SUCI Podcast Co-Host Tom Shallcross is today's special guest and breaks down a fraud story on a West Town property that he purchased!

Tom dives deep into a recent purchase in West Town that involved ownership fraud when transferring title. He explains how the fraud was detected and how he navigated the process to reach a resolution. Throughout this show, Tom emphasizes the importance of being due diligence and having adequate insurance and documentation in place to protect yourself as best as possible!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Tom Shallcross, Co-host of Straight Up Chicago Investor

Link: SUCI Ep 420 - Tom Shallcross

Guest Questions:

01:38 Housing Provider Tip - Ensure drains are clear of debris or blockage to prevent issues during heavy rainfalls!

02:33 Intro to our guest, Tom Shallcross!

03:25 Intro to Tom's Fraud Property Story!

29:18 The process of clearing up title issues.

42:20 The stress associated with a fraud deal.

47:21 Managing partnerships when issues arise.

48:53 Chicago Fact!

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

More Tenant Protections... Less Housing? Breaking Down Chicago's New RLTO

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Guest: Mike Glasser, NBOA

Link: Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 5-12 regarding Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

Link: Oppose Mayor Johnson's Proposed Ordinance

Email the Show: [email protected]

Link: Build Your Team | Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Ignacio Gonzalez returns to discuss his Back of the Yards Coffee Shop development and his campaign for Chicago School Board! Ignacio jumps right in by sharing rent growth and property appreciation trends in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. He explains the struggles and lessons learned in completing the development of Dream Catcher Cafe. Ignacio talks about the impact of ICE raids in the neighborhood and the importance of contributing to community development and unity. He closes by explaining his motivation behind running for the Chicago Board of Education and shares how he would continue to positively impact the community if elected!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Ignacio Gonzalez of Chicago Board of Education

Link: Dream Catcher Cafe

Link: Beyond Legacy Homes

Link: The Confessions of St. Augustine (Book Recommendation)

Link: NAHREP Website

Guest Questions:

01:34 Housing Provider Tip - Regularly check in with tenants to build rapport and promote communication.

02:32 Intro to our guest, Ignacio Gonzalez!

06:00 Rent growth and appreciation in Back of the Yards.

11:18 Navigating city inspections on a coffee shop development.

18:11 Lessons learned from Ignacio's coffee shop build out.

21:26 The impact of ICE raids in Back of the Yards.

24:36 Ignacio's campaign for the Chicago School Board.

40:51 What is your competitive advantage?

41:27 One piece of advice for new investors.

41:50 What do you do for fun?

42:35 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

43:07 Local Network Recommendation?

44:14 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Matt Katsaros of Wildwood Investments returns to break down ground-up development projects that he's taking down in Chicago!

Matt jumps right in by explaining how his experience in commercial real estate brokerage and acquisitions led him to starting and scaling his development business. He dives deep into a Lincoln Park development deal and shares insights on raising capital, finding deals, and construction to successfully complete a development deal! Matt dives into the nuances of adaptive reuse projects and the process of securing tax increment financing (TIF) funds. Matt closes with tremendous tips on apartment layouts and characteristics that help maximize rents!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Matt Katsaros of Wildwood Investments

Link: Matt's LinkedIn

Link: SUCI Ep 109 (Matt's First Appearance on SUCI)

Link: Real Estate For Breakfast Podcast

Link: Spittin Chiclets Podcast

Guest Questions:

02:00 Housing Provider Tip - Document apartment conditions prior to tenant move-ins.

04:25 Intro to our guest, Matt Katsaros!

10:37 Dissecting Matt's Lincoln Park development deal!

18:32 Tips for raising capital.

28:28 Breaking down an office-to-residential adaptive reuse deal.

37:58 The process to secure TIF funds.

44:18 Earning steady income between the disposition of developments.

46:13 Matt's outlook on his business and on Chicago.

50:27 Apartment characteristics that maximize rents!

62:33 What is your competitive advantage?

62:47 One piece of advice for new investors.

63:05 What do you do for fun?

63:35 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

64:03 Local Network Recommendation?

64:26 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Mark and Tom discuss the current fundamentals of the Chicago market with statistics provided by Jason Wagner.

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Guest: Tom & Mark, Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast

Link: Jason Wagner's Market Reports

Email the Show: [email protected]

Link: Build Your Team | Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

John Preston of Horvath & Tremblay joins us to discuss opportunities in multifamily and mixed-use assets on Chicago's North Side!

John begins by discussing what it takes to build a successful brokerage business including early struggles before hitting his stride! He breaks down his process for reaching out to and converting seller leads and also explains the work brokers do that leads to a successful transaction. In typical SUCI fashion, John gets hyper-specific on neighborhoods that have seen great rent growth and areas where he sees investors putting their money! He closes with a bullish outlook on Chicago and emphasizes the importance of building market knowledge and networking to be successful in the game!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: John Preston, Horvath & Tremblay | Email John: [email protected] | Connect with John on LinkedIn

Link: NBOA Chicago

Guest Questions:

02:45 Housing Provider Tip - Understand catch basins and have a maintenance plan.

04:35 Intro to our guest, John Preston!

06:47 Getting off the ground as a real estate broker focusing on multi-family assets.

16:17 Troubling deals early on in John's career.

22:18 The work behind a successful listing.

29:30 Effectively following up with and converting leads!

31:27 How buyers can find opportunities in today's market.

34:57 John breaks down north side neighborhoods!

45:00 John's pick for a neighborhood with major upside!

50:17 John's bullish outlook on Chicago.

51:15 What is your competitive advantage?

52:15 One piece of advice for new investors.

53:04 What do you do for fun?

53:34 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

54:23 Local Network Recommendation?

55:11 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Tom and Mark interview some of Chicago's Brightest Real Estate Stars during a Renovo Networking Event featuring an interview of Thad Wong! Discussions range from areas investors are targeting in Chicago, breaking down the MRED and Zillow lawsuits, and lessons learned on luxury developments and operating apartment buildings. This show is full of wisdom from some of the best minds in Chicago Real Estate so have your notepad ready!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guests: Some of Chicago's Brightest Real Estate Stars during a Renovo Networking Event--including an interview with Thad Wong

Link: Thad Wong

Link: SUCI Ep 381 - Kevin Werner

Link: SUCI Ep 255 - Eric Workman

Link: SUCI Ep 368 - Joe Smazal and Ann Keilly Link: SUCI Ep 326 - RJ de Leon Link: Flora Blahnik Team

Guest Questions:

03:17 Investing in Elgin with Mark Fostrom.

09:12 Renovo's formula to success with Kevin Werner!

17:18 Daniel Rosen discusses the evolution of Renovo.

26:23 Scaling a podcast and multi-family with Joe Smazal.

40:03 State of RE Brokerage with Luke Blahnik and Anthony Flora.

49:40 Luxury developments with RJ de Leon.

58:26 Renovation market in NW Indiana with Daniela Rodriguez.

66:22 Workman Lending Team's outlook on Chicago and business growth!

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

What steps should I take to best prepare for my 2026 tax returns?

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Guest: Aaron Zimmerman, Brick House CPAs Link: SUCI Episode 52

Email the Show: [email protected]

Link: Build Your Team | Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

-----------------

Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Asher Motew and Quinn Keenan of Essex Capital Markets break down keys to their early career success in the Chicago Commercial Lending Market!

Asher and Keenan start by explaining their background coming from real estate families and how they've been able to pave their own path in commercial lending. They share their service offerings including creative solutions they bring that traditional lenders may not have. The duo talks about some successful deals and how those were put together while also explaining why their partnership has worked so well. They get tactical on underwriting expenses and NOI on deals to achieve desired lending outcomes. Through the show, Asher and Quinn showcase that being hungry and grinding has been the key to tremendous growth early on in their careers.

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guests: Asher Motew and Quinn Keenan, Essex Capital Markets

Link: Essex Capital Market's Instagram (@EssexCapitalMarkets)

Link: Matt Feo (Essex Realty Group)

Link: Asher Motew's Instagram (@AMo2.Cre)

Link: Asher Motew's LinkedIn Link: Quinn Keenan's LinkedIn

Guest Questions:

02:59 Housing Provider Tip - Understand and leverage cost segregation studies.

04:44 Intro to our guests, Asher Motew and Quinn Keenan!

13:20 Jumping into commercial mortgage brokerage.

21:20 The value offered by commercial debt brokers.

31:04 Breaking down a successful deal!

39:56 Asher and Quinn's complimentary partnership!

46:09 Biggest financing hurdles on deals!

50:54 Essex Capital Markets' role in the lending process.

61:10 Tactical tips on underwriting expenses and income.

66:36 What's next for Asher and Quinn.

69:18 What is your competitive advantage?

69:35 One piece of advice for new investors.

69:43 What do you do for fun?

69:52 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

70:04 Local Network Recommendation?

71:27 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Jason Wagner, Managing Broker of Greystone Realty, returns to discuss the state of the Chicago Real Estate market and the power of buy and hold investments.

Jason starts by discussing buyer expectations and demand in today's market. He dives into the data behind Chicago property value appreciation and rent growth across different neighborhoods! Jason shares client success stories involving house hacks, using leverage responsibly, and adding value to create meaningful equity gains. He closes with top advice for new investors and an extremely bullish outlook on select neighborhoods and Chicago as a whole!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: [email protected]

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: [email protected]

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Jason Wagner, Greystone Realty

Link: Jason's Instagram

Link: SUCI Ep 402 - Jason Wagner

Link: Wagner Report

Link: Wonderful Togbey (Network Referral)

Link: The 10X Rule (Book Recommendation)

Guest Questions:

01:07 Housing Provider Tip - Understand and adhere to flood disclosure requirements on leases.

03:03 Intro to our guest, Jason Wagner!

09:31 Buyer demand in today's market.

15:28 Property appreciation and lack of inventory.

22:10 Chicago neighborhoods that Jason is bullish on!

33:42 The power of rent growth and appreciation.

36:43 The latest on the Wagner Report.

47:26 Top lessons learned as a young investor!

50:35 Top Chicagoland neighborhoods and areas with upside!

53:42 Jason's bullish outlook on Chicago real estate.

55:09 What is your competitive advantage?

55:34 One piece of advice for new investors.

56:05 What do you do for fun?

58:38 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

59:00 Local Network Recommendation?

60:38 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.