Bow Tie Edge: Real Estate Unraveled

TheBowTieAttorney
  • 0.0 (0)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Chicago real estate can change your life, or drain your bank account. This podcast brings you inside the deals, the setbacks, and the turning points. We talk Illinois foreclosure defense, contracts, title, and closings, plus the real investor side of distressed and 2 to 12 unit properties. Hear how people built momentum, what they wish they knew sooner, and the moves that actually made a difference.

  1. 1D AGO

    Buy the Building, Live for Free, The Real Numbers Behind House Hacking

    What if your tenants paid your mortgage? That is the promise of house hacking, and in this episode of The Bow Tie Edge Real Estate Unraveled, we break down exactly how it works. Victoria Marie Garay of Exit Strategy Realty joins the show for a no fluff masterclass on buying a multi unit property, living in one unit, and renting out the rest. We run live numbers on a 400,000 dollar three unit in Chicago, walk through FHA financing with only 3.5 percent down, explain how rental income changes your debt to income ratio, and reveal why house hackers can qualify for a home that single buyers earning twice as much cannot afford. Victoria also shares the top three things every first time house hacker should check before buying, three red flags that should make you slow down or walk away, why a property inspection is non negotiable, and the real reason rookies should not gut rehab their first deal. We close with a sweet bonus story about how she adopted Sunrise the cat during the pandemic. This episode is for homeowners, future investors, brokers, lenders, fellow attorneys, and anyone who wants to stop renting forever and start building real estate wealth the smart way. Real strategy. Real numbers. Real talk. Welcome to The Bow Tie Edge.

    38 min

  2. MAY 6

    What carriers see before they say no

    Insurance is one of the most misunderstood pieces of every real estate deal. In this episode of The Bow Tie Edge Real Estate Unraveled, Cody Wiswasser of Community Partners Insurance pulls back the curtain on how the insurance world really works in Chicago and beyond. Cody is an independent broker who specializes in unusual risks, from bulky portfolios with 20 to 30 single family homes to harm reduction nonprofits, old gray stones, and creative developers. As a former claims adjuster on the carrier side, he knows exactly how underwriters think. He breaks down the MEP plus roof framework that every carrier uses, the surprising red flags that quietly tank applications including AI staged Zillow photos, the word "luxury" on your listing, and a natural gas grill on a balcony, and why your website, LLC name, and any online partnerships you mention are all fair game during underwriting. We then dig into the Chicago condo insurance crisis, why old buildings are now case by case, the difference between admitted carriers and excess and surplus, and the difference between direct, captive, and independent brokers. We get into the frequent flyer problem and why jumping carriers raises your rates, the smart pairing of a captive broker like State Farm with a strong independent broker, and the maintenance regime that makes underwriters smile. Plus real numbers from Rogers Park three flats running 8 to 18 thousand dollars a year right now. This episode is for property owners, condo associations, developers, brokers, agents, attorneys, and any professional who wants a clearer view of how insurance actually shapes the deal. Real strategy. Real numbers. Real talk. Welcome to The Bow Tie Edge.

    30 min

  3. APR 29

    FROM REALITY TV TO REAL ESTATE REALITY

    Mikey Tenerelli knows real estate from both sides of the table. He is a broker, an investor, and a flipper, and in this episode he gets honest about the project that nearly ate the whole profit. We talk permit delays, GC problems, hidden costs, and what happens when a deal that looked solid starts getting away from you. We also get into what he is seeing with upsizers in this market and the mindset it takes to stay in the game when a project does not go the way you planned. If you are buying, selling, flipping, or trying to grow in real estate, this is a good one.

    23 min

  4. APR 22

    Boot Camp, Burst Pipes, and Real Estate Grit

    Kayla Easley did not take the usual road into real estate. She went from military boot camp to dance to building a career in real estate, and you can hear all of that in the way she works. In this episode, she talks about pressure, resilience, sales, and the wild second transaction that tested her fast, when burst pipes flooded the home right before closing. This is a conversation about grit, reinvention, and what real estate actually looks like when things stop being pretty and start getting real.

    22 min

  5. APR 15

    How a bad foundation blew up the whole deal

    A bad foundation turned into a full blown disaster. In this episode, Mahmoud talks with Drew Wischhover about the build that went completely sideways, from a foundation that was off, to bad framing, to a village shutdown, demolition, and a painful loss that changed how he looks at development forever. It is a sharp, honest conversation about contractor risk, due diligence, and the expensive lessons nobody talks about until they live through them.

    39 min

  6. APR 8

    From Civics Teacher to 7 Million in Real Estate

    We get into the real playbook behind that jump. Social media done daily, relationships built the right way, and the mindset that keeps you consistent when deals fall apart and the DMs go quiet. Leo also tells the story of buying his first 2 flat when everyone said it was a bad idea, and how he negotiated credits and used first time homebuyer programs to walk out of closing with a check.

    31 min

  7. APR 1

    How to Save a Subject To Deal Before Foreclosure Kills It

    A client brought a “subject to” deal that looked like a win on paper, low rate, fast close, easy spread. Then reality hit. The foreclosure was still open, there were extra liens, and the paperwork was a mess. In this episode, we talk about how these deals go sideways, what to look for before you get deal frenzy, and how to slow down just enough to protect the buyer and the seller.

    25 min

  8. MAR 25

    Hud Homes, Rehab Math, and Hard Truths

    This episode starts with 203(k) loans and ends somewhere much bigger. The Bow Tie Attorney sits down with Tiffany Watkins, a Chicago broker, property manager, and straight shooter with 25 years in the business. They break down how 203(k) loans and HUD homes can help buyers get into neighborhoods they thought they could not afford, why FHA standards are stricter than people think, and what most brokers miss when a property needs work.

    54 min
See All (15)

About

Chicago real estate can change your life, or drain your bank account. This podcast brings you inside the deals, the setbacks, and the turning points. We talk Illinois foreclosure defense, contracts, title, and closings, plus the real investor side of distressed and 2 to 12 unit properties. Hear how people built momentum, what they wish they knew sooner, and the moves that actually made a difference.

Information