Passive Income Through Multifamily Real Estate

Our guest today on the show is the founder and owner of Bakerson, Bruce B. Wuollet! We talk to Bruce about his history in the multifamily game, the founding of his company, and the family legacy that led to the naming of Bakerson. He explains their investment strategies and how these have evolved over the years, moving to larger, longer-term deals and the shifts that go along with this. Bruce tells us about finding a rough in the diamond — a bad property in a great area and how he can work this in his favor. The conversation also covers the issue of rent control and the damages that these measures can make to the market in the long run. Bruce shares some of the tougher lessons he has learned and how these informed his decision to steer completely clear of speculative buying. The philosophy at Bakerson is one of conservative purchases that make sense today! We also cover moving into new markets and what it takes to break into one of these in today's climate before Bruce shares some of the tools and strate

For this edition of Asset Management Fridays, we are joined by the up and coming Spencer Hilligoss from Madison Investing! As a relatively young mind in the multifamily game, Spencer brings enthusiasm and a sense of purpose to his work, believing strongly in communication and authenticity. Our conversation today centers on relations with investors and Spencer shares some great lessons he has learned about giving investors what they need while taking care of assets in the best way for everybody. We discuss frequency of communication, the best things to share and update on, and keeping a difficult conversation on course and timely. Spencer does not shy away from talking about the touchy stuff and states that if done in the right way, investors will be thankful. For this great chat with a fresh talent in the world of multifamily, join us today!  Key Points From This Episode:Spencer's path to real estate and how he landed in multi-family recently. Communicating with investors and Spencer's approach to t

After the 2008 crash, a lot of people either lost most or all of their money and one of the biggest reasons was they were held hostage to a 1031 exchange. Even today, the conventional 1031 strategy presents many downsides, a major one being that once you sell, you have a limited timeframe before which you have to rebuy. Enter Brett Swarts, today’s guest and founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions, a firm that offers a solution to the 1031 called the deferred sales trust. The DST offers an exit strategy that helps business owners escape feeling hostage to capital gains tax as well as venture capital to fund their next business deal. In today’s show, Brett gives listeners the lowdown on how the DST works and the many benefits it offers in comparison to the 1031 exchange. He talks about how it enables a client to sell, and then park their money for as long as they like and also reinvest it in many more asset types than the 1031 exchange allows. We hear from Brett how the DST allows boomers to preserve wealth and

The period that follows the closing of the deal is vital in the outcomes of your investment. Here on this edition of Asset Management Fridays to talk of their practices in the 30 to 90 days following a purchase is Mark Hentemann! Mark is a television writer, having worked on high-profile shows such as Family Guy and with David Letterman! Mark explains his particular type of investing and how he got into the business after moving to Hollywood to be a writer. He is a specialist in restoring older buildings with vintage value and appeal. Much of this tendency comes from Mark's creative side, as he loves to visualize what something dilapidated and out of favor could be! Mark speaks about his strategy for the first few months, which entails a lot of observing, waiting, and evaluating. From there, he gives attention to the exterior and what he calls curb appeal, moving to the entranceways and then into the actual apartments. He believes in providing convenience and value for tenants with particular attention g

There comes a time in real estate investors’ careers when they can no longer manage all the tasks and wear all the hats required to succeed in the industry. This is when virtual assistants (VAs) might be just what they need. Bob Lachance is a nationally recognized speaker, mentor, and trainer who specializes in helping customers build their businesses through automation and outsourcing. He acquired his first flip in 2004 and has done over 700 transactions since, and has also started two successful real state coaching programs and three virtual assistant staffing companies. He is the owner of REVA Global LLC, which focuses on offering trained real estate virtual assistants to real estate professionals. In this episode, Bob tells listeners when they might start thinking about outsourcing some of the tasks, what they can expect to pay for virtual assistants, and advises on acquiring a full-time employee versus hiring a VA for each of their specialized tasks. He also discusses VA’s retention rates, how investors

If you are in the real estate game currently or are thinking about diving in, chances are you have heard the term 'refinancing'. If you have not, do not fear, we have James Kandasamy from Achieve Investment Group here to explain the idea and share his wisdom on the subject! James joins us for this edition of Asset Management Fridays and we go through all the important points about refinancing and how James has used it to build his business. He has experienced amazing growth and success in a relatively short period of time and we hear all about his impressive business before jumping into what refinancing entails. We unpack the intricacies of the topic, talking about return on capital versus return of capital and which types of loans might suit your needs best. James gives us some insight into fees that are associated with refinancing and he warns us about pre-payment penalties and other hazards. We learn a bunch of lessons from James today about your DSCR, avoiding bridge lenders, and more, so make s

Like many forms of investing, real estate investing is a long-term wealth accumulation strategy with long-term outcomes. When you understand this basic principle, you go through market fluctuations with more ease and remain confident about the returns you will reap in the future. At the same time, however, it is about realizing that investing always carries some risk. Joining us to speak on this topic is Tamar Hermes, a full-time real estate investor, and educator. She is the CEO of Wealth Warrior Woman where she guides women on how to become financially free by teaching them to understand the numbers, options, and strategies in real estate. Tamar discusses what she as a passive investor is doing to mitigate the risks of the current recession, what deal sponsors can do to be proactive, and advises investors about how they should think about the possible postponement of their distributions. For her, this is a unique opportunity for people in the industry to reset their mindsets about investing and part with th

Our guest today is Mauricio Rauld, the CEO and founder of Premier Law Group where he also acts as one of the syndication attorneys who help real estate syndicators to raise the capital to pursue their dreams of financial independence. Mauricio gives listeners some helpful advice around signing purchase and sales agreements, setting up LLCs, and keeping the asset management entity separate from the one owning the relevant share of the building. We also get into the issue of asset managers being legally responsible for the property managers they hire and the importance of including them in your insurance. Mauricio tells listeners what information lawyers require from their clients to set up a private placement memorandum and why the value of the PPM lies in its details, and then he gets into the “gray area” of conditioning the market versus merely adding value and educating. Be sure to join the conversation to also learn more about closing out an entity after a property is sold.   Key Points From This Episode:A

Many multifamily syndicators have either transitioned or are currently transitioning from a full-time W2 into the world of real estate. Taking the plunge can be daunting and going through the transition is demanding on time, finances, and one's emotions too. Luckily there is an art to it, and Jens Nielsen who is our guest for today is doing a great job of mastering it. Jens enjoyed working his W2 in the IT world for many years, but always wanted to find a way of clocking fewer hours while still making a good income. When he discovered real estate he dove in wholeheartedly and today specializes in underwriting, capital raising, and investor relations while still working his W2. In today’s episode, we speak to Jens about how he is managing the fear, time costs, social pressures, and risks involved in moving from his W2 into full-time syndication and coaching. He stresses the value of his time management skills, and also his dedication to remaining transparent with his W2 coworkers so as not to burn any bri

Creating air-tight budgets, which factor in all expenses, no matter how small, is no easy feat. It requires patience, commitment, and an eye to detail. Danny Randazzo, our guest today, certainly possesses these skills. As an asset management and budgeting whizz, he knows how to get the maximum NOI on properties. In this episode, Danny walks us through the current budget he is doing, and how his company creates multiple budgets to come up with a solid end number. He also talks about why they choose to do cost per door as well as the importance of being market-specific. Geographic location can shift several budget factors, so it is important to be cognizant of this. Along with this, Danny sheds light on the importance of having strict criteria that you stick to when looking for properties. We learned a great deal in today’s show, and we know you will too. Be sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Learn more about Danny’s background and what he is currently involved in.Find out about Danny’s budgetin

With the right industry knowledge and a risk-mitigating model, any real estate investor could stop trading their time for money and enjoy true mailbox money. Our guest today is Tim Bratz and he joins us on the show to speak about how he has it all figured out in this regard. Tim is the CEO and founder of Legacy Wealth Holdings, a real estate investment company that acquires and transforms distressed commercial and apartment buildings into high-performance investment assets. Tim’s investment companies currently own over 3,700 rental units across eight different states, equivalent to a $300 million portfolio! Today on the show, Tim starts by talking about how he learned real estate through the school of hard knocks, finally coming to see the huge yields offered by apartment flipping. He then moves on to speak about how assistants, partnerships, and having a big business have helped him generate passive income and focus on his strengths: marketing and acquisitions. After that, Tim gets into three procedures for

Brandon Hall is a CPA who runs a firm called The Real Estate CPA, and in today’s episode, he talks to listeners about taxes. His first recommendation is for syndicators to understand what they are trying to accomplish with their deals and whether they are aiming to tax optimize or simply break even. He goes on the explain the importance of knowing the 2013 tangible property regulations and how it pertains to syndication, and then gets into why electing out of the business interest limitations is advisable in most instances. Brandon walks listeners through the nitty-gritty of the K-1 form, where the most pertinent details are located, and why it is of utmost necessity to keep track of your capital balance as a limited partner.  Key Points From This Episode:Learn about Brandon’s CPA firm, its clientele, and the number of employees.The three biggest tax considerations that asset managers should pay attention to. Why it is important to know the 2013 tangible property regulations. Establishing whether you are tryi

When it comes to real estate investing, you could have the best investment strategies or the most unique business model, but without the correct mindset, you’re unlikely to make it very far. By continuing to let self-limiting beliefs dictate your choices, you will always make decisions from a position of fear, which will hold you back from your potential. Our guest today, Steven Pasevento, is the host of the Investor Mindset Podcast and an active investor who has flipped over 150 homes within his first two years in the business. One of his core beliefs is that investing in yourself leads to the biggest return on investment, which is why he is a proponent of putting in the work to change your mindset. In this episode, we learn about Steven’s background and how he has managed to achieve real estate success despite starting with very limited capital. By not giving into self-doubt, he was able to achieve more than he ever dreamed of. He wanted to share these lessons with others, which prompted him to start his In

In real estate, as in other lines of work, data and information is power. Here to discuss the irreplaceable utility of key performance indicators or KPIs, is Merrill Kaliser. Merrill uses KPIs across his multiple businesses and they make up the foundation of how he stays on top of his different ventures. He speaks to the most important indicators for the real estate business and how he and his team manage the data that comes in. Merrill brings attention to property and asset management statistics as well as information around leads and where they come from. If you cannot measure which avenue of your marketing is working, you will not know where to put more energy! Merrill has so much enthusiasm and insight to share, with the key takeaway being the immediacy of the collected information. He covers rent collection, vacation notice, and work order KPIs before drilling down on the idea of costs per lead converted. For all this in a punchy Friday episode, tune in! Key Points From This Episode:The different avenues

We know that having a diverse investment portfolio is important for you to be able to weather any storms. So, what if there was a way to use your 401(k) or IRA to invest in real estate? Luckily there is, and today’s guest, Dmitriy Fomichenko, is here to share more on solo 401(k)s and checkbook control, which are both vehicles that help you cast a wider investment net. We kick off the episode by learning more about what self-directed IRAs and solo 401(k)s are. We learn about the advantages of each of them, along with the specific criteria that need to be met to hold either of these investment vehicles. We then move onto why checkbook control is preferable over a custodial account. Not only it is more flexible, but you also save on fees. From there, we look at how W-2 employees can use a side job to benefit from UBIT tax. Finally, we round the show off with some final advice from Dmitriy and his last four questions. Be sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Learn more about Dmitriy’s background and

Alain Villegas is a full-time real estate investor based in Dallas, Texas who has over $60 million of properties under asset management, just under 900 doors spread across seven apartments. He has also invested as a limited partner in eight properties, just over 1,200 doors in total. In this episode, Alain talks about real estate reporting, from the reports acquired from property managers to the ones created for internal purposes and to keep investors updated. Tuning in to this episode, you will learn why you should not only pay close attention to monthly and weekly reports but also daily ones to keep abreast of property performance. This also allows asset managers to assume a proactive approach instead of waiting for things to happen. Alain advises on the most important reporting elements to note, how regularly they should be tracked, and how this information can be communicated to the different parties. We also discuss software tools, the ultimate report, and the importance of anticipating challenges. Key P

Selling at the bottom of the market in real estate can get you into a lot of trouble, but as long as you have enough reserves to ride things out, you can come out the other end smiling. Today’s guest, Kevin Sharkey, rode out the last downturn and he joins us to talk about house hacking and passive investing in the current one. Kevin is a TV executive who began house hacking in 2003 and is now a partner in two out of state multifamily properties totaling 396 doors. We kick things off chatting to Kevin about his road into real estate beginning when that first value add a property in Philadelphia fell into his lap in 2003. Without knowing what he was getting himself into, Kevin bought a second house hack in Florida at the top of the market in 2006, but he managed to hold onto it right through the downturn. He shares the lessons he learned from this and we talk opportunities for sweeping up deals in downturns and the importance of resisting selling at the bottom of a market. We turn our attention to syndications

On today’s Friday Edition of The Passive Income Through Multifamily Real Estate podcast, we welcome Kenny Wolfe of Wolfe Investments. Kenny has been investing in multifamily real estate since 2010 and co-founded Wolfe Investments in 2012. He has been involved in over $130MM+ worth of commercial real estate transactions throughout Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio and is here today to talk to us about what he has learned, and what he is still yet to discover, about asset management. As COVID-19 pushes the world into using technological tools to survive, the real estate industry is no different. We discuss the shifts happening to move more residents and prospects online, as well as the age-old power of skills such as remaining calm during this time of global uncertainty! Not only do we look at the present, and into the future in this episode, but we also honor the past by reflecting on the biggest lessons and challenges Kenny has faced throughout his 10-year journey in real estate. Take a listen to

Some people see obstacles as signs to quit what they’re doing while others see these challenges as opportunities for innovation and growth. Today’s guest, Glenn Gonzales, most definitely falls into the latter category and went from being a maintenance man to a millionaire. In this episode, Glenn shares his incredible journey with his. He talks about his transition from maintenance to management as well as the story of buying his first property. Getting started in real estate from the operations side taught Glenn many valuable lessons which he also shares with us. From there, we also discuss how to handle property management. We unpack when it’s best to use third-party management and when to bring it in-house. Glenn also shares some excellent advice on vetting property management companies and ways to ensure they’re doing their job correctly after they’ve been hired. He stresses the importance of managing the management company, which is a hands-on endeavor. Along with this, we learn more about the benefits of

Many business owners would argue that a large part of success comes down to having the right people around you. One such a person is Tim Bratz, the President of Legacy Wealth Holdings, who joins us to talk about hiring the right people to build a strong, committed team. The conversation starts with Tim explaining the need for a Steve Jobs and a Steve Wozniak on your A-team: one who is the visionary and one who is skilled at operations and the more technical aspects of the business. He walks listeners through his thought processes around his first hire, how this person propelled his exponential growth, and why hiring an employee to solve each new obstacle is a bad idea. Tim also shares how they have used the DISC personality assessment to pair the right people with the right roles, the importance of doubling down on your strengths by focusing only on those while delegating everything else, and he gives listeners some insight into how the compensation for their core team members is structured to ensure everyone