Small Axe Podcast: Multifamily Real Estate | Buy Buildings, Build Empires

Today, I discuss an important matter worthy of conversation.

This time eventually comes for investors. If you want to have an active role in your multifamily team, prepare yourself for this because eventually, this reality just comes by and punches you in the face.

Thank you for tuning again for today’s show! Let’s get into it.

[00:01 – 01:57] Opening Segment

• It’s been a while since I last had a solo show!
• • Let me share you my stories every once in a while, from now on
• Today: Let’s get down to what happened at a deal I lost
  
  

[01:58 – 13:28] What happened with that deal

• The things we liked and the things we didn’t like
• • A good steal of an offer in Florida
• Taking matters into our own hands
• • Doing the due diligence through inspections
  • What we discovered through inspections
• Why we do what we do
  
  

[13:29 – 17:04] The response to the matter at hand

• A tight budget can’t make solutions possible
• Making the final attempts
• things might end up happening again in the future
• • An unwillingness to negotiate
  • Renovations are a must
    
    

[17:05 – 21:51] Closing Segment

• This happens more often than you know
• • Months of work were thrown to waste
• Wanna get punched in the face? JUST DO IT!
• Final words

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Tweetable Quotes:

“It was definitely a strange situation, but these are things that we could come across as operators looking to enhance value add deals. We look for these Mom and Pop deals that are kind of not as efficient as they can be and we go there and we increase, enhance efficiency, raise rents, to where they should be, providing really nice housing for people.” - Nico Salgado

“I cannot tell you how many properties this happens on. This is commonplace if you are looking to be a general partner or you’re looking to manage deals, if you’re looking to be an active operating member of a multifamily team.” - Nico Salgado

“This is part of it. Months of our time, $6,000, a ridiculous amount of hours put into these meetings and effort and energy, on top of all of our full time jobs. We were pulling strings just to make this work months of our time and now all of a sudden, it falls through. - Nico Salgado

“You need to love it because you’re going to get the shit kicked out of you a lot, and this is just part of it.” - Nico Salgado

Are you stuck in the Matrix? Many of us are silently asking ourselves, is there more to life?

Jerome Myers (a/k/a "J") is a developer of people and places. He is the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of two ventures. DreamCatchers is a boutique coaching firm that supports first and second-generation wealth creators to self actualize and attain transcendence, and The Myers Development Group, where we help ordinary people invest in multifamily real estate in a way that creates generational wealth.

Through these entities he gets to live out his childhood dreams of helping people manifest the things they imagine and he is the evidence that dreams should be real. Since leaving corporate America after building a 20MM division, J has become one of the most sought-after thought leaders in the multifamily development space. His company, The Myers Development Group, built a multi-million-dollar portfolio following the principles of Myers Methods.

This success has led to him being featured on top podcasts such as Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever with Joe Fairless, Apartment Investing with Michael Blank, Multifamily Investor Nation with Dan Hanford, Target Market Insights with John Casmon, and many more. Although he's often told that he makes investing look easy, the people closest to him know the road wasn't without challenges. So, he created Myers Methods, a real estate education company, to dispel many of the myths related to the industry and educate investors on his 4-step process to owning and operating apartments.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 11:14] Opening Segment

• A successful corporate America drop-out
• Jerome’s funny first deal story
• • A rehab-er with no W2
• Coaching others to do their escape plan

[11:15 – 19:50] Exiting the Corporate World

• 2 ways to do the transition
• Emotional adjustments as you exit 
• How Dreamcatchers helps out people
• • How the system works
  • Mitigating self-destructive habits
• Mentoring does not need to be abrupt
• • Wait for them to be ready!

[19:51 – 28:17] Understanding the grave reality

• A problem with the system
• • A burden hard to understand
• Be careful with sketchy teachers
• Remember: You “marry” with your partners

[28:18 – 32:10] Closing Segment

• Jerome’s book title: Take the Red Pill!
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“What I never wanted to be in was a situation or someone I’m helping to exit corporate America is under the feeling that you have to buy a deal, only because they think that is the way to bring food on the table.” - Jerome Myers

“Let that sink in: we are addicted to paychecks.” - Jerome Myers

“We want to reduce stress so that you don’t get to the place where you once settled.” - Jerome Myers

“Many people don't understand the burden associated with navigating deals .” - Jerome Myers

Connect with Jerome: 

Shoot him an email at [email protected] and follow him on LinkedIn

Check out Jerome’s website https://www.jeromemyers.co/

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

“Podcasting is better than radio, change my mind!”

An entrepreneur at heart, Kevin is always on the search for the next big innovation that can help solve problems and make life easier for everyone. Kevin left his corporate sales job in 2021 to help podcasters get their shows out to their audience on a consistent basis.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 11:43] Opening Segment 

• Kevin is a creative, inventive person
• • Screw the Side Hustle 
  • There was a hassle with production
• Teaming up with others to solve production problems
• • Same mission, drive, and focus
• Why podcasts? 
• • On the downtrend and uptrend of radio and podcasts
  • Podcast is very powerful

[11:44 – 23:00] Multifamily Real Estate Podcasts are essential

• Conversion rates are higher because of podcasts
• • Partnerships become more effective
• How to get started 
• • Kevin gives some podcast statistics
  • Take note of the free resources mentioned by Kevin
• Get coached by a podcast expert

[23:01 – 29:05] Knocking down the limiting beliefs

• Having guests on each podcast episode is an opportunity to learn
• More content, more success
• • Consistency is important
• Can I really do this?
• • JUST DO IT!
  • Get over what you need to get over
• You do have a message to share
• • Somebody is waiting for you to speak

[29:06 – 36:45] Growing your podcast

• Be a guest on someone else’s podcast
• Promotions are your holy grail
• Reuse and repurpose 
• On monetization

[36:46 – 40:04] Closing Segment

• Kevin’s book title: “The Man Behind the Message”
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“How do we let podcasters focus on what they do best, which is creating content?” - Kevin Mills

“Podcasts have been around for quite a while, but they really took off in the past 3 years.. Let’s be honest: at the end of the day, podcasting is far superior with radio.’” - Kevin Mills

“There are lots of tools out there that you can utilize [for your podcast.]” - Kevin Mills

“Business owners value their time, and they value maximizing their time. Podcasts can be one of the best ways to maximize your time.” - Kevin Mills

Connect with Kevin: 

Shoot him an email at [email protected] 

Follow him at LinkedIn

Get ahold of Streamlined Podcasts production services, and read awesome tips and techniques you can use for your podcasts through the blog.

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Ever heard someone geek about something? Today’s guest is the Mad Scientist of Multifamily Real Estate, Neal Bawa.

Neal Bawa is a technologist who is universally known in real estate circles as the Mad Scientist of Multifamily. Besides being one of the most in-demand speakers in commercial real estate, Neal is a data guru, a process freak, and an outsourcing expert. Neal treats his $508 million-dollar portfolio as an ongoing experiment in efficiency and optimization. The Mad Scientist lives by two mantras. His first mantra is that We can only manage what we can measure. His second mantra is that Data beats gut feel by a million miles. These mantras and a dozen other disruptive beliefs drive profit for his 440+ investors.

Neal serves as the CEO / Founder at Grocapitus, an iconic, data-driven commercial real estate investment company. Grocapitus’ 28 person team acquires and builds multifamily & commercial properties across the U.S. With more than 440 active investors and over 2,000 reviewing our projects, the Grocapitus portfolio currently spans across 10 states with 22 projects (1 sold) and 3,300 units/beds. The powerful Grocapitus brand has a cult-like following of data-driven investors. The result - Completed equity raises of $146 million* for Multifamily, Mixed-Use, and Industrial acquisitions in the last 18 months, over 3,000 units purchased. Grocapitus is on track to close another 1,500 units in the next 12 months.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 06:20] Opening Segment 

• Neal Bawa shares more about his work these days
• A blockchain Real Estate introduction
• • The immutable, untouchable bitcoin idea

[06:21 – 14:39] Deeper into the Tokenization of real estate

• A backend infrastructure
• • Attempts to make Real Estate liquid
• The backend called blockchain
• • Ethereum is a smart contrast
• The dawn of tokenizing assets
• The timing now is critical
• What Real Estate tokens can and can’t do

[14:40 – 25:23] Convergence of technology and real estate transformation

• How do we easily get investors into this conversation
• • Everything is going to be different from now on
• What are we tokenizing?
• This stuff REALLY works for Real Estate
• The process for investors and syndicators getting to blockchain
• • It might be a disadvantage in a few years
• More and more people are getting on it

[25:24 – 29:34] Closing Segment

• Instant gratification is powerful
• • The high cost involved
• You Live and Die by the Numbers 
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“Stocks are liquid, and real estate is not.” - Neal Bawa

“The word ‘decentralize’ is very key to bitcoin.” - Neal Bawa

“More and more people realized that blockchain is superior.” - Neal Bawa

Feel free to connect with Neal through:

https://grocapitus.com/neal-bawa/

https://multifamilyu.com/about/

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Denis began investing in real estate in 2012, when the market was just beginning to recover from the GFC (Global Financial Crisis). He built a cash flowing portfolio including many alternative assets, such as Note and ATM funds, mobile home parks, life insurance policies, tech start-ups, Industrial property, short term rentals, and more. He co-founded an investment club for accredited investors in 2019. Following the success of his investor club he launched SIH Capital Group. SIHCG provides accredited investors with a simplified strategy to invest for passive income.

Denis has observed key changes in the alternative asset market in the decade of recovery from the GFC. The JOBS Act of 2012 opened many alternative assets up to everyday investors, but clear expertise and guidance is still hard to find nearly a decade later.

This observation compelled Denis to write The Alternative Investment Almanac: Expert Insights on Building Personal Wealth in Non-Traditional Ways in 2021. His book is based on his own experience becoming a successful alternative asset investor and interviews with some of the best alternative asset investors in business today.

If you see Denis’ work relevant to you, feel free to connect with him through the links below.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 11:30] Opening Segment 

• Welcome back to another awesome episode!
• I introduce our guest, Denis Shapiro
• Connect with Denis through the links below
• Denis shares how he got into the Real Estate space
• What Denis really enjoyed about investing
• Please don’t skip becoming an LP!

[11:31 – 30:40] Alternative Housing is a Sustainable Key to Investment

• Denis’ Private Investment Club
• • Leaning on each other’s investment expertise
• The reason why SIH loves affordable housing
• Property Managers are essential
• Project-Based vouchers are best ways to fill vacancy
• When is eviction considered?
• On Tax Abatements Denis and team walks into
• SIH’s Income Fund and other investments

[30:41 – 35:51] Closing Segment

• “Yesterday Doesn't Exist, Tomorrow Never Comes, Today is Today.”
• • Denis’ grandfather’s story and his will to live
  • Connect with Denis through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“I do get excited about Alternative Investments in general, but mainly Commercial Real Estate. I love the fact that each property is its own unique business plan.” - Denis Shapiro

“It will be nice to have exposure in my own personal portfolio, but being able to take advantage of that collective knowledge.” - Denis Shapiro

“You need a Property Manager that can easily see what the vouchers look like, when and what to do with it.” - Denis Shapiro

Shoot Denis a message through email  and follow his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisshapiro/

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

John Geldert is the Founder and managing partner of GMG Investment Properties.  Prior to going full time into real estate investing he was involved in the construction industry for over 22 years. He started buying single-family homes in 2003 and is now focused on value-add multi-family.  John currently owns 85 doors and is an LP in another 460 units and has been successful in executing over $15 million in Real Estate transactions in his personal portfolio.  John’s passion for Real Estate has existed since he was a young boy. His perseverance and dedication to succeed along with always providing excellent services to the community have made him a successful business owner. Along with being a Real Estate Investor he is the proud father of two girls and owner/operator of GMG Inspections, a licensed Home Inspection company established in 2013.

If you see John’s work relevant to you, feel free to connect with him through the links below.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 07:04] Opening Segment 

• Welcome back to another amazing episode!
• I introduce our guest, John T. Geldert
• Connect with John through the links below
• John introduces himself to us and how he got into Real Estate
• All about assets not liabilities, and delayed gratification
• Rich dad, poor dad is a mindset book

[07:05 – 21:46] Living by example, and truly doing it

• John’s Pennsylvania market projects
• Executing the BRRR strategy in 2015
• Leveraging your retirement savings
• Why is Pennsylvania a good market
• AirBnB considerations
• Loving passivity and freedom 
• John’s partnerships and employees
• What does John see on 2022 and in the 5 years to come
• Build your network and net worth
• What’s up with Mobile Home Parks?

[21:47 – 24:50] Closing Segment

• John wants to be honored through the book: “Get in after it”
• Connect with John through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“I didn’t waste money. I just saved money because I knew that I don’t wanna work past my 40’s, right? That was my goal.” - John T. Geldert

“At the end of the day, there’s so many ways to get paid from Real Estate.” - John T. Geldert

“95 is the new 75.” - John T. Geldert

Give John a call through 516 359 0539

Connect with John through Facebook, Instagram, and email him at [email protected]

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

In search of portfolio diversification, Ryan started investing in real estate in 2017 and soon discovered he had stumbled upon a journey of growth through entrepreneurship that would last a lifetime. His experiences include land transactions, fix and flip projects, and small multifamily development.

He is the founder of Stream Stack Investments, a private equity firm focused on acquiring and revitalizing cash-flowing commercial real estate assets in growing markets. He is invested in 228 units as a limited partner and manages a personal rental portfolio.  

In addition to educating fellow healthcare professionals about the power of real estate, his passions include spending time with his wife and son and lifting weights. He holds an M.S. in Anesthesiology from Baylor College of Medicine and is a mentee of the Jake and Gino Multifamily Academy. He is a practicing Nurse Anesthetist in Houston, TX.

Let’s dive in!

[00:01 – 10:39] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest, Ryan Johnson
• Connect with Ryan through the links below
• I introduce our guest to the show
• Ryan shares about his first deals and mentorship experience
• The desire to build a business for yourself
• Why does Ryan love syndications
  
  

[10:40 – 27:00] The Limited Partner Life

• How long did it take before Ryan got into his syndication deal
• Finding his niche in 6 months
• Cultivating an LP list as fast as possible
• Ryan’s many roles in a team
• How often are asset management calls
• An end to a rehabilitation process
• What are distributions like
• Ryan’s 2022 in a nutshell
• Tactics to reaching out to people

[27:01 – 30:06] Closing Segment

• “You Decide Who You Are”
• Connect with Ryan through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“You need to find your investor avatar.” - Ryan Johnson, CRNA

"What can I bring to an established investor that already has a track record?.” - Ryan Johnson, CRNA

“The only person that gets to decide who you are is you.” - Ryan Johnson, CRNA

Connect with Ryan through LinkedIn, Facebook, and shoot him a message at [email protected]

Don’t forget to go to Ryan’s website: www.streamstackinvest.com

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Welcome to today’s show! Today’s amazing guest is Clay Helper.

Clay Hepler is a fiancé, multifamily investor, educator, and cash flow specialist. He is the creator and the host of the popular business and investing podcast, Creative Capitalist.

Clay is also the Chief Wealth Strategist of Creative Capitalist, a wealth creation firm helping clients in 50 states implement wealth creation strategies to empower them to create, protect and multiply their cash flow. His goal is to help 10,000 entrepreneurs and real estate investors in their plan in reaching financial independence by December 25th, 2024 so that they can live their legacy today on their terms.

Clay challenges existing belief systems and misinformation around concepts such as money, saving, investing, wealth and retirement. He helped my family's business go from 2 states to 42 in 18 months and set the foundation to have a partnership with Geoffrey Zakarian, the Iron Chef from Chopped the TV Show and owner of many successful restaurants across America.

He is the Director of Acquisitions for a wholesaling and flipping company that did over 50 deals in its first year. He has purchased 13 multifamily units in a little over 13 months.

Most importantly, he’s the Chief Wealth Strategist and CEO of the Creative Capitalist and podcast host. He empowers entrepreneurs, executives and real estate to create, protect and multiply their cash flow. This system positions their money in savings to earn uninterrupted compound interest while they can simultaneously put it into assets that multiply it. In other words, they can make their money work in two places to accelerate their path to financial freedom and abundance.

[00:01 – 17:35] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest, Clay Hepler
• Connect with Clay through the links below
• How Clay got to where he is today
• A process of change and looking to do more
• Changing the narrative

[17:36 – 35:57] Clay shares his experience and knowledge

• 13 Units in 13 Months
• The glory of infinite banking
• Selling insurance plans
• Being your own bank is beneficial!
• Setting up your own policy
• Winning the game through speed

[35:58 – 40:59] Closing Segment

• Clay’s book title: “The Giver”
• Connect with Clay through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“I never was interested in business, I was like, “I just wanna be in policy, I just wanna be a political theorist” like all these super non-applicable to real life sort of pursuits.” - Clay Hepler

"He [Clay’s mentor] taught me what rich people did differently.” - Clay Hepler

"I didn’t want the life that I had growing up.” - Clay Hepler

"Whatever your investor DNA is, follow that.” - Clay Hepler

Find out more and connect with Clay through his podcast and email him at [email protected]

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Welcome back to the show! Today’s guest is my dear friend Travis who has been one of our first guests in the show. I am glad to have him the second time around.

Here’s some interesting about Travis:

Travis is an experienced real estate investor and managing partner of Freeman Equity with over $40M in assets under management. He has 25 years of experience in real estate investing in several markets across the United States in both the residential and commercial spaces. He focuses on cash-flowing properties to create significant passive income for investors. He is a Software engineer by trade and has spent over 25 years in IT management positions for several Fortune 500 firms including Apple. He applies that experience when identifying investment opportunities and markets.

Travis comes from blue-collar roots in Saginaw, Michigan. After the General Motors plant that employed his parents were shut down in the mid-seventies the family was forced to migrate to Sacramento, California in pursuit of the American dream. His parents worked diligently to purchase their first single-family home and ultimately a portfolio of over 30 homes in the area. It is during this time that he learned the work ethic for finding the best deals and the power of investing in cash-flowing real estate. He currently resides in Elverta, California with his wife of over twenty years, three children, and one grandchild.

Travis has presented at companies like One Finance, ECMC, & Apple where he teaches employees how to generate passive income while minimizing their tax liabilities in order to achieve their financial goals. Let’s dive a little deeper and learn more from Travis!

[00:01 – 07:05] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest, Travis Gibson
• Connect with Travis through the links below
• Travis shares about his previous and current deals
• Important lessons

[07:06 – 30:49] Mr. Take Profits

• The rumors of interest rates going up
• What to do when you look at data
• Having to see a deal for yourself
• Travis tells the investors everything he knows about
• On walking away from deals
• • Take care of the investors!
• Travis’ Houston deals
• Projecting and closing deals
• Bad things about generational wealth
• How to be aggressive with deals
• Travis talks about his other investments
• The equity machine
• Make capital in safer assets
• Checkout the calculator and ebook Travis made!

[30:50 – 36:08] Closing Segment

• Travis shares his plans for 2022
• Connect with Travis through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“2021 is a very interesting year for me.” - Travis Gibson

"You do not want that bank account to be low when something happens and you need capital.” - Travis Gibson

"Thanksgiving is difficult if you lose your uncle’s, your grandparents, or your parent’s money.” - Travis Gibson

Find out more and connect with Travis through email [email protected]

You can also follow his Facebook, LinkedIn, and his website https://freemanequity.com/

Travis isn’t also hard to find on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, just look for @freemanequity

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.

Larry D. West III is a managing partner of Precision Business Strategies where he leverages 8+ years of experience in the public accounting sector to help business owners maximize profits, minimize taxes, and build personal wealth. His specialized knowledge comes from his niched experience working as a tax and business strategist across different industries and platforms. 

He strongly believes that the foundational understanding of entity structure, financial metrics, and tax strategy are critical to any organization's success. Together with the Precision Business Strategies team, Larry focuses on providing advanced creative strategies.

[00:01 – 09:08] Opening Segment 

• I introduce our guest, Larry D. West III
• Connect with Larry through the links below
• Larry shares how he got into the space
• Meet with your tax and financial strategists
• Dynamic, on-going, strategic planning

[09:09 – 36:50] Larry sheds light on these matters

• What is Passive Income?
• Reinvesting Capitals for future deals
• What is the best strategy for reinvesting?
• The Alternatives
• What is Deferred Sales Trust?
• The thing called depreciation reduction
• Tax Calculations and Capital Gains
• Should I have an entity formed as an Active Investor?
• LLC matters
• Inheritance for children

[36:51 - 40:34] Closing Segment

• Connect with Larry through the links below
• Final words

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don’t leave; continue to reinvest and grow that portfolio.” - Larry D. West III

"If you look at Real Estate, that’s Passive Income because that’s tax efficient.” - Larry D. West III

Find out more and connect with Larry through email [email protected]

You can also connect with him through his LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and his website https://www.pb-strategies.com/

LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode.

I believe that you only need a small axe to build a lasting empire. Let’s start building yours!

To know more about me and all the real estate opportunities you can find, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook or check out my website https://smallaxecommunities.com/ and book a call with me.