Invest Florida - A Real Estate Podcast

The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser comes on the show to discuss the inner workings of valuation. While the discussion is specific to Hillsborough County, the laws are applied across the State in a similar fashion. We cover how assessors arrive at their valuations, some of the rights property owners have and what you can do to contest a valuation if you don't agree.   Key Discussion Points [01:04] Introduction by Eric & Steven [04:19] About our guest: Bob Henriquez [06:32] Give us an overview of what's happening in the market related to property values [07:55] What is your process for doing property assessments? [11:56] Explain the difference on property tax bills of "assessed value" vs "market value" [17:36] With cap rates so low, and commercial property values rising, does that translate into proportionately higher taxes? [20:34] Explain about the "save or homes" cap and what happens to the cap when there's a new owner [25:56] Talk about property tax assessments that are non-owner occupied [30:04

Ember Erickson: Biproxi, Changing the Way Commercial Real Estate Is Marketed Ember joins us today to discuss a new platform to the CRE marketplace....it has been compared to Tinder for Commercial Real Estate Investors and Brokers. Find out how they might help make the acquisition and disposition of commercial assets more efficient (yes, that includes multifamily)     Key Discussion Points [01:07] Introduction by Eric & Steven [06:18] About our guest: Ember Erickson [07:06] What's your background and how did you get into commercial real estate marketing? [10:12] Talk about Biproxi's place in this market, and what your team is trying to do [12:54] Tell us about your revenue model [13:54] How can Biproxi get around the issue of "just being another system" [17:08] On your platform, are you targeting particular types of assets? or any assets? [22:40] How are you handling "off market" or "pocket" listing? [27:23] Is it even possible to get that data from other sources? [29:15] Do you think technology will event

Avery Jordan: Update on the Tampa Multi-family Market Avery Jordan gives us an update on the apartment / multifamily market in Tampa and central Florida with discussions on how the Fed rate hikes will affect the market over the next couple of years and why he thinks the multifamily market and the market in general will continue to do well.    Key Discussion Points [01:07] Introduction by Eric & Steven [04:32] About our guest: Avery Jordan [05:51] How did you get intro brokerage of apartment buildings in the area? [08:07] Give us your perspective on the multifamily market over the last 6 years [10:39] How is the Fed's rate hike affecting the debt side? [12:53] What is SOFR (Secured Overnight Funds Rate) and it's significance? [14:53] What are the conversations you've been having around timing of putting things on the market? [17:27] Who are some of the larger bridge lender players in the area of financing? [19:04] Renters are now paying close to 50% of take-home pay - is this sustainable? [21:00] Do you a

It's always great to catch up with our friend Adrian. He has come a long way and we are proud of him. Since we last talked, he has written a book...started and investment program and travels the country talking about investing in mobile homes. We hope you take the time to listen to Adrian's update on the market...negotiating skills and marketing ideas.   Key Discussion Points [01:02] Introduction by Eric & Steven [05:39] About our guest: Adrian Smude [08:00] How did you overcome your fear of public speaking? [11:16] Tell us about the book you just wrote on Mobile Home Investing: How to Buy Mobile Homes [15:17] Give us an overview of the mobile home market the last 2 years [16:20] How are you finding new opportunities? Are you partnering with people [19:30] What kind of yields are you seeing for mobile home investors right now? [21:30] How easy or difficult is it to find new tenants? [23:09] What do you do for marketing? [30:14] How long are the leases you typically sign? [30:57] Are you allowed to depreci

Jeremy Kloter, founder of Out Fast Property Management in Tampa, FL, gives us a window in to the Tampa Bay residential investment market. Key Discussion Points [01:01] Introduction by Eric & Steven [02:54] About our guest: Jeremy Kloter [04:46] How are you surviving in the market now, and what is your perspective? [06:49] How are people dealing with this hyper-active market? [16:33] What CAP rates are you seeing now? [23:29] How do you see the market evolving, and what should investors be doing? [37:17] Any last "golden nuggets" you can share on your thoughts about the greater Tampa Bay market? [39:04] Are you seeing a slowing of heavy cash purchase? [40:37] How can folks reach you? [41:24] Closing comments by Eric & Steven   About Our Guest Jeremy Kloter is a marine corps veteran turned broker. He is the founder of Out Fast Property Management, a Tampa Bay property management company that manages residential and multi-family properties. Jeremy has been an investor since 2013. He has been recognize

Circuitous Route to Investing in Jacksonville Ian is an attorney, a broker, and investor in the Jacksonville market. He credits his success with his roots as a bartender who exited college with a mountain of debt and little hope to dig out of it. Listen to this story about how he worked his way in to a better place by leveraging the Jacksonville market.   Key Discussion Points [00:56] Introduction by Eric & Steven [04:00] About our guest: Ian Brown [05:03] Guide us through your interesting journey from bartender to attorney to real estate investor [14:12] So even thought you didn't have any big investors, you just jumped right in and went for it? [17:18] How are you managing your residential real estate assets? [18:24] So will you be shying away from section 8 housing in the future? [19:31] What areas in Jacksonville do you like? [20:05] Have you ventured outside Florida? OIr outside of the Jacksonville area? [21:08] We've seen dramatic changes lately in Florida. How have you seen the fundamentals change

Ana is a wealth of information about the South Florida market. We welcome her back on the show to discuss the big factors that are moving the South Florida market and why there is no reason to see much deviation from the recent trends in the near term.     Key Discussion Points [03:11] About our guest: Ana Bozovic [05:00] Give us an overview of what you thought would happen in the market back in the beginning days of COVID vs what actually happened [08:02] Talk about how the effects of COVID changed how we work [10:13] Effeccts of COVID on migration of Central/South America to Florida [14:50] Are you seeing significant numbers of cash deals compared to debt in South Florida? [15:45] Talk about inflation with higher gas prices, war in Europe, etc.. and what you see coming [18:51] What have you seen with pricing in residential South Florida [19:58] What about the increasing home pricing and sales in South Florida. Might there be a pull-back soon? [22:25] What do you see happening to the retail sector in South F

Gregg talks about the Jacksonville market and his firm's strategy to make investment acquisitions easy for investors looking for cash flowing deals.   Key Discussion Points [03:33] About our guest: Gregg Cohen [04:35] How did you get started in real estate? And where are you originally from? [06:24] Tell us about your company, JWD Real Estate Capital. What differentiates your company? [10:11]  What do the range of numbers look like for someone to invest in this turnkey investment solution? [13:27] Do you use any preferred lenders? What are the debt packages looking like right now? [14:59] What's your high level view of the Jacksonville economy? And where do you see it headed? [17:10] What neighborhoods do you like in Jacksonville? [18:27] Where do you see the Jacksonville market heading? [22:49] How does it work if someone wants to invest with you? [24:29] How can folks reach you?   About Our Guest Gregg Cohen created JWD Real Estate Capital, a vertically integrated real estate investment company, dedicated

John Roberts and Stephen Barber are a duo of multiple interests....law, real estate investment and development. There is no question that they are plugged into the Panhandle region of Florida. Listen to this update on what is happening in their neck of the woods!   Key Discussion Points [01:11] About our guests: John Roberts & Stephen Barber [01:49] How did you both get into real estate in the Florida Panhandle? [08:50] What is driving the economy in the Florida Panhandle? [11:01]  What is the background on what John'sportfolio looks like? [16:31] As you've progressed and built up your portfolio, where do you see the growth happening now withi the Panhandle? [18:15] Discussion about the Panhandle and Spring Break [19:45] What distinguishes the Panhandle from the rest of Florida with regard to real estate market? [21:51] In what sectors within the Florida Panhandle do you see the best investments opportunities? [30:16] How can folks reach you? [31:37] How are you faring economically from the affect of rec

Al Williamson, an engineer by trade, has found a way to capitalize on the extended stay rental market. Somewhere, between AIRBNB and traditional long term rentals, extended stay lodging can be a terrific way to juice your returns. Florida is a hot spot for this type of need in housing and with the infrastructure bill targeting multiple industries in the State, the demand will only increase for potential tenants....military to road contractors to health care workers. Listen to how Al captures, manages and profits from this market. Key Discussion Points [01:05] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [04:14] About our guest: Al Williamson [05:29] How did you get into real estate? And why? [07:02] How did you migrate your business from duplexes to extended stay properties? [10:36] What's different about your extended stay properties compared to an Air BnB? [14:21] How are you marketing your extended stay service? [17:04] If you are just starting in this busienss, how do you know who to approach to ge

Viktor Jiracek followed his brother to Gainesville and turned that experience into a thriving real estate business (Fix and Flips, and long term holds). Viktor updates us on the market and leaves us some great tips on thriving in this most unusual market.   Key Discussion Points [01:00] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [04:17] About our guest: Viktor Jiracek [05:12] How did you get started in real estate? [06:14] Why did you choose Gainesville, FL? [07:33] Give us an overview of what you are seeing in the Gainesville FL market [08:37] What are signs you look for to tell you the market is slowing down? [09:48] Are you still seeing multiple offers on first day of listing? Or has that cooled down a bit? [11:23] What calculations do you use to determine if something is a good deal? [14:06] How are you finding your properties? [17:06] Do you have your own crew for fix and flips? [17:46] Are you having any problems getting sub-contractors to work with you? What about pricing? [19:22] What areas

Martin Saenz runs a fund that invests in distressed mortgages.  He discusses the state of the mortgage market, returns and how he creates win-win deals for investors and homeowners.   Key Discussion Points [01:04] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [05:04] About our guest: Martin Saenz [05:57] How did you get started in real estate? [08:10] What motivated you to move from Washington D.C. to Sarasota, FL? [09:12] What's your view of the Florida market for the brief time you've been in Sarasota, FL? [10:38] How did you migrate from real estate investing into working with Notes & getting returns for investors? [11:40] What types of mortgages are you pursuing? [13:42] Are your funds leveraged? Or are they 100% equity? [14:05] What type of yield do investors get from their notes? [14:40] How are you finding these deals? [16:52] How would you recommend people setup their own Note business if they want to do this themselves? [18:26] What are the names of your 3 books? [19:26] Have you considered

Chris Coleman comes back on the show to explain the significant changes in flood insurance policies from FEMA.  Key Discussion Points [01:07] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [04:33] About our guest: Chris Coleman [06:32] Give us an overview of the changes occuring right now with flood insurance [09:55] Is it fair to say those that don't have flood risk are subsidizing those that do have flood risk? [10:49] What are you seeing in terms of flood insurance rate increases? [13:05] So people who's flood policy will expire Jan 2022 are being notified of new flood policy - how is that working? [13:58] What about the companies that can help you revaluate your flood zone? [17:38] If the FEMA flood map showed an investor's property's base flood from 9 to 10, would you be able to tell the price increase? [18:32] Would you encourage people who are not in a flood plain to still get an elevation certificate? [19:35] Do you think climate change is affecting insurance and properties (other than flooding)?

Lauren is in California and her market is very similar to many markets in Florida, very tight and deals tough to come by. She figures out ways to carve out revenue by wholesaling virtually. Find out how! Key Discussion Points [01:06] Opening remarks by Eric Odum [03:12] About our guest: Lauren Hardy [04:04] How and why did you get into real estate investing? [07:08] What exactly is real estate wholesaling? [09:01] How can a virtual real estate investment model benefit investors in Florida? [12:08] How do you find "hot" zones in Florida with deals being more difficult to find? [16:46] How do you find assignees for your deals? [18:52] What are some things do you look for when seeking out new markets? [26:07] How can folks contact you? [26:30] Do you have any last words of wisdom for us? [27:52] Closing comments by Eric  

In This episode, Scott Maurer from Advanta IRA discusses proposed changes to self directed IRA's in the new infrastructure bill. Find out if this has any affect on you! Key Discussion Points [01:06] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [04:32] About our guest: Scott Maurer [05:21 Tell us how proposed $3.5T infastructure companion bill will prohibit self-directed IRAs / 401k accounts from investing in private placements [10:30] How will the proposed $3.5T companion provision affect small syndicators to fund their deals? [12:33] So investors might be mandated to divest within a certain period of time, it's a recipe to lose money [15:51] Do you think the $3.5T package will pass the House & Senate? [18:16] Congress needs to listen to their consituents - make your voice heard! [21:42] How can folks contact you? [22:02] Closing comments by Eric & Steven   About Our Guest Scott Maurer is an attorney and a graduate of the University of Florida Law School. Scott started his career with Advanta I

It can be difficult to get a decent rate of return in the current Florida market, and more and more investors are looking outside Florida to find deals in other states. Today we talk with Lindsay Davis, CEO of Spartan Invest", about investment opportunities in Alabama. Lindsay's investment services allow investors who live outside Alabama to purchase single family homes in Alabama, get the benefit of the low property taxes, and get a great overall rate of return on their investment.   We also discuss the dramatic rise in construction costs over the last year, how it is affecting the building of new homes, and when this might stabilize and return to "normal".   Key Discussion Points [01:06] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [06:23]] About our guest: Lindsay Davis [08:16] Tell us about your "one stop shop" real estate investment services catering to out of state investors [09:44] What rate of return are you achieving in Alabama? [12:13] What's are you seeing going on in the construction marke

On today's podcast we talk with Sam Bates (CEO of Bates Capital Group) about his success in multifamily syndication. Sam left Corporate America and started his real estate journey in 2009. He walks us through how he first got into real estate, and the path and strategies he employed to get to where he is today. He also gives advice to investors interested in multifamily syndication.   Sam's mission is to help busy professionals like himself gain their freedom back through investing in high-quality real estate investments.   Key Discussion Points [00:59] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [03:48] About our guest: Sam Bates [05:27] How did you get into commercial / multifamily real estate? [08:51] What was your first deal? [10:22] Tell us about the structure of your deals [12:51] How do you manage the back-end of the syndication? Use another company? A software tool? [14:11] How do you deal with investors who want out of a syndication deal? [15:08] Tell us about how you've expanded your geog

Today we talk with Ken Avalos, VP of Electra Capital, about alternative lending with a focus on multifamily financing solutions. Alternative lending is a great option when traditional lenders are unable to meet an investor's needs. The benefit of an alternate loan is more leverage (which means you put in less capital), speed, and the flexibility and creativity to work around odd structures and difficult issues. Depending on your situation, this can potentially allow you a greater rate of return.   Most investors use traditional lenders like Fannie and Freddie, or use a traditional community bank - all of which typically offers low cost and long term fixed rate financing. However, these traditional lenders will usually at best give you 65%-70% leverage, and their underwriting criteria is fairly strict. And in today's world of 3%-5% cap rates, it's hard to generate a decent internal rate of return.     Key Discussion Points [00:57] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [03:31] About our guest: Ke

The multifamily market is hot everywhere, but especially in Florida, and it can be difficult to find good deals with the current cap rate situation and fierce competition. Today we talk with Vehano Joseph about his strategies to finding good multifamily deals in Florida.   Key Discussion Points [00:58] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [03:38] About our guest: Vehano Joseph [05:40] What's your background and how did you get into real estate? [10:26] What do you look for in acquiring a property? [12:46] What parts of Florida do you like and dislike for real estate? [17:14] What cap rates are you seeing that enable you to acquire properties? [19:24] Tell us about your syndication deals, and any tips you can provide [21:08] Where do you investors come from? Mostly U.S.? [22:06] Do you farm out your property management? [23:44] Moving forward, is your strategy to go into more of the urban tupe environments? [25:08] Do you investors invest in the portfolio or in individual assets? [26:15] Are yo

Most real estate investors look for conventional opportunities, but there are some great deals to be had within the world of probate. Today we talk with Al Nicoletti, Attorney and probate specialist, about the ins and outs of probate and how it can be advantageous for real estate investors.   What exactly is probate? If there is no appointed heir when the owner passes away, the property is turned over to the courts and then appointed to the closest relative as the executor to sell the property. Often times the executor is willing to sell the real estate at a discount so they don't have to deal with it.   Eric Odum, the co-host of this show, has stated that almost all of the properties he's bought have been in probate.   Key Discussion Points [00:55] Opening remarks by Eric Odum & Steven Silverman [03:25] About our guest: Al Nicoletti [04:37] How did you get into the probate business? [10:31] What is probate? And what do you do that's different? [17:15] How are investors able to find these probate prope