Mike Hennig, Active Real Estate Investor With A Full-Time W2 Job

This episode takes you inside the deal-making process of commercial real estate investor Andrew Dunn. Andrew is the managing partner at VAC Development, an asset-class agnostic real estate investment group focusing on yield and asset allocation. 

Andrew primarily runs the acquisitions, capitalization, and business plan execution for the firm.
 
In this episode, Andrew reveals his approach to scaling a real estate business through a programmatic model. He details how he sources deals that fit the criteria of large institutional investors and secures large equity checks through relationships. Andrew also provides insights into evaluating retail, office, and mixed-use deals through an analysis of yield on cost and development spread.
 
Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:09 Andrew’s Dunn background
04:20 Getting into commercial real estate
06:42 The importance of operator selection for hotel deals
09:56 Setting yourself apart from the competition
12:14 Chasing equity vs. chasing deals
16:30 The director of investor - requirements and commissions
18:57 Investor relations strategies for finding capital
23:51 The Starbucks lease strategy
32:19 The importance of lease in terms of cap rate
40:05 Yield of cost metrics and risk evaluation
49:33 The influence of demographics on property value
53:33 Retail vacancy rates and office space trends
56:00 Shift in consumer behavior towards outdoor malls
59:56 Sublease and healthy market
 
Interested in chatting with Andrew?

Connect with him on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmdunn41/

X/Twitter:
https://twitter.com/andrewmdunn_

tiktok: 
andrewmdunn_

Or through his company site:
https://www.vacdevelopment.com/

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com
 
Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest
 
Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads
 
Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

In this episode, our guest, Tanner Webster, shares his journey. Tanner discusses how he learned the ins and outs of real estate development through hands-on experience, flipping houses, working for a developer, and then taking the risk on his first ground-up development project.
 
Listeners will learn Tanner's strategies for raising capital from investors, navigating the development process, and why he is targeting Class B/C industrial real estate today.

Highlights of this episode:

00:00 Intro
01:09 How did Tanner Webster get into real estate?
03:21 The first deal in 2019
05:56 Cold calling and learning from a real estate developer
13:14 Starting his first ground-up project
18:45 Real estate development and financial strategies
20:57 The benefits of Freddie Mac SBL loan
23:22 Closing a $4.3 million renovation deal in cash
29:28 The best way for people to start out
32:13 Developing land for commercial uses
36:47 Industrial real estate development
45:09 Tanner giving back through his podcast
48:25 Go out and be willing to fail
 
Interested in chatting with Tanner? Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-webster-76b182193/

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com
 
Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest
 
Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads
 
Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

In this episode, Drew has an inspiring conversation with Yannis Papadakis, a key player at Commercial Real Estate Exchange, Inc. (Crexi), a groundbreaking tool in commercial real estate.

Crexi started out as a for-sale and for-lease listing marketplace, but it is much more than that today. Yannis shares his journey from a real estate broker to a pivotal role at Crexi, revealing how the platform transformed his approach to property marketing. His foray into Crexi began while building a team at Marcus & Millichap, utilizing the platform's unique features to elevate his marketing game and currently, he focuses on business development, especially the auction platform.

Highlights:

00:00 - Episode Intro

01:37 - Transitioning into Yannis’s background and his journey into the real estate 

06:15 - How CREXI's transformative impact led Yannis’s to join the tech side.

13:40 - Exploring CREXI’s Pro Tools and subscription service 

17:48 - Teasing upcoming innovations and improvements within Crexi

23:19 - How the buyer premium works and the benefits for both buyers and sellers.

28:10 - Emphasizing transparency and how CREXI is leveling the playing field.

32:05 - Benefits of the auction experience.

37:46 - The increasing role of AI in different industries, including real estate.

Interested in chatting with Yannis? Connect with him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannis-papadakis-866a0bb6/

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

Looking into breaking into real estate investing? This episode featuring seasoned investor slash founder of Base 3 Development Gabe Horstick offers an inspiring case study for you. Learn about Gabe's inspiring journey, transitioning from banker to owning over $130 million in multifamily properties across 50 assets. 

Discover valuable advice on navigating early career paths, banking insights, and strategic real estate investments as we explore long-term wealth building, tax benefits, and managing outside capital. 

Key moments to watch out for: 

7:31 - Gabe’s banking career, risk management, and real estate investing

15:22 - Long-term wealth building

19:25 - Tax benefits 

35:13 - Pursuing entrepreneurial dreams 

45:15 - Managing outside capital

1:02:40 - Smart locks and technology in multifamily real estate development

1:07:15 - Raising capital 

1:11:08 - The role of simplicity and trust in real estate investing 

Connect with Gabe Horstick on LinkedIn or reach out to him at gabe@base3co.com 

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

In this episode, our guest Jonathan Barr, a multifamily investor and owner of JB2 Investments, shares how he grew from flipping houses with his parents to acquiring and managing apartment complexes worth more than $35 million.
 
Jonathan details his path through strategic acquisitions, leveraging relationships, and reinvesting profits to maximize returns over the long run.
 
You will gain valuable insights on sourcing off-market deals, understanding real cap ex costs, how to assess a building physically, and the importance of re-evaluating your investments based on your equity in them today vs your initial equity invested.
 
Highlights:

02:00 How did Jonathan start investing in multifamily?
05:23 The biggest mistake made
07:28 What is accelerated depreciation?
09:05 A transition from single to multifamily
13:06 The strategy for multifamily units
17:02 Return on the equity vs. the cash put into the deal
20:21 The second deal in OKC
24:36 New deal expectations and assessing units
34:18 How can you benefit from Twitter or LinkedIn?
39:12 How is Jonathan sourcing deals?
40:27 Sharing valuable insights learned along the way 
45:57 How to get in touch with Jonathan
 
Interested in chatting with Jonathan? Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter (X): 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-barr-jb2investments/ 

https://twitter.com/Jb2Investments

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome today’s guest, Steve Kundert, Senior Vice President of CBRE’s Debt and Structured Finance Group. Steve joins us to share his vast knowledge and expertise on capitalizing real estate projects. With over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Steve has an unparalleled understanding of the intricacies of multifamily properties.

This is a callback episode that I don’t want you to miss. This is one of my most favorite episodes, and Steve shared so many top-notch ideas that are honestly still ingrained in my mind to this day.

Happy listening! 

Episode Highlights: 

7:31 - Institutional vs. Private Real Estate: Understanding the Difference

13:53 - Debt Market Hot Topic: Strategies and Financing 

17:18 -  Insider Tips: Sizing Debt Funds and Negotiating Loan Docs

39:02 - Affordable Housing Initiatives 

1:12:35 - Multifamily Market Trends: Hidden Opportunities

1:25:40 - The Art of Knowing Your Deal: Expert Advice 

Want to connect with Steve? 

Send him an email: steve.kundert@cbre.com

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

In this episode of Breneman Blueprint, let’s dive into personal finance as my incredible guest Matt Fore shares his journey from technology sales to a thriving real estate career. 

Matt is an investor who focuses on niche asset classes like car washes, mobile home parks, and real estate debt. Currently, through his company Next Level Income, he operates over 30 car wash locations and several mobile home parks. Their goal is to acquire 100 car wash locations by 2025.

Join us as Matt uncovers his unique approach to achieving financial independence in just 3 years, utilizing clever strategies like recycling capital and investing in niche assets such as mobile home parks and real estate debt. 

Watch out for these episode highlights: 

5:05 - How Matt achieved financial freedom in a span of 3 years 

7:18 - How Matt got into real estate investing 

12:52 - Investing in mobile homes 

22:01 - Finding and underwriting mobile home park deals

28:39 - Investing in car wash 

34:52 - Financing car wash acquisitions 

36:14 - Real estate debt strategy of lending to fix and flippers

38:12 - Matt on living an intentional life and pursuing passions

Interested in investing with Matt? Tune in to his podcast Ice Cream with Investors or visit their website: https://nextlevelincome.com/ 

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

Ryan Cahalan, Founder & CEO of Artisan Capital Group, is a successful multifamily investor with over an $800M portfolio he has acquired in the past ten years. He joins Drew on the podcast this week, where they discuss:

1. How to get started as a GP.

2. Not following the herd (which led him to invest aggressively in Des Moines, IA)

3. Scaling a GP Business.

4. Mitigating Risk as a GP.

5. Advice for GPs early on in their careers.

6. Having an edge or unique strategy
7. The importance of hard work and career twists and turns

Some other key moments to watch out for: 

5:15 -  Pivoting strategy during the financial crisis to focus on secondary markets like Des Moines, Iowa

15:08 - The first larger deal that helped launch Artisan and brought partners 

26:20 - The early challenges of scaling Artisan Capital Group

34:42 - Artisan Capital Group’s investment process, capital raising activities, and goals for continued growth

56:20 - From sourcing opportunities to financing large transactions

Interested in doing a deal with Artisan Capital? Visit their website: https://www.artisancapitalgroup.com/ 

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

Welcome to Breneman Blueprint!

Dive into the world of real estate with Aleksey Chernobelskiy—an investment guru guiding limited partners (“LPs”) towards lucrative investment paths. At LPlessons.substack.com, he demystifies LP investments for 1,500 investors.

Aleksey's journey began at STORE Capital, where he managed a $10 billion real estate portfolio and led the underwriting team. With a quadruple major in Finance, Mathematics, Economics, and Accounting from the University of Arizona, Aleksey now advises LPs on investment strategies and assists General Partners with crucial advice on capital calls and presentations.

From dispelling misconceptions to exploring his three investment pillars, this episode brims with insights. 

We cover due diligence, sponsor selection, and aligning investments with personal goals. It's not just about investing; it's your blueprint for success in real estate as a limited partner!

Tune in for these exciting conversations on: 

3:51 - Common misconceptions about real estate investing

9:17 - Investing in real estate as a limited partner

15:25 - Real estate investing pillars, execution, track record, and decision-making

20:23 - Due diligence for investment deals

28:56 - Investment deals and family involvement

32:56 - Real estate investing and sponsor selection

45:01 - Real estate investing waterfalls and potential risks

Connect with Aleksey on social media: 
https://twitter.com/chernobelskiy

Learn from Aleksey’s LP Investing Lessons here: 
https://lplessons.substack.com/

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman

Joe Smazal, Senior Managing Partner of Interra Realty, one of Chicago's top multifamily brokers, joins us on this episode today. 

This is one of our best episodes, but it came out very early in our podcast's existence. So we want to replay it for everyone here today.

In today’s conversation, Joe and Drew discuss what buyers can do to set themselves apart in the competitive real estate market. Tune in and join the conversation as Joe shares valuable insights and strategies to make a mark as a buyer in today's dynamic landscape.

Joe absolutely crushed it with tip after tip in this one. A must-listen for any broker or buyer trying to gain an advantage in this ever-changing market.

What to listen for: 

12:28 - How real estate is a common thread among successful people + how to get started 

23:38 - Scoring deals through phone calls

27:14 - The power of time management and filtering emails

31:52 - The best way to get to know buyers in the market 

48:10 - A peek at Joe’s typical workday 

52:01 - The importance of having a CLEAN DESK

59:01 - The power of branding in your business

1:03:21 - Interacting with clients and why honesty is critical 

Interested in chatting with Joe? Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joesmazal/ 

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Breneman Capital: https://www.breneman.com

Investor List: https://www.breneman.com/invest

Passive RE Investor Guidebook: https://www.breneman.com/downloads

Connect with Drew: https://linktr.ee/drewbreneman