The Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out Shuk Rentals or booking a live demo in the show notes.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here:

In this episode, we sit down with John Zilverberg, a Minnesota investor whose journey into real estate started with a bold first deal: a beautiful duplex just two blocks east of Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska). John bought the property in 2020 and went all-in on a DIY value-add renovation, essentially gutting much of the building and learning a long list of lessons the hard way. The risk paid off when the property appraised far higher than expected, allowing him to refinance, unlock a large amount of equity, and pull out cash to fund his next moves.

John used that momentum to pivot into out-of-state short-term rental investing, where his engineering mindset turned out to be a huge advantage. Running STR properties across the country requires tight systems, data, and operational discipline—exactly the type of challenge John enjoys solving. Today he owns five short-term rentals in different markets, and in this episode we take a deep dive into his first out-of-state deal in Sedona, Arizona, breaking down how he chose the market and what he learned along the way. For Minnesota investors dreaming about owning a property somewhere warm, this episode offers a practical look at how to make that jump.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Ryan Chernik and his wife got their start the old-fashioned way — by renovating a tired farmhouse in Saint Anthony in the aftermath of the 2008 crash. They poured sweat equity into that property for years, eventually selling at a substantial gain. That first deal lit the spark. From there, they bought a duplex on St. Paul’s West Side — a hands-on learning experience with some clunky moments and lessons earned the hard way. Next came another older duplex in Northeast Minneapolis’ Beltrami neighborhood. Then last spring, they completed their first 1031 exchange — trading a C-class workhorse on the West Side for a Class A 1920s up/down in Crocus Hill, transforming an ugly listing in a prime location into two strong units in one of the most in-demand rental pockets in the city.

Ryan’s story isn’t flashy or headline-grabbing — and that’s exactly why it’s valuable. Over roughly six years, they built a modest, thoughtful portfolio without letting it take over their lives. This episode is a grounded look at what steady real estate investing can actually look like: incremental moves, manageable risk, improving asset quality over time, and using tools like the 1031 exchange strategically. If you’re looking to diversify into rental holdings but don’t want them to consume you, this conversation lays out a realistic path forward.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Rashad Kennedy started investing in 2016 by funding a private money deal — and from there, he went all in. While working in a group home, he began buying cheap duplexes, learning construction the hard way, and slowly stacking experience along with equity. Instead of outsourcing the knowledge, he immersed himself in the trades, eventually earning his general contractor license and taking on projects for other investors. What started as small, scrappy rehabs evolved into larger renovations, complex Category 2 jobs, and eventually full-scale development projects with partners.

Today, Rashad runs a massive construction and flipping operation with an impressive portfolio of developments and active projects under his belt. In this episode, we break down the mindset shift from small duplex investor to serious operator, what it takes to scale construction without losing control, and how partnering on bigger deals changes the game. Rashad is one of the more impressive builders we’ve had on the show — not just because of the size of his operation, but because of how deliberately he built it from the ground up.

If you’re serious about scaling beyond your first few rentals — or you’re thinking about getting deeper into value-add construction and development — this episode will challenge you to think bigger and operate smarter.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Jordan Porteous is an insurance broker with Goosehead Insurance who works closely with real estate investors across Minnesota and the Twin Cities. In this episode, Jordan explains why insurance premiums have jumped so aggressively, with a deep dive into the local and regional factors pushing Minnesota rates higher. We discuss how carriers are reassessing risk, what’s changing behind the scenes, and why many investors are getting blindsided by renewals.

We also zoom out to connect insurance with bigger-picture investing fundamentals. Adam and Tim share local housing supply data, what it tells us about risk and opportunity, and why we remain confident in Twin Cities real estate heading into 2026 based on supply constraints and population trends. We break down which submarkets and property types tend to get hit hardest during downturns, and how investors can protect themselves.

This episode ties insurance, data, and strategy together so you can invest more safely and more profitably.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Kurt Pauley is a local real estate developer currently working on an infill project near Lake Nokomis, where he’s developing high-end townhomes on a challenging site. In this episode, Kurt walks through the full development process—from sourcing the land and testing feasibility to design, financing, and navigating city and state approvals. He shares real-world experiences working with multiple government agencies, grant programs, and regulatory bodies, and explains how inefficiencies, delays, and shifting requirements impact both timelines and deal economics.

This conversation offers an honest look at the trial-and-error nature of development. Kurt breaks down how he thinks about risk versus return, how assumptions change once a project is underway, and why adaptability is critical when plans don’t go as expected. If you’re interested in infill development, public-private partnerships, or what it truly takes to get a ground-up project across the finish line, this episode delivers practical, unfiltered insight.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Jacob Wrich didn’t take a straight line into real estate. After a brief career as a teacher proved it wasn’t his calling, Jacob found his footing managing adult group homes — a role that exposed him to both operations-heavy businesses and the real estate behind them. Through a series of career moves, he eventually earned the opportunity to purchase the company he was working for, which included a small but meaningful real estate portfolio. Jacob scaled that business into something truly marketable and successfully exited a few years later.

After the exit, Jacob rolled his proceeds through a 1031 exchange and took a very different path than most investors: focusing on new-construction single-family homes in desirable yet still affordable suburbs. In this episode, Jacob breaks down why this strategy works, how it compares to traditional rentals, and what investors often overlook when thinking about scalability, maintenance, and long-term exits. This is a great listen for anyone curious about alternative rental strategies and building businesses that are designed to be sold — not just managed.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here:

Episode Description

Joe Walz started investing in fixer-upper single-family homes in St. Paul and Minneapolis while living in Boston in the early 2000s — managing properties from afar before remote investing was common. Over time, he quietly snowballed that early momentum into a small but mighty portfolio, focused on hands-on self-management, thoughtful renovations, and long-term belief in specific neighborhoods.

What really sets Joe apart is why he invests. He’s deeply intentional about community, having used house hacking multiple times as a way to create connection, shared living, and stability — not just returns. Joe believes affordable housing and companionship matter more than ever, and his approach reflects that philosophy in practice. He’s a genuinely good dude with a clear moral compass, and this conversation is a reminder that real estate can be both profitable and deeply human.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes.

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals.

April Bryan is the owner of Network Title and one of the go-to resources investors rely on when deals get complicated. In this episode, we dig into the parts of real estate transactions that most investors overlook until something goes wrong—title issues, contract for deed, lease options, and other creative financing structures. April breaks down where investors get tripped up, what to look for before closing, and how title work can quietly make or break a deal.

Title isn’t flashy, but it’s foundational. If you’re doing creative deals—or even thinking about them—you need a real understanding of how ownership, liens, and recording actually work. This conversation will help investors make smarter decisions, ask better questions, and avoid costly mistakes that don’t show up on a spreadsheet but can derail an entire portfolio.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals.

Episode Description

In Part 2 of our conversation with Ford Wagner, we move past the origin story and get into the real substance: the portfolio. Ford breaks down how he’s accumulated 14 doors in just two years, primarily using BRRR strategies and contract for deed deals, while leaving very little of his own cash stuck in the properties.

This episode dives deep into the unsexy but critical details that actually make deals work — navigating Cat 2 properties, handling title issues, operating with Section 8 tenants, and, most importantly, how to plan for appraisals from day one to ensure a successful BRRR. If you want a realistic, boots-on-the-ground look at building a portfolio through non-traditional acquisitions — this is the playbook.

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart, practical real estate strategies.

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.

At just $5 a unit per month, it's worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes.

As 2025 comes to a close, Adam and Tim ring in the New Year with a special year-end episode breaking down the best real estate deals of the year—including their own personal investments and standout client and “friend of the pod” wins across the Twin Cities.

This episode spans the full spectrum of what’s actually working in today’s market: tiny owner-occupied single-family homes, larger multifamily properties, heavy renovation projects, turnkey buys, and deals done using cash, traditional financing, and contract for deed structures.

They also share what’s ahead for Twin Cities Real Estate Investing in the coming year—podcast plans, content direction, and details on an upcoming in-person meetup for local investors.

If you’re looking for a real-world snapshot of what Twin Cities buyers are successfully doing right now, this episode offers one of the most complete, grounded views of today’s market as we head into 2026.

💡 Want to talk through your own investing goals or a deal you’re working on?