Today’s question comes from Steve in Salt Lake City I have noticed living in the greater Salt Lake area that the styling of new multi family buildings has become very cold and austere it’s almost like the same template is being used.    What factors do you use and...

On today’s show we are talking about how the forecast bloodbath in hospitality is just getting started. Last month we saw two of San Francisco’s large hotels handing the keys back to the lender. The owner of the San Francisco Hilton and the Park 55 Hotel announced in...

On today’s show we are talking about industrial and what can happen when investors move en masse toward the same target. The folks at Marcus & Millichap issued a wave of mid year updates on the industrial sector for almost all of the major markets across the US. ...

In his groundbreaking book "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," renowned social psychologist and marketing expert Robert Cialdini. He delves into the world of human behavior and unravels the secrets behind the art of persuasion. Cialdini came from the...

Today’s question comes from Chris who writes.  What are your thoughts on diversification? I keep hearing about how diversification is important to mitigate risk. How would you diversify your real estate investments? I’m not even clear on what would be considered to be...

Kenny Rose is based in Chicago Illinois where he is the principal at Franshares a company that specializes in fractionalizing share ownership in franchises across the USA. Franchises come in all shapes and sizes. They range from food and beverage, to fitness, to waste...

Travis Godon is based in Ely Nevada where he specializes in land development for large utility scale solar farms. On today's show we are talking about the criteria that make for a suitable solar farm. To learn more or to connect with Travis, seek him out on...

On today’s show we are taking a snapshot look at how one state is trying to address housing affordability.  Home pricing follows the laws of supply and demand. Sellers put their home on the market and buyers place an offer. That price might be low than asking price,...

On today’s show we are taking a look at interest rates. Yesterday the Federal Reserve increased the Federal Funds rate to a range between 5.25%-5.5%.  This clearly sets the stage for short term interest rates to increase. The yield on the 10 year treasury decreased...

On today’s show we are not talking about real estate, but instead about a major shift that is taking place in society.  We have an unstated assumption in our world that more is better. We want more money, a bigger house, a faster car, a bigger boat.  As investors we...

Tenants can hardly be blamed for being confused. Many have never owned a home and they have no idea what it costs to own and maintain a property.  With the rise in interest rates, home affordability has become even more expensive. Inflation has affected many of the...

On today’s show we are looking at a fundamental economic concept, called the law of supply and demand. I have been a huge believer in the law of supply and demand as one of those fundamentals that must be respected. I treat it like a law of physics similar to...

Shawn Moore is based in Park City Utah where he specializes in short term rentals. On today's show we are talking about the state of the short term rental market and how it is changing and "growing up". To learn more or to connect with Shawn, visit...

Sara Martin is an architect and project manager with HED specializing in design of data centers for high capacity computing installations. On today's show we are talking about the data center industry and the characteristics of a modern data center. To learn more...

On today’s show, we are looking at different types of money printing to understand the impact that money supply has on consumer price inflation. Have you wondered why we don’t have hyperinflation with the tens of trillions of dollars that are loaned into existence...

Today’s show is another AMA episode (Ask Me Anything) Allan asks: I have been listening to your show for about two years now and love the depth and variety of what you share. I’m amazed at how much you can pack into just a few minutes. My question is, what are your...

On today’s show we are talking about how maturing cities handle growth and development.  There are two costs associated with growth. There is the initial cost, and then there is the lifecycle cost.  Buildings and neighbourhoods go through cycles of development,...

On today's show we are announcing the contest winners. Chris De Celle David Ortiz Emilio Tucker Emails have been sent to each of you to get your mailing details. Congratulations to our winners.   On today show, we are talking about an impending surge in...

On today’s show we are looking at one of the most convincing economic indicators in advance of next week’s Federal Reserve meeting. We hear politicians talking about how the economy is strong and how unemployment is near record lows. Inflation is coming down, but core...

Jmi Pfeifer is the founder of Left Field Investing an online investment club with about 1,800 members. On today's show we are talking about how the community operates. To connect or to learn more, visit leftfieldinvesting,com -------------------- Host: Victor...

Leandro and Arturo are principals at Primestor, a Culver City development company specializing in building in some difficult parts of South Los Angeles. ---------------- Host: Victor Menasce podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we are talking about how to evaluate a proposal from a consultant. We are going to look at two proposals from different geotechnical engineers. These two proposals differ significantly in both price and scope. One proposal is nearly double the price of...

On today’s show we are talking about some of the tricks that bureaucrats use to manipulate the inflation metrics that are being used to decide monetary policy. The cost of money affects the cost of virtually everything we buy. So the power to manipulate the economy...

On today’s show we are taking a look at a looming problem that threatens the functioning of the entire legal system in North America. Justice delayed is justice denied. The rule of law depends upon having a functioning legal system. In the absence of a working legal...

This question comes from Elizabeth who asks: I’m looking at a property which borders on an environmentally protected wetland area. Of the acreage, about 80% is outside the environmentally protected zone. So I should be able to develop on the part that is not...

On today’s show we are taking a look at the weeks ahead. We are expecting a number of announcements including the upcoming interest rate policy when the federal reserve meets near the end of July. The latest numbers coming out of Washington suggest a robust economy....

Vikas Gupta is based in Pasadena California with a software startup called Azibo. Azibo is a software company that specializes in serving smaller independent landlords with a property management system that is highly integrated, but still easy for smaller landlords to...

Calvin Roberts might be the youngest insurance brokerage principal I've ever met. But he is clearly one of the most knowledgeable. On today's show we are talking about the massive increases in insurance premiums and explaining the underlying factors. To...

On today’s show we are talking about the architecture of the future. We are all accustomed to seeing the usual rectangular buildings with the vertical walls and 90 degree angles everywhere. Architects made them more interesting by articulating the facade with...

Today is a milestone for the Real Estate Espresso Podcast. This is the 2000th episode of the podcast. It seems like yesterday that the podcast was a concept, an idea. I had been experimenting with various ways of communicating and had been a guest on numerous shows....

Today’s question comes from Matt who asks: I have a property that we are considering buying that is in a hot neighborhood. The rents in the area are $2,500 a month for a 2BR apartment which is strong for the city as a whole. The city is a rustbelt city that has seen a...

On today show, we are looking at the market for construction workers. With the rising interest rates, there has been a significant reduction in the number of construction jobs underway compared with the same period Last year. It’s no secret that there is a shortage of...

On this podcast we keep trying to make sense out of this economy. It is confusing and there are numerous contradictory signals.  On today’s show we are taking a look at why there appears to be a labor shortage. We keep hearing about the so-called labor shortage and...

Stewart Heath is based in the Huntsville market where he invests in stabilized commercial assets that have a customer facing component. On today's show we are talking about the opportunity that is coming in the world of commercial real estate, as well as some of...

Our book this month is The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential, by Wim Hof. Wim is famous. He has broken more than 26 world records. Some people call him the Ice Man.  In this book, Wim takes the reader through his personal life journey of accidental...

On today’s show we’re talking about household formation and why some adult children are living at home for so much longer than in generations past. It’s not secret that home affordability is a problem for many who are newly independent young adults. There are a few...

On today’s show we are talking about a project that so far has gone nowhere. It’s not a large project, and we did not have anything invested in it besides some time. The subject property was part of a development in the province of Quebec.   The owners of the land had...

Norway raised their interest rates by 50 basis points and announced another raise in August. Switzerland raise their benchmark rate by 25 basis points. The UK raised it’s benchmark rate by 50 basis points up to 5%. China lowered its rate because they see ahead what is...

On today’s show we are taking a look at what is happening in the world of travel and tourism. These changes could have an impact on the world of hospitality as a result, and I believe an impact to where you might choose to invest.   The so-called revenge travel wave...

On today show we’re taking a look at a major shift in the rental housing market. This change is a direct result of the rapid increase in interest rates. A lot has been written in recent months about the so-called lock in effect. I recently attended a talk by Dr. Doug...

Ken McElroy is based in Scottsdale Arizona. I caught up with Ken and his sons in Belize this month where we were speaking at the Investor Summit on Sand. On today's show we are talking about the key constraints in the current environment. To connect with Ken,...

Alan Stewart is based in Grapevine Texas where he has built a sizeable portfolio of rental apartments. On today's show we are talking about making improvements that don't necessarily have to cost extra. To learn more or to connect with Alan, visit his...

Investing is not easy. It is an active business that requires continuous improvement of systems and processes. It also comes with risks that you need to understand and quantify On today’s show we are talking about one of the biggest risks to a short term rental...

On today's show we are taking a look at what is happening in the world of softwood lumber and lumber futures. The entire construction industry for new homes and for many multifamily apartment developments is heavily influenced by lumber futures pricing....

On today’s show we are looking at crypto currencies. It should come as no surprise that governments the world over are not enthusiastic about having a grass roots competitor to official currency of the nation.  Since most of the world exists in the realm of fiat...

On today’s show we are talking about demographics and how this affects real estate on a global basis. Most western economies have declining birth rates. The population of the world is growing.  On today's show we are looking at whether investing strategy is...

Oh today’s show we are talking about the current macro economic climate and provide a forecast for interest rates for the second half of this year.  The fact is that we live in an interconnected world and the attempts by central bankers to look at the economic...

Russell Gray is the co-host of the Real Estate Guys Radio show, now in its 26th year. On today's show we are talking about the current monetary environment and the risks inherent in today's FIAT currency based system. To connect with Russ or to learn more...

On today's show we are talking with Chad Zdenek who is based in Los Angeles. Chad has a side hustle as the host of at documentary TV series called "Inside Mighty Machines". By day, he owns and operates a portfolio of multi family apartments. On...

We have all experienced entering a search query only to receive a long list of unrelated products that happen to match one of the keywords in the search.  Incorporating artificial intelligence into the customer experience will transform search. You might be wondering...

Today's question comes from Adam who writes: Hello Victor, Thank you for the wonderful podcast.  I am a daily listener and I regularly recommend the Real Espresso Podcast to others. Today you ended your podcast (S6 E166 Cand the Banks Survive Another Rate...

On today’s show we are talking about the coming financial crisis. You might be wondering how I can say that. We are not seeing more bank failures since the failure of First republic Bank.  We are seeing signs of it creeping into the news headlines. Yesterday’s Wall...

This question comes from Paul who writes: I have booked a strong capital gain as a passive investor in a syndication. The sponsor of the deal is asking all investors to come along for the ride in a 1031 exchange. The sponsor seemed to do a good job on this first...

On today’s show we’re talking about my personal experience with the media. I also want to be careful to make sure this does not come across as sounding like a bunch of conspiracy theories.  There is an accepted social norm called social proof. This is based on the...

Andrew Abernathey is based in Phoenix Arizona where he develops storage facilities in Arizona and California. Working closely with a family office, Andrew and his team at Abernathey Holdings are scaling up aggressively. To learn more or to connect with Andrew, visit...

Anna Kelly is based in Lancaster Pennsylvania and she invests in several markets across the SE USA including multi family apartments and short term rentals. She has established herself as a leader in the space. On today's show we are talking about risk, and some...

Today's question comes from Christian who asks: I’m small time RE investor and about to do my first long distance flip. Is it worth hiring a project management company? It is a flat fee and they would help with design, compare costs, negotiate with contractors,...

On today’s show we are going through a thought experiment about the risk of large global divisions and how that might affect your real estate development project. To walk through the process, we are going to use an example of a small construction project for a single...

The Wall Street Journal finally reported on something that investors and lenders have known for more than nine months.  The rapid rise in interest rates has created a structural problem for commercial real estate.  The issue goes far beyond the headline that nearly...

How do you know if a project bid is good? On today’s show we are talking about how to value engineer a project. We’re going to look at a project that has a firm bid on it. Overall, the construction bid seemed to be fairly reasonable in terms of total price per square...

On today’s show we are looking at the design of industrial warehouse buildings. Building designs are changing from a functional perspective and this is important when you consider investment in industrial buildings. When we hear about warehouses, people tend to talk...

Deborah Smith is based in the NY area where she plays a key role in institutional investing at the Center Cap Group in industrial real estate. In particular, she is a big fan of industrial outdoor storage. We share that in common. On today's show we are talking...

Dan Haberkost is based in Colorado Springs where he is the founder of Front Range Land. The company specializes in in-fill land improvements all over the South-east. On today's show we are talking about the current market conditions for in-fill land projects and...

On today’s show, we are taking a look at one of the largest economies in the world and wondering why it seems to be sputtering. We are of course, talking about China. Earlier this year the Chinese economy was in strict lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After...

 Our book this month is called "Debt: the last 5000 years.”  I expected this book to be thought-provoking, and it did not disappoint. The author of the book is anthropologist David Graeber and the book was written in the week of the great financial crisis of 2008...

On today’s show we are looking at an outlook for inflation of construction prices and how this is going to play out over the next three years.  There is no question that construction prices have come down in the past 6 months and continue to fall. This has been driven...

On today’s show we are going to put forward a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an untested idea. It’s hypothetical which is why it is called a hypothesis.  Specifically we’re going to look at the balance of revenue and expenses that make for a profitable venture in...

On today’s show we’re coming to you live from Multi Family Conference in Toronto.  There were a number of great speakers at the conference, but I want to focus on one speaker in particular. Our North American culture can be celebrity obsessed and I don’t buy into...

Mark Kenney is a principal at Think MultiFamily in Dallas Texas. He and his partners have amassed a portfolio of more than 14,000 apartments. On today's show we are talking about lessons learned from the current market conditions. This is a fairly sobering...

Quentin DeSouza is based in Toronto Canada where he has grown as sizeable portfolio of multi-family apartments. On today's show Quentin talks about his strategy for stimulating rent growth in a rent controlled market. To connect or to learn more, reach out to...

Today’s question comes from Mathieu who asks: I’m experiencing sellers who are demanding unreasonable terms when it comes to even looking at a property. They are asking me to get the property under contract before even viewing the property and they are demanding due...

On today’s show we are looking at short term rentals to see what market conditions are best suited to this product type.  In addition, some critics are zeroing in on a legal gray zone in the world of residential tenancies, short term rentals, hotel stays, and medium...

On today’s show we are taking a look at the so-called liquidity crunch to understand why it is happening. Is it just rumour? Is the lack of liquidity real?  On today’s show we have concrete proof as to why the credit markets are seizing up.  A few months ago it was...

On today’s show we are talking about conservation easements.  We tend to think of the income tax code as a mechanism for extracting revenue from the population and from businesses. To be fair, that is true. But there are thousands upon thousands of pages in the tax...

Today's question is from Marc in Montreal The information you provide on your show helps me every day sharpen my strategies and tactics.  Thanks for that. I run a strip mall with a laneway behind it that is used for a McDonald’s drive through.   The city, rightly or...

Brett Swarts has been active in sheltering real estate from capital gains tax for several decades. On today's show we are talking about several strategies that can be used to shelter from tax including the Delaware Statutory Trust and the Deferred Sales Trust....

Max Hansen is based in Utah where he has been practicing as a 1031 Intermediary for more than 40 years. On today's show we are talking about some of the nuances of sheltering capital gains tax in the US tax code. To connect or to learn more, visit accruit.com,...

This past month, a milestone was passed that went largely un-noticed. China exported more goods in Remnimbi then in US dollars for the first time in modern history. This means that more and more countries are willing to do business with China.  When you consider what...

On today’s show we are taking a look at why we are experiencing a banking crisis. There are those in the Federal Reserve and in the media who are critical of recent bank failures. Those banks were irresponsible and didn’t hedge their interest rate risk properly....

On today’s show we are talking about why the math of home affordability is broken. The critics of home affordability put the blame at the feet of developers and home builders for not building affordable homes.  But the price of homes in the resale market is set...

In the world of economics, it’s vital to understand energy. Energy is the economy. The economy and real estate are connected through multiple threads. The ESG movement of environmental sustainability and governance has its heart in the right place. The problem is the...

Today's question comes from Ms. Cortes in Atlanta who asks: I’ve been offered an opportunity to invest in a ground up construction of a new warehouse located near I-10. I’ve sent you the entire package of information from the deal sponsor including the webinar...

Matt Pestronk is based in Philadelphia and specializes in redeveloping office assets in the North Eastern states. On today's show we are talking about the subtleties of office conversion projects. You can connect with Matt at postcre.com ----------------- Host:...

Michael Flight is based in Oak Brook, Illinois and has been investing in shopping centers since the 1980's. On today's show we are talking about the changing nature of retail and how the retail apocalypse is not upon us. Michael has been doing some...

On today’s show we are talking about the process of getting approvals for even simple projects.  We are talking about a project that recently received full approval to move forward with construction. Even in cases where the zoning is not changing and no new buildings...

On today’s show we are going to look at an asset class that continues to attract attention from both individual investors and institutional players. That asset class is storage. Storage is seen as a recession resistant asset class. There are clearly many signs that...

 On today show we’re talking about housing needs in manufacturing corridors. Yesterday I attended a meeting involving politicians and city staff from five different communities along the St. Lawrence River seaway. Many of these communities have experienced a...

On today’s show we are talking about one of the most overlooked line items in a property budget. This is the dreaded repairs and maintenance line.  Operating budgets make reasonable assumptions about the natural timeframe for equipment replacement, and the lifetime...

On today’s show we are looking at the underlying data that is being used as central in the narrative about the health of our economy and the flight against inflation.  The message out of the White House and the Fed is that the economy is strong, too strong even. Look...

Andrew Crebar is the CEO of Honey Bricks, a platform for enabling young, newly accredited investors to invest in private placement real estate projects. On today's show we are talking about this specific high income earning demographic and how they are looking...

Todd Sulzinger is based in Redwood City California. He spent much of his career in finance roles in the tech industry before moving into the world of real estate investing. On today's show we are talking about the Silicon Valley Bank failure, mobile home park...

On today’s show we are looking at how AI can be a useful research tool for real estate investors.  A lot of emphasis for AI tools has been for mining the universe for information and writing new material such as blog posts. No doubt, there is some utility there. But...

On today’s show we are taking yet another look at the macro economic environment. Virtually everything in the world of real estate investing is being dominated by the macro environment.   The Federal reserve increased the Fed funds rate another 25 basis points. They...

On today's show we are looking for tangible evidence of what investors are looking for. ------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

The Federal Reserve published an ironic report on the day that the FDIC took control over the First republic Bank. The report was all about the demise of Silicon Valley Bank. It was a retrospective of sorts on what contributed to the failure of the bank and what...

 Our book this month is called “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman. Daniel Kahneman is a professor of experimental psychology at Princeton University. He is the recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics for his life work in psychology and how decisions are...

Taylor Loht is based in Richmond Virginia where he has secured a FINRA broker-dealer license and is active raising capital for sponsor projects across the nation. So far he has raised $200M in capital. You can learn more and you can connect with Taylor at...

Today's show is a live talk from The Real Estate Guys Secrets of Successful Syndication Conference in Dallas Texas, held on March 23. We're talking about the principles of raising capital with investors. -------------- Host: Victor Menasce email:...

This question comes from Steve in Utah. Two years ago I bought a subject to rental property that has a loan with it that has a 2.25% interest rate fixed for 30 years.   A great deal for me!!! however back in November I noticed the loan servicer had changed.    Today...

On yesterday's show we talked about how there are signs of monetary deflation present in our economy. We discussed the definition of what is inflation and what is deflation? Today's show is the second in a two-part series on monetary deflation. On today’s...