PassivePockets: The Passive Real Estate Investing Show

Self-storage has long been considered recession resilient, but what happens when high interest rates freeze the housing market and fewer people move? Neil Henderson of Nomad Capital joins Chris Lopez to explain why the industry is facing one of its most difficult markets in decades and what could finally restart demand.

Neil also breaks down Nomad’s strategy of converting vacant big-box stores into climate-controlled storage at roughly half the cost of ground-up construction. They discuss current deal economics, slower lease-ups, competition from major REITs, and why shopping centers with existing retail income could offer investors a valuable margin of safety.

Key takeaways:

• Why self-storage demand is closely connected to home sales

• How big-box conversions can cost significantly less than new construction

• Why slower lease-ups have delayed distributions for storage investors

• What fixed-rate debt can protect during a difficult market cycle

• How major storage REITs can pressure smaller operators

• Where Neil sees the strongest self-storage opportunities heading into 2027

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

Episode #293

This Episode

Would you invest in an income fund created primarily to lend money back to its own sponsor? Chris Lopez, Adam Cranmer, Pascal Wagner, and Christy Burakovsky examine the conflicts, hidden risks, and missing checks and balances that LPs should consider before investing on both sides of the same operation.

The panel also shares real portfolio updates involving capital calls, securitization, debt funds, and multifamily distributions. Plus, they discuss whether monthly payouts should influence an investment decision, how much confidence audited financials should provide, and why several panelists continue converting retirement funds to Roth accounts.

Key takeaways:

• The risks of investing in a fund that lends to its own sponsor

• Why third-party lenders can provide valuable oversight

• How to distinguish a planned capital call from a troubled one

• Whether monthly distributions are worth prioritizing over quarterly payouts

• Why audited financials are only one piece of fund due diligence

• How the panel approaches Roth conversions and future tax uncertainty

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

This Episode

What if you could earn real estate-backed income without owning or operating the property? Shawn Muneio joins Chris Lopez to explain how investors can access private credit through performing second-lien mortgages and why today’s high-interest-rate environment has created new opportunities in this overlooked corner of the debt market.

Shawn breaks down how these loans are sourced, what protects investors when a borrower falls behind, and why equity coverage matters when investing from the second position. They also discuss Regulation A bonds, how they differ from traditional LP investments, and how nonperforming debt can offer an alternative way to source real estate.

Key takeaways:

• Why second-lien mortgages are becoming more common

• How equity coverage can protect junior-lien investors

• What happens when a borrower stops making payments

• How Regulation A bonds differ from traditional LP investments

• Why some investors prefer receiving a 1099 instead of a K-1

• How nonperforming debt can uncover off-market real estate opportunities

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its

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This Episode

Ryan Watts of Red River Development returns to PassivePockets for an LP Deal Review of the firm’s latest build-to-rent project: a 206-home community currently under construction in Waco, Texas. Ryan walks Chris, Christy Burakovsky, and Pascal Wagner through the project’s capital structure, construction progress, market thesis, and projected exit strategy and explains why Red River believes this point in the development cycle may offer a compelling setup for new BTR supply.

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Disclaimer:

The comments, views, opinions and any forecasts of future events, returns or results expressed in this episode reflect the opinions of the given host or participants (including the personal opinions of PassivePockets employees or contractors, as applicable), are subject to change without notice, do not reflect the views of PassivePockets or its affiliates, may not reflect actual investment results, are not guarantees of future events, returns or results and are not intended to provide financial planning, investment advice, legal advice or tax advice. The accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information discussed in this podcast, including any comments, views, opinions, forecasts, graphs, charts, ratings, reviews, videos, and other audio and/or visual aids cannot be guaranteed, are not reviewed by PassivePockets, are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be solely relied upon in making an investment decision. PassivePockets receives compensation from sponsors in exchange for profiling sponsors and/or their sponsored deals in this episode; however, such paid advertisements shall not be construed as an endorsement, testimonial, or recommendation by PassivePockets to invest in any sponsor, investment strategy or investment opportunity. Investing in real estate is inherently risky and suitable only for sophisticated and qualified investors. Prospective investors should consult with their own investment advisors, financial advisors, and tax advisors, as applicable, in connection with any decision to invest.

The information on this website, including any graphs, charts, ratings, reviews, videos, and other visual aids, is for informational purposes only, and is not an offering of or solicitation to purchase securities or otherwise make an investment. PassivePockets is not responsible for ensuring or verifying that sponsor and/or deal information and offering materials are compliant with applicable law, including but not limited to securities laws or investment advisory regulations. PassivePockets receives compensation from sponsors in exchange for profiling sponsors and/or their sponsored deals on this website; however, such profiles and the sponsor-provided content therein shall not be construed as, and are not, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations by PassivePockets. Any comments, views, opinions and any forecasts of future events, returns or results expressed in video content posted to this website, whether by PassivePockets, sponsors, or website users, reflect the opinions of the given author or speaker (including the personal opinions of PassivePockets employees or contractors, as applicable), are subject to change without notice, do not reflect the views of PassivePockets or its affiliates, may not reflect actual investment results, are not guarantees of future events, returns or results and are not intended to provide financial planning, investment advice, legal advice or tax advice. The accuracy, completeness or suitability of the (i) information and offering materials provided by a sponsor and (ii) the information discussed in video content posted to this website, including any comments, views, opinions, forecasts, graphs, charts, ratings, reviews, videos, and other visual aids, cannot be guaranteed, are not reviewed by PassivePockets, are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be solely relied upon in making an investment decision. No responsibility or liability is accepted or assumed by PassivePockets or any of its officers, agents or advisors as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of any such video content. Investing in real estate is inherently risky and suitable only for sophisticated and qualified investors. Prospective investors should consult with their own investment advisors, financial advisors, and tax advisors, as applicable, in connection with any decision to invest.

Sponsors may only offer securities through this website pursuant to Rule 506(c) under Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, and the sale of such securities will be strictly limited to those persons who are qualified as “accredited investors” as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933. Compliance with these requirements and other applicable securities laws is the sole responsibility of each sponsor, and not PassivePockets. 

This Episode

Kevin Amolsch returns to PassivePockets to take Chris behind the scenes of private lending and debt funds from how lenders actually make money to the underwriting decisions that determine whether investor capital stays protected when a deal goes sideways.

Kevin has been lending to real estate investors for nearly two decades through Pine Financial Group, and he walks through how the business evolved from brokering individual private loans into managing diversified debt funds. He explains why Pine prioritizes return of capital over maximizing return on capital, how its fund economics are structured, and why the company is willing to make underwriting more difficult for borrowers if it means creating a larger margin of safety for LPs.

Chris and Kevin dig into the actual credit box behind these loans: loan-to-ARV limits, borrower liquidity, personal guarantees, credit history, monthly payments, construction draws, and why Kevin will automatically pass on certain out-of-market borrowers. Kevin also explains why Pine is willing in some cases to finance nearly an entire project if the underlying economics and after-repair value create enough protection.

The conversation also gets into what happens when things go wrong. Kevin shares how Pine evaluates REOs, when taking a loss today may be smarter than holding a property for years, why liquidity mismatches can create problems even when the underlying assets are performing, and how the firm uses leverage conservatively rather than simply maximizing it to boost returns.

They also discuss fraud risk in private lending, the importance of title insurance and draw controls, and the operational safeguards Kevin believes investors should look for in a debt fund, including audited financials, third-party administration, and outside diligence. Finally, Kevin shares what he’s investing in personally outside of lending—including retail, industrial, and a troubled industrial development where he ultimately chose to buy one of the buildings rather than walk away from his original investment.

Key Takeaways

How private lending evolved from individual hard-money loans into diversified debt funds

Why Pine Financial prioritizes loan-to-ARV, borrower liquidity, guarantees, and monthly payments in its underwriting

How debt fund economics work—from preferred returns and management fees to origination income and leverage

Why Kevin views return of capital as more important than maximizing return on capital

How lenders decide whether to foreclose, hold an REO, take a loss, or redeploy capital

Why liquidity mismatches can create redemption problems even when a loan portfolio is still performing

How conservative versus aggressive fund leverage can materially change both returns and risk

The fraud controls Kevin uses around construction draws, title work, and lien priority

Why audited financials, third-party administration, and independent diligence matter when evaluating a debt fund

What Kevin is investing in personally today across retail and industrial real estate

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

Episode #289

This Episode

Pascal Wagner joins Chris Lopez for a deeper one-on-one conversation about his investing journey, portfolio strategy, and current approach to risk, cash flow, and diversification. Pascal shares how he started in real estate through house hacking and single-family rentals, later gained experience deploying capital at a venture capital fund, and eventually became the financial steward for his family after his father passed away.

Chris and Pascal unpack how that responsibility shaped Pascal’s investment philosophy: stabilize cash flow first, avoid catastrophic losses, and only take bigger swings once the portfolio can support long-term family needs. Pascal explains why he moved heavily into debt funds, how he thinks about laddering fixed-income investments for liquidity, and why he is now looking to gradually reduce some of that exposure as better equity opportunities emerge.

The conversation also gets into the tension many LPs face right now: wanting cash flow, wanting tax efficiency, needing diversification, and trying not to become “dumb money” in an unfamiliar asset class. Pascal shares the areas he’s watching most closely, including distressed/repositioning opportunities, office-to-medical-office conversions, hotel-to-multifamily conversions, single-family rentals, private credit, medical receivables, and other non-real-estate income strategies.

Chris and Pascal also debate how much conviction an investor should build before writing checks in a new asset class, why seeing enough deal flow matters, and why meeting with ten operators in the same strategy can teach you more than any checklist alone. For investors trying to deploy capital in a fragmented private market, this episode is a practical reminder that patience, process, and reps matter.

Key takeaways:

How Pascal went from house hacking to managing a multimillion-dollar family portfolio

Why cash flow became the first constraint in his portfolio strategy

How Pascal uses debt funds as a stabilizing layer while staying patient for better deals

Why diversification matters, but only after you understand the asset class well enough to avoid bad risks

How taxes, liquidity, and ordinary income influence portfolio rebalancing decisions

Why Pascal is watching repositioning strategies like office-to-medical-office and hotel-to-multifamily conversions

How investors can build conviction by studying more deals and talking to multiple operators before investing

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

Alicia Miller joins PassivePockets to break down Qualified Opportunity Zones, why they matter for real estate investors, and how they can fit into an active-to-passive transition strategy. Chris and Alicia start with the basics: what a QOZ is, how the original program worked, and why investors with capital gains from selling real estate, a business, or other appreciated assets may want to understand this structure before making their next move.

They walk through the key differences between QOZ investing and a 1031 exchange, including why QOZs only require investors to reinvest the capital gain, not the full sale proceeds, and why the money does not need to be held by a qualified intermediary. Alicia also explains the original QOZ timeline, the upcoming shift into QOZ 2.0, and how the new version creates a rolling five-year capital gains deferral with a 10% reduction, or 30% for qualifying rural investments.

Chris and Alicia also dig into a timely QOZ 1.0 strategy: using a valuation study on a development project that has broken ground but is not yet cash flowing. Alicia explains how this could potentially create an upfront capital gains deduction before the original program sunsets, why the timing matters, and how investors should think about the trade-offs between tax benefits, development risk, and long-term hold periods.

Key takeaways:

What Qualified Opportunity Zones are and why they were created

How QOZs can help landlords move from active ownership into passive investments

Why QOZs differ from 1031 exchanges in timelines, reinvestment rules, and flexibility

How QOZ 1.0 allowed investors to defer gains until the end of 2026 and potentially receive deductions based on hold period

What changes under QOZ 2.0, including rolling five-year deferrals and new zone designations

Why the 10-year hold remains the major long-term tax benefit for QOZ investors

How valuation studies may create a unique window for certain QOZ 1.0 development investments

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

This Episode

Chris breaks down one of the biggest questions active real estate investors face as their portfolios mature: should you keep, refinance, or sell your rental properties?

Drawing from his own shift from active landlord to passive investor, Chris explains why many investors get stuck evaluating properties based on their original investment instead of their current equity. A rental that looks like an “infinite return” on paper may actually be producing weak cash flow on equity or underperforming compared to simpler, more passive alternatives.

The episode walks through a practical framework for re-underwriting each asset in your portfolio every year. Chris explains how to evaluate whether a property still aligns with your cash flow goals, lifestyle goals, and “do not want” list, especially if you are trying to reduce management headaches, increase income, or transition into more passive investments.

Chris also compares several real-world paths: keeping and optimizing a rental, doing a cash-out refinance and reinvesting the proceeds, selling and paying taxes, using a traditional 1031 exchange, or using a “lazy 1031” strategy where depreciation from a new investment may help offset taxes. The goal is not to prescribe one right answer, but to challenge the assumption that holding forever or avoiding taxes at all costs is always the best move.

Key takeaways:

Why original cash-on-cash return can be misleading once a property has built significant equity

How to calculate cash flow on equity and return on equity

Why your portfolio decisions should start with cash flow and lifestyle goals

How to use the keep, refi, or sell framework for each rental property

When a cash-out refinance can increase cash flow without selling the asset

Why paying taxes may still make sense if the remaining capital can be redeployed into better-performing investments

How “lazy 1031” strategies, depreciation, DSTs, 721 exchanges, and other tools can help active investors transition toward passive ownership

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

In this PassivePockets community roundtable, Chris Lopez sits down with Adam Cranmer, Pascal Wagner, and Christy Burakovsky to talk through real portfolio moves, new investments, and the questions LPs should be asking before and after they write a check.

The conversation starts with portfolio updates: Adam shares why he invested in Alturas’ retail-focused fund through an SPV, passed on a strong sponsor because the deal was outside their core market, and received capital back from a debt fund that no longer fit the team’s risk/reward standards. Pascal walks through how he’s helping manage his mom’s portfolio by diversifying across multiple credit and lending funds, while also keeping dry powder available for single-family foreclosure opportunities. Christy shares why she’s still looking at single-family for tax planning purposes and why she recently invested in a non-performing loan fund after getting comfortable with the math, risk profile, and strategy.

Then the group digs into a nuanced but important LP topic: return of capital vs. return on capital. Christy breaks down how distributions can either reduce your invested basis or represent earnings on top of your original investment, and why that difference can impact taxes, pref calculations, redemption mechanics, and long-term portfolio tracking. The panel debates whether return of capital truly de-risks an investment, how compounding can quietly increase exposure to a single deal or operator, and why LPs need to understand how these mechanics are written into the legal documents.

Finally, the roundtable turns to sponsor questions and due diligence etiquette. Adam shares a recent example of an operator who stopped accepting capital from PassivePockets members because the volume of questions became too time-consuming. The group debates where the line is between reasonable diligence and overwhelming a sponsor, why LPs should not be afraid to ask thoughtful questions, and how operators can reduce friction with better data rooms, clear reporting, and transparent communication. The takeaway: ask the questions, understand what you’re asking, and remember that good diligence continues after the wire is sent.

Key takeaways:

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.

This Episode

Ryan and Steven Watts of Red River Development join Chris to break down the build-to-rent market, why Red River focuses on secondary markets, and how recent housing legislation could reshape the future of single-family rental investing.

Ryan and Steven share how their backgrounds in energy, banking, construction, development, and property management led them to launch Red River in 2020, right as COVID was reshaping housing demand and capital markets. Since then, the company has grown to more than 2,200 units and roughly $690 million in assets under management, with a focus on purpose-built rental communities designed for renters who want more space, privacy, and flexibility than traditional apartments can offer.

The conversation also digs into the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and why early Senate language could have been highly disruptive to the build-to-rent industry. Steven explains why the final version was ultimately positive for BTR, how it preserved the distinction between scattered-site single-family rental aggregation and purpose-built rental communities, and why institutional capital may increasingly shift toward BTR as a result.

Chris, Ryan, and Steven also get tactical on Red River’s current Waco, Texas project: a 206-home Trulo Homes community on 20 acres near major retail, entertainment, downtown Waco, and Baylor University. They walk through the capital stack, construction debt, personal guarantees, commercial construction approach, phasing strategy, and how Red River de-risks development by lining up permits, contractors, GMP pricing, and leasing phases before and during construction.

Key takeaways:

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Disclaimer

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk, so use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This podcast may contain paid advertisements or other promotional materials for real estate investment advisers, investment funds, and investment opportunities, which should not be interpreted as a recommendation, endorsement, or testimonial by PassivePockets, LLC or any of its affiliates. Viewers must conduct their own due diligence and consider their own financial situations before engaging with any advertised offerings, products, or services. PassivePockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential, or other damages arising out of reliance on information and advertisements presented in this podcast.