All Forum Posts by: Raphael Collazo

Hey @Mike Parelli,

That's a great question. Although I'm not aware of every piece of commercial investing content out there, here are just a few of the books, YouTube channels and Podcasts that I've found helpful:

Books:

1. "Multi-Family Millions: How Anyone Can Reposition Apartments for Big Profits" by David Lindhal
2. "Crushing it in Apartments And Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big" by Brian Murphy
3. "The Book On Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Turner
4. "Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book" by Joe Fairless and Theo Hicks
5. "What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures" by Frank Gallinelli
6. "Aggressive Tax Avoidance for Real Estate Investors: How to Make Sure You Aren't Paying One More Cent in Taxes Than The Law Requires" by John T. Reed
7. "Creating Wealth Through Self-Storage" by Mark Helm
8. "Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate Investing"  by Doug Marshall
   "Commercial Mortgages 101: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Winning Loan Request Package" by Michael Rienhardt
9. "How Real Estate Developers Think" by Peter Hendee Brown

YouTube

1. Cherif Medawar - Really focuses on Triple-Net investing (Primarily retail)
2. Mark Helm - Focuses on self-storage facilities (Also has a great book which I mentioned above) 
3. The Commercial Investor - Generalist. Mainly focuses on Commercial investing strategies and understanding the financials of commercial investing.

Podcasts:

1. Best Real Estate Advice Ever - Multifamily investing/Syndication
2. Wheelbarrow Profits - Multifamily investing/Syndication
3. BiggerPockets - Residential, Multifamily, Self-storage and Mobile home parks.

I'd love to find more resources that talk about investing in other commercial property types such as Retail, Industrial, Office, Hospitality, Special Purpose etc. Hope this helps.

All the best,

If I were you, I would consider getting a real estate license and joining a commercial real estate brokerage. Up until March of this year, I was a software consultant making very good money in the tech field. However, I knew it wasn't a career I wanted to pursue long-term and I also knew that I wanted to invest in commercial real estate. As a result, I figured there was no better way to learn the business than to broker deals and operate within the commercial sphere every day. 

I can honestly say the knowledge I've gained and the relationships I've built over the last 6 months have been invaluable and will continue to serve me throughout my investing career. Although it can take some time to build your book of business, I'm a big believer that there is no substitute for experience. Hope this helps.

All the best,

Hey @John R. Whittington!

The November meeting will be held at the same place (The Manhattan Project Restaurant) and will occur on November 20th, 2019 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. We will not be having a December meeting. I've provided the BiggerPockets link to the November meeting below:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/771191-november-meeting-from-0-to-400-units?page=1#p4530679

I look forward to seeing you there!

All the best,

The Louisville Real Estate Investor Meet Up group is for aspiring, beginning and full-time real estate investors interested in networking with other like-minded individuals. During our monthly meetings, we share ideas, learn from one another and host speakers who talk about subjects related to real estate investment.

In this meeting, Sterling White, an Indianapolis multifamily investor and co-founder of "Holdfolio", will talk about his background and how he was able to grow his real estate portfolio from 0 to 400 units in less than 4 years. After his presentation, we'll open up the floor for a Q&A session. The event begins at 6:30 pm and he'll start his presentation at around 7:30 pm. Come join us for a night of networking, learning, and enjoyment as we utilize the great space provided to us by The Manhattan Project!

Hey @Brenda E.!

Although 400 jobs seems like a drop in the bucket, it's a sign of the broader expansion we've seen in the manufacturing sector over the last decade. Since 2011, jobs in the manufacturing sector have increased by over 30%. This is due in part to our strategic location (access to almost 60% of the US population within 1-day's drive) and the favorable business climate the city has fostered over the years. Here's a Louisville business first article that outlines the growth: 

https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2017/06/26/forbes-says-louisville-is-no-1-in-the-nation-for.html

As a commercial agent, I've witnessed the increased industrial and manufacturing activity and I believe it bodes well for the Louisville economy as a whole. Hopefully we can continue to string these wins together!

All the best,

Hey @Jeff Byrne!

Welcome to the Louisville/Southern Indiana real estate investing community! It's a great city and I believe we're poised to experience significant business & economic growth in the coming years. As far as investing, I purchased a 4-plex in Old Louisville in November 2018 which I'm currently "house-hacking". It's been a great experience thus far and I plan on using the same strategy to purchase my next property in the coming months. I'm a big-fan of multi-family investing and I'm constantly reading books on how to maximize value I get out of these investments. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. "Multi-Family Millions: How Anyone Can Reposition Apartments for Big Profits" by David Lindhal
2. "Crushing it in Apartments And Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big" by Brian Murphy
3. "The Book On Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Turner
4. "Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book" by Joe Fairless and Theo Hicks
5. "What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures" by Frank Gallinelli
6. "Aggressive Tax Avoidance for Real Estate Investors: How to Make Sure You Aren't Paying One More Cent in Taxes Than The Law Requires" by John T. Reed

These books will help you get a solid understanding of sound investment principles which you can use to build your multi-family portfolio. Also, have you attended any local real estate investor meet-up groups to establish relationships with local investors? If not, I highly encourage you to do so. One of the most popular groups, R.E.I.A (Real Estate Investor Association) has chapters in most major cities. Our local chapter has over 250 members, many of whom are extremely active in the market and have a wealth of knowledge they're willing to share. 

Also, @Luke Neubauer and I run a free real estate investor meet up group that meets the last Wednesday of every month at the "Manhattan Project" restaurant. As part of the meet up, you get a chance to interact with with like-minded real estate investors and listen to engaging speakers who talk about topics related to real estate investing. This month, @Sterling White, a successful multifamily investor from Indianapolis, will talk about his experiences growing a real estate portfolio from 0 to 400 properties in under 4 years. Should be a great event that's worth checking out. Hopefully we'll see you there!

All the best,

Hey @Ruslan Kotelyanets!

I'd have to agree with @Chris Coleman, @Edwin Joiner and @Cameron Tope. Before investing a single dollar into real estate, I educated myself on how to identify a good deal and maximize its value once I owned it. As it pertains, to multifamily investing, I've provided a list of some of my favorite books below:

1. "Multi-Family Millions: How Anyone Can Reposition Apartments for Big Profits" by David Lindhal
2. "Crushing it in Apartments And Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big" by Brian Murphy
3. "The Book On Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Turner
4. "Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book" by Joe Fairless and Theo Hicks
5. "What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures" by Frank Gallinelli
6. "Aggressive Tax Avoidance for Real Estate Investors: How to Make Sure You Aren't Paying One More Cent in Taxes Than The Law Requires" by John T. Reed

These books will give you a solid understanding of sound investment principles which you can use to build your multi-family portfolio. Also, I encourage you to attend local real estate investor meet-up groups to establish relationships with local investors. One of the most popular groups, R.E.I.A (Real Estate Investor Association) has chapters in most major cities. Our local chapter has over 250 members, many of whom are extremely active in the market and have a wealth of knowledge they're willing to share. The investors I've met while attending these events are some of the most humble and helpful people around. Hope this helps and good luck on your real estate investing journey!

All the best,

Definitely makes sense. However, it's a shame because there are various federal programs available to developers that can help them maximize the value they get from building low-income housing. One such program is called the "Low-Income Housing Tax Credit" which is an indirect federal subsidy used to finance the construction and rehabilitation of low-income affordable rental housing. 

Developers who qualify for the program receive tax credits for either 30% or 70% of the project’s qualified basis over a 10 year period: 

1. The 30% subsidy, also known as the "automatic 4 percent tax credit", covers rehabilitation of existing buildings or new construction projects that claim additional federal subsidies. 
2. The 70% subsidy, or 9 percent tax credit, supports new construction without any additional federal subsidies.

For additional information on the tax credit, check out the link provided here:

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-low-income-housing-tax-credit-and-how-does-it-work

We attempted to utilize this strategy with one of our current land listings. I contacted various out of state developers who had experience executing these kind of projects and pitched the idea of building an affordable senior housing community with priority for veterans. The moral of the story is that there are opportunities out there for those willing and able to capitalize.

All the best,

@David Espinosa - Thanks for the shout-out!

Hey @Traci Christensen,

As David mentioned, @Luke Neubauer and I host a free monthly meet-up at the "Manhattan Project" restaurant the last Wednesday of every month from 6:30-8:30 pm. 

We usually have a pretty good showing (50+ people) and we host speakers who talk about a range of topics related to real estate investing. This month, Ray Shuman and Hampton Scurlock of "America 2nd Chance" will talk about how to creatively finance real estate deals. If you're interested in stopping by, I've provided a link to the event below: 

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/757269-october-meeting-how-to-creatively-finance-real-estate-deals?page=1#p4452780

Looking forward to seeing you there!

All the best,

Hey @Matt Everling!

You are correct. The planning commission provides a recommendation to City Council which they can choose to listen to or ignore. However, in most cases, City Council goes along with the recommendation provided by the planning commission. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

All the best,