The Lo-Down

Most people assume entrepreneurship means starting from scratch. Alex Kang took a different path — and built a three-business portfolio doing it.

After 15 years in consulting and tech, Alex left his corporate career to buy a hotel in California, open an Alloy Personal Training franchise in Los Angeles, and acquire Priority Doors and Windows, a 45-year-old distribution business in San Diego. In this conversation, he makes the case for buying a business or franchise instead of building one from zero.

Lorenzo and Alex cover the cash flow problem most people don't see coming when they leave corporate, how SBA financing actually works, the real cost and timeline of opening a franchise, how to evaluate a small business before buying, and how Alex manages three businesses without losing his mind.

A practical, honest conversation for anyone thinking about leaving corporate to own something of their own.

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Connect with Alex Kang

https://www.instagram.com/s.alex.kang/

Priority Doors and Windows

https://www.prioritydoorwindow.com/

Alloy Personal Training

https://alloypersonaltraining.com/

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Connect with Lorenzo Mercado:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

In this episode of The Lo-Down Podcast, I sit down with David Kamenetsky to break down the exact operational playbook he used to scale a 50-unit temporary housing and property management business.

David shares how his company targets corporate relocations and insurance housing clients to extract massive premiums from standard real estate assets—including a deep dive into a case study where they took a San Francisco property from an $8,000 legacy rental to a $12,000+ corporate lease. We also discuss how he built a fully remote team of 10 to manage operations while maintaining complete lifestyle freedom.

Topics Discussed:

-The importance and stability of midterm rentals in any economic climate

-How David transitioned from real estate flipping and sales to managing a 50-property portfolio

-Strategic insights on ideal property types and locations for furnished rentals

-Managing relationships with insurance companies, relocation specialists, and landlords

-How to maximize rental income using arbitrage and co-hosting models

-The typical costs, fees, and steps to get started in short-term and midterm rentals

-Lessons learned from legal challenges and handling difficult situations

-The future of Dolmaluxe Properties and expansion plans

-Practical tips for beginners: research, action, and scaling smartly

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Connect with David Kamenetsky:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkamenetsky/DolmaLux Properties: https://www.domaluxeproperties.com/

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Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

Discover how Josh McEachron turned a simple shipping container into a luxurious, organic Airbnb experience in Pioneer, California. From land acquisition to permitting hurdles, learn the story behind this innovative stay, and get actionable advice for creating your own unique hospitality venture.

Main Topics:-The organic evolution of a shipping container into a luxurious and unique Airbnb retreat-Permitting and land acquisition challenges in rural California-Designing for intimacy and curated guest experiences-Cost breakdown and financial performance of the property-Tips for aspiring hosts: making properties stand out

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Resources & Links:

RidgeViewStay on Airbnb (Pioneer, CA): https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1203068341048557584?source_impression_id=p3_1781483090_P3zltOQycniDQNdQ

RidgeViewStay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridgeviewstay/

Connect with Josh McEachron

Email: [email protected]

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_ Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983--

Leah Krebs spent 32 years in nursing — 16 at the bedside and 12+ as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, including trauma anesthesia at the nation's busiest trauma center. After a series of pivotal personal and professional moments, she and her husband founded Priority 1 Capital, a multifamily real estate firm built specifically to help healthcare professionals earn passive income through apartment investing.

In this episode, Leah shares her full story: the grind of CRNA school, the defining moments that pushed her toward financial independence, and exactly how she went from W2 employee to general partner on a $7.7 million property.

Connect with Leah & Priority 1 Capital

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah_krebs_

Website: https://www.p1capitalinvestment.com/

Connect with Lorenzo: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast 🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761 🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

In this episode, Lorenzo sits down with Cory Jacobson, co-host of the Wealth Juice Podcast, to unpack how he went from making $35K working for the Philadelphia 76ers to building an 80-unit real estate portfolio alongside his business partner Ryan. Cory shares the power of house hacking, long-term thinking, authentic networking, and why successful partnerships are built on trust, communication, and aligned values.

They also dive deep into podcasting, personal branding, raising capital, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to create financial freedom without sacrificing the relationships that matter most.

00:00 - Intro & Meet Cory Jacobson

00:38 - How Cory Got Started in Real Estate

02:05 - The First House Hack That Changed Everything

03:10 - How Cory & Ryan Built Their Partnership

05:20 - Why Most Business Partnerships Fail

07:37 - Complementary Skill Sets in Business

09:54 - Handling Conflict & Difficult Conversations

11:55 - The Importance of Communication & Values

14:03 - “It’s About Who You Build With”

15:37 - How The Wealth Juice Podcast Started

17:58 - Overcoming Fear of Starting a Podcast

20:03 - Dealing With Judgment & Criticism Online

21:42 - Staying Consistent for 400 Podcast Episodes

23:59 - Habits, Discipline & Long-Term Consistency

24:20 - Common Traits of Successful People

26:53 - Why Real Estate Is a Long-Term Game

28:06 - Cory’s Real Estate Investing Strategy

30:27 - Why They Focus on Multifamily Properties

32:16 - Real Numbers Behind Their Real Estate Deals

34:23 - Raising Capital Through Podcasting & Social Media

37:56 - Why Building in Public Creates Opportunities

39:39 - The Power of Community & Networking

42:08 - Escaping Analysis Paralysis

43:20 - Why Your First Deal Matters Most

44:31 - Leaving the W2 Job & Betting on Yourself

47:15 - Entrepreneurship vs Job Security

48:24 - What Cory Would Do Differently Starting Over

50:57 - Where to Find Cory & Wealth Juice Podcast

51:42 - Final Thoughts & Outro

Connect with Cory Jacobson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wealthjuiceofficial/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wealth-juice-real-estate-personal-finance-investing/id1506974626

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

What if every bill you paid was secretly funding your next luxury vacation?

That's exactly what real estate investor Jaina Pallasigui figured out — and she's accumulated over 2 million credit card points and redeemed $175,000 in free luxury travel to prove it.

Jaina breaks down exactly how she runs her entire real estate business through credit cards, turns renovation expenses into business class flights, and books five star hotels without spending a dime out of pocket.

She even reveals how replacing a roof on one of her rental properties ended up paying for her entire family's stay at the Four Seasons Tokyo — completely free.

In this episode we cover:

• The exact credit card stack she uses for her real estate business
• How to increase your spending limit the right way
• The website she uses to find transfer bonuses nobody talks about
• The best times to book flights using points
• How to turn everyday business expenses into luxury travel

Whether you own a business, pay rent, or just have a credit card in your wallet — this episode will completely change how you think about spending money.

Connect with Jaina

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaina_anne/

Connect with Lorenzo Mercado:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast 🎙

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

Josh Dobken and Diana Ossa managed billion-dollar architecture projects before buying a blank-slate hotel in Palm Springs, and turning it into a Vogue and Forbes-featured boutique property in under a year. In this episode of The Lo-Down, they break down exactly how they did it.

With 15+ years of commercial architecture experience and 40+ short-term rentals across multiple states, Josh and Diana share the mindset, strategy, and hard lessons that took them from residential investing to boutique hotel ownership at scale.

What You'll Learn:

-Why they walked away from multiple deals before finding the right one

-How they used a co-hosting company to prepare for hotel operations

-The value-add strategy behind Terra Palm Springs

-How they selected their market and defined their guest avatar

-Why no deal is better than a bad deal

-How their hotel earned coverage in Vogue, Forbes, and Travel + Leisure

Whether you're exploring boutique hotels, STR investing, or building a path out of your W-2 — this episode is for you.

Connect with Josh Dobken & Diana Osso

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.i.fi/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/terrapalmsprings/Website : https://www.terrapalmsprings.com

Connect with Lorenzo Mercado:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast 🎙

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

In this episode of The Lowdown, Lorenzo sits down with Josh and Deanna, a powerhouse husband-and-wife team who transitioned from commercial architecture careers into boutique hotel ownership and short-term rental operations across multiple states.

With 15+ years of architecture and construction experience, they now operate 40+ short-term rentals and own a boutique hotel in Palm Springs featured in Vogue and Forbes. They share the exact mindset, strategy, and lessons that helped them move from residential investing into hospitality at scale.

If you're interested in boutique hotels, STR investing, or leaving your W-2 job to build something bigger, this episode is packed with insight.

Connect with Josh Dobken & Diana Osso

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.i.fi/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/terrapalmsprings/Website : https://www.terrapalmsprings.com

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

In this episode of The Lo-Down, Lorenzo sits down with Joshua Massari, co-host of The Broke Millionaires podcast, to unpack how he and his wife built millions in real estate equity while living in one of the most expensive markets in the U.S. — Orange County, California.

Joshua shares how they used a live-in value-add strategy (a twist on BRRRR), buying fixer-uppers as primary residences, renovating while living in them, and repeating the process — all while raising four kids and working full-time.

If you think real estate investing only works in cheap markets, this episode will completely change your perspective.

Chapters

00:00 Intro – Meet Joshua Massari

01:00 What does “Broke Millionaire” really mean?

02:30 Investing in expensive cities like Orange County

04:10 Why fixer-uppers beat turnkey homes

05:40 Buying during COVID: opportunity in chaos

07:15 The ALLL Method (Acquire, Live, Lift, Leverage, Loop)

09:10 Using primary residence loans to invest with less cash

11:00 Turning $17K into millions in real estate

12:40 House hacking before it was a buzzword

14:10 Why Josh avoids flipping houses

16:00 Living through full renovations (no kitchen, kids included)

18:50 Renovation stress, marriage, and alignment

21:40 Balancing a full-time job with real estate investing

24:50 Kids and investing: why they’re not the problem

27:10 Delayed gratification & long-term wealth mindset

28:50 Mid-term rentals vs long-term rentals in California

31:00 How to evaluate neighborhoods correctly

33:30 Foundations: deal breaker or opportunity?

36:10 Creative financing explained (seller finance, HELOCs)

39:50 Cross-collateralization & hard money loans

42:00 Over-leveraging myth explained

44:30 HELOC strategy most investors miss

47:30 Fighting banks & getting deals approved

51:30 Starting The Broke Millionaires podcast

54:00 Biggest advice for new investors

55:40 Where to find Joshua + final thoughts

Key Takeaways

You don’t need to invest out of state to build wealth — strategy beats location

Living in your investments unlocks better financing and faster scaling

Renovation pain is temporary, equity is permanent

Kids aren’t the obstacle — lack of alignment is

Creative financing is often the difference between quitting and winning

Real estate rewards those willing to stay uncomfortable longer

Who This Episode Is For

Investors in high-cost cities

First-time homebuyers thinking long-term

Families who think kids stop investing

Anyone waiting for the “perfect time”

People who want real, practical investing stories — not hype

Connect with Joshua Massari

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadmassari/?hl=en 

Instagram :  https://www.instagram.com/thebrokemillionaires_/?hl=en

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado_

Website: LorenzoMercado.com | SolvarraGroup.com

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast 

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983

What does it really take to go from working full-time jobs to raising $8,000,000 in private capital and building a multi-state real estate business?

In this episode of The Lo-Down Podcast, I sit down with Grace & Michael Santos, a therapist and nurse who built a thriving out-of-state flipping and mid-term rental business without using their own money. They break down exactly how they started in 2021, pivoted from flips into mid-term rentals, and built the systems and credibility that allowed them to raise $8M in one year using OPM (Other People's Money).

What You'll Learn:

• How to transition from W-2 jobs to full-time real estate investing
• Why mid-term rentals are more profitable and stable than traditional flips
• The exact step-by-step process for raising millions in private capital
• How to find, approach, and close private lenders (with scripts)
• Deal structuring secrets and what to include in investor one-pagers
• Premium furnishing strategies that attract higher-quality tenants
• Exit strategy framework: when to flip vs. hold a property
• Managing burnout and time-blocking as entrepreneur couples
• Their 2026 vision: multifamily development and scaling to $20M+

Connect with Michael and Grace Santos:

Instagram: https: https://www.instagram.com/michael.dc.santos/?hl=en

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mwgmproperties/?hl=en

Connect with Lorenzo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzo.mercado

Website: https://www.mercasaventures.com | www.AscentCapital.llc

Listen to The Lo-Down Podcast

🎙Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lodown/id1764777761

🎙Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YjwXXjvFT3mqve6uMF983