Straight Up Chicago Investor

There are over 125,000 RE/MAX agents in the US, and in 2019 not one of them sold more properties than REO expert Ryan Smith. That's right, our guest is #1 out of 125,000. In this episode, Ryan Smith and his partner Mike Harvey discuss REO properties, how to work with REO agents, and the difference between foreclosure and pre-foreclosure. Ryan and Mike shine light on the nuances a Chicago investor may experience compared to investors buying REOs in other markets, and what local investors can do to prepare for upcoming REOs. In addition, Ryan and Mike discuss how COVID has affected IL default rates, as well as what this means for investors looking for distressed assets. With so much talk about evictions and forbearances in Chicago, this episode is timely and highly relevant. If you like what you hear, please leave us a 5 star review! Also, join our FB Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/3265227216848263 Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Ryan Smith & Mike Havey of Smith REO Link: Cook County Recorder Link: Book Rec | Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: Wickman, Gino Link: Book Rec | Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance: Duckworth, Angela Link: Book Rec | The Art Of War: Sun Tzu Link: Recommendation | Marblestone Property Group: Chicago Property Management and Property Managers, Chicago Houses and Homes for Rent Email Addresses | [email protected] ----------------- Guest Questions Landlord tip of the day 2:56 Guest Intro 6:03 Who are your clients at smith REO? 7:45 What's the difference between Pre- Foreclosure and Foreclosure? 10:10 Is the cook county recorder's office the same as CCrecorder.org? 13:58 At what point of the foreclosure process do you guys come in? 16:05 When putting in an offer, what are the things that give you an upper hand? 22:10 What are your feelings on escalation clauses and what are escalation clauses? 22:46 What is the best way to submit proof of funds? 26:45 What's the first step you'd tell an investor who wants to get involved buying your deals? 32:55 How has 2020 changed your business and what do you expect going forward? 34:20 What are the differences between now and '08 in terms of high delinquencies? 37:28 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 49:00 What's one piece of advice you'd give a new investor? 49:35 What do you do for fun? 50:15 What's a good self development activity you use? 51:05 Who is one person you'd recommend in your local network? 52:00 How can we learn more about you? 52:39 That's our show, thanks so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Jason Marcordes, owner of Landmark Property Management, provides insight into how Pilsen has evolved and why he thinks it still has a runway for growth. Jason dives into tenants expectations and several nuances that come with investing in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Aside from Pilsen, we touch on surrounding neighborhoods such as Little Village and Bridgeport, and analyze price points, housing stock, neighborhood growth, and more. If you learned something today from Jason, please take a moment to leave us a 5 star review and share us with a friend! Also, join our FB Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/3265227216848263 Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Jason Marcordes of Landmark Property Management Link: Facebook Group | Straight Up Chicago Investor Club Link: Book Rec | Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds Link: Book Rec | The Compound Effect (9781593157241): Hardy, Darren: Books Link: Mortgage Lender | Jason Brown, NMLS #729220 | Call Jason | Email Jason ----------------- Guest Questions Landlord tip of the week 4:03 Guest Intro 5:30 How have the Pilsen Stockyards changed over time? 7:30 How did you end up choosing Pilsen as a home base? 8:30 How does the housing stock differ in Pilsen from the rest of the city? 10:15 Are investors completely gut rehabbing properties in Pilsen or just accepting the smaller bedrooms? 11:10 What are some of the nuances in Pilsen to expect as opposed to other parts of the city? 12:05 What are some tenant expectations for rehabs in Pilsen? 13:30 What are the main streets/ sections of Pilsen I should be aware of as an investor? 16:30 How do the tenant expectations and prices change as you move West from Pilsen? 19:30 Are you managing a lot of market rents or more section 8? 24:19 How does the investment environment compare in Bridgeport to Pilsen and Little Village? 26:10 Do you get involved in the tri-taylor area, and what's that neighborhood like? 26:50 How have your rents been since COVID hit? 29:00 Can you give rough pricing on a turn key deal in Pilsen? 29:54 Do you see city taxes becoming more of a burden as Pilsen grows? 31:00 Can you give us your thoughts on Will county as an investment opportunity? 34:30 Wrap Up Questions What's your competitive advantage? 35:25 What's one piece of advice you'd tell a new investor in Chicago? 36:30 What do you do for fun? 37:03 What's a good self development activity you'd recommend? 37:30 Who is someone in your local network you'd recommend? 38:25 How can we learn more about you? 39:10 That's our show, thank you so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Neal Bawa, the founder of Grocapitus, has built an immense empire of 3,000 units with nearly 40,000 students studying his data driven approach. On today's episode, Neal dives into the key advantages and disadvantages of investing in Chicago compared to other major metros. He also provides his thoughts on opportunity zones, including the major benefits of OZs and why some are destined to fail. Being centered on data, he gives a deep dive into economic factors influencing Chicago, the individual investor, and the real estate market as a whole. Lastly, Neal explains how "churn" is the hidden expense you need to be accounting for. If you enjoy today's episode with Neal, please give us a 5 star review and join our Facebook Group! The group is linked here, and our community is growing - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3265227216848263 ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Neal Bawa of Grocapitus Investments Link: Grocapitus Website | Opportunity Zones Link: Multifamily University | Free eBook: Location Magic | Join Our Investor Club Link: Tim Ferriss' Blog Link: Chris Jackson on LinkedIn ----------------- Guest Questions Landlord tip of the week 2:00 Guest intro 5:18 Is Chicago a market people should avoid because it doesn't always look good in macro charts? 6:30 What is an opportunity zone and what are some pros/cons of them? 9:45 Is there a benefit to setting up a QOF if you're in a small project? 17:04 What does a $4 Trillion dollar stimulus package do for an investor? 20:00 What could a downturn look like in the modern world run by banks? 26:00 As an investor, what makes sense as a project to do right now? 28:40 How do you account for churn in your investments? 32:20 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 39:00 What is one piece of advice you'd give a new investor? 40:15 What do you do for fun? 41:10 Name a good self development activity you'd recommend. 42:20 Who would you recommend as a quality resource in your network? 43:40 How can we learn more about you? 44:00 That's our show, thank you so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Today's episode provides great insights for anyone investing in Chicago, specifically for those unfamiliar with the area. Author, coach, and entrepreneur Kathy Fettke has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, ABC, CNBC, NPR, MarketWatch, among other major media outlets. With over 50,000 members following her advice through her RealWealth Network educational platform, Kathy's team of investors have accumulated over $1 Billion in assets, with the majority of that number being out of state investments. Chicago is one of Kathy's main markets and she has seen firsthand the challenges that come with out of state investing in an area as diverse as Chicagoland. Kathy walks through the Top 5 mistakes she sees out of state investors make and what steps you can take to proactively minimize these occurrences. Take a listen, and please leave us a 5 star review if you like what you hear. Also, don't forget to check out our new Straight Up Chicago Investor Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3265227216848263/ ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Kathy Fettke of RealWealth Network Link: Kathy's husband's book Link: Cook County Property Taxes Link: Mark's blog on Section 8 room requirements Link: HUD Inspection checklist Link: Site to look up past HUD inspections Link: Kathy's take on Chicago Link: Real Estate News (Kathy' podcast) ----------------- Guest Questions 1:36 - Proactively getting the neighbors on your side 3:56 - Landlord tip of the week 6:06 - Intro 7:58 - How Kathy got started 8:43 - Kathy's life changing event leading to the drive for passive income 10:51 - Why Chicago, and how Kathy chooses a market 13:28 - Chicago as its own universe, 15:01 - How property taxes align to affordability 16:27 - Chicago pricing compared to 2007 18:21 - Mistake #5 - Not performing appropriate due diligence/understanding permits 19:54 - Issues with doing unpermitted work 22:37 - Mitake #4 - Not fully understanding the neighborhood 24:50 Mistake #3 - Not hiring the right property management for your model 28:34 - Mistake #2 - Not understanding property taxes and how they can adjust 29:56 - Contest your Illinois property taxes every year32:27 - Mistake #1 - Not understanding Section 8 Housing 34:40 - Suburbs that provide higher Section 8 rents than market, and how to underwrite 35:21 - Section 8 voucher is inheritable 37:28 - Section 8 inspection and bedroom requirements 39:45 - Other things to look out for when evaluating turnkey companies 42:52 - Redflags for property management entities 45:05 - Real-life embezzlement example, and how to fight through it Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 47:54 What is one piece of advice you'd give to a new investor? 51:37 What do you do for fun in Chicago? 52:42 What's a good self-development tool you would recommend? 53:40 Name one person in your professional network that you'd recommend as a quality resource? 54:28 How can we learn more about you? 54:47 That's our show, thank you so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Chance Badertscher from Lavelle Law, specializes in Commercial and Residential real estate as well as business formation in and around Chicagoland. In this episode, Chance provides nuggets on how to properly interview a real estate attorney and how an attorney should quarterback your transaction. Chance also goes into the role the attorney plays in Chicago real estate transactions and how they can best be utilized as a team member to work more efficiently both before and after the attorney review. Listen to our interview with Chance and if you learned something today, share us with a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Chance Badertscher of Lavelle Law Link: Chance W. Badertscher Link: CRLTO Ordinance | Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance Link: Network Recommendation | Ryan W. Gardner Link: Headspace App | Headspace: Meditation and Sleep Made Simple Link: New Chicago Renewal Notice ----------------- Guest Questions Landlord tip of the week 3:04 What are some questions I should ask when picking an attorney? 6:20 When do attorney's get involved, what's expected, and what's the process? 9:50 What are some things people can do to get an attorney review done quickly as possible? 14:50 What does having a contract being "as-is" mean on the legal side of the transaction? 16:50 What role is the attorney playing after attorney review? 19:03 After attorney review, what steps are taken to get to the closing table? 23:30 What kind of appraisal problems have you seen lately and how do you reconcile them? 25:30 How can you be a value add to some of your clients as opposed to just closing transactions? 33:50 Tell us some of the changes you've had to make during COVID in your business? 35:00 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 37:50 What is one piece of advice you'd tell a new investor? 39:52 What do you like to do for fun? 40:50 Name one person from your network you'd recommend as a quality resource. 42:00 What's a good self development tool you'd recommend? 42:30 How can we learn more about you? 43:30 That's our show today! As always, thanks so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Our guest today, Noah Birk, is the highest producing multi-family broker in Chicago since 2014. In this episode, Noah provides great hyper-local insights on MFH investing in neighborhoods like South Shore, Auburn Gresham, Washington Park and Englewood. We discuss the impact that the Obama Center and Tiger Woods Golf Course play into the area's appreciation as well as key mistakes to avoid on the south side for new investors. He also talks about how COVID has impacted the value-add space with large MFH investments and how much a typical 2/1 rehab can cost. If you learned something, please give us a 5 star review and share us with a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Noah Birk from Kiser Group Sponsors: Sizzle Home Staging, Das Law, LTD. Link: Available positions at GC Realty Link: Book Recommendation: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win Link: Jennifer Goldstone Attorney Link: Kiser Group ----------------- Guest Questions Landlord tip of the day 3:58 Guest Intro: 6:15 How important is "block by block" on the south-side? 9:00 How much does the upcoming developments play into the south side? 10:12 Are clients often repeat clients in the south side of Chicago? 11:22 What are general rules of thumb if I'm an interested investor in South shore? 12:33 What are the borders of South Shore you'd be comfortable investing? 15:20 How would you compare Auburn-Gresham to South Shore? 17:40 How do you see transit affecting appreciation in the area? 19:95 How does Hyde Park compare to its surrounding areas? 21:35 What are your thoughts on Englewood as an investment opportunity? 24:30 Are Opportunity Zones influencing your clients? 26:04 How are clients getting buildings rehabbed during this environment? 28:25 Do you have rough numbers on how much a value add is per unit? 29:50 What are some things you make out of state investors aware of? 31:45 For new investors, would you recommend getting started with MFH right off the bat? 34:40 Wrap Up Questions What's your competitive advantage? 37:10 What's one piece of advice you'd give to a new investor in Chicago? 38:29 What do you do for fun? 39:15 What's a good self development tool you'd recommend? 40:05 Name one person you'd recommend as a quality resource in Chicago? 40:55 How can we learn more about you? 41:50 That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Matt Fritzshall is the President and Founder of Triton Realty Group with over 200MM in transactions under his belt. Matt was highly successful during the Logan Square boom and in this episode, he'll discuss other Northside markets such as Hermosa and Belmont Gardens that have the potential to be the next Logan Square. Matt also weighs in on the age old debate of starting small or going for a large multi family syndication and the pros and cons of each. Tapping on his experience over the past decade, Matt brings up issues he's seen that slow down the closing and also what an investor friendly agent wants to see from someone new in the game. Listen to Matt's local insights and then leverage this information to move you along your journey. If like what you hear, leave us a review and recommend us to a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Matt Fritzshall from Titon Realty Group Sponsors: Sizzle Home Staging, Das Law, LTD. Link: Heartland Bank Link: Recommendation - GrantCardone.com Link: Heartland Bank Justin Kennedy Link: Renovo Eric Workman ----------------- Guest Questions Guest Intro. 3:35 What are some neighborhoods you like? 4:35 What are some rough guidelines for underwriting in Hermosa or Belmont Gardens? 7:35 How do you differentiate between Renter/Condo quality? 10:27 Can you break down some nuances in your neighborhoods that buyers should know? 12:20 What are your thoughts of starting in a large MFH or smaller deals? 17:08 What are some issues buyers have when trying to close contracts? 22:45 How long does it take to get a commercial loan start to finish? 27:50 How can I get in the game if I have no track record? 32:50 How do you see rents changing in the north side over the next couple years? 35:40 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 41:10 What's one piece of advice you'd give a new investor? 42:25 What do you do for fun? 43:10 What's a good self development activity you would recommend? 44:52 Can you name one person in your network you'd recommend? 46:10 How can we learn more about you? 47:40 That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Prashanth Mahakali is the owner of PMPC Architecture firm here in Chicago and an active contributor to Bigger Pockets. He is also an investor and has built his firm under the notion of smoothly handling all headache permits for his clients. In today's episode, Prashanth talks in depth on handling building violations, expediting permits, and navigating the city's easy permit process. Prashanth provides insights to when you do and do not need an architect, and that when you do need one, get them involved before you close the deal. Lastly, Prashanth also weighs in on one of the more prevalent BP questions in the Chicago forum - how to address nonconforming and illegal units for investment purposes, and the new Chicago ADU guidelines which may be a huge win for property owners. If you find this episode useful, leave a comment and refer us to a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Prashanth Mahakali from PMPC Link: https://www.sizzlehomestaging.com/ Link: https://daslawltd.com/ Link: Chicago Residential Architects | Get Free Consultation | Award Winning Licensed Architect Link: Self-Certification Permit Program Link: ADU Ordinance Ready for City Council Scrutiny in Chicago Link: Chicago Cityscape - Find construction activity in Chicago Link: Tim Ferriss Link: Easy Permit Program Email: [email protected] ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 2:25 Guest Questions Guest Intro. 5:15 How did your work take you to the south and west sides? 7:30 What does it take to get fast permits in Chicago? And explain an expedited permit. 10:15 How do you know if a job is qualified to be self certified? 12:40 In the city of Chicago, what is an easy permit? 14:45 How do we know when an architect would or would not be needed? 16:00 How do you interact with investors and contractors to be a value add? 17:45 Can you explain the legality of nonconforming units for house hacking and the like? 21:20 What are some things people should be aware of related to nonconforming units? 28:20 What is a permit expediter? 36:40 Wrap Up Questions What has been your competitive advantage? 38:25 What is one piece of advice you'd tell a new investor? 40:09 What do you do for fun? 42:20 Can you recommend a self development tool? 45:00 Can you name a local network recommendation? 46:00 That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

After selling a successful logistics company, and actively investing in real estate, Jake Fugman has carved a niche as a high-performing investor-friendly agent. In this episode, Jake provides a ton of market knowledge and deep insights into many desirable and upcoming Chicago neighborhoods, including Hermosa, Belmont Gardens, Portage Park, Marshall Square, Pilsen, Little Village, along with several southern suburbs where his investors find success. Jake walks through the pros/cons of house-hacking in each area and also provides valuable NUGGETS in regards to underwriting and expectations. If you are looking to house-hack, invest in small-multis in the city, or SFH in the South Suburbs, this episode will not disappoint. If you like this content, please subscribe, write a review, and share with a friend who would also find value. Also, don't forget to check out our show sponsor https://www.sizzlehomestaging.com/, especially if you plan to flip in the near future. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Jake Fugman from On West Properties Link: https://www.sizzlehomestaging.com/ Link: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/ Link: https://www.successmortgagepartners.com/zachary-karp/ Email: [email protected] ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 3:00 Guest Questions Guest Intro. 6:40 Give us an example of a typical entry level buyer profile. 9:55 If someone has 50K, where would you direct them? 11:35 What are some expectations you help establish with clients on house hacking? 13:20 What are some neighborhoods you really like? 15:30 Are you seeing opportunities in the south suburbs? 24:10 What do investors need to look for in a realtor? 31:28 Can you dive into Marshall Square? 35:25 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 38:00 What is one piece of advice you'd give a new investor? 40:55 What do you do for fun? 42:17 What is a good self development tool you've been using? 42:57 Can you name one person in your local network you'd recommend? 44:04 How can we learn more about you? 45:00 That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Last week we got into the top ten mistakes borrowers make with Renovo Financial. This week, Eric Workman continues counting down the top 10 with numbers 5 all the way down to #1. Eric has a long background in real estate with experience in construction, brokering deals, flipping houses, etc. When Brandon Moulton, our guest from the previous episode, tried to get Eric to do his financing with Renovo as a client, he ultimately ended up with a job. Eric breaks down the second half of our top 10 mistakes borrowers make when getting financing. Listen to us discuss how each mistake is fixable and avoidable with the right proactive measures. If you found value in this episode, please leave us a comment and share us with someone in your circle! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Eric Workman from Renovo Financial Link: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/12409/88233-newbies-heres-how-to-account-for-all-costs-of-a-flip Link: https://www.renovofinancial.com/team/ Link: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/ Link: https://www.atproperties.com/agents/lucasblahnik ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 3:31 Guest Questions Guest Intro: 6:45 Mistake #5 11:35 Mistake #4 19:00 Mistake #3 25:10 Mistake #2 29:20 Mistake #1 35:00 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 45:15 What is one piece of advice you would give a new investor? 46:00 What do you do for fun? 47:05 What is a good self development activity you would recommend? 47:49 Name one person in your local network you'd name as a quality resource. 48:40 That's our show! Thank you so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

You've heard their name tossed around on earlier episodes, and now we have Renovo Financial here to address some of the biggest mistakes they see when dealing with Chicagoland investors. Brandon Moulton is the Senior VP of Lending at Renovo Financial and has been featured on Crain's Chicago People on the Move. Brandon takes on Part 1 of the top ten mistakes Renovo sees in their day to day interactions with investors throughout Chicagoland. The best part of this episode? We discuss how each mistake is fixable and avoidable with the right proactive measures. If you found value in this episode, please leave us a comment and share us with someone in your circle! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Brandon Moulton from Renovo Financial Link: http://toddduncan.com/ Link: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 1:30 Guest Questions Guest Intro: 3:50 Renovo's role with Chicago investors ? 4:45 Mistake #10. 6:30 Mistake #9. 10:20 Mistake #8. 14:40 What would you say to a new borrower who hasn't done a deal yet but has a business plan? 17:15 Are there certain areas where you are unable to make loans on? 18:15 Mistake #7. 19:20 What are some ways Renovo helps to ensure that I'm not making a bad deal? 21:20 Mistake #6. 29:03 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 35:50 What is one piece of advice for a new investor? 37:30 What do you do for fun? 38:31 What is a good self development tool you would recommend? 39:13 Name one person in your local network you'd recommend as a resource? 40:05 How can we reach out to you? 41:05 That's our show, thanks so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Local real estate and commercial litigator, Bibek Das, has spent the last 20+ years educating and protecting Chicagoland investors and landlords. In this episode, Bibek drops a ton of knowledge (and NUGGETS!) to ensure you are running your real estate business appropriately. This includes an overview of Chicago's Residential and Landlord Tenant Ordinance (RLTO) (and what to know if you are a househacker), how to properly maintain security deposits, the difference between investing in an LLC vs your personal name, the lengthy eviction process of eviction in Cook County and the appropriate steps you must take as an investor, and the best way to handle cash for keys situations. If you found value in our episode please take 10 seconds to provide a 5 star review and share with a friend who would also find value in this content. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Bibek Das from Das Law Ltd. Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance: Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance Chicago Bar Association: The Chicago Bar Association: Home Bill Egan: Bill Egan - Vice President of Mortgage Lending Chicago, IL 60654 | Mortgage Loan Expert Bibek's Email: [email protected] ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 3:55 Guest Questions What are some pitfalls landlords get into in Chicago? 8:35 Can you talk about some of the rules of security deposits in Chicago? 11:50 What are the pros/cons of a LLC vs investing in your name? 19:45 What are necessary steps to take when eviction is needed? 31:00 What is "cash for keys?" 36:50 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 44:20 What is one piece of advice you have for a new investor in Chicago? 46:30 What do you do for fun? 48:27 What is a good self development product you recommend? 49:30 Name one person in your network you'd recommend as a resource? 50:27 How can we get in touch with you? 51:25 That's our show! Thank you so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

After a successful career in corporate finance, Eric took his skillset (which he originally honed at THE University of Illinois) and transitioned full-time into real estate. Eric is a co-founder of 33 Realty, a vertically integrated company that has the ability to takes its clients through the entire lifecycle of a real estate investment. In this episode Eric discusses the Northside neighborhoods he invests in as well as other neighborhoods to keep an eye on it. Eric also breaks down receiverships, how he got involved with them with no prior knowledge, and how they might become relevant again. If you found value out of today's episode please share with a friend and leave a review! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Eric Weber from the 33 Realty: Your Chicago Real Estate Agency Flanagan and Bilton Tax: Property Tax Consultants & Lawyers Sarnoff Tax: Sarnoff & Baccash: Property Tax Law in Chicago, IL Book: Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds CRE Mortgage Broker: Christopher Charboneau, Commercial Real Estate Banker ----------------- Landlord tip of the week 3:35 Guest Questions Guest Intro 5:08 How did you get into receiverships? 7:30 How much has your background in accounting and finance impacted your work? 12:30 Can you talk about areas where you are active with receiverships? 13:40 What were you looking for on the Northside? 14:50 How do you underwrite deals on the Northside given the price? 15:35 Do you think there's opportunity still in the Northside neighborhoods? 19:50 What are some common mistakes you see new investors or out of state investor?21:20 How are you determining ARV on small Multi-family properties? 23:50 What are some good practices when looking for a construction company? 25:30 What neighborhoods do you see gentrifying? 30:50 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 35:07 What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone? 36:55 What do you do for fun? 37:55 What is a good self development activity you would recommend? 38:45 Can you recommend a local network recommendation? 39:45 Contact info? 40:40 That's our show, thanks so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

John Casmon is a successful Chicago househacker turned syndicator and the founder of Casmon Capital Group. In addition, John hosts the Target Market Insights Podcast, heads up the Chicago Multifamily Club Meetup, and is the co-creator of the Midwest RE Networking Summit (coming up on 7/25-7/26). In this episode, John provides a wealth of knowledge, including his experience investing in Chicago, tangible steps on how to analyze market rents, and the benefits of passive and active investing. If you found today's episode useful, share it with a friend and leave us a rating and review! Don't forget, the Midwest Real Estate Networking Summit is right around the corner so don't miss your chance to sign up. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: John Casmon from the Casmon Capital Meetup: Chicago Multifamily Club (Chicago, IL) Target Market Insights: Target Market Insights Podcast | Multifamily Tips | Marketing Tips Atomic Habits: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones Mindset: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: Dweck, Carol S.: 9780345472328 Brie Schmidt: http://www.secondcity-re.com/agent/brie/ Midwest Real Estate Networking Summit: http://www.midwestresummit.com/ ----------------- Landlord Tip 4:45 Guest Questions Can you give me a 101 of apartment syndication? 8:30 Can you go straight into syndication without starting smaller? 10:00 How did you get started? 13:10 What strategies outside of house hacking is Chicago great for? 15:10 What's your opinion on flipping on the northside of Chicago? 22:30 How long has the Chicago Multifamily Meetup been going on? 25:30 Is there a common hurdle you see amongst new investors? 29:35 How did you overcome some of the issues with self management? 33:30 Wrap up questions What is your competitive advantage? 43:25 What is one piece of advice you'd give a new investor? 44:10 What do you do for fun? 45:15 What is a good self development product you've been using? 46:05 Who can you recommend in your local network as a resource? 48:40 That's our show! Thanks so much for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

One doesn't accomplish $600,000,000 in real estate transactions without thoroughly understanding the ins and outs of the business and which neighborhoods are primed for sound investments. Our guest today, Brian Kochendorfer, has a ton of nuggets to drop from his experience as a broker, passive investor, and managing member of Arc Equity Group, where he is a general and limited partner of $60M in real estate holding spread across 800+ units. Brian was born and raised in the Southwest Suburbs and provides tremendous local insights to popular areas such as Tinley Park and Oak Lawn - including the 95th ave corridor, what to look out for in the common 1960s-built properties, and to how to prepare for tax increases. We also take a deep dive into his recent South Shore acquisition and discuss what attracted him to this new deal outside of his typical geographical pocket. Brian's the founder of the Chicago Chapter of the MultiFamily Masters meetup which is a great event (and it's free!), so check please check it out. Have a listen and if you find value in today's episode, hit that subscribe button and leave us that 5 STAR REVIEW. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Brian Kochendorfer from the Essex Realty Group Arc Equity Group – Multifamily Real Estate Investment Professionals: https://arcequitygroup.com/ Multi Family Masters: https://multifamilymasters.com/ Meetup Link: MultiFamily Masters | Meetup Pro Network Recommendation: Doug Imber Rich Dad Poor Dad: Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! How to Win Friends and Influence People: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 ----------------- Landlord tip. 4:30 Guest intro. 6:00 Guest Questions What are you currently focusing on? 6:40 What attracted you to your South Shore deal? 7:35 What's the attraction of the south and southwest suburbs? 11:20 How has the area changed over your career and what's driving development? 12:15 What are some common issues people should look out for in old houses? 14:00 What are nuances an investor should know about rental laws and expectations? 15:20 How did you jump from broker to investor? 18:40 How did you scale to 60MM? 20:45 How did you build partnerships when going into active investing? 22:50 What's your process for raising capital? 24:30 Tell us about your multifamily networking group? 27:02 What should new investors know about MFH investing? 30:00 Wrap up questions What is your competitive advantage? 31:40 What is one piece of advice you'd give someone? 32:25 What do you do for fun? 32:53 What is a good self development activity you'd recommend? 33:20 Who is one person you'd recommend from your local network? 34:10 How can we learn more about you? 34:45 ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

There's a reason Ben Walhood has already been a featured guest on numerous high-profile podcasts, including Bigger Pockets, The Best Ever Real Estate Podcast with Joe Fairless, Target Market Insights with John Casmon, and has been interviewed by CNBC and The Chicago Tribune. Over the last decade, Ben has consistently grown his portfolio in Dupage County by expanding his network and buying the best property available to him at the given time. Like many investors, there were initial painful experiences, and we discuss how these experiences became the foundation for Ben's success, and eventually allowed him to leave his well-paying job as a neurosurgery sales rep. Ben's story is a great example of how to continually evolve your approach while remaining disciplined to long-term results. Take a listen as Ben provides granular advice on networking, adjusting your strategy, and of course, how to succeed in the different Suburbs of Dupage County. Ben is also the previous president of Chicago Area REIA, which is linked if you're interested (check it out, for real). If you found this valuable, please subscribe to our channel for all our updates and find us on Facebook! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Ben Walhood of Apex Landlord Services First National Bank of Brookfield: https://www.fnbb.com/ Chicago Area Real Estate Investment Association: https://www.careia.org/ Rich Dad Poor Dad: https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194 ClickInvest: https://www.clickinvest.com/ ----------------- Landlord Tip 4:30 Guest Intro 6:20 Guest Questions Accounting for property value when comparing brick vs frame 3:14 What types of deals are you focusing on today? 7:25 How has DuPage County changed since 2012? 10:00 What was the acquisition strategy for bolingbrook? 11:40 When you're relying on third parties for deal finding, how do you keep consistent? 14:18 Tell me about DuPage County and what you like about it? 16:55 What's the housing stock like in the western suburbs? 19:50 How has your financing strategy evolved over time? 24:25 Are there any banks in the western suburbs that you'd recommend to investors? 26:10 What are some nuances between suburbs you invest in? 27:00 What turning point in your career gave you the confidence to go full time REI? 31:05 Where there any big mistakes you made early on in your career? 33:10 How did you get involved in the Chicago Area Real Estate Investment Association? 36:00 Wrap up questions What's your competitive advantage? 38:00 Can you give one piece of advice to a new investor? 38:59 What do you do for fun? 39:45 What's a good self development product you're using? 40:00 Name one person in your local network you'd recommend to investors to utilize. 40:50 How can people learn more about you? 41:23 ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

With 20 years in the business, Joe Mueller got his start buying REO (bank owned) properties at auctions. From there, Joe networked extensively to develop a robust acquisitions strategy and eventually implement multiple streams of income. Most recently, Joe started a title company suited for investors who wanted to transact in off market property without a broker. Joe shares remarkably deep insights on how to successfully buy properties in the far northwest burbs, especially in McHenry and Kane County, and provides excellent advise that investors can use all over Chicagoland. If you find this podcast helpful, please leave us a review and share us with a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Joe Mueller of TANIS Group Realty Joe's Title Company: https://investorstitleservicesllc.com/ Tom's Tax attorney: https://www.ksnlaw.com/timothy-c.-jacobs Mark's Tax attorney: https://railapc.com/ Podcast Recommendation: ‎Real Estate Disruptors on Apple Podcasts Book Recommendation: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine Monthly Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/investor-empowerment-chicago/ Join the Wholesale List: http://www.reinvestsells.com ----------------- Landlord tip from Mark 2:50 Guest intro 5:00 Guest Questions Why does it take 2 hours at closing with the title company and how does your company address this? 9:10 Why should you have an attorney when you're closing on a property? 12:00 What types of properties are you invested in? 13:40 What does an attractive deal look like to you? 15:55 How do you take rental license requirements and inspections into account when analyzing a property? 19:50 How are you using freedom of information act (FOIA) reports to your advantage? 23:15 Are there specific pockets where you're finding more deals than others? 25:10 Do you have competition with the newer homes in the areas vs your renovated homes? 27:15 How does investing in Kane vs McHenry county differ? 28:20 How are you financing the acquisition of your properties? 30:15 Have there been any people who have come into your life over the past 20 years that have been true game changers? 35:00 What are your top priorities for right now and going forward? 38:12 What experiences from 2008 have you reflected on during the current Covid crisis? 40:15 Wrap up questions What's your competitive advantage? 42:00 What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone? 43:40 What do you do for fun? 45:16 What's a good self development activity you'd recommend? 45:55 Do you have someone you'd recommend in your local network as a quality resource? 47:40 How can you be reached? 48:15 Thanks for listening! Keep learning, stay hungry, and we'll see you next time. ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Investor and property manager Jared Kott lives and breathes the Southeast neighborhoods of Chicago. After leaving corporate America in 2013, Jared enrolled in a property management class the following Monday to get his feet wet doing whatever takes. This experience was the springboard that lead to Jared owning over 100 properties, predominately in the Southeast. Jared gives detailed descriptions on several Southside neighborhoods and covers topics ranging from key differentiators in neighborhoods, to screening tenants, managing vacancies, and planning for the unexpected water bill. If you enjoyed our guest today, please subscribe and share us with a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Jared Kott of Marblestone Property Group Chicago Housing Authority: https://www.thecha.org/landlords/property-rental-assistance-program Community Investment Corp.: http://www.cicchicago.com/ Cook County Land Bank: http://www.cookcountylandbank.org/ Podcast recommendation: https://andyfrisella.com/blogs/mfceo-project-podcast Book Recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Rejection-Proof-Became-Invincible-Through/dp/080414138X Lending referral: https://www.renovofinancial.com/ ----------------- Landlord tip 2:07 Guest Introduction 3:50 Guest Questions How did you start buying properties on the south side? 7:00 Talk about how you get involved with your community. 10:15 What's different about south chicago than other areas? 11:05 What percent of your portfolio is market rent vs CHA? 13:00 Does the cook county land bank still have opportunities for investors? 18:50 Tell us about the housing stock in your areas. 19:50 What are the taxes like in the Eastside? 24:10 Did you explore other areas while you scaled up? 25:20 What are the differences between underwriting SFH vs MFH? 29:45 What are some misconceptions you've noticed in managing properties on the south side? 33:50 Can you share a lesson you've learned along the way? 35:25 What are some internal checklist items you have for evaluating a deal? 36:20 Where are you finding most of your leads? 37:10 Wrap up questions What's your competitive advantage? 38:00 What's one piece of advice you have for someone who has yet to buy their first property? 38:10 What do you do for fun? 38:25 Any self development products you'd recommend? 38:53 Local network recommendation? 39:40 How can we reach you? 40:20 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Chicagoland is an insanely competitive market, making constant deal flow one of the toughest challenges for investors across the city. As an investor, how successful would you be if you constantly had 80-100 off-market deals calling you each month asking you to make an offer? Through years of hard work, our guest, Blake McCreight, has created that exact infrastructure. Not only has Blake developed a constant funnel of deals, but he's doing so in a way where the prospects are inbound leads reaching out to him. Blake has built a scalable system that allows him to target specific areas around Chicagoland, and double-down on marketing efforts as necessary. If you're serious about lead acquisition, raising private capital, and growing your business in Chicagoland, you won't want to miss Blake's insights. And please make sure to share this episode with other investors looking to increase their deal flow. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Blake McCreight of Express Property Solutions Village of Dolton permit site: https://vodolton.org/business-2/building-permits-inspections-license/ Deal Machine - Driving for Dollars app: https://dealmachine.com/ LendingHome: https://www.lendinghome.com/ Chicago Broker Recommendation: https://frankmontrohomes.com/ Extreme Ownership Book: https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057 Profit First Book: https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making-ebook/dp/B01HCGYTH4 Business Wars Podcast: https://wondery.com/shows/business-wars/ Blake's Cell - Text first: (847) 212-1029 Blake's network recommendation - Vince Incopero: https://www.reallawgroup.com/vincent-bio ----------------- Landlord tip 3:20 Guest Intro 5:15 Guest Questions What is your business focusing on today? 6:40 What's step 1 for finding off market deals? 11:40 What areas do you like today? And have they changed over time? 14:10 What are some nuances of Dolton that someone needs to be aware of? 18:20 Why do you like the 100-200K property range? 21:15 At what point do you decide what strategy you use on a property? 23:20 Do you think it's worth it for new investors to get their real estate license? 29:50 How do you raise money to execute your strategies? 31:05 Wrap up questions What is your competitive advantage? 3:12 One piece of advice for someone looking to buy their first property in Chicago? 39:14 What do you do for fun? 39:45 What's a good self development tool you've been using? 40:00 Contact info? 42:10 One local network recommendation? 43:10 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Price points can be appealing in the Western Suburbs, especially compared to each areas of the city. However, it's not as simple as looking at rental rates and population statistics; our guest today is uniquely qualified to shed light on all the pros and cons that come along with investing in the numerous Western Suburbs East of 294. John Warren is both an agent and investor and founder of the Chicago West Suburban Real Estate Investor Meet-Up. John knows each of these municipalities better than anyone else out there and explains that two adjacent suburbs can be an apples to oranges comparison if you don't dig deeper than the numbers on a spreadsheet. If you've been on Bigger Pockets forums, you've definitely seen the type of knowledge John doles out on a daily basis and know that he is the real deal. If this market has been on your radar, you'll be sure to want to hear this. Send this to a friend, and if you like what you hear, hit that subscribe button! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: John Warren of Second City Real Estate RE Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Chicago-West-Suburban-Real-Estate-Investors-Meetup/ Josh Jones - Loan Officer: https://www.loandepot.com/loan-officers/jmjones Podcast Recommendation: https://www.getricheducation.com/podcast/ Miracle Morning: https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Morning-Not-So-Obvious-Guaranteed-Transform/dp/0979019710 ----------------- Guest intro 6:20 Landlord tip from Mark 2:50 Questions for John Warren: What areas are you spending the most time in? 6:55 What types of opportunities are you seeing in these markets? 8:55 What are the differences between Cicero and Berwyn? 10:25 Are Berwyn and Cicero predominantly city commuters or blue collar? 12:00 Tell me about the areas a little west of Berwyn, are those areas more desirable?16:30 Can you describe the Lyons and Stickney area for us? 20:10 How have these neighborhoods changed over time? 22:20 Can you break down the neighborhood just north of 290? 24:30 What are some key things you talk to someone out of state about when looking to invest? 27:40 What value have you gotten in the Chicago Western Suburbs RE group? 29:15 Has it been beneficial doing virtual meetups since the lockdown started? 30:40 You put a lot of effort into Bigger Pockets, what drives you to provide so much value to that community? 34:00 Wrap up questions: What is your competitive advantage? 36:15 What is one piece of advice you have for an early investor? 36:50 What do you do for fun? 37:25 Self development recommendation? 38:25 What is the miracle morning? 39:00 Network recommendation? 40:45 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

So many people working day jobs want to build wealth through real estate but don't know how to get started. Ibn gives great advice on how to leverage the day job as a springboard to grow your real estate business. Ibn not only oversee his own rehabs and self-manage his tenants, but goes the extra mile to understand his community and create win-wins for everyone. And where there wasn't a meet-up for his specific area, he started the South East Chicago Real Estate Club! Ibn dishes out advice on how to find deals, source tradesmen for jobs, and assess risk. If you like what you heard, please hit the subscribe button and leave us a review! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Ibn Abney of South East Chicago Real Estate Club Chicago Enterprise Zones: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/enterprise_zone_program.html Enterprise Zone Map: https://data.cityofchicago.org/Community-Economic-Development/Boundaries-Enterprise-Zones/64xf-pyvh South East Chicago Real Estate Club: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ChicagoBRRRRTeam/posts/ Book Recommendation - Atomic Habits: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299 ----------------- Landlording Tip 3:00 Guest Intro 5:10 Guest Questions How has the gentrification you saw in Brooklyn influenced how you invest in Chicago?6:20 What are areas you're currently invested in that you see gentrification occurring? 7:40 What can a TIF district do to benefit you? 11:25 How has your background as a W-2 employee benefitted your real estate career? 13:20 How are you financing your investment properties since you do have a W-2? 14:50 What made you start investing in condos? 16:00 What kind of issues do you run into with HOAs, and how do you address it? 18:25 What processes do you have in place to do all this with a full time job? 20:45 How has the age of buildings influenced what you buy? 23:00 What's different today from a few years ago? 31:25 Wrap up questions What's your competitive advantage? 35:05 What's a piece of advice you'd give someone looking to start? 35:40 What do you do for fun? 36:04 Can you recommend a self development product? 36:25 Local network recommendation? 37:30 How can people reach out? 38:10 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Nothing kills a real estate investing career quicker than a horrendous rehab experience that spirals from the original budget and timeline. In this episode, Bryan Sonn gives golden advise on how to avoid this scenario and ultimately scale your construction process. Bryan has a skill for people that has earned him a consistent network of quality workers. This network, combined with his proven approach to streamlining the rehabilitation process has saved his investors a tremendous amount of money and frustration. Bryan shares some great stories, lessons learned, and wisdom for everyone looking to create value through rehabbing properties in need. His experiences in some of the tougher areas of the city have prepared him for anything and everything. Share Bryan's story with a friend, and if you liked what you hear, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Bryan Sonn of GC Realty & Development Never Lose Another Customer: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Lose-Customer-Again-Lifelong/dp/0735220034 Who moved My Cheese: https://www.amazon.com/Moved-Cheese-Spencer-Johnson-M-D/dp/0743582853 Contact Bryan: [email protected] ----------------- Guest Intro 3:25 Guest Questions Where are the majority of the properties you've rehabbed over the years? 4:40 Why do you need a house sitter or security for your rehabs? 8:00 What did you do to find quality contractors, and how did you keep them working? 14:00 What advice would give to someone looking to build a team of contractors? 19:25 How did you finance the rehabs? 22:50 How does your mindset change from the first property to the 500th? 26:40 Why do you think it's important that you control the rehab materials instead of contractors? 29:00 What's the importance of partnerships in real estate investing? 34:40 What's the oldest home you've ever rehabbed in Chicago? 36:42 Wrap up questions What advice would you give someone about to invest South Deering? 38:12 What's your competitive advantage? 39:00 Any advice for new investors? 39:38 What do you do for fun? 40:35 Any self development product you'd recommend? 41:00 Who would you recommend in your local network? 42:00 Would you ever do another reality TV show? 42:32 How can people get a hold of you? 43:00 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Have you considered investing in Lake County? Or minimizing vacancies with a 3yr rent-to-own lease? Our guest today, Bill Powers, has successfully done both of these actions to scale his business to 250+ rent to own properties in the last ten years. Listen to Bill lay out his strategies on how to find the perfect asset, screen each tenant, and assist tenants with lending programs, thus enabling him to keep his occupancy at 99%! Not to mention, Bill's short term rental listings were in hot water due to COVID-19; but Bill found a solution to quickly pivot and set himself up for success. If you find Bill helpful, reach out to him, hit the subscribe button and share us with a friend! ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Bill Powers of RTO Property "The Golden Rules:" https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Rules-Finding-World-Class-Excellence/dp/125005950X Retire Rich: https://www.amazon.com/Retire-Rich-Rentals-Ongoing-Forever-ebook/dp/B00P9KVE42 Landlord Assistance: https://www.securepayone.com/ Local Financing Options: First bank of highland park - https://www.firstbankhp.com/ Northside community bank - https://www.nscombank.com/ Northshore trust and savings - https://www.northshoretrust.com/ Lake County Property Investors Association: http://www.lcpia.org/ ----------------- Guest intro. 3:00 Guest Questions How is your business different today vs when you first started. 4:40 How do you go about making rent to own part of your business? 6:35 Is there a type of SFH you're looking to purchase? 8:10 What are some things you look for when screening tenants for rent to own? 9:00 What does the Waukegan investment market look like? 9:50 Are there pockets of Waukegan that you prefer over others, what do they look like? 11:50 What are the types of buildings you're looking at in lake bluff?13:30 What are some rules of thumb when you're estimating rehab costs and values? 15:00 Are you ever looking to get outside of Lake County? 18:15 What made you get into the Airbnb and STR market? 19:25 Tell us about the Lake County Property Investor association. 21:57 What did you take from your previous career that benefitted your RE career? 23:10 Wrap up questions What advice would you give someone from out of state? 24:15 What is your competitive advantage? 25:30 Do you have a local referral for someone in the area? 26:40 What do you do for fun? 27:25 Can you name a good self development tool you've used? 27:45 How can people find you and reach out to you? 28:50 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

If you've gone on the Bigger Pockets forums, you've probably seen the wealth of knowledge she shares with everyone, but today Brie Schmidt of Second City Real Estate is getting down to the Chicago specific details for you. Ever wonder why north center has had such a strong population decline while prices have skyrocketed? Or how you can house hack a property yourself? Brie tells it all for you without selling sunshine and rainbows, but her expertise keeps her clients coming back year after year. Not only that, Brie gives some insight into how she optimized her schedule from working 60+ hours a week to 20-30 max giving her more time to focus on her own life. You're not going to want to miss this. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Brie Schmidt of Second City Real Estate Bigger Pockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/chicagobrie Book rec: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Human-Bulletproof-Backward-Forever/dp/0062882821 Midwest Real Estate Summit: http://www.midwestresummit.com Book rec: https://whttps://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280ww.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316 GC Realty Section 8 Blog: https://www.gcrealtyinc.com/blog/what-will-section-8-pay-for-rent-in-cook-county 2018 Payment Standards: https://thehacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-Payment-Standard-7-01-2018-approved.pdf ----------------- Mark's tip on section 8 housing 1:27 Guest Bio 3:04 Guest Questions What are some assumptions, either correct or incorrect, about the Chicago Market? 3:39 What neighborhoods are you in and how have they changed over time? 8:30 Is there anything happening in Irving Park and Avondale? 10:17 What are some of the expectations you set with clients looking to househack? 13:45 When does a househack not make sense for a client? 19:50 How do you show properties with illegal garden units? 23:50 What should clients expect when working with you? 28:52 What caused you to start investing in Milwaukee? 33:55 Wrap up questions What is your personal advantage? 44:50 What is one piece of advice you'd give a novice? 45:40 What do you do for fun? 46:00 What is a good self development product you've used recently? 46:30 Local network recommendation? 47:40 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

How can you use your skills from your day job to scale an investment portfolio to 450 units? Listen to our guest, Ron Plonis, explain how he used his computer science background to help him build systems and scale his own portfolio, then sold it off completely. His career has spanned nearly 15 years, and his experiences give insight into how things have changed from pre '08 to now. Things from raising capital, selecting areas to focus on, and how to determine the greatest point of value creation are all topics covered in this as Ron lays it all out for you. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Ron Plonis of Kiser Group Reach out to Ron! Email: [email protected] Cell: 312-286-8216 Book rec: https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive-ebook/dp/B019MMUA8S ----------------- Landlord tip of the day 1:30 Guest intro 4:00 Questions for Ron Plonis: What made you get into SFH from working a 9-5? 8:30 Can you talk about raising capital? 13:30 Can you tell me about Glenwood? 15:50 How did you end up selling your whole portfolio? 17:50 How did you transition from SFH to MFH? 19:00 What is one thing that's surprised you since getting into REI? 21:25 How do you think the post COVID -19 rental environment will look? 23:19 Do you see a chance of Cap rates staying the same or contrasting? 27:30 What advice can you provide about MFH to an out of state investor? 29:40 What kind of systems does someone just getting started need to get in place?31:35 What advice would you give someone just starting out? 34:42 Wrap up questions: What's your competitive advantage? 38:40 What do you do for fun? 40:50 What's a good self development product you'd recommend? 41:15 Who would you recommend in your network as a quality resource to someone? 42:10 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Andrew and Angie Taggart, an electrician and a teacher by trade, walk us through how their drive for learning and growth has pivoted their careers into scaling up a real estate portfolio. They give tons of great information on networking events that have been pivotal in getting momentum, the strategy they use and unique rules relating to BRRRR investing that young investors can easily overlook. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Andrew and Angie Taggart of Taggart Electric Inc. REObroker Site: https://www.reobroker.com/ Auction Houses: https://www.hubzu.com/ REI Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Real-Estate-Investors-Mastermind/ Taggart Electric: https://www.taggartelectricinc.com/ Multiple Streams of Income: https://www.amazon.com/Multiple-Streams-Income-Generate-Unlimited/dp/0471714550 Rich Dad Poor Dad: https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194 Van Blackman - Wholesaler: https://www.networthrealtyusa.com/ ----------------- Guest intro 2:36 Questions for Andrew and Angie: What is the most overlooked aspect of the BRRRR strategy? 6:00 How do you handle financing? 8:15 What REI meetups are you parts of? 10:15 Tell me about your strategy of determining location. 11:25 How would you describe your areas to someone unfamiliar? 15:00 Why invest in single family over MFH? 17:10 What are some challenges you face after you close on a property? 19:25 What's the scope of a typical rehab you're doing? 21:20 Have you had to fight an appraisal before? 26.45 Wrap up questions: What's a piece of advice you'd give a novice? 31:00 What's your competitive advantage? 32:04 If you could go back three years, what would you do differently? 33:37 How do you have fun? 34:30 What's a good self development product you've used? 35:16 Local network recommendation? 36:23 Thanks for listening! If you found this episode useful, leave us a comment and hit that like button, it helps us out tremendously! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Originally from Philadelphia, Dan is a great case study of how an out of state investor can crush it in this market. Today he operates in three markets: Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta. Starting in '06 as a wholesaler with not much guidance, Dan gives tremendous insight into his journey from those early days wholesaling to today where in 2019 he closed on 223 deals with 5MM in profit for him and his partners. Dan is an expert at what he does with tremendous discipline, meditating every day and prioritizing sleep to accomplish everything he does. Listen in for his playbook and tips to scale up to his level. You can find out more about Dan at his website and podcast REIDiamonds.com or dealswithroi.com to see his active wholesale deals. ----------------- Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Guest: Dan Breslin of REI Diamonds Wholesaling distribution list: https://dealswithroi.com/ How Dan presents deals to investors: https://diamondequity.com/private-lenders/ Book rec: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Human-Bulletproof-Backward-Forever/dp/0062882821 Book rec: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316 Self development product rec: https://choosemuse.com/ Link: https://kaufmanlawchicago.com/index.php ----------------- Guest Bio 2:30 Questions for Dan Breslin: How did you hone in on specific areas? 4:45 How are you positioning your marketing budget? 8:00 How do you decide whether to personally flip/invest vs wholesaling to your clients? 10:25 How can investors set up a relationship with companies like yours?13:05 What signs should people be looking for to identify gentrification? 17:30 What are some of the attributes that separate markets you like vs the ones that you look past? 24:00 How are you finding deals and how do you get financing to do the amount of volume you do? 28:40 What pitfalls should people look for when dealing with wholesalers? 32:55 Wrap up questions: What is your competitive advantage? 35:40 What is one piece of advice for someone yet to do their first deal? 36:20 How do you have fun and decompress? 37:15 Self development tool you would recommend to someone? 37:40 Network recommendation 40:40 ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.

Mark and Tom introduce the first podcast to deep dive into real estate investing in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. We are going to take a look at specific neighborhoods and specific strategies, dissect obstacles that real investors have dealt and explore the solutions used to overcome them. Listen to Mark and Tom have a candid conversation about how the current environment has impacted their territories. Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2020.