The LSCRE Podcast

In this episode, Craig and I tackle the controversial topic of promote structures and fund manager compensation. We break down the double waterfall structure for fund managers and why projected compensation is never guaranteed.

I share the framework for evaluating deal quality across four key factors: location, vintage, leverage, and business plan. We explain why chasing deals with sky-high projected returns often leads to disappointed fund managers earning zero when aggressive underwriting meets reality. We also emphasize that sustainable success comes from serving tenants and investors first, not chasing the highest projected compensation.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Hannah Wyatt, LSCRE's Director of HR, who shares her remarkable journey from Executive Assistant to building our HR infrastructure. Hannah reveals how she absorbed HR operations when they brought everything in-house, creating systems that now support over 5,000 units across our portfolio.

She breaks down their innovative hiring pipeline using AI-powered resume screening and Culture Index personality assessments to match candidates with the right roles. Hannah explains their unique position structure, including the Community Relations Representative role they created for highly sociable candidates who might not fit traditional property management positions.

Her philosophy: "You're not just completing tasks, you're building solutions" that impact everyone in the organization.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode of Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther interviews Sarah Miskelly, founder of Hylee Capital, who shares her inspiring journey from growing up in multifamily property management in Toronto to becoming a location-independent fund manager living between Costa Rica and Canada.

Sarah reveals how real estate created lifestyle freedom for her family and why she pivoted from being a top-producing real estate broker to launching her own investment fund. She explains the disciplined due diligence process she uses today to vet institutional-grade deals and protect investor capital.

You’ll learn:

• Why DSCR at 1.0 is a red flag
• How she evaluates cap rate assumptions for risk
• The power of private credit and diversification across multifamily, triple-net, and energy assets
• How she built sustainable income beyond back-end equity
• Candid advice for aspiring fund managers and capital raisers

If you're raising capital, evaluating deals, or designing a lifestyle around real estate investing, this episode is packed with actionable insight.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this milestone 100th episode, Craig McGrouther and I share an incredible news: Preserve at Copperleaf, a 240-unit, 2003-vintage apartment community LSCRE acquired in May 2024, just closed on a hugely successful 45% cash out refinance! We acquired this property for $34M and it appraised at $53.7M, allowing investors to receive 45% of their investment back while the remaining equity continues earning 8% cash flow.

We break down how we achieved this through strategic timing, tax exemptions, and securing a 7-year full-term interest-only Freddie Mac loan at 65% LTV. We also dive deep into our unique anniversary-based budgeting system that keeps us accountable year-round rather than scrambling during "budget season," plus how our operations team earns bonuses based on actual performance versus budget across revenue, R&M, payroll, and expenses.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Scott Croul of George Smith Partners to discuss navigating the longest multifamily downturn in recent memory at 36 months and counting. Scott breaks down the current capital stack dynamics, revealing that preferred equity is now pricing at 12-14% with roughly 50% current pay, making it surprisingly competitive for sponsors.

They dive into why bridge-to-bridge financing went from "bad word" to standard practice, and how sponsors are focusing on capital preservation rather than chasing returns. Scott also highlights the market bifurcation: institutional investors are flooding into 2000+ vintage properties with all-cash offers while pre-90s assets struggle to find any buyers. Despite the challenges, Scott sees light at the end of the tunnel with supply chains frozen and absorption remaining strong across major Texas markets.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther welcomes Pascal Wagner, founder of Grow Your Cashflow. Pascal shares his journey from managing a $150M venture capital fund at Techstars to becoming an LP investor with $250K+ in annual passive income across 23 investments. He reveals how his Venture Capital background shaped his investment thesis approach and why he shifted focus to debt funds in 2022, perfect timing to avoid the multifamily distress.

Pascal breaks down his three pillar framework for LP success: having a clear investment plan, comparing deals with proper context not in isolation, and mastering due diligence with his 100 point checklist. Plus, he explains the "money pie" concept, how to balance investments between cash flow, equity growth, and tax benefits to build sustainable six figure passive income.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Sawyer Zimmerman from our asset management team to discuss what really drives property performance in today's challenging market. Sawyer manages over 2,000 units across our portfolio and shares how we've revolutionized our hiring process using Culture Index assessments to find the right talent for each role.

We dive into why curb appeal and maintenance teams are critical for resident retention, how our new community admin onboarding program reduces turnover, and why renewals (not new leases) are where you actually make money in multifamily. Sawyer also reveals how proper staffing can be more cost-effective than vendoring out services, and why having people "act like owners" makes all the difference in property performance.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther is joined by Dasha Beardsley, Director of Investor Relations at LSCRE, and Brandon Claisse from Tribevest, to walk through exactly how fund managers and capital allocators can raise capital alongside Lone Star through our fund-to-fund program.

This episode is specifically for capital allocators and fund managers looking to raise $500K+ for our deals. We walk through the entire process from initial deal notification to fund creation in just 5-7 business days, including entity formation, bank accounts, offering docs, and ongoing administration costs.

Dasha shares what marketing materials and support LSCRE provides, while Brandon details TriVest's streamlined "SPV in a box" solution that handles all the back-office work so you can focus on raising capital.

Plus, congratulations to Dasha on completing her new book "Maximizing Wealth Through Syndicated 1031 Exchanges" available at maximizing1031.com!

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Ellis Hammond, VP of Capital at Aspen Funds, fresh off our co-hosted mastermind in Austin. Ellis shares his unconventional journey from college pastor to raising $250M+ in equity and reveals why Aspen's oil and gas fund raised $60M in just 60 days while their industrial fund struggles at $4M.

His key insight for fund managers: "The lifeblood of your business is 100% correlated to the cash flow you generate" - which is why smart sponsors are adding private credit funds paying 10-12% to create recurring revenue while building long-term wealth.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com 

In this episode of the LSCRE podcast, Craig McGrouther and I sit down with Sam Morris to discuss the significant positive shifts happening in the multifamily market after three challenging years.

We reveal how our property insurance costs just dropped 32% at renewal, potentially adding millions in property value and increasing investor distributions by nearly 1%. We share exciting success stories from our portfolio, including record-breaking collections at multiple properties and Preserve at Copperleaf achieving an incredible 234 paid-up units out of 238 possible.

Our conversation also explores why deal flow remains challenging in 2025 despite these improving fundamentals, with San Antonio seeing only six transactions in Q1 with an average property vintage of 1972, highlighting the persistent bid-ask spread gap in the market.

Learn more about LSCRE:
www.lscre.com