One of the RPOA’s goals during this Coronavirus Pandemic is to keep you as up-to-date as possible with information that will help you survive and thrive as real estate investors. That’s why I’m so excited to be talking with today’s guest about the economic impact this pandemic is going to have on our real estate investments.  If you’ve been looking for real data on our city, state & country’s economic strength & what all this means for your real estate portfolio, then you’re definitely going to want to hear this economic forecast with Paul Isley.

Paul is the Associate Dean and Economist for Undergraduate Programs in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.  If you’ve ever been to the RPOA’s annual conference then you already know that Paul is the most popular speaker by far.  This year his presentation was standing room only, and his economic forecast was incredibly eye-opening.

Now, 8 weeks into this pandemic, Paul has new data that will shed light on the state of our economy and what we can expect in the coming months and years. Whether you listen to the podcast episode or watch the youtube video in order to view Paul's economic charts this is an episode you don't want to miss!

Last year at the RPOA annual conference I met Ramond Harris for the first time.  After hearing his story about flipping, wholesaling and rehabbing in the Detroit area, I knew we needed to record a podcast.  You may remember the Mastermind conversation we had with friends of this show Justin Workman and Patrick Spitzley on episode #168 where we helped brainstorm ways Ramond could fix his broken business model, decrease his debt by shedding some unused assets, and set himself up for huge growth.

Now, a year later, we’ve all met back up at the RPOA 2020 annual conference and we’re going to mastermind again with Ramond to see what’s changed and how his business has progressed since we last talked.  We’ll also be discussing some new marketing and deal flow challenges that have cropped up, and how he might tackle them.

Joining us as well is Stephen Benedict, local Sheriff’s Sale Auction expert from episode #101, who has some valuable advice on how to beat out the competition at the auction table.

I know you’re going to enjoy this episode as much as I did.  Ramond is very open about the very common challenges he faces in his business.  You’ll also benefit greatly from the advice offered during the show.

My guest today wants you to know that if he can make it as a successful real estate investor, then anyone can.  Glenn Gonzales began as a maintenance man working for several other successful real estate investors.  As he grew more confident in his job, he began to realize how the proactive decisions he was making were improving the health of the properties he was maintaining.  But it was the other lessons he learned on the job that propelled him to where he is today.  Glenn is now the CEO and Co-Founder of Obsidian Capital, a real estate investment firm out of Austin Texas.  In the past 6 years Glenn has accomplished over $290 Million in total acquisitions, 5,000 total units, and raised over $80 Million.

Glenn is also the author of the bestselling book “Maintenance Man to Millionaire: Real Estate Wealth Creation for Everyday People”. He’s also a great guy with a lot of fun stories to share, and today he’s going to tell us how he was continuously pushing himself to take on new challenges at the property management company he worked for, and how he was able to raise the funds to acquire his properties.  We’ll also discuss his experiences raising money from crowdfunding companies, as well as Family Offices.

I know you’re going to enjoy this conversation with Glenn and benefit from his wisdom.  Glenn can be reached by email or through his website:

glenn@obsidiancapitalco.com

https://www.obsidiancapitalco.com

Back in the pre-covid-19 days when people could actually sit together in the same room, a group of rental property owners met to answer one simple question:  "When is it time to sell your rental property?"  Even though the world has changed considerably since then, the answers they came up with still hold true today.

Let’s say you’ve acquired a decent sized portfolio of rental properties, they’re cash flowing, well-managed, and achieve your goals of long-term wealth.  But maybe the cash flow you’re receiving isn’t enough to allow you to quit your job, or retire early, or pay for that cruise ship vacation.  However, there is enough equity in your portfolio to sell for a substantial profit.

Is it time to sell and take your chips off the table?  Or are you better served to stay on the ‘buy & hold’ path that you set out on so long ago?

Many investors are faced with this very question, and I have two of them in the studio with me today.  Plus, I have a very special guest who’s going to help us talk through this very important decision-making process.

My first guest is Ben Blake, and when he was last on the show, episode #149, he discussed his 12-unit Grand Rapids portfolio, and why he decided to take over the management himself.  Ben recently sold his entire portfolio, and today we’re going to learn why. 

Also in the studio is Jeremy Schumann, who owns a 13-unit portfolio here in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Jeremy is currently trying to decide whether he should hold or sell, and we’ll be talking through that decision with him.

And friend of the show, Justin Workman, is joining us as well. Justin always lends a mathematical and informed perspective on these types of decisions, and I’m sure he’ll balance out any opinions I might have as the four of us go through the different thought processes and cashflow and appreciation calculations a rental owner must consider before selling their investment property.

And visit our show on Facebook to leave comments and ask questions by going to "RPOA Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast"

Imagine what it’s like to get started in real estate investing when you have nothing.  No money, no experience and no network.  Now imagine you’re also in your 20’s and have more student loan debt than actual capital to invest in deals.  On top of that, you have a job in corporate America, but you’re still BROKE.

That is where today’s guest was 8 years ago.  Ryan Narus is a self-made real estate entrepreneur and accredited investor who started with nothing and now owns and operates 12 Mobile Home Parks spanning over 1,300 units.  He’s the co-founder of The Archimedes Group where he works at home, has 5 employees, and hosts his own podcast called ‘Mobile Home Parks in Real Life”.

Today Ryan is going to share why he was eager to sacrifice and do things others weren’t willing to do, so that he could live the life others only dream of.  We’re also going to discuss the nitty gritty of mobile home park investing, including the times Ryan has had his life threatened while confronting drug dealers on his properties.  Despite all this you’ll learn why Ryan has dedicated his business to this asset class.  You can contact Ryan through his website:  http://www.archimedesgrp.com

Hello everybody.  I hope you’re all safe & healthy and maintaining your sanity in this Coronavirus world we now find ourselves in.

If you’re a rental property owner or investor, you might have some questions about the State of Michigan's Executive Order to stay in place and what this means to you.  We still have tenants to take care of, buildings to maintain, units to fill, and bills to pay.  It’s not always clear which of those activities are considered essential, and which ones will get us in trouble.

Luckily the Rental Property Owners Association has been in communication with the Governor’s office here in Michigan, and we’re going to clarify what you can and can’t do in this very special episode with Clay Powell, the Director of the RPOA of Michigan and Grand Rapids.

You can access the RPOA’s online courses by going to www.rpoaonline.org

You can also call the RPOA at 616-454-3385

Or email:  contactrpoa@rpoaonline.org