Commercial Real Estate Investing with Don and Eden Don & Eden

 
On today’s episode, our guest Carlos Gutierrez is based out of South Carolina. He started flipping homes and eventually made his move to commercial real estate. He started with a 20 unit deal and since then has doubled his success with recent deals. He has an avid passion for motorcycles and he owned a shop Deltona, FL. 
 
In today’s episode, Carlos discusses how he entered the real estate game, details on his first house flips, how he found his first 20 unit deal and his future plans. He also shares with us, his goal with multifamily properties and how he found his formula to success. 
 
Episode Highlights:
Details on His 1st Deal
Recent Deals on Multifamily Properties
What Book Motivated to Enter the Multifamily Sector
His Future Plans
 
Connect with Carlos:
Email: cg4properties@gmail.com 
Facebook: @CG4propertiesllc
Office #: 843-934-4250
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TRANSCRIPTION
Intro: Hey guys, and welcome back. Today I am interviewing Carlos Gutierrez. I think Carlos and I share a similar path as well as so many other real estate investors. We both started in flipping homes and ended up deciding we want to scale up and start doing something bigger, hence getting involved in commercial real estate. So, I think this is the standard evolutionary process and progress of the typical real estate investor. And I'm sure many of you guys are either in this position or have been in this position in the past, which is why I think this episode is super important. So have fun, and let's get started.
 
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey, Carlos, it's nice to have you here. How are you doing today?
 
Carlos: Good. How are you guys doing?
 
Don: I'm doing just fine. I just got back from North Carolina looking at a property that is close to South Carolina, obviously, which is where you're based off. How are things in South Carolina? I can tell you that when I went to Charlotte right now when I was on the flight, there were a few tornadoes that just hit the city. So, when I landed in Charlotte, everything was like a mess. 
 
Carlos: I've lived here in Charleston probably for almost five years. We've had experiences with some close tornadoes in the area. When I mean close, I mean, like two or three miles down the road. 
 
Don: Wow. 
 
Carlos: Yeah, so we had one real bad one, think that September of 18. Took the roof off of the DMV building, a place that sells trailers and cars, flip trailers upside down. It was destroyed like Main Street, which is Machs Corner, which is five to 10 minutes up the street from where I live. I've lived through a lot of hurricanes because I'm originally from Puerto Rico and then grew up in Florida, so hurricanes don't bother me as much and you have time to prepare. And I tell you what, man, those tornadoes are scary. I was telling my wife the other day I was going to build one of those doomsday bunkers underneath our house. You literally have no time. And by the time they said there's a tornado on top of that you got less than a couple of minutes.
 
Don: Yeah, to get in right? So, I know you flip a lot of homes in South Carolina. Did you ever have any situation where you had one of your homes get impacts from any type of bad weather whatsoever?
 
Carlos: I've been fortunate enough to have any disasters hit any of our houses or any of our commercial property. We've been through hurricanes, we've been through tornadoes, we've been through some flooding and I haven't had anything major other than maybe a couple of our units getting flooded.
 
Don: That's a good thing. I know you flipped a lot of homes. So, you've done like over 20 flips, right?
 
Carlos: Yeah, yeah.
 
Don: So how about you tell us a little bit about that and how it started. How did you get into real estate and what was your

DE 37: Good Research = Smart Investing with Scott Price
 
Today’s guest has sharpened his skill sets through key roles in various companies as a team manager, program manager, and marketing manager- Scott Price. In 2005, he purchased his first apartment complex of 29 units. He used the full‐time broker status to immerse himself in real‐world real estate, investing and applied education. After being approached by some people, Scott began to provide professional coaching for aspiring real estate investors.
 
In this episode, Scott shares with us the details of his first deal- what he learned and what he’d do differently, how he managed a full-time W2 job & real estate investing on the weekends, how he became financially free and his current deals. 
 
Episode Highlights:
Real Estate Beginnings
Scott’s Retirement Plan
Advantages of Real Estate
A Memorable Deal
1:1 Coaching
 
Connect with Scott:
Website: bonvolo.com
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TRANSCRIPTION 
Intro: Hey guys, welcome to the show. Today, I'm very excited to host Scott Price. Scott is a real estate investor. He's also a hard money lender. He's an active investor. He's a passive investor. And he's also a coach. Now, if you're asking yourself, how is it possible that you can do all these things, then I guess it's just a type of business that real estate is. It's just being diverse, being able to think long term. I think what I like about Scott is his long term vision. And that is a key feature that you got to have. It's something in your mindset, you got to understand that real estate is a long play. So, you got to be patient, and you got to keep working, you gotta keep grinding, and you have your way of doing this. So, Scott's way of doing this is working a W2 job as he's investing in real estate. That's a safe way and that's a very nice way to do things. So yeah, I think Scott has a lot of value to give. So, without further ado, let's get started.
 
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey, Scott, welcome to the show.
 
Scott: Hey, Don, thanks. I'm looking forward to being here and talking to you.
 
Don: Yes, I'm also looking forward to having you here because I know this interview was rescheduled so many times just out of coincidence, and I really wanted to have you on the show. I think what you're doing is truly phenomenal. And I know you've been listening to the show also, as well. So, you've been there on the side of the audience and listener and also now as somebody who's being interviewed, so I'm very happy to have you here. And yeah, let's get started. Tell us a little bit about your career, your real estate career and how you got started in real estate.
 
Scott: Sure. I would say it first started many years ago, was looking at what am I going to do with my life and how am I going to become independent in terms of financial lifestyle and not dependent upon the winds of a company. And even going back to before college, I was thinking those kinds of things, certainly did during college as well and I kind of started on the usual approach of most people who have got a good job, go to a good school and things like that. But from all the research that I did, the thing that kept coming up over and over again was that people who maybe we're not household names, but they were people who developed a combination of recurring income as well as net worth. It kept coming back to real estate that some people would win the lottery by great IPO or their stock or something like that but it tended to be a smaller percentage, and it was a real roll of the dice as to whether or not you happen to be in the right company or not, or things like that. 
 
I didn't want my life to be a chance, I wanted to be something that I could control and expand on. And to me real

Joining us today is Brie Schmidt, a Chicago based real estate investor. She began her career in corporate sales while always holding her real estate license current. In 2011, she decided to leave the corporate world to become a full-time real estate investor. Since then, she has bought several properties in the Windy City and Milwaukee. In 2014, she started a brokerage company and in 2017 she started a conference business. Brie makes use of her extensive knowledge of constructing and managing a portfolio to teach clients about all aspects of buying and holding investments.
In this episode, she talks about her career as an investor, how she started and how she got to where she is today. Brie discusses how and why she decided to focus on the Chicago & Milwaukee markets, criteria she looks for when deciding on a property and her plans for the future. 
Episode Highlights:
Brie’s Start as a Real Estate Investor
Cap Rate Criteria for Properties
Work-Life Balance
Her Future Plans
Connect with Brie:
Website: Second City Real Estate
 Social Media: BiggerPockets or LinkedIn
Join Brie @ the Midwest Real Estate Networking Summit

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TRANSCRIPTION 
 
Intro: Hey guys, today Don with interview Brie Schmidt. Brie is the first female investor on our show, so we are very excited to have her here. We really hope this episode will inspire other female investors to jump right in the arena of real estate investing. After listening to the interview, I have learned from Brie that this type of profession actually enables a future mom to enjoy both worlds have a very successful career and the ability to take as much time needed for recovery and raising your newly born child. Don and Brie will also discuss the best strategy of choosing a market which is going there and seeing it firsthand. I hope you guys will enjoy this show.
 
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey Brie, welcome to the show.
 
Brie: Thank you for having me.
 
Don: Yes, of course. I'm very excited to have you as you know, you are the first female investor on the show. I've been trying to get a female investor for quite a while. And I know we've wanted to do this interview for a long time.
 
Brie: Yeah, I just had a baby. So, scheduling has been a little bit difficult for me.
 
Don: I could only imagine how difficult it would be to be a real estate investor and also being pregnant and taking care of babies. That must be requiring a lot of toll from you, right?
 
Brie: You learn to prioritize your time, right, and what's important and it's been something that I've been considering a personal mission of mine for a few years. When I started this business, I quit my corporate job back in 2014. So, I started real estate investing in 2011. I bought another property in 2012. I bought another property in 2013. And then I decided to quit my job and do this full time. 2014, I bought another 10 properties, and then in 2015, I bought another 12 and then bought a couple more in 2016. So, at the time when I quit my job, I used to work in corporate advertising sales. I'm like this is going to be great like I'm going from 50 hours a week and traveling all over the country. Now I'm going to be chill and I work from home and I'm self-employed. And for the first few years, I was working more hours than I was when I had a W2 job. 
 
It wasn't until about 2017 that I was really like, wow, like I have started a couple of other businesses, I'm the Managing Broker of Second City real estate, which is an investment, boutique investment firm for agents. I also started a website business and it was like, well, what was the point of me leaving my solid W2 jobs to get 'financial freedom' if I'm working from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed and weekends. So, when I knew that

In today’s episode, our guest Andrew Cushman was a chemical engineer for more than seven years. In 2007, he and his wife decided to follow their entrepreneurial spirit and entered the world of real estate. Their journey began in flipping single-family homes, in which he completed 23 transactions- purchase, rehab & sell. A few years later, he made the transition into the acquisition and repositioning of multifamily properties. Today, he continues his success in the nation’s SE market. 
Andrew discusses how he went through the recession of 2008, his strategy for buying single families and multi-family properties, why he chose the Southeast market. Andrew also shares the pricing strategy he used as well as how he decided to get into the mobile home park asset.
Episode Highlights:
Learning the Business & Becoming an Entrepreneur
2 Categories within Mobile Home Parks
Bad Market or Bad Strategy?
His insight on the Next Recession 
Connect with Andrew:
Website:  Vantage Point Acquisitions
 
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TRANSCRIPTION
 
Intro: Hey guys, today I am interviewing Andrew Cushman. And I'm in a very good mood for various reasons. Number one is because I'm very happy to interview such an amazing individual. Andrew is really a professional and I had the chance to talk to him a little bit before the show and kind of understand how he thinks. It really brings me to the point of understanding again and again, that it's all about the mindset, it's about faith or fear. If you're afraid, then you're going to be paralyzed, and you'll never succeed in accomplishing your goals. Cause with no risk, there's no reward, it's as simple as that. You'll also hear during the interview, how Andrew is a thinker and he goes against the herd, which is something I personally believe in. 
 
I think it's always important and smart to go against the herd and analyze your own life and environment with total faith in yourself and your abilities. I think really, Andrew is that kind of person, which is why I enjoyed the conversation with him so much. The second reason why I'm in a good mood is that me and Eden are getting close to this mobile home park deal that has 70 units. I had a great time underwriting the deal and learning more about the specific market, where it's located. I guess I'm grateful. I'm just truly grateful for doing what I love, really being able to do something that is big and invest in real estate. 
 
Sometimes I think about it, and I can't believe it, that I'm doing these things. And I really want to help others achieve the same goals and change their lives. So, I guess this is an opportunity for me to say that I'm grateful for you guys as well as our listeners, and I hope you are learning what you need here. And that in the future, when you are successful in real estate or in a future deal, then you think about us and the stuff you learned here. I think that's about it. Without further ado, let's get started.
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey Andrew, welcome to the show.
 
Andrew: Hey, how are you doing? Glad to be here. 
 
Don: I'm doing just fine. Actually, we just had a conversation before the episode started. And I got to say, I had a lot of fun talking to you about what you do and your outlook. And also, I found out that we have a lot in common, right? 
 
Andrew: Yep. 
 
Don: Yeah. But before we get into that, how about you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into real estate, to begin with?
 
Andrew: Yeah, I took the standard path into real estate and went and got a chemical engineering degree. But I always knew that was just a placeholder. It was just something that I could earn a decent income. So, I figured out what I would really want to do because I knew I wanted to be a

Kevin Amolsch, based in Denver, Colorado, is a very passionate real estate investor. He served 4 years in the US Army right out of high school and worked as a mortgage bond analyst for several large Wall Street firms. In 2008, he started his own financial institute, ‘Pine Financial Group’ which is a nationally known hard money lending company. Kevin is the author of The 45 Day Investor and is recognized as an expert in real estate finance. 
 
In today’s episode, Kevin talks about his start as a real estate investor, raising funds & hard money loans and his 13 unit deal on an assembled lot. He discusses his plans for the future and why keeping your focus is essential. 
 
Episode Highlights:
Kevin’s Portfolio Details
Process of Assembling Lots
His Business Ethics
Future Plans for Pine Financial Group
 
Connect with Kevin:
Website: pinefinancialgroup.com
YouTube: Pine Financial Group Channel 
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TRANSCRIPTION
 
Intro: Hey guys! Today Don will interview Kevin Amolsch. Kevin is a single-family investor who is based out of Colorado and also does hard money lending. Nowadays, Kevin is in the midst of a 12 townhouse development. What I find interesting is how diversified Kevin is and the commonalities we share. Me and Don also started at single families, moved up to commercial and we are currently developing a 30 unit multifamily in Hollywood, Florida. One of the most interesting things we have learned from Kevin is the process of assembling two lots and approving it with the city. I hope you guys will find the interview interesting and enjoy the episode.
 
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey, Kevin, welcome to the show.
 
Kevin: Hey, Don, thank you so much for having me.
 
Don: Yes, you're welcome. I know you're a single-family investor and a multifamily investor and you also focus on raising funds and then doing some hard money loans and that's the type of income that you generate. So that you do a lot of things and for that reason, you're on the show, because I bet my audience and our listeners have a lot to learn from you. So, the first thing that I would like to ask you is that the first time that you start to look into real estate.
 
Kevin: Right out of high school, I got into the Army and in the Army what you find is that you don't make a lot of money but you don't spend it either. So, I was growing a little bank account, I was trying to figure out what to do with it. So, I started reading books and one of the ones that I read it most of your listeners probably know is 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad.'
 
Don: Yeah, the famous purple book. Okay, guys, if you haven't read it, then please do yourself a favor and get on with it.
 
Kevin: Yeah, I mean, that's got to be a staple. I don't know if I know any successful real estate investor that has not read that book. Kiyosaki favors real estate. So, I was attracted to it and I started reading more and more and more and I ended up buying my first house. I was just turning 21 at the time. I got out of the Army, moved into the house, moved into some roommates to pay my mortgage for me. And then two years later, I moved out of it and kept it as a rental. I was cash flowing 300 or 400 bucks a month. I saw the value going up. And I knew that real estate is what was going to make me rich. So, I started focusing on it, and I turned it into a career as I was working my way through college.
 
Don: Amazing. So, what did you study in college?
 
Kevin: Yeah, I got a degree in finance, which does help. You don't necessarily need a degree to be successful in this business.
 
Don: Definitely. I always say that on the show that I never went to college. And I don't think in today's world, it's a necessity. I think it's something that you want to do if you want to become a

Bill Manassero is proof that it’s never too late to invest in real estate. Bill made his first deal at the great age of 60! Based in Irvine, California, he has worked in offices, worked as a musician, and operated his own businesses all his life. His music led him to take part on a mission in Haiti, where he started his organization named ‘Child Hope International’ which helps the children of Haiti. After a few years on the mission, he and his family moved back to the states and hit the ground running in the world of real estate. 
 
In this episode, Bill talks about his life in Haiti, how he came up with the idea of helping orphaned and abandoned children. He also discusses why & how he jumped into real estate, about his first deals, his lessons learned from it, and how he made the transition into a 22 unit deal. 

Episode Highlights:
 
Bill’s Mission in Haiti
His Start In Real Estate
Paralysis of Analysis
Hiring Property Managers

Connect with Bill:
 
Website:  OldDawgsREINetwork.com
 
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TRANSCRIPTION
 
Intro: Hey guys, and welcome to the show. Today, I'm very excited to host Bill Manassero. And Bill's story is very inspiring, particularly because of the fact that he started investing in real estate when he was 60 years old. A lot of people say that they're afraid of jumping in because they feel like that ship has already sailed, or they're too young and many other excuses why not getting into real estate. But how about being 60 years old, not having enough money to retire or thinking about retirement and getting into real estate at that particular point? I think that's inspiring, and it doesn't matter the situation, I think it's something that we should learn from. So, without further ado, let's have Bill Manassero.
 
Lady: Welcome to the commercial real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to off-market strategies.
 
Don: Hey, Bill, welcome to the show, and happy Thanksgiving.
 
Bill: Hey, it's great to join you here today. This is Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
 
Don: Thank you for much. I'm actually Israeli. I know Thanksgiving is an American holiday or like an American event and I have been in this country for eight years. And it's my favorite holiday here, I guess because it reminds me of home. As Israeli people, we assemble every Friday for a Friday dinner with our families. 
 
Bill: Shabbat
 
Don: Yes, Shabbat dinner. And that is the closest that we got here. So, I love it. I love this holiday and I love the atmosphere and I love the fact that Florida is getting a little bit colder. That's amazing.
 
Bill: How cold, down to 70 now or something?
 
Don: Oh it's 75.
 
Bill: Oh, man, you must have big down coats on.
 
Don: Yeah I'm wearing a jacket, don't ask. How's the situation in California, right, you're based off California?
 
Bill: Yeah, I'm in Southern California. It's called South Orange County which borders San Diego County. A very nice area here. Just love it. The beautiful and yeah, I think we're down in the 60s and 50s here lately, so we're getting really cold. And the people, of course, listening and Michigan and places like that are just saying. Yeah, right. What are you guys talking about?
Don: That's right. Yeah. Okay. So, Bill, how about you tell us a little bit about yourself in your real estate career? I know you're a very accomplished man, and you've done a lot in your career. So, tell us about yourself, what you're doing right now, what you've done in the past. Let's hear all about it.
 
Bill: Oh, you bet. Sure. Well, I don't know how far back you want me to go. It'd be a long show here but I'll just try to give you an overview. Mainly grew up in Southern California, started off early in the banking industry, or at that time, what they called savings and loans, and learned a lot about just the financial transactions that occu