Living Well with Rentwell

Live Well With Rentwell

There is a famous quote that says you make your money when you buy real estate, and that's true, for the most part. But you can't keep that money and grow it, unless you have exceptional property management skills. Living Well with Rentwell is for anybody who owns real estate and wants to learn how to manage their properties or manage their property manager. Each week Rob and TJ share their insight and talk to investors to learn how they vet potential deals, evaluate potential new communities, and put into action the steps necessary to buy these new properties and multi-family communities!

  1. Sep 9

    Rob Coldwell: How to Structure Real Estate Deals and Rebuild After Burnout

    Rob Coldwell built Rentwell into a multi-state property management company, hit what he thought was "the top," and then watched it all catch fire in the span of twelve months. In this full-length presentation recorded at a DIG (Diversified Investors Group) subgroup meetup, Rob lays out both halves of what he learned: the hard numbers behind buying, renovating and financing value-add multifamily, and the inner work that let him rebuild without burning out again.Over the last five years, Rob and his business partner have acquired and fully renovated 120+ rental units using a repeatable formula: buy at roughly $100/sq ft, put another $100/sq ft into new roofs, electric, plumbing and windows, and stabilize at $250/sq ft or more. He walks through exactly how he funds those deals with 1–3 limited partners, bank debt and preferred returns, including a live $200K purchase / $150K rehab breakdown from the Q&A.In this episode:Why Rob tracks economic occupancy and rent per square foot, not just "doors"The metrics that matter most: cash-on-cash return, NOI, cap rate and ARVRob's preferred capital stack: bank at 75%, LPs under 20% equity, 6–8% preferred returnsAGFLAP → CAP: the energy scale (apathy, grief, fear, lust, anger, pride → courage, acceptance, peace) and how to move up itSamskaras, The Untethered Soul, and why "what was stored with pain comes up with pain"Choosing partners on core values (EOS), and why "partner" means equitySpace planning: turning a 2-bed into a 4-bed without adding square footageCan rentals still cash flow at 6–7% interest? Creative and seller financingCo-living, Section 8 and building a balanced portfolioWhy long-term rentals are a balance sheet game, not a cash flow gameFlipping vs. holding, and getting clear on your intentionConnect with Rob:Rentwell.com (click "complimentary consult" for property management, or to talk JV and deal structure)Monthly lunch-and-learn for active investors in King of Prussia https://www.digonline.org/Living Well with Rentwell – available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTubeNote: This episode includes candid discussion of mental health struggles. If you're going through something similar, please reach out to someone you trust or a mental health professional.#RealEstateInvesting #Multifamily #PropertyManagement #ValueAdd #CoLiving #Philadelphia #DIG #Rentwell #RealEstatePodcast

  2. May 8

    TJ Hock: How Real Estate Investors Are Using AI as Their Personal Chief of Staff

    In this month's DIG meeting, TJ Hock, integrator for Rentwell Property Management, pulls back the curtain on how he's using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to run a smarter, leaner operation.From a daily AI-powered "Chief of Staff" briefing that scans emails, flags red flags, and drafts responses, to prompting frameworks that turn shallow questions into deep deal analysis, TJ shows what's actually working (and what's not) in the real world of real estate investing.In this session, you'll learn:The "Big Four" AI platforms and exactly which tasks each one does bestHow to build a daily morning briefing that reads your calendar, emails, and Drive — automaticallyThe single most important concept in AI: why the prompt is everythingHow to create a custom AI agent with your own personality, management style, and business dataWhat NOT to do with AI (avoiding the echo chamber, tool overload, and blind trust in outputs)How a property management company is using AI for predictive maintenance and ROI trackingDIG meets monthly in the Philadelphia area. If you're an investor or developer interested in joining, reach out to Rob at RentWellFor more on Rentwell Property Management go to https://www.rentwell.comFor more on Marketing Agency Near You and to get their free assessment go to https://YourFreePlan.com#RealEstateInvesting #AIForRealEstate #PropertyManagement #RealEstateTech #ChatGPT #Gemini #DIG #RentWell #InvestorMeetup #Philadelphia

  3. Mar 25

    Karl Kulpak: Building a Mobile Home Park Investment Portfolio

    Living Well with RentWell — From State Trooper to Mobile Home Park Mogul with Karl KulpakWhat if the most overlooked asset class in real estate was hiding the best numbers? In this episode, host Rob Coldwell sits down with Karl Kulpak — former Pennsylvania State Trooper turned full-time mobile home park investor — to walk through a real deal in real detail.In just two years, Karl built a portfolio of 242 lots with a market value of $12.5 million, starting with nothing but a single-family rental and a four-day course that changed his trajectory. His goal for 2026: 500 lots.Karl breaks down his second acquisition — Olympic MHP in Van Wert, Ohio — with the kind of transparency most investors keep private: how he saw through the seller's inflated NOI, why he assumed an existing seller note and what happened when the private lender found out, the 60–70% bonus depreciation play that generated $1.6M in passive losses from a $2M purchase, and how he found his in-park manager by simply asking residents if they wanted to help.Rob and Karl also dig into the phantom income problem with accelerated depreciation, why Pennsylvania's proposed rent cap could make the state uninvestable for this asset class, and the ultrasonic water metering technology Carl is deploying across his portfolio to bill back utilities and catch leaks in real time.Whether you're considering your first investment property or looking to add a new asset class to a mature portfolio, this conversation is a masterclass in finding the deals most investors walk right past.For more info and to reach Karl, go to SnowHorseProperties.com.This episode is also brought to you by SimpleSubWater.com and Rentwell.com

  4. Feb 19

    Fred Hubler: How DSTs Are Changing Real Estate Exit Strategies

    Full DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup Meeting | December 2025 In this special episode recorded live at the DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup meeting, host Rob Coldwell sits down with financial advisor and Forbes contributor Fred Hubler to unpack one of real estate's best-kept secrets: Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs). What You'll Learn: Fred opens with a story that will make any landlord pay attention: a family with a $14 million mobile home park, fully depreciated with no debt, facing a massive tax bill. Through strategic DST planning, Fred's team saved them $9 million in taxes while generating MORE passive income than they were making as active operators. The real estate agent on the deal? Bought two Bentlies with his commission. Fred? Got a box of cigars. But this episode goes far deeper than one success story. The Conversation Covers: What DSTs Actually AreThe Emotional Side of SellingReal Numbers, Real PortfolioThe Three Doors StrategyAdvanced Strategies RevealedInstitutional AdvantagesReal Risk DiscussionWho This Is (and Isn't) ForKey Insights: "When they buy, they will cut expenses by 25%" — Fred explains how institutional operators immediately add value through scale "All 18 families said a derivative of that: 'We don't think anything's going to get any better and we just want income we can trust'" — The surprising common thread among sellers "The first question you should be asking me is how are you protecting me against additional risk" — Fred's three-layer protection strategy for investors "I have 1,800 failure points" — How one owner with 1,800 doors described his portfolio before converting to DSTs Practical Takeaways: How to identify if you or a seller is a good DST candidate (minimum $100K equity, must be accredited)The critical 45-day identification rule and why the best DSTs sell out in days, not weeksFee structures: 5-7% of equity invested, paid once (about 93 cents of every dollar actually goes into the property)Why Fred uses interest rate hedges, construction contingencies, and rental model validation to protect investor capitalThe accreditation requirements: $1M net worth (excluding primary residence) OR $300K joint income for individuals; $5M for trustsWho Should Listen: Active landlords considering an exit strategy or transition to passive investingReal estate agents working with older clients who own appreciated propertySyndicators and developers who want to offer sellers a tax-advantaged exitAnyone managing 10+ doors who's tired of the operational burdenFinancial advisors working with real estate investorsInvestors approaching retirement who want to de-risk their portfolioResources Mentioned: DST-Exchange.com (Fred's 1031 calculator tool)Forbes.com (search "Hubler" for Fred's educational articles on DSTs and alternative investmentsThe "worst case scenario" example: Kansas Gander Mountain property (2007-2016)Whether you're sitting on appreciated real estate wondering about your next move, working with clients who need exit strategies, or simply curious about institutional-quality passive real estate investing, this episode delivers actionable intelligence you won't find anywhere else. Host: Rob Coldwell, Principal at Rentwell Property ManagementGuest: Fred Hubler, Financial Advisor & Forbes ContributorRecorded: DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup Meeting, December 2025 Note: This episode is educational in nature. DSTs are securities available only to accredited investors. Consult with qualified financial and tax advisors before making investment decisions. Subscribe to Living Well with Rentwell for more real estate investing insights, property management strategies, and interviews with industry leaders who are actually doing the work.

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

There is a famous quote that says you make your money when you buy real estate, and that's true, for the most part. But you can't keep that money and grow it, unless you have exceptional property management skills. Living Well with Rentwell is for anybody who owns real estate and wants to learn how to manage their properties or manage their property manager. Each week Rob and TJ share their insight and talk to investors to learn how they vet potential deals, evaluate potential new communities, and put into action the steps necessary to buy these new properties and multi-family communities!

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