Apartment Building Investing With Michael Blank Podcast

The F.I.R.E. movement challenges us to achieve financial independence and retire early by saving and investing aggressively. And by aggressively, I mean anywhere between 50% and 70% of your income. Rajneesh Jha was following the F.I.R.E. method, putting his money in Wall Street investments—until he realized he could fast-track his timeline with multifamily real estate! Raj spent 20 years working as an engineer for Fortune 500 companies. An avid student of the stock market and personal finance, he started investing in safe, low-cost mutual funds with the goal of achieving financial freedom in about 10 years. Then he discovered real estate and shifted his strategy, building a portfolio of small multifamily properties. Earlier this year, he quit his 9-to-5 to build http://bigleague-capital.com/ (Big League Capital), a multifamily syndication firm that helps other investors turbocharge their journey with real estate. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Raj joins me to explain how shifting from F.I.

2020 has been a tough year for finding deals—even for us. In fact, the https://nighthawkequity.com/ (Nighthawk Equity) team is currently in the process of closing on our first and only deal of the year (so far). But that’s not for lack of trying! So, what are we looking for in a deal right now? How have we changed our underwriting criteria in the age of COVID? And how do we recover from the disappointment of losing a deal? Garrett Lynch is the Director of Acquisitions at Nighthawk Equity, the investing arm of the Michael Blank organization. Garrett has been in the multifamily space since 2011, cofounding a firm that grew from zero to 3,400 units before successfully exiting that venture. Since taking on his role with us at Nighthawk in 2018, Garrett has built a portfolio that includes at 218-unit property in Little Rock, Arkansas a 276-unit in Huntsville, Alabama, and a 130-unit deal in Atlanta, Georgia. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Garrett joins me to explain how his strategy for finding

If you knew you only had six months to live, what would you do differently? Who would you spend time with? Who would you reconcile with? How would you spend your days? On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, I’m describing the health crisis that landed me in the ER at the end of July. I explain how the experience forced me to rethink my priorities and reaffirmed my mission to help people to achieve financial freedom through multifamily investing! Listen in for insight on how to get clarity in your life and take on the challenge to get your affairs in order and start living your best life NOW. Key Takeaways My recent experience with a health crisis Heart attack on July 28, 2020 100% blockage in main artery How the health emergency forced me to rethink my priorities Value health and family above all else Affirmed mission (financial freedom with multifamily) My advice on getting your affairs in order NOW Set up revocable trust and life insurance Structure entities so controlled by trus

We’re told that our goals have to be time-bound. That we have to give ourselves a deadline if we want to achieve. The problem with that is too many of us quit three feet from gold, as the saying goes. But how do you stay committed when a year has gone by and you still don’t have your first multifamily deal? David Acosta was a mentoring student in The Michael Blank Investor Incubator. With no money and no background in investing, David leveraged his mentor, Drew Kniffin, and our Deal Maker’s Mastermind investor network to partner on his first venture, a 220-unit deal orchestrated by Ben Risser’s team. Six months later, David closed on a 48-unit deal in Lexington, KY, this time serving as lead syndicator! On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, David joins me to discuss how he did his first multifamily deal—without any money or previous real estate experience. He explains how having a mentor helped him build confidence and stay committed when his first deal took a few months longer than expected. Lis

Despite the disruption of COVID-19, multifamily investors are still doing deals. The question is, HOW? What’s working right now to get deals done? What isn’t? What are real people doing to find success in today’s market environment? On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, I’m handing the mic over to Drew Whitson to moderate a discussion with our mentoring team, Todd Dexheimer, Brad Tacia, Phil Capron and Matt Brawner, on what’s working now to get deals done. We explain how our mentoring students are leveraging the COVID pause to build relationships and how the balance of power has shifted among syndicator, buyer and broker in recent months. We go on to explore the benefit of a strong relationship with your property manager and how underwriting has changed in light of the pandemic. Listen in for insight into what makes multifamily the strongest asset class in real estate and learn the ONE thing our most successful students are doing right now to get deals done. Key Takeaways What Matt’s most succes

Our world is in upheaval. Between COVID-19 and the current riots, nothing feels normal. And this has a lot of investors asking, is now the right time to pursue multifamily? On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, I’m sharing my keynote address from Deal Maker Live 2020 on the current state of multifamily. I describe how multifamily is weathering the storm, explaining why it’s actually EASIER to raise money right now and why now IS the right time to invest in apartment buildings. Listen in for insight around how to adjust your underwriting in the current economic environment and get my advice on what you SHOULD be doing right now to achieve financial freedom! Key Takeaways How multifamily is performing right now Similar to 2008, deep quiet under storm Collections surprisingly consistent Why it’s easier to raise money in the current economic environment Investors frustrated with volatility of stock market Opening to discuss multifamily as alternative When it’s the best time to invest in

The black swan event financial pundits predicted has arrived in the form of the Coronavirus pandemic. But how, exactly, will the crisis play out in the markets? What does it mean for us as real estate investors? And what can we do to understand the changing reality, protect our wealth, and even capitalize on hidden opportunities? Russell Gray is the cohost of The Real Estate Guys Radio Show, a podcast and platform dedicated to helping investors stay focused, motivated and informed. A financial strategist with 30-plus years of experience in business, investing, mortgage lending and financial services, Russell provides unique and practical insights that support entrepreneurial investors in growing and protecting their wealth through real estate and real asset investing. He is also the coauthor of Equity Happens: Building Lifelong Wealth with Real Estate. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Russell joins me to share his take on the bigger story behind the pandemic, explaining how the government ba

According to the Law of the First Deal, a multifamily investor who buys their first apartment building will do their second and third deals in rapid succession, achieving financial freedom in just a year or two. But there is an exception to every rule, and Ed Hermsen is the ONE investor I know who did his first deal—and then life got in the way. So, what can he teach us about keeping momentum and staying committed to our multifamily goals? Ed grew a portfolio of single-family rentals while working as a mortgage loan officer in Fort Collins, Colorado. Five years ago, he started studying multifamily and eventually partnered with a close friend on a 22-unit deal in Pensacola, Florida. After revisiting his goal to retire by 50, Ed realized he needed to recommit to multifamily, and in the last two years, he has leveraged the partnership model to build a portfolio of 210 units and quit his job with real estate! On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Ed joins me to describe how a 9-to-5 in mortgage banki

Investing in the financial markets is stressful, especially in a crisis. And even if you happen to be brilliant at options trading, $100K in the equity market will still only buy $100K in assets. On the other hand, investing $100K in multifamily will buy you a $500K asset—and earn you five times the return. Not to mention the fact that it’s essentially recession-proof! Bruce Fraser is the Managing Partner at Elkhorn Capital Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on multifamily residential real estate in economically insulated submarkets. Prior to Elkhorn, Bruce ran a lucrative hedge fund, successfully navigating the financial crisis before his research led him to multifamily. In a few short years, Bruce has built a portfolio of 1,600 units, and he currently serves as a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Bruce joins me to explain what makes multifamily a better investment than the financial markets, especially through the COVID-19 crisis. He tells

There are tons of books out there that teach you how to invest in real estate syndications with other people’s money. But what if you’re the ‘other people’? What resource teaches you how to evaluate opportunities and pick the right sponsor to trust with your money? Brian Burke is the President and CEO of Praxis Capital, a private equity investment firm that focuses on repositioning multifamily properties. An expert real estate syndicator and investor, he has acquired 3,000 multifamily units and 700 single family rentals in his 30-year career. Brian is also the author of the new book, The Hands-Off Investor: An Insider’s Guide to Investing in Passive Real Estate Syndications. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Brian joins me to explain why passive investors need to look beyond returns when comparing syndication opportunities. He discusses why the sponsor is a more important consideration than the market or the deal itself, sharing the cautionary tale of an investor who lost her life savings to

In the world of startups, entrepreneurs take a lean approach early on with an eye to grow quickly. Ellie Perlman applied these principles to real estate, building and scaling a syndication business in a few short years. So, how do you shift from being a syndicator to managing a syndication business? Ellie is the Founder and CEO of Blue Lake Capital, a real estate investing firm that specializes in value-add multifamily acquisition and management. She also leads REady2Scale, a mentoring program for aspiring multifamily syndicators, and hosts the REady2Scale Podcast. Ellie began her career as a commercial real estate lawyer and later transitioned to the role of property manager, overseeing properties worth more than $100M. She earned her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Ellie joins me to explain how growing up poor in Israel gave her the drive to succeed and share her journey from cleaning synagogues to earning an MBA from MIT. She discusses the dec

Doing something monumental like moving your family across the ocean to Hawaii or buying a 100-unit apartment complex may feel overwhelming. But Brandon Turner has done both of those things, and he contends that any process is easy IF you break it down into a series of tiny actions that take five minutes or less. Brandon is the Founder of Open Door Capital, Vice President of BiggerPockets and Cohost of The BiggerPockets Podcast. He owns more than 500 rental units totaling $20M and has dozens of rehabs under his belt. Brandon’s work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and Money Magazine, and he is the author of several books, including The Book on Rental Property Investing and How to Invest in Real Estate. On this episode of the podcast, Brandon joins me to share his assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on real estate investing, explaining how we should adjust our underwriting in light of the pandemic. He walks us through his favorite investing strategies right now, describing the opportunities he sees

You may have heard the prediction that unemployment in the US could reach 30%, and that does sound scary. But what do those numbers really mean? And how would that worst-case scenario impact collections? What should we be concerned about as investors in affordable housing? Damian Bergamaschi is the cofounder of Damris Capital, a money management firm that leverages data analysis to help its investors achieve financial freedom sooner. Damian leads Damris’ optimization research for all investment models and algorithms and serves as the portfolio manager of the firm’s real estate acquisitions. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Damian joins me to explain how his obsession with data led to investments in commercial real estate. He discusses why affordable housing has been insulated from COVID-19, breaking down what the unemployment rate really means and how government subsidies have had a positive impact in the space. Listen in as Damian calculates projected collections in a worst-case scenario an

No one knows exactly what will happen in the multifamily real estate market as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold. But the heavy-hitters who have been in the game for a long time can predict, with relative certainty, which markets will thrive, when we’ll see new deal flow, and what the capital markets will look like over the next 12 months. Michael Becker is a Principal at SPI Advisory and Senior Director of Mortgage Origination at https://oldcapitallending.com/ (Old Capital Lending). A 15-year veteran of commercial real estate banking, Michael has originated and managed portfolios in all the major asset classes. In the six years since he started investing in multifamily, Michael has acquired 10K units and currently manages a portfolio of 6K doors. He also serves as the Cohost of the https://www.oldcapitalpodcast.com/ (Old Capital Podcast). On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Michael joins me to discuss the post-COVID new normal in multifamily real estate. He explains how the pandemic

Those of us who enjoy success in the real estate business are typically introduced to a model, an investor operating at a scale we never considered, who gives us an idea for what’s possible and a vision for the future. And if we’re smart, we can learn from their mistakes and leverage their knowledge and experience as a springboard, affording us a more direct path to our own financial freedom. Jacob Blackett is the Founder and CEO of Holdfolio, a platform that connects investors with high-yield investments in the real estate industry, and Syndication Pro, a software company that helps syndicators raise capital and manage investors online. Jacob got his start doing fix-and-flips as a 19-year-old sophomore in college, and today, he has placed over $50M into income-producing real estate, building a portfolio of 600+ units (as the lead sponsor) and a network of 3K registered investors. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Jacob joins me to explain how an infomercial inspired his interest in real esta

Some real estate investments are riskier than others, especially in an economic downturn. Class A multifamily developers, for example, are likely to lose their tenant base in a recession. So, what can developers do to forecast what the world will look like at the end of a build cycle and make decisions accordingly? And what can we ALL learn from this approach that will help us prosper through multiple market cycles?    Scott Choppin is the Founder of Urban Pacific, a real estate development company out of Long Beach, California. With 35-plus years of experience in the business, Scott has led the development of nearly 1,700 units throughout the Western United States. He is also responsible for a recent innovation known as Urban Town House, a middle-income, multigenerational housing product that serves urban families in California. Scott’s work has been featured in Forbes, The Los Angeles Times and Builder Magazine, among many other media publications. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Scott jo

How do you become a successful multifamily syndicator when you’re not old enough to order a beer? What does it take to overcome objections around being too young and too inexperienced—and raise more than half a million dollars in capital for your very first deal? What’s it like to achieve financial freedom before you turn 21? Kyle Marcotte is an entrepreneur and multifamily real estate investor with a 119-unit portfolio valued at $5.5M. He was a pre-med student and Division I soccer player at UC Davis when Kyle learned about the potential to generate passive income with real estate. At the age of 20, he raised $600K and closed on his first deal in just four months. Now, Kyle is on a mission to help others become financially free with multifamily investing—regardless of age or experience. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Kyle joins me to explain why he burned the boats and quit college to pursue real estate full time. He discusses how he got brokers and investors to take him seriously despite

Why are there so few women in multifamily syndication? According to a 2019 study conducted by Merrill Lynch, 61% of women polled cited a lack of knowledge about real estate investing. And the fact that it’s a male-dominated industry is also a contributing factor. So, how do we get more women interested in learning about multifamily—and the financial independence that comes with it? Kaylee McMahon is the Founder of The Apartment Queen, a platform dedicated to ending abuse and codependent relationships by helping women create wealth with real estate investing. A staple of the Dallas real estate scene, Kaylee has purchased $2M in real estate as Key Principal and currently serves as General Partner in 730 units in Texas and Arizona totaling more than $23M in assets under management. She is also the host of #1 Leading Ladies, a podcast about what it’s really like to be a female entrepreneur. On this episode, Kaylee joins me to share her path from real estate agent to multifamily investor, discussing how the chil

No good comes from making decisions out of panic or fear. So, what can multifamily syndicators do to navigate the next couple of months and cover the bills—even if our tenants can’t (or won’t) pay the rent on time? How can we reassure our investors that their money is safe and leverage the available safeguards to make it through the Coronavirus shutdown? Jason Pero is the multifamily investor and syndicator behind https://www.perorealestate.com/ (Pero Real Estate), one of the leading real estate firms in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jason and his wife bought their first duplex in 2001 and continued to invest in small multifamily properties while he worked full-time in medical device sales. By 2012, Jason had built a 300-unit portfolio and was able to leave his 9-to-5 to pursue real estate full-time. He started syndicating deals in 2018, and today, Jason owns and self-manages 1K units in Erie County. On this episode of the podcast, Jason joins me to discuss why he waited so long to get into syndication and why he sel

What are you doing to keep your mindset right during the Coronavirus shutdown? Are you making the most of the extra time at home? Taking advantage of the opportunity to invest in yourself and learn something new? Taking care of yourself, your family, your team, your investors and your tenants? https://vinneychopra.com/ (Vinney Chopra) is a sought-after multifamily real estate expert with 12 years of experience and 28 successful syndications under his belt. To date, Vinney and his team of 67 control and self-manage a portfolio of 4,100 units worth $330M. He is also the bestselling author of Apartment Syndication Made Easy and the host of two podcasts, Syndication Made Easy and the Mr. Smiles Motivation Talk Show. Vinney came to the US 43 years ago with just $7 in his pocket, and he credits his success to the power of positive thinking. On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Vinney joins me to discuss how his team is dealing with the short-term impact of COVID-19 and what they are doing to support t