Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast

A lot of listeners have asked me to share more about my investing strategies and experiences in Multifamily and Apartment Syndication.  The best way to accomplish this is to bring in my business partner, Marty Green, to discuss three of the deals we've done together. Marty Green is the owner of Green Property Management here in the West Michigan area.  Marty & I have partnered on three separate apartment investments, and we will discuss the many aspects of those deals during our conversation today. Both of us believe strongly in strategically partnering with the right people to get past plateaus, overcome challenges, and achieve exponential growth in real estate investing. Marty also explains why your expenses should go up, and your income should go down when you first acquire a turnaround investment property.  We discuss what to do when you've inherited bad tenants, alternatives to capital calls, lowering expenses to increase your Net Operating Income, and the number one thing we do at all of our communi

Listeners to this show know that I'm a big fan of house hacking as a great way to get into real estate investing.  Many of our guests have begun their investment career by purchasing a multifamily property and living in one of the units while letting the rent income from the other unit(s) pay for their mortgage and expenses.  In fact, I believe house hacking is one of the most sensible and lucrative ways to build a real estate portfolio, and have spoken with many guests who have proven this to be so. Apparently, Financial Advice Guru Dave Ramsey does not agree. In a recent advice column, Dave seems to advise one of his readers against purchasing a three unit and living in one side, while letting the income from the other two units pay for his mortgage and expenses. http://www.daveramsey.com/davesays/column/column/dave_Says_2016-11-07 Dave goes on to suggest the reader would be better off purchasing a nice, single-family home instead. Does Dave's advice really make sense?  In order to answer this question, I'v

In today's tight and competitive Real Estate Market how do you find those hidden gems, and can you still profit from foreclosures? Tony Youngs will address those questions and more.  During our conversation today, Tony shares his 30 years of experience, systems, and strategies in acquiring foreclosures and hidden market properties. Tony also discusses wholesaling, rehabbing, and the mistakes he's made along the way. I know you'll enjoy listening to Tony's techniques, and I also encourage you to come hear Tony speak live at Michigan's Largest FREE Real Estate Investor & Landlord Conference & Expo which is happening February 23-25, 2017 at the DeVos Place in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you plan on getting serious about real estate investing and rental property ownership in 2017, this is the 'can't miss' event of the year. For more information & your free registration go to: https://rpoaonline.org/

Two-Thirds of the way through my conversation today, Nick Watkins drops a huge bombshell: He's managed to generate as much money in rental profits as he makes in his full-time job - and he's done it with only two duplexes and three single-family properties! Nick takes me step-by-step through his process, how his desire to help others solve their problems led him to purchase rental property, how he's used creative financing to help him achieve 'infinite returns', and how he's learned to manage his properties and his tenants. Nick also shares stories about the tenant who threatened him and his family, the subsequent eviction, and the consequences of not doing thorough background checks and tenant screening. Nick & I also discuss the pro's & con's of hiring a professional third party management company, and whether or not the additional expenses are justified. Nick shares a lot of great information, stories and tips.  You can contact him through email at NickWatkinsHouses@yahoo.com I know you'll enjoy to

John Potter has built an investment career on buying, rehabbing and leasing historic homes in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Sometimes while working on these homes he's discovered treasures left behind by the former occupants.  John has also discovered something surprising and unexpected about his childhood home that helps explain why he's so passionate about these historic homes. John & I discuss his passion for homes that are more than 100 years old, what makes them better than the homes built today, and John's strategies to keep them filled with the best tenants. John is also the owner of Tanglewood Properties and a realtor with Pro Real Estate Services.  You can contact John through his website: http://www.tanglewoodproperties.com/mission/ I know you'll enjoy today's conversation.  Please take a moment to go to itunes to subscribe, rate & review!

Seven years ago Justin Herrema was in a bad snowmobiling accident that made him question everything about his real estate investing business model.  This questioning led him to become the founder & CEO of Land Contract Realty and Land Contract Notes. Today Justin shares his over 10 years of Real Estate Investing experience with us, and how he acquires a property, rehabs it, and then sells it on land contract to buyers who aren't able to acquire traditional bank financing.  Justin then takes it a step further by selling the note to a private investor or hedge fund. There's a lot of great information packed into this conversation.  Justin talks about buying from banks & auctions, renovating, flipping, acquiring lines of credit, working with private investors and getting private money, as well as buying foreclosures from motivated sellers. You can contact Justin through his websites: http://landcontractrealty.com/ http://landcontractnotes.com/ I'd also encourage you to subscribe, rate & review this p

What is it about Real Estate Investing that would cause a successful business owner in a completely different field to buy three 8-Units and a duplex and start his own Management Company? Today we'll find out during my conversation with Matt Martyn, the Co-Owner & Co-Founder of Cobertyn Group and Ahptic Film & Digital. Matt shares how he and his business partners acquired a duplex eight years ago and the difficulties they encountered in managing it while running a successful film production business.  Then Matt talks about their latest acquisitions, three 8-Units in the Lansing, Michigan area that they're currently rehabbing.  Matt and his partners have formed a new management company and we'll be discussing the start-up challenges they've encountered so far.  Matt & I also talk numbers and how they were able to acquire bank financing and negotiate their acquisition. You can find out more about Matt & his company by visiting http://www.cobertyn.com/ I'm sure you'll enjoy today's episode.  If y

Fifteen Years ago Tom Zeeb was broke and looking for a way to raise money quickly. Today he's going to share his Rapid Cash Generation system that allowed him to leave his job and pursue Real Estate full-time through Wholesaling, Flipping and Buy & Hold investing.  Tom is going to tell us how he Finds the Deal, Makes the Deal, & Gets Paid. Tom Zeeb is an active investor, President of Traction Real Estate Investors Association and Founder of Traction Real Estate Mentors, where he's helped hundreds of average people replace their income, quit their jobs, and turn full-time to real estate investing. I know you'll enjoy listening to Tom's techniques, and I also encourage you to come hear Tom speak live at Michigan's Largest FREE Real Estate Investor & Landlord Conference & Expo which is happening February 23-25, 2017 at the DeVos Place in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information & your free registration go to: https://rpoaonline.org/    

Sometimes a simple conversation can create big changes.  Andy Wierda, my guest today, had that experience when he stopped to buy a beer at a convenience store.  What the woman behind the counter said to him has made a huge difference in his real estate investing career ever since. Andy is a local investor in Grand Rapids, Michigan and in our conversation today he shares many fun stories about owning and managing single family rentals, buying & flipping foreclosures, problematic tenants, evictions, and the hits & misses along the way. Andy's also talks about being a hard money lender, how to prevent tenants from ruining your credit, single family rental inspections, affordable housing, and dealing with insurance companies when tragedy strikes. I know you're going to enjoy today's conversation.  Be sure to go to itunes to subscribe, rate & review!

Technology and the Internet have created many new ways for real estate investors to increase their income.  Some savvy owners are foregoing tenants all together and turning their rental properties into Vacation Rentals that allow them to double or triple their profits. Sue Hoyuela is a nationally recognized expert on vacation rentals and will be sharing her secrets to doubling your rental income without tenants by converting your rentals into Airbnb cashcows. I know you'll enjoy listening to Sue's techniques, and I also encourage you to come hear Sue speak live at Michigan's Largest FREE Real Estate Investor & Landlord Conference & Expo which is happening February 23-25, 2017 at the DeVos Place in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sue is also the author of "How To make Quick Cash From Your Couch: Insider Secrets From A Six-Figure Airbnb Host" which can be purchased on amazon.com.

What is the Perfect Investment?  My guest today, Paul Moore has his view on that question, and he feels so strongly about it that he wrote a book called "The Perfect Investment - Create Enduring Wealth from the Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing". Join Paul and me as we talk about Multifamily and Apartment Investing; the compelling demographics and trends, market selection, the barriers to entry, and the tax benefits that can create enduring wealth. Paul has a lot of great stories to share and his warning to always 'look for the flies in the deal' is invaluable.  I know you'll find a lot in this conversation that will help you become a more confident and successful real estate investor. I also highly recommend his new book "The Perfect Investment - Create Enduring Wealth from the Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing" which is available on amazon.com and his website: http://www.wellingscapital.com/ You can also contact Paul through email: paul@wellingscapital.com    

A lot of our listeners in Grand Rapids might know Bruce Vander Vennen as the President of Jack's Lawn Service and Snowplowing.  But what you may not know is that Bruce is also a successful rental property owner with 108 units in single-family, multi-family and condos in Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon, Michigan. Today on our show, Bruce shares how he began his portfolio, the problems he faced along the way, and the new market he started investing in six months ago. Bruce also shares his story of a condo he picked up at tax auction that was not what he expected it to be, the Memorial Day Weekend he spent cleaning a sewage backup in the basement of one of his properties, and how that experience lead to his decision to hire professional 3rd party management. There's a lot of great content in today's conversation.  Please take a moment to go to itunes to 'subscribe, rate & review'! You can contact Bruce through his website.  If you're an RPOA member you can receive 20% off of your lawn care & snow pl

My guest today is Joe Pohlen, a successful investor and entrepreneur who started buying single family student rentals while he was still in college. Joe has grown his portfolio to include Multifamily and Apartments in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Battle Creek, Michigan, which he oversees through his management company; Ancora Management. Joe will also be discussing his recent acquisition of several independent and assisted living facilities, and the extensive turnaround and receivership experience he gained during the great recession. You'll also learn the steps Joe went through to turn around a distressed 52-unit apartment community in Lansing, how he raises money from investors, and his management philosophy which helps him find the best residents. There's a lot of great information in today's episode.  Please take the time to go to itunes to 'subscribe, rate & review'! You can contact Joe & find out more at: joe@ancoraproperties.com http://ancoraproperties.com/ http://kalamazoo.apartments/

You may have seen or heard my guest on CNN, CNBC, NPR, Fox News, CBS Marketwatch and the Wall Street Journal.  However, a 3 minute news blurb is not enough to learn all the knowledge and wisdom Kathy Fettke has to share.  That's why I know you're going to get a lot of value out of our podcast conversation today. Kathy Fettke is passionate about helping people create real wealth - which she defines as the freedom and money to live life on your own terms.  She's the CEO and founder of "Real Wealth Network", which is a California based real estate investment group with over 16,000 members. www.realwealthnetwork.com Kathy also hosts two extremely popular podcasts - "The Real Wealth Show", and "Real Estate News for Investors with Kathy Fettke".  She's also the author of the popular book "Retire Rich with Rentals" which is available on amazon.com. During our conversation, Kathy and I discuss areas of opportunity around the country, as well as 'bubble areas' that Kathy is helping her investors move their money out o

Today I sit down to talk with the Top-Selling Multi-Family Broker in the Greater Grand Rapids area. Allison Koetsier is an Associate Broker with Compass Realty Services.  She's also a successful investor in Single-Family and Multi-Family Rental Properties. Allison shares her stories about her first investment in a four-unit rental property, the challenges she faced in learning how to manage her growing portfolio, and the reasons why she became a broker. Allison and I also discuss the advice she offers new clients who are starting or building their investment portfolio, the mistakes she's made along the way, and a recent investment she made using a 1031 Exchange. I'm excited to share this conversation with you.  If you like what you hear, please be sure to go to itunes and subscribe, rate & review! You can find out more about Allison online at: http://compass101.com/realtyservices/allison-koetsier/  

Whether you're a Buy & Hold Investor, Wholesaler, Landlord, Property Manager or you do Fix & Flips, you most likely have some form of real estate business.  Whether you realize it or not, your business has a credit footprint that can be used to your advantage, especially when it comes to obtaining alternate financing. In today's conversation with Ty Crandall, we discuss Business Credit:  What it is, how to build it, and what it mean to you specifically as a rental property owner & real estate investor.  If you build your business credit the right way, you can access funds without using your personal information and social security number. Ty Crandall is a leading expert on building business credit and is the CEO of Credit Suite, one of the biggest and most credible business coaching operations in the United States.  He's also the author of two popular books: "Perfect Credit" and "Business Credit Decoded".  Ty also hosts an excellent podcast called "The Business Credit and Finance Show". You can co

Mark Troy is the owner and founder of Compass Property Services, a full-service property management company that also does remodeling and helps investors and home owners buy and sell properties. Today we sit down to talk about Mark's early career as an investor and landlord, and the decisions that led him to start his own management company.  Mark shares his tips on leasing, evictions, and managing your property, and discusses the mistakes that he's seen many landlords make. We also talk about Mark's bigger goal to build massive wealth in order to give it away to important causes that he believes in. Mark is also the President of the Rental Property Owner's Association, and we discuss the importance of the RPOA in protecting the rights of investors and landlords at the city, state and federal levels. I know you're going to get a lot of great information from this interview.  Enjoy! You can contact Mark and Compass Property Services through their website: http://compass101.com/  

If you're an active investor in commercial multi-family and apartments, or you're interested in getting into this space, I know you're going to get a lot out of today's conversation. I'm excited to sit down with Craig Black and Scott Nurski, who are both Multi-Family Investment Advisors with NAI Wisinski of West Michigan. We have definitely packed a lot of great information into today's conversation:  What you need to do to get brokers to take you seriously, the economy of scale with Multi-Family and Apartments compared to Single Family Investing, and factors & expenses to consider when you begin investing in larger units. Craig and Scott also go into detail on the Michigan and West Michigan market, including where you might still be able to find deals. You can also check out Scott Nurski's NAIWWM Mid-Year West Michigan Multifamily Market Forecast: http://www.naiwwm.com/services/multi-family/blog Craig and Scott are also quoted in the following Grand Rapids Business Journal Article: http://www.grbj.com/a

Last week I spoke with Josh Sterling about his Single Family Rental Investments and the plateaus he's overcome while building his portfolio from 1 to 160 units. This week, in part two of our conversation, Josh and I discuss the 24 Unit Apartment Community he purchased on Land Contract that had a 42% occupancy rate and how he managed to turn that around.  Josh shares how he improved the occupancy to near 100%, and cash-out refinanced all of the money he originally invested.  We discuss the "Infinite Return" he's created by no longer having any of his own money in the investment, while still cash-flowing $5,400 a month.  This is the Holy Grail of real estate investing, and Josh is going to tell us how he did it. We'll also talk about the 53-unit Josh purchased next, how he built his team at Epic Property Management, the systems and property management software he put in place to help build his portfolio, as well as new construction projects he's undertaken recently. This episode is bursting with great informati

Josh Sterling is a Buy & Hold Real Estate Investor from South-East Michigan.  He began buying Single Families in 2009, and since then has grown his SFH, Multi-Family and Apartment portfolio from 1 to 160 units. Today, in Part 1 of my interview with Josh, we discuss his trajectory from a novice investor and landlord making a lot of mistakes, to a seasoned professional who owns 160 units as well as his own management company called Epic Property Management. http://epicpropertymanagement.com/ Josh is happy to share his experiences and stories about learning how to evict tenants, rehabbing properties, raising investor money and overcoming the plateaus on his path from 1 to 160 units.  No matter what level of investor you are, you'll definitely find a lot of great wisdom in my conversation with Josh.