulness 

• Celebrating beyond the numbers 

• How to harness a team driven by impact 

• How do we trade value, not dollars

• How will the upcoming recession affect the mobile home market

• Is there a skilled labor shortage in the housing industry 

• The importance of building affordable housing 

• Why are median home prices not affordable 

• What are the benefits of owning a mobile home 

• Breaking the stigma of mobile home park communities

Listen now and find out how Franco found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Franco's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Franco here: 

Website www.franco.TV

Youtube Franco Mobile Homes 

IG FrancoSiliconValley

"AI is going to take a lot of jobs, but real estate will always be here."

-Sharif Shakhshir

Today I am interviewing Sharif Shakhshir. He is the Senior Vice President of CALCAP, a real estate investment company specializing in alternative investment opportunities for institutions and individual investors. He is also the Founder and CIO of Falcon Capital Management, a company  that focuses on underwriting on upcoming acquisitions, deal sourcing, investment analytics, strategy and industry networking and deal financing.  

Sharif Shakhshir: Has a bachelors and masters in finance. He was always interested in finance and even started collecting gold and silver as a kid. He began his career as a stockbroker before working for Countrywide in the lending division. Now he is the Senior Vice President of CALCAP and operates his own company, Falcon Capital Management. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How Sharif found his way into real estate investing 

• What are the challenges and the opportunities 

• Pay attention to the details 

• What is desktop underwriting 

• What is a pro forma analysis 

• Sharif's quick cap rate calculator 

• How to provoke efficiency in property analysis

• Exploring the various ways to do rent comps 

• What is the current trend in the multi family market 

• Why no one wants to sell 

• Dissecting the usage of bridge loans 

• The impact of interest rates 

• Are we looking at a recession 

• How do we prepare for economic softening

• Will the banking system change 

• Finding your tribe 

• Using meetings to develop relationships 

Listen now and find out how Sharif found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Sharif's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Sharif here: 

LinkedIn Sharif Shakhshir

Website CALCAPAdvisors

Website FalconCapitalmgmt

"No asset class, not even multifamily is so incredible that it can be good at all times in all markets." -Neal Bawa

Today I am interviewing Neal Bawa. He is the CEO and Founder of GroCapitus and UGro, which are real estate investment companies that focus on building, sourcing or obtaining commercial real estate properties. He has taught more than 10, 000 investors with his free data analytics course and is highly sought after to speak at real estate conferences around the country. He is called the mad scientist of multifamily investing and believes "data beats gut feel by a million miles."

Neal Bawa: Got started in real estate very differently than most people. He was running technology companies and used that money to build custom campuses. Not having any prior experience in this process, he however was able to very successfully build a 27,000 square foot campus which became extremely successful landing him more opportunities to build over the years. He began buying single family properties in 2008 and eventually pivoted into multifamily investing full time. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How data serves us better than gut feeling 

• What Neal Does as a data technologist 

• How Neal was introduced to the world of real estate 

• What does Gro Capitus do

• Engaged as a buyer, not as a seller 

• Being 12 months ahead of everyone else  

• What is land banking 

• Is it the time to buy multifamily assets 

• Follow the data not the current trends

• How to fight against biases 

• What happened to the Phoenix market 

• Don't ignore the cycle 

• The rationale of investors 

• Why has retail and office fallen so dramatically 

• Will the office market continue to decline 

• Is office conversions a possibility 

• Investor vs a speculator 

• What is the relationship between interest rates and cap rates

• How does land banking work

• When is the next bottom 

• The current state of inflation 

• What is quantitative easing 

Listen now and find out how Neal found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Neal's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Neal  here: 

Website www.GroCapitus.com

"Real estate is not a get rich quick, its a get rich for sure." - Steven Pesavento 

Today I am interviewing Steven Pesavento. He is the Founder and President of VonFinch Capital, a private real estate firm specializing in value-add multifamily, investment management and sponsorship. 

He is the host of the Investor Mindset podcast and is a high performance coach. 

Steven Pesavento: Started working in management consulting but knew that wasn't where you wanted to be. He started working in high growth startups in Boulder, Colorado before making his switch to real estate investing in 2016. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• How Steven got started in real estate 

• Why Steven choose to invest in real estate 

• How personal development is the core to success in real estate 

• Overcoming challenges to push forward 

• There is more than one vehicle to achieve financial freedom 

• How to operate from a place of clarity 

• Why real estate is not a get rich quick game 

• The traps of having a victim mindset 

• Is the system broken 

• Fueling your perspective 

• How to build yourself from the inside out

• How to go from victim to victor 

• What is happening in the multi-family market 

• What are the big institutions doing right now

• How do we double investors money 

• What about the recession

• How can you leverage on this current market 

• Can you find where the opportunities are

Listen now and find out how Steven found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Steven's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Steven here: 

Website VonFinch.com

“I want to understand this thing called passive income, but first how do you make the money and get into that mindset ? I learned wealthy people have a different mindset.” -Kathy Fettke

Today I am interviewing Kathy Fettke who is the co creator of the Real Wealth Network alongside her husband Rich Fettke. Kathy is an investor, educator, and radio host who is a guest expert on platforms like CNN, Fox News, NPR, CBS, CNBC, Marketwatch and the Wall Street Journal. She is the author of a best selling book "Retire Rich with Rentals" and is also the host and creator of the podcast The Real Wealth Show with listeners in 133 countries. She has presented at my FIBI Pasadena meeting times numerous and also is a guest speaker at many others. 

Kathy Fettke: Began her career in broadcasting with a BA in Broadcast Communications from San Francisco State University. She worked in news media, but eventually discovered it wasn't for her. After family hardships, she went from a stay at home mom to a full time investor. She also became a certified personal coach where she educates people on creative financing as well as mindset. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE:

• The rights and wrongs in real estate 

• How Kathy got started in real estate with a 1031 exchange 

• Why mindset is the key to transformation 

• Wealthy people have a different mindset 

• Understanding the flow of money 

• Are you in your own way 

• Your mindset will set the foundation of your success 

• The healthy benefits of journaling and meditation 

• The importance of facing your fears

• How to face the next level necessary growth 

• Do you know your other selves and the gifts they have to offer the world 

• What is self reference 

• Why the deeper you go a deeper understanding is required

• There are many ways to become wealthy and create passive income 

• How to treat real estate like a business 

• What is an entrepreneurs brain 

• Do the opposite of what the headlines tell you to do 

• Are we in a recession

• Understand what you are buying  

Listen now and find out how Kathy found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Kathy’s interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Kathy here: 

Website RealWealth.com

Website GrowDevelopments.com

"Use your portfolio of alternative investments to design your income so you can replace your w2 income with income coming from stable assets that go up in value when the market gets afraid, scary or slows down." - Ted Greene

Today I am interviewing Ted Greene again, only this time he is sharing his current economic update. 

He is the Investor Relations Manager at Spartan Investment Group who focuses on acquiring commercial real estate assets. Ted transitioned from equities to real estate after working in the field as a Fiduciary and Investment Advisor.  I spoke with Ted at the Best Ever Conference and knew right then that I wanted him to join me on the podcast. I have in the past interviewed Scott Lewis, the CEO & Founder of Spartan as well as the President CIO & Co Founder Ryan Gibson who presented at FIBI Pasadena. 

Ted Greene: Started in the financial industry right out of college with Merrill & Lynch and after 24 years in the industry he ended that part of his career as a portfolio manager chief compliance officer. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Economist you can rely on 

• Who is David Rosenberg

• Why is there a lot of new supply coming on board 

• Is luxury development superseding affordable housing 

• What happens during times of contraction 

• How does job participation play a role 

• How long does it take to feel the full effect of Fed increases 

• When will we see the economy slow 

• What is the LEI index 

• Why did the Federal Reserve create a repo market and what does that mean 

• Why are banks no longer selling their loans to the treasury 

• The peak of storage units and its stability in the market 

• How life transitions affect the market 

• What is investors psychology 

• Managing our risk assets 

• Have you designed a stream of income to replace your W2 income 

• Why you need to invest in a variety of asset classes 

• What does all of this mean for residential real estate 

Listen now and find out how Ted found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Ted's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Ted here: 

Website Spartan-Investors.com

LinkedIn Ted Greene

Email Ted@spartan-investors.com

"For me business is personal and they are intertwined so I treat them the same and if I do business with a persona I need to have a personal relationship with them as well." -Linda Lim

Today I am interviewing Linda Lim. She is the Founder of Essential Element Capital which is a private property investment company. Her focus is passive income and helping clients reach their financial goals by providing them with win win opportunities. 

Linda Lim: Was raised in an entrepreneurial family in Indonesia and although their background was in finance, they were not involved in real estate. She received her MBA in finance and then went on to become a financial advisor, but in the 2008 crash she pivoted and jumped full time into entrepreneurship. She now invests and works out of state in Arizona and also has offices in Nevada and Texas where she helps investors attain financial independence. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE:

• How did Linda get involved in financial industry 

• Working in a financial institution 

• How Linda eventually began a career in real estate 

• What is Essential Element Capital 

• The transition to commercial real estate 

• Why Linda began investing out of state 

• The importance of shadowing people

• Linda's secret sauce of interpersonal relations 

• Always be a student 

• Using compassion to your advantage 

• Making long lasting connections

• Why business is personal  

• Know Like and Trust 

• The pros of having an entrepreneurial background 

• Getting comfortable with your investments 

• How to be fluid and open to solutions 

• Trust yourself or the market 

• How to move forward after a loss

• What does financial freedom mean 

Listen now and find out how Linda found her Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Linda's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Linda here: 

Website EssentialElementCapital.com

Email linda@essentialelementcapital.com

#166: Scott Lewis- Maintaining a Company Culture in The World of Self Storage

“If you're honest with yourself, work diligently towards that goal and are disciplined, I think the wealth and the finance stuff will be a manifestation of being true to yourself.” -Scott Lewis

Today I am interviewing Scott Lewis. He is the Co Founder and CEO of Spartan Investments Group and is responsible for the strategic direction of the company. Before entering into real estate, Scott worked in the biotech industry in regional sales and also held positions of management for the federal government. Scott has been a guest on my podcast in the past and you can find that segment here. 

Scott Lewis:  Did not enter real estate in the traditional sense, but was a framer in high school and developed a skill for building. That skill aided him as a flipper as he was just entering the world of real estate.  After flipping he started investing in the self storage space and later on founded Spartan Investment Group. Scott was also an active duty US army Infantry Officer. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Scott’s introduction into real estate 

• From flipping to self storage 

• Why Spartan choose to invest in self storage 

• How saturated is that particular asset class

• The rise of self storage as an asset class

• The smaller the asset the higher the competition 

• Doors vs square footage 

• What to look for when investing in self storage 

• Developing standards as an entrepreneur 

• Creating the ultimate company culture 

• How to develop a growth mindset 

• What does it mean to be a good leader 

• Using your natural talents and grit to solve problems 

• Ask the question, how do you make decisions 

• Due you due diligence

• Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke 

Listen now and find out how Scott found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Scott’s interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Scott here: 

Website Spartan-Investors.com 

“I didn't think a guy working in HR could get involved in something like this until I started talking to a network of people and that’s where that education came from.” Chad Ackerman 

Today I am interviewing Chad Ackerman who is one of the Founders of Left Field Investors, a community of investors who educate, inspire and help others achieve financial freedom through passive investing. I met Chad at the Best Ever Conference where we were on a panel discussing what it means to be successful at passive investing. Chad with a background in banking and data analytics, was able to pivot those skills into deal analyzing to help evolve his and others real estate investments. Left Field Investors has an incredible team of Founders, community members and resources including their podcast Passive Investing From Left Field. 

Chad Ackerman: Was always interested in real estate, but went into banking as a data analyst while passive investing on the side. He received a Bachelor's degree in Business and a minor in Real Estate from the University of Cincinnati. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Why the syndicator is the most important asset 

• The fundamentals of Left Field Investors 

• Building community on education and networking 

• Is the deal the most important thing 

• Tools for vetting an operator 

• Left Field Investors Membership tool 

• The power of choice

• How to create access for diversification

• Investable income percentages

• What are the 3 elements of diversification 

• What is an active passive investor 

• The importance of staying up with the economy 

•  Active vs passive investing 

• How to remain engaged even as a passive investor 

• What happened to stocks 

• Managing the deal vs what can I get out of it

Listen now and find out how Chad found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Chad's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Chad here: 

Website LeftFieldInvestors.com 

LinkedIn Chad Ackerman

“There’s going to be a time when what we are willing to pay matches what the seller is willing to accept so we’re going to stay true to our fundamentals.” -Gary Lipsky 

Today I am interviewing Gary Lipsky who is the President of Break of Day Capital which is a company that helps investors with passive investing for wealth and legacy building using the asset of multi-family properties that are underperforming in high growth markets. Gary, who has 20+ years of entrepreneurial experience in real estate is the host of the Real Estate Investor Podcast and has more than 3000 apartment units valued over$250 million. He has built various successful businesses over the years and is the best selling Author of a book titled Best of Class.  

Gary Lipsky: Since a kid had an entrepreneurial spirit. In college along with his roommate, started a restaurant delivery service in New York. After college he was working as a production assistant on film sets before deciding to make and co-produce a few independent films. Later on he got involved in another business running after school programs which he sold in 2016 to go into real estate full time. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Who you are matters most

• Being in it for the long haul 

• The importance of giving back 

• Gary's background in working with underprivileged youth 

• Putting a team together to create solutions 

• Making mistakes along the way 

• Moving up the ranks in responsibility 

• Maintaining composure in the difficult field of real estate 

• Quality over quantity 

• How is the current recession affecting current deals 

• Increases value adds 

• Looking outside the box to create deals 

• Converting office space into multi-family properties 

• Understanding and anticipating cash flow 

• How Gary made it in to  the American Apartments Owners Association 

• Build in buffers in your underwriting

• The importance of taking care of your staff and property managers 

•  What does financial freedom bring you 

Listen now and find out how Gary found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Gary's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Gary here: 

Website BreakofDayCapital.com

LinkedIn Gary Lipsky 

Email Gary@breakofdaycapital.com 

“The more we get into the habit of giving up our freedom to somebody else, the less control we have and the less of an ability we have to say this is how I want my little corner of the universe.” -Stephen Mckee

This is a re-air of a show I recorded with Stepehen McKee some time ago on building tiny homes, but also building community. 

Today I am interviewing Stephen McKee who is one of the founders of Back Porch Homes. Stephen has been in the real estate field for 15 years with a focus on buy and flip and now has recently over the past few years shifted into tiny homes and ADU’s. Alongside his long time partner Todd Bayer, Stephen runs the Inland Empire Real Estate Investment club with over 5,000 members. He speaks at meetings in southern California and has also presented at my FIBI Pasadena meeting numerous times. 

Stephen McKee: began his career in real estate in the buy and flip market. He is the former COO of Rehab Loan Group which at one point was the highest leverage lender in the US. He is a former business structuring coach, a former acquisitions agent and a Former REO (bank repo) real estate agent for a top 1% REO firm. 

TOPICS COVERED IN THE EPISODE

• Back Porch Homes

• Inland Empire Investment club meeting dynamics 

• What is the community of a club 

• 80/20 rule

• How was COVID affected production 

• Buy and hold vs flipping 

• Why multi units are doing well in this market 

• Elder care and hotel markets 

• Office space conversions 

• Andy Teasley 

• How building a community aids in personal growth 

• Why manufacturing is better than rehabbing 

• The simplicity of manufacturing 

• Tiny homes and ADU’s 

• What will happen to the market in a year

• The baby boomer client 

• Jim Collins on Tim Ferris 

Listen now and find out how Stephen found his Real Estate Breakthrough!

The Real Estate Breakthrough Show with Christina Suter is where we talk about the reality of real estate, the mindset you need and the tips and tricks to get you moving forward in investing. Join us every other week and learn everything you need to know to invest in real estate on Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and more. You can watch Stephen's interview on Youtube here. 

Find out more about Stephen here: 

Website www.backporchomes.com

Phone 951-394-1844