The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

Victor Menasce

Welcome to The Real Estate Espresso Podcast, your morning shot of what's new in the world of real estate investing. Join investor, syndicator, developer, and author Victor J. Menasce as he shares his daily real estate investment outlook. Our weekday episodes deliver 5 minutes of high-energy, high-impact content to fuel your success. Plus, don't miss our weekend editions featuring exclusive interviews with renowned guests such as Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Helms, Peter Schiff, and more.

  1. 1H AGO

    The Small Project Trap

    Today’s show is sponsored by The Cost Segregation Guys. If you own investment real estate and haven’t looked seriously at cost segregation, you could be leaving significant tax savings on the table. The Cost Segregation Guys help investors accelerate depreciation, improve near-term cash flow, and make more efficient use of capital, all without changing the underlying asset.  ------------ On today’s show, we are talking about a trap. It’s a subtle trap, one that is paved with good intentions, conservative mindsets, and the comforting illusion of "low risk." I am talking about the trap of investing in small projects. Now, if you’ve been listening to this show for any length of time, you know that we advocate for thorough underwriting, deep market research, and risk mitigation. And to the novice investor—or even the experienced investor looking to pivot into a new asset class—the logical first step seems to be a small project. A single-family rental, a duplex, a tiny four-unit apartment building, or a minor cosmetic flip. The logic goes like this: "If I make a mistake, it’s a small mistake. I’ll learn the ropes, and then I’ll scale up." The fundamental flaw of the small project lies in the math of overhead. Every single real estate project, regardless of size, requires a baseline level of administrative and operational infrastructure. To operate a real estate business professionally, you need a wide breadth of highly specialized skills. You need expertise in construction management, property management, marketing, legal compliance, financial reporting, and tenant relations. On a large-scale project, the asset generates enough revenue to afford top-tier, professional talent. You can hire a professional property management firm with a dedicated on-site team. You can hire a dedicated leasing agent. You can afford a sophisticated maintenance crew. But a small project simply does not generate enough income to afford that breadth of skills. Therein lies the trap. ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

    5 min
  2. 3D AGO

    Solving The Colorado River Crisis

    The Wall Street Journal ran a major piece today warning that the Colorado River system is on the brink of disaster. The article points to a system under extreme stress: a river serving roughly 40 million people, more than five million acres of farmland, and hydroelectric power for millions. It also notes that Lakes Mead and Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the basin, have fallen dramatically from their peak volumes. Now, there is no question that the Colorado River is in crisis. But the framing matters. When the public hears “40 million people,” the mental image is subdivisions, swimming pools, lawns, golf courses, and new housing developments. That framing conveniently feeds the anti-development narrative. It suggests that growth itself is the problem. If we are serious about solving the problem, we need to look where the water actually goes. And most of it goes to agriculture. Colorado State’s agricultural water conservation work notes that farms using flood irrigation are often only about 50 percent efficient, while sprinkler and drip systems can reach 80 to 90 percent efficiency. The vast majority of the acreage is still using this antiquated method of irrigation. ----------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:**Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)  iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)  Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)  LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)  YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)  Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)  Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:**Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)  Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)  Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

    5 min
  3. 3D AGO

    Toronto Has Hit Botton

    Institutional capital has stepped in at a time when retail investors have largely disappeared from the market. A newly announced $1.3 billion acquisition fund backed in part by the Ontario government’s Building Ontario Fund plans to purchase large inventories of newly completed but vacant condominium units across the Greater Toronto Area. The strategy is straightforward. Buy unsold condo inventory from stressed developers and convert those units into long-term rental housing. This is not a small pilot project. This is a large-scale institutional intervention into one of North America’s most overheated residential real estate markets. And in my view, it may eventually be remembered as the moment Toronto transitioned from a speculative condo market into an institutional rental housing market. ----------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

    6 min
  4. 4D AGO

    Data Center Community Opposition

    Today we’re looking at a situation in northern Utah that has echoes of something very familiar to us in Colorado Springs. O’Leary Ventures is backing a massive hyperscale data center initiative in Box Elder County, Utah. The Stratos project area has been approved at the state level through MIDA, the Military Installation Development Authority, and the county commission has approved the interlocal agreement and consent resolution required for the project area to move forward. But now residents are organizing a referendum. They want to gather signatures, force the question onto a ballot, and potentially overturn the county commission’s action. So the question is simple. Can a local special election overturn something that has already been approved by multiple layers of government? ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

    6 min
  5. 6D AGO

    A Recession By Any Other Name

    Today’s show is sponsored by The Cost Segregation Guys. If you own investment real estate and haven’t looked seriously at cost segregation, you could be leaving significant tax savings on the table. The Cost Segregation Guys help investors accelerate depreciation, improve near-term cash flow, and make more efficient use of capital, all without changing the underlying asset. In a business where preserving cash matters, that’s worth paying attention to. If you’re interested in learning more, click on the link in the show notes and you’ll be able to connect with them directly, and qualify for a discount because you came from the show.   https://costsegregationguys.com/estateespressopodcast/ --------------- Many in the mainstream media are speculating about the chances of the US economy entering a recession later this year. On today’s show, I am going to make the case that the US economy is already in recession and has been for some time. I’m going to further make the case that what is coming later this year is an even deeper recession. As you're listening to this, you might be thinking: Oh, come on Victor. The bureau of economic analysis is responsible for making the determination whether the economy is in recession or not. So far they have not produced any data to support your claim. I will be the first to acknowledge that fact. Listen on. ------------ **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)

    6 min
4.9
out of 5
132 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Real Estate Espresso Podcast, your morning shot of what's new in the world of real estate investing. Join investor, syndicator, developer, and author Victor J. Menasce as he shares his daily real estate investment outlook. Our weekday episodes deliver 5 minutes of high-energy, high-impact content to fuel your success. Plus, don't miss our weekend editions featuring exclusive interviews with renowned guests such as Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Helms, Peter Schiff, and more.

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