Opportunity Zones Podcast

UPDATE OCTOBER 2022: Josh Burrell has been sentenced to prison for securities fraud. Please see Justice.gov. Can blockchain technology revolutionize Opportunity Zones real estate investing? Josh Burrell and Lane Campbell at Activated Capital have an opportunity zone fund that may become one of the first to make use of a security token offering utilizing blockchain technology. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

How can real estate investing in Opportunity Zones create triple bottom line returns? Loren Schirber is project pipeline manager for Minnesota Opportunity Zone Advisors, which recently started raising capital for their DREAM Fund. DREAM stands for “Developing Real Estate in Emerging Areas of Minnesota.” The fund is a Qualified Opportunity Fund that targets community-driven economic, social, and environmental impact. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What will business investing in Opportunity Zones look like? Coworking hub and startup incubator Launch Pad may offer the best example I've seen so far. The husband-wife team of CEO Chris Schultz and president Anne Driscoll are on a mission to create the world's strongest community of entrepreneurial workers. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What types of opportunity zone investments are community leaders looking for? And what can local communities do to incentivize investment in their opportunity zones? Erin Gillespie is principal at economic development consulting firm Madison Street Strategies and former deputy chief of staff for Florida’s Department of Economic Development Opportunity. Show notes and transcript at OpportunityDb.com

Last Thursday, February 14, the IRS Auditorium in Washington DC was packed to capacity with over 200 attendees as stakeholders spoke during the public hearing on proposed regulations: “Investing in Qualified Opportunity Funds” (REG-115420-18). For the most part, hearing participants requested additional clarification on several aspects of proposed regulations and suggested improvements to the regulations that would allow for more flexibility. Full hearing recap on OpportunityDb.com Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What does Opportunity Zone deal flow actually look like at the deal level, fund level, and investor level? And which Opportunity Zones are seeing the greatest amount of deal flow? Craig Bernstein is principal at OPZ Bernstein, which recently launched the OPZ Bernstein Opportunity Zone Fund. Craig has over 20 years of real estate experience, and is one of the leaders in the Opportunity Zones industry. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Part 2 of 2 with Thomas Morgan: How is the Opportunity Zones program stimulating more impact investing across the United States? Real estate broker, developer, investor, and impact investing expert Thomas Morgan joins me today to discuss this topic and more. Note: this is Part 2 of my conversation with Thomas. If you missed it, go to the previous episode for Part 1, where we discuss the key similarities and differences between 1031 exchanges and Opportunity Zones. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Part 1 of 2 with Thomas Morgan: What are some of the key similarities and differences between a 1031 exchange and an Opportunity Zones investment? And how do the investor profiles of the two programs differ? Real estate broker, developer, investor, and 1031 expert Thomas Morgan joins me today to discuss these topics and more. Note: this is Part 1 of my conversation with Thomas. Go to the next episode for Part 2, where we discuss impact investing in opportunity zones. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Are two tax incentives better than one? Stacking, or twinning, multiple tax credits can oftentimes help bridge a funding gap on certain real estate projects. The Opportunity Zones program can be paired with a variety of other tax credits, including the Historic Tax Credit. The place-based nature of the Opportunity Zones program makes it ideally suited to be paired with the Historic Tax Credit. The HTC is a 40+ year old tax policy that encourages private sector investment in the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings. Rich Rogers is a land use law and economic development planning attorney at Borrelli & Yots. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

How do we prevent the Opportunity Zones program from becoming merely a subsidy for gentrification? How can we instead ensure that opportunity zone investments actually benefit the people who live in the designated zones so that they can participate in any subsequent economic upturn? Dallas-based entrepreneurial business attorney Gerry Reihsen is out to answer those questions (and more) with his new endeavor — Coasis Coalition, an organization that will offer solutions and create community among those interested in participating in opportunity zone investing. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What does a rural opportunity zone revitalization project look like? And how can public-private partnerships help to accelerate a community’s renewal? The Colorado Outdoors project in Montrose County offers an excellent case study to answer these questions. Montrose, Colorado is home to 20,000 people. Although it has struggled since the economic downturn of the last decade, Montrose is one of the better up-and-coming communities in the western Colorado region. Located within 2 hours of every major outdoor activity you can possible imagine, it is truly an outdoor mecca. Led by real estate developers David Dragoo and John Renfrow, the 164-acre Colorado Outdoors project is a mixed-use development that aims to transform Montrose and provide a positive social impact for the community. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Will the opportunity zone initiative accelerate the nation’s transition to renewable energy? Find out why solar energy development and opportunity zone investing may be ideally suited for each other. Allen Alley is a technology investor, former Republican candidate for governor of Oregon, and co-founder of the Obsidian Opportunity Fund. Obsidian’s fund applies opportunity fund investing to renewable energy, and solar in particular. Allen has a vision for ubiquitous, low-cost, CO2-free power, and he believes opportunity zones may help make his vision a reality sooner than you think. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

What does a project-driven opportunity zone fund actually look like? Where do investor dollars go? What's the fee structure? And what kind of positive social impact does it have on the community? Greg Genovese is president of Seattle-based Sound West Realty Capital, a full-service real estate firm raising funds for a re-development project in Bremerton, Washington. Greg and I discuss what investors should look for in any opportunity zone investment, the business case for opportunity zone investing west of Seattle, and why he thinks shovel-ready, project-driven OZ funds excel, compared to blind-pool OZ funds. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Nearly every opportunity zone fund in existence today invests primarily in real estate development. But what about investing in business? Vijar Kohli is co-founder and portfolio manager at Golden Door Asset Management, a micro private equity firm that recently started an opportunity zone fund focused on recapitalizing small businesses in the northeast corridor between Baltimore and Boston. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Family offices and high net worth individuals: if you have questions about investing in opportunity zones, this is the episode for you. Joining me is DJ Van Keuren -- a top 10 U.S. family office real estate professional. DJ Van Keuren literally wrote the book on family office real estate investing. He is also a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council, founder of the Family Office Real Estate Institute, and vice president of family office capital for the Hayman Family Office. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Opportunity fund consultant David Sillaman and host Jimmy Atkinson discuss the potential of the opportunity zone incentive to transform America and then dive into some tips for creating an opportunity fund, including the benefits and drawbacks of structuring as a corporation versus a partnership. David Sillaman is an expert business consultant who knows how to sweat the details when it comes to creating a new opportunity zone fund. He has a ton of tips to share. And while the majority new OZ funds have so far focused on real estate, David sees promise in a variety of sectors — business, franchise investing, residential investing, biotech, cannabis, and solar, just to name a few. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

Real estate tax law expert Tony Nitti and host Jimmy Atkinson discuss the basics of the Opportunity Zones tax incentive and then dive into some unintended consequences introduced by the proposed IRS regulations. Self-described “codehead” Tony Nitti is a real estate tax law expert, CPA, and partner at WithumSmith+Brown. He also serves on the editorial advisory board for The Tax Adviser. And he’s a contributor at Forbes.com, where he recently published a thorough primer on the opportunity zones tax incentive. Show notes and transcript on OpportunityDb.com

How much do you know about opportunity zones? Maybe you know the basics — that the opportunity zones program is an economic policy intended to revitalize some of the most economically distressed areas of the country, and that to encourage investment in such communities, huge tax benefits await investors. Capital gains deferral on the front end, as well as capital gains exclusion on the back end. But if you’re like most people, you only have a rough grasp of how it all works. On this podcast, I want to transform you into an opportunity zone expert… or at least give you a better understanding of how you can become a more savvy OZ investor. Show notes & transcript: https://opportunityzones.com/2018/11/welcome-to-the-opportunity-zones-podcast/