Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

222: Curating Resort Residential and Hospitality Real Estate Assets with Stephen Petasky Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

Owning luxury real estate can offer lifestyle benefits aside from the perks of an income-producing asset.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Stephen Petasky, founder and CEO of the Luxus Group. Luxus aims to provide an overall travel solution for affluent families seeking enhanced vacation experiences. Luxus Group includes Luxus Developments, Luxus Restorations, Luxus Vacation Properties, and a special project called Ena Lake Lodge, a private fishing club.

Jonathan and Stephen start their discussion by exploring Stephen's interest in the luxury real estate space that began with his parents. Stephen explains why it's important to enjoy the real estate you own and the lifestyle that comes with it, balancing making a profit with enjoying your properties, and involving the entire family in a vacation or luxury property purchase. You'll hear about Stephen and his wife's first investment purchases and how they involved family and friends, understanding your target avatar, and why remaining hyper-local and understanding your community's needs can be a business boost. Finally, Stephen outlines what he's looking forward to as his business grows and evolves and builds brand loyalty and trust with guests.

Part of the appeal of buying real estate is its tangibility, and owning luxury properties can up the ante. Stephen Petasky reveals how he built a successful business with luxury properties while enjoying them with his family.

In this episode, you will hear:

How Stephen Petasky developed an interest in the luxury real estate space through his parents
Enjoying the real estate you own and the lifestyle it can create
The balance between making a profit and enjoying the properties you own
Involving the whole family in a vacation or luxury property purchase
Stephen and his wife's first investment purchases and how they involved family and friends
Understanding who your avatar is and building the business around something you're passionate about
The transition from the initial iteration of Luxus to vacation rental management as Airbnb became more popular
Remaining hyper-local and understanding your community's needs
What Stephen is looking forward to as his business grows
The loyalty guests feel to brands and how operators can retain that loyalty

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Luxus Vacation Properties - www.luxusvp.com

Luxus Vacation Properties on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@luxusvp

Find Luxus on Instagram - www.instagram.com/luxusvp

Connect with Stephen Petasky on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-petasky-86437711

Luxus Group - www.luxusgroup.com

Luxus Restorations - www.luxusrestorations.com

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

221: Creating Wealth and Leveling The Playing Field in Self-Storage with Mark Helm Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Self-storage is an under-the-radar asset class that can be a real game-changer for creating wealth. Today's guest has incredible knowledge about it and is on a mission to teach others about its benefits.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Mark Helm, a self-storage and real estate veteran. Mark is the author of "Creating Wealth Through Self-Storage" and co-owner and principal broker of Nexus Commercial Advisors. He also developed the self-storage financial analysis software Storage World Analyzer. Mark owns several self-storage facilities, is a self-storage developer, investor, speaker, consultant, and trainer, and is the co-owner and partner of Resolve.

Jonathan and Mark begin their conversation by exploring Mark's early career in real estate as a way to create supplemental income for his day job. Mark quickly discovered he loved real estate, attaining his CCIM designation and working as a commercial broker before moving into investing in self-storage. You'll hear the challenges he initially faced, why no other asset is more localized, and what makes self-storage recession-resistant. Mark shares his strategy for self-storage, how he evaluates occupancy levels, and his opinion on dynamic pricing. Finally, he explains what he likes about conversions and expansions, the five KPIs Mark uses for every facility and manager, and technology's impact on the self-storage industry.

Mark Helm is a veteran real estate professional and self-storage guru. This episode is a must-listen for a deep dive into the self-storage world.

In this episode, you will hear:

Mark Helm's interest in real estate as a way to supplement his income and how that led to a full-time career in real estate
His attraction to commercial real estate, getting his CCIM designation, and then moving into investing in self-storage
The challenges Mark faced when he started in self-storage and the benefits that outweighed them
The importance of visibility in self-storage and why no other asset is more localized
How this asset class can fail, and what makes it recession-resistant
Mark's strategy for self-storage and determining which deals are a yes or no
Where he believes the deals are today
Evaluating occupancy levels in a self-storage space
Mark's take on dynamic pricing
Why the income increase should be higher than operational costs
What Mark likes about conversions and expansions
The five KPIs Mark uses for every facility and manager and how technology has changed the business
Constructing self-storage units and some of the issues that can arise

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Creating Wealth Through Self-Storage - creatingwealththroughselfstorage.com

Mark Helm on YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwEQnGiNYB46SSs2_HoTsA

Find Mark on Facebook - www.facebook.com/mark.helm.33

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/markhelmccim

Resolve - resolveself-storage.com

Get the "Creating Wealth Through Self-Storage" book - www.amazon.com/Creating-Wealth-Through-Self-Storage-ebook/dp/B00TP5VWVM

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

220: How To Reduce Your Taxable Income Through Cost Segregation on Real Estate with Erik Oliver Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Cost segregation can save you a lot of money on your investment properties through taxes. Today's guest is an expert on this topic and shares what you need to know about cost segregation.

On today's episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Erik Oliver, Vice President of National Accounts at Cost Segregation Authority. His company reclassifies assets, which then allows you to accelerate the depreciation. Using this strategy could save you a ton of money on taxes.

Jonathan and Erik explore cost segregation and who it benefits. You'll hear Erik's example of cost segregation for an office building, the importance of hiring an accountant specializing in this concept and real estate, and the audit considerations when you decide to do cost segregation. You'll hear what Erik believes is the "must do" asset class for cost seg, the value of setting up a team to help mitigate your tax burden, and what Erik learned from his first disastrous rental property. Finally, Erik explains his involvement with micro apartments and opportunity zones as an answer to the affordable housing problem and the importance of cost segs in syndication investments.

Taxes can take a big bite out of your investment income, and cost segregation can make a big difference in your returns. Don't miss Erik Oliver's expertise in making the most of cost segregation.

In this episode, you will hear:

What cost segregation is, and who needs it
Erik Oliver's example of cost segregation for an office building
The importance of hiring an accountant who understands the concept of cost segregation and real estate
Why cost segregation is way deeper than just the "stuff"
Audit considerations when performing cost segregation
The "must do" asset class for cost seg
Setting up a team that can help you mitigate your tax burden
Applying cost seg across multiple properties or in a house hacking scenario
Erik's first rental property, why it was a disaster, and what he learned from it
Micro apartments and opportunity zones as an answer to the affordable housing problem
The importance of cost segs in syndication investments

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Cost Segregation Authority - www.costsegauthority.com

CSA Partners on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/csapartners

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

219: The Blueprint To High-Performing Short-Term Rental Properties with John Bianchi Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Having the right data is one way to ensure your investment in a short-term rental is a good one.

On today's episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, John Bianchi, the Airbnb Data Guy, sits down with Jonathan to explain the importance of data when buying a short-term rental. John is the founder of STR Search, which matches clients with the highest cash-flowing short-term properties. John is also the creator of Air Valuation and Air Optimization systems.

Jonathan and John discuss how John became the Airbnb Data Guy. John shares the widespread availability of data and how it has impacted inexperienced investors getting into the STR market. He and Jonathan discuss why so many new Airbnb investors fail, how he developed an interest in STRs, and his start in real estate investing with arbitrage. John reveals the importance of balancing a worst-case scenario with taking action, what he looks for in a market for STRs, and the benefits of using AirDNA to evaluate a market. Finally, Jonathan and John cover his one piece of advice for those interested in STRs and the free course you can find on his website to help you get started.

John Bianchi understands the importance of data in real estate investing and arguably knows more about short-term rental markets than anyone in the business. This episode is a must-listen if you're contemplating entry into the STR world.

In this episode, you will hear:

How John Bianchi became the Airbnb Data Guy
The widespread availability of data and its impact on inexperienced investors entering the market
Operating an Airbnb and why so many new investors fail
John's interest in short-term rentals and his thoughts on the acquisition of STRs by hotel chains
Building communities in resort areas, selling to an investor, and the various issues involved in that type of prospect
His start with arbitrage in Chicago and Scottsdale and why that method isn't for everyone
Balancing a worst-case scenario with taking action
Markers John looks for that indicate a good or bad market for STRs
The benefits of using AirDNA to evaluate a market
Why high net-worth individuals are buying STRs and not necessarily looking for them to make money
What John needs to know about someone to find the right market for their STR
John's one piece of advice for someone who hasn't done short-term rentals but is interested
His free course on his website that teaches about STRs and the services his company offers

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

STR Search - strsearch.com

John Bianchi on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@theairbnbdataguy

Find John on Instagram - www.instagram.com/theairbnbdataguy

Connect with John on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/john-bianchi-245608a6/

John's TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@theairbnbdataguy

The Bianchi Method - shop.strsearch.com/offers/hoQjGYBG/checkout

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

218: How To Become a Professional Remote Real Estate Investor with Michael Albaum Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

With today's technology, becoming a real estate investor is possible without ever seeing the properties you buy. This is the path many would-be investors take when they live in more expensive areas like California. Today's guest is one such investor.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Michael Albaum, a professional real estate investor with over 12 years of experience. Michael is an Airbnb Superhost and the founder of myFI, which stands for financial independence.

Jonathan and Michael begin their conversation by delving into Michael's path to remote investing through a property in Southern California. Michael shares how he began to scale his business as he better understood costs in various parts of the country. You'll hear how coliving with roommates helped Michael get his business off the ground, the importance of finding an unbiased party to evaluate properties for you remotely, and what drew him to multifamily and mixed-use properties as he expanded. He also outlines the difference between financial independence and financial freedom, the benefits of retaining a W2, and Michael's recommendation to put in offers on homes even when you know they will be rejected. Finally, he shares why he loves midterm rentals and what he sees changing for them in the future.

Real estate can be prohibitively expensive for investing in some parts of the country, but Michael Albaum teaches others how to find investing opportunities in lesser-known areas and create opportunities to build a legacy.

In this episode, you will hear:

Michael Albaum's path to remote investing and his early interest in real estate
The fears surrounding remote investing and how systems can help mitigate the fear
His first property in Southern California and how his dad helped him evaluate the property with numbers instead of emotions
Scaling the business and understanding costs in various parts of the country
Coliving and community living while investing in real estate
Finding an unbiased eye to help evaluate properties for you when buying remotely
Moving into multifamily and mixed-use
The difference between financial independence and financial freedom and the role a W2 plays in that
Why it's okay not to have all the answers when you start and making offers you know will be rejected
The importance of firsthand experience
Michael's plans for the future and his focus on his coaching and education business
What he likes about midterm rentals versus short-term and long-term

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

myFI academy - www.myfiacademy.com

Find Michael Albaum on Instagram - www.instagram.com/myfimike

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/michaelalbaum

Michael on X - x.com/MichaelAlbaum

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

217: Wealth-Building Real Estate Investments For Busy Professionals with Adiel Gorel Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

The real estate market in the United States is magical, but its citizens often miss out on the unique opportunities it offers.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Adiel Gorel, founder and CEO of International Capital Group, a world-renowned real estate investment firm founded in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1987, Adiel has taught investors how to secure a strong financial future for college, business investments, and retirement. Adiel also operates in the wellness space.

Jonathan and Adiel begin their discussion by exploring Adiel's unwilling exposure to real estate as a child. When he began his career in Silicon Valley as a young adult, he discovered the many benefits of the U.S. real estate sector, learning how to leverage the mortgage system to build wealth with rental properties. Adiel explains the fluctuation in interest rates since the 1980s, the benefits of buying today instead of waiting, and why inflation can be a positive for investors. You'll hear about venturing beyond your local market for rental properties, his criteria for the markets he buys in, and Adiel's personal decision to rent for 20 years before buying his own home.

The real estate market in this country is unique, and Adiel wants everyone to know what they could be missing out on by not taking advantage of the magic it offers.

In this episode, you will hear:

Adiel Gorel's introduction to real estate as a child and when he decided he wanted to pursue real estate investing as a career
Leveraging the U.S. mortgage system to build wealth with rental properties and how interest rates have fluctuated since Adiel's start in the 1980s
The benefits of buying today versus waiting for interest rates to fall
The miraculous real estate market in the U.S. that its citizens often miss
Why inflation can be a positive for real estate investors
Adiel's refusal to retire
Buying rentals outside of your local market for better deals and where Adiel looked outside of his home state of California
How he began helping a group of coworkers buy homes where he was buying them
His criteria for buying a particular market
Adiel's decision to rent for 20 years as an investor before buying his own home
Why you are never too old to invest in real estate and the advice he gives to new investors
One of the worst mistakes investors can make

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Adiel Gorel's website - adielgorel.com

Adiel's YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/@AdielGorel

Adiel on Facebook - www.facebook.com/Adiel.Gorel.Profile

Find Adiel on Instagram - www.instagram.com/adielgorel

Connect with Adiel Gorel on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/adielgorel

Adiel's TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@adielgorel

ICGRE - icgre.com

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

216: Finding Suite Success Through Short-Term Rental Hospitality with Katie Cline Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Hospitality is an important element of the short-term rental business, but it's too often forgotten in favor of saving money. But little touches, like a tissue box tucked under the bathroom sink, can make or break a guest review.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Katie Cline, a senior global public relations and communications leader. Katie is also a storyteller and the host of the Suite Success podcast. In the last three years, she has become a short-term rental investor, using her hospitality background to create memorable stays for her guests.

Jonathan and Katie explore her decision to get into short-term rentals after she built a successful career in hospitality. Katie explains hospitality's role in STR success, catering to guest needs and wants in a property, and ensuring you've set the right expectation within the first 10 minutes of their arrival. She shares why she believes AI is removing personalization from the STR world, the importance of responding quickly to a guest's concerns, and the difficulties of scaling a business, maintaining high standards, and retaining a personal touch. As they wrap up, Katie explains why differentiating your brand from others can help your STRs stand out and her thoughts on Marriott's acquisition of Postcard Cabins.

Boutique hotel hospitality translates well to STRs, and Katie Cline shares how she does it.

In this episode, you will hear:

Katie Cline's decision to get into short-term rentals after building a career in hospitality
The role of hospitality in creating STR success
Catering to yourself to understand what your guests want in a property
Setting expectations within the first 10 minutes of a guest's arrival
Katie's advice to address an issue if you hear it more than once
How AI is removing some of the personalization from STR stays
Using a quick response time to mitigate any issues with a stay and using open-ended questions to understand a guest's needs
Scaling the business while retaining a personal touch and maintaining high standards
Differentiating your brand from the competition and knowing your market
Responding to guests' needs and wants when they let you know something is missing
Taking a page from the hotel playbook to set yourself up for success
Marriott's acquisition of Postcard Cabins and what was behind that decision
What you can expect to hear on Katie's podcast, Suite Success

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Suite Success podcast - www.suitesuccesspodcast.com

Suite Success on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@suitesuccesspodcast

Suite Success on Facebook - www.facebook.com/suitesuccesspodcast

Find Suite Success on Instagram - www.instagram.com/suitesuccesspodcast

Connect with Katie Cline on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/katiecline13

Trout Landing - www.trout-landing.com

Katie Cline's website - www.bykatiecline.com

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

http://www.thelandgeek.com/

Episode Credits

215: How To Get Dirt Rich Being a Land Geek with Mark Podolsky Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

Land could be the most underutilized asset class for real estate investors, with a lower barrier of entry, making it perfect for new investors with less capital.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Mark Podolsky, The Land Geek, joins Jonathan to talk about his career in land flipping. Mark teaches others how to get started with this accessible real estate investing vehicle and has completed over 5,000 land deals for his company, Frontier Equity Properties. Mark is also the author of "Dirt Rich: How One Ambitiously Lazy Geek Created Passive Income in Real Estate Without Renters, Renovations, and Rehabs."

Jonathan and Mark start their conversation by exploring what propelled Mark to pursue a career in land, why passive income is the antidote to financial insecurity, and the unpopularity of land compared to other asset classes. You'll hear how to look for raw land, Mark's flipping process, and the downsides of this particular investing class. He shares the personality types that best suit land flipping, who land buyers are, and how Mark finds off-market purchases.

Getting into real estate investing can feel too expensive for many would-be investors. Mark Podolsky advises others on investing in an affordable asset class and creating passive income streams.

In this episode, you will hear:

The job and commute that drove Mark Podolsky toward the land business
Passive income as the antidote to financial insecurity
Why people often ignore land flipping in favor of something like wholesaling
Looking for raw land with the resources that Mark recommends and the process for flipping it
The pitfalls of land investing, pricing it for sale, and the importance of systems
Solving money and time problems with passive income
The personality types land flipping best suits and why younger people are interested in land flipping
Who land buyers are and what they're looking for
Off-market purchases, how Mark finds them, and the criteria he uses to choose a geographic location
What the future looks like for land

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

http://youtube.com/thelandgeek

https://www.facebook.com/thelandgeek/

https://www.instagram.com/thelandgeek/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelandgeek

https://www.x.com/thelandgeek

https://www.tiktok.com/@thelandgeek

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Episode Credits

214: How To Make Your Money Work Harder Through Syndication with Sam Morris Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Syndications are popular for experienced investors, but they're also gaining steam for new investors who want to make their money work harder.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Sam Morris, CEO of Sunset Capital, a Houston-based vertically integrated real estate investment and asset management firm. Sam has over 18 years of experience as a corporate banker and more than 20 years in real estate acquisition and disposition.

Jonathan and Sam begin their conversation by discussing real estate cycles and why it's important to hang on despite the ups and downs of the market. Sam outlines his experiences during the 2008-09 financial crisis and how he entered real estate investing through his career as an underwriter in corporate banking. You'll hear why syndications appealed to Sam, the importance of risk mitigation, and the dangers of underinsured assets. He explains the tipping point coming with insurance costs, the importance of transparency with investors, and the two assets Sam sticks to. He shares why self-storage is catching up to multifamily in popularity, why you need to know who potential buyers of an asset are before the buy, and how vertical integration can benefit syndications.

Buying into a syndication means someone else is putting in the hard work while the asset creates passive income for the investors. To learn more about making your money work harder through syndications, don't miss this episode with experienced investor Sam Morris.

In this episode, you will hear:

Understanding the cycles of real estate and hanging on through the ups and downs
Sam Morris's experiences during the 2008-09 financial crisis
How Sam entered the real estate world through a career as an underwriter
Why syndications appealed to Sam and the risk mitigation associated with those deals
The dangers of underinsured assets, the tipping point that's coming with insurance costs, and being transparent with investors
Sam's two assets–multifamily and storage–and the avatar of his investors
What ECRI is and why self-storage is quickly catching up to multifamily
Recognizing who the potential buyers of an asset are before the buy and having an exit strategy in place
The importance of vertical integration and the difficulties of property management
Where Sam finds deals and provides advice for new investors who want more passive investments

Follow and Review:

Supporting Resources:

Sunset Capital - www.sunset-capital.com

Sunset Capital on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@sunsetcapital

Sunset Capital's Facebook page - www.facebook.com/sunsetcapitalre

Find Sunset Capital on Instagram - www.instagram.com/sunset_capital

Connect with Sunset Capital on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/sunset-capital-tx

YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties