How to Scale Commercial Real Estate Sam Wilson

Today’s guest is Spencer Hilligoss.
 
Spencer Hilligoss is a passive investor who deployed 7-figures of his own capital into passive investments in the past 6 years. In 2019, Spencer retired from a 13-year tech career to fully focus on Madison Investing, his passive investing club.
 
Show summary:
In this podcast episode, Spencer shares his personal journey from working in technology companies to retiring in 2019 to focus on his passive investing club. He emphasizes the need for clarity and vigilance in investing, advising investors to thoroughly vet teams and operators before investing. Spencer also provides advice on how to communicate with and motivate investors during challenging times, using two investor profiles as examples.
 
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Intro (00:00:00)
Spencer's background and retirement (00:01:26)
Clarity and vigilance in passive investing (00:04:25)
Twists and Turns in Investing Journey (00:14:05)
Positioning for the Next 12 to 24 Months (00:16:10)
Investing at the Wrong Time (00:19:19)
Motivating Investors to Invest (00:20:06)
Understanding Investor's Circumstances (00:20:41)
Educating Towards Future State (00:21:16)
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Connect with Spencer: 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shilligoss/
 
Web: www.madisoninvesting.com
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Spencer Hilligoss (00:00:00) - The goal setting process, like if there were to be. What is the most active part of being a passive investor? Because there are active parts. Right? And this is the misnomer. I think it is sitting down and just gut checking with the financials. What is your true north? Or I'll take out the platitude like what is your financial target you're aiming for? Just like if you're inside of a business, if you're going to use to work in the corporate world, anyone who's in a W2 world, if you manage a profit and loss, if you manage a financial plan, you got to go and sit there and say, hey, last year we thought the target like a win would be that dollar amount. Well, this year is looking a little different. So let's revise like what are where is our bearing here.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:44) - Welcome to the how to scale commercial real estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor. We'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:58) - Spencer. Helios is a passive investor who has deployed seven figures of his own capital into passive investments in the past six years. In 2019, he retired from a 13 year tech career to fully focus on Madison investing his passive investing club. If you don't know, Spencer also came back on the show. Gosh, what was that? Spencer episode 274 I think. So sometime early 2021. We've done about 600 episodes since the last time you were on the show, so it's a pleasure to have you back on the show today.
 
Spencer Hilligoss (00:01:26) - Yeah. Wow, that's a fast two years. Sam. Thank you for having me back on. Absolutely.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:32) - The pleasure's mine, and it is a fast two years. Spencer, before we get into the heart of the show, though, there are three questions I ask ever

Today’s guest is Alan Siebenaler.
 
Alan has flipped over 250 units, homes, apartment buildings, and condos. He has made SINGLE transaction profits of over $1m, and has bought and sold in 9 different states. His projects have been featured on HGTV.
 
Show summary: 
In this episode, Alan talks about repositioning industrial properties into flex spaces, flipping homes, and exploring opportunities in the boutique hotel model. He also shares his current projects, including a luxury flip with ocean views. The conversation also covers the potential of converting office spaces into storage units and the shift towards experience-based retail. Alan emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing market trends and meeting the evolving needs of end users in the real estate industry.
 
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Intro (00:00:34)
 
Alan Seaborn's Real Estate Background (00:01:03)
 
Alan Seaborn's Current Projects and Strategies (00:03:28)
 
The Industrial Property Trend (00:10:29)
 
Economies of Scale in Commercial Properties (00:12:39)
 
The Shift in Retail Experience (00:16:35)
 
Converting Office Space into Storage (00:21:27)
 
The Future of Office Space (00:21:55)
 
Conclusion and Contact Information (00:22:34)
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Connect with Alan:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/alsiebs
 
Instagram: @alansiebs
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Alan Siebenaler (00:00:00) - But let's say you take an industrial property, just a large, maybe warehouse or something like that, and you divide it up. So you take 10,000ft² and you change it into five 2000 square foot spaces. You give each space their own roll up door, high ceilings, maybe a little bit of office space, but mostly what we'd call flex industrial. So high ceilings and a little bit of office, and then the amount of clients you can attract to that type of space right now is huge. Welcome to the how.
 
Intro (00:00:34) - To scale commercial real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:46) - Alan Seaborn has flipped over 250 units, homes, apartments, buildings and condos. He had made single transaction profits of over $1 million and has bought and sold in nine different states. His projects have also been featured on HGTV. Alan, welcome to the show.
 
Alan Siebenaler (00:01:03) - Thanks for having me.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:04) - Absolutely. The pleasure is mine. Alan.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:06) - There are three questions I ask every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less. Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now and how did you get there?
 
Alan Siebenaler (00:01:14) - Where did I start? So I started with the desire to have some financial control over my future. I got a hold of the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. This was over 23 years ago and I decided to start in real estate, and I got my real estate license and started in commercial real estate because I wanted to learn from real estate investors. So those were my clients. I was helping them buy and reposition retail centers, office buildings, indu

Today’s guest is Salvatore Buscemi.
 
Salvatore is currently serving as the CEO and Co-Founding Partner of HRN, LLC, a private multi-family investment office, Salvatore Buscemi has demonstrated a keen eye for successful investment strategies. He started his career at Goldman Sachs.
 
Show summary:
In this podcast episode, Salvatore discusses the importance of networking and building meaningful relationships, especially in the investment industry. He shares his journey from considering medical school to raising $30 million for a fund at 29, and his ventures into life sciences and commercial real estate. Buscemi emphasizes the need for genuine interaction and understanding investors' preferences. He also discusses his upcoming book, "Investing Legacy: How the 0001% Invest," which offers insights into the current state of investments.
 
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The importance of networking (00:00:00)
 
Salvatore Buscemi's background and career journey (00:00:53)
 
Investing in defaulted loans and impact-driven investments (00:02:38)
 
Networking and Building Relationships (00:09:29)
 
Being Busy vs. Being Meaningful (00:10:11)
 
The Law of Reciprocity (00:15:52)
 
Importance of building relationships with investors (00:18:20)
 
Helping investors by saying no (00:19:06)
 
Introduction to the book "Investing Legacy" (00:20:44)
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Connect with Salvatore:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SMBuscemi
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salvatorembuscemi/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salvatore.buscemi.589
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Salvatore-M.-Buscemi/author/B00O5IHPTC?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-buscemi/
 
Book: https://www.investinglegacy.com/book
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Salvatore Buscemi (00:00:00) - Your network is so important. It really is. And and the most extreme example of this is when somebody loses their job, they don't have a network. So they're groveling to all their friends. Right. And so, you know, there's no excuse for that today especially in LinkedIn. You have to treat your you know, you have to treat people like friends. You know, like really. And I think that there's been too much of an institutionalization that's been normalized now where, you know, coming after the pandemic, a lot of people are they're looking for that warmth and that intricate connectivity.
 
Intro (00:00:26) - Welcome to the how to Scale commercial real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:39) - Salvatore Buscemi is currently serving as the CEO and co-founding partner of Hrn, LLC. They are a private multifamily investment office, and he has demonstrated a keen eye for successful investment strategies. Sal, welcome to the show.
 
Salvatore Buscemi (00:00:53) - Sam, it's a pleasure and privilege.
 
Salvatore Buscemi (00:00:55) - Thank you.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:56) - Absolutely. The pleasure is truly mine. Sal, th

Today’s guest is Sean Tagge.
 
Sean is a Biomedical Engineer turned REI. He uses a data and science approach to investing. 1500 SFR and 750 MF doors.
 
Show summary:
Sean shares his journey from flipping single-family houses to multifamily syndications, discussing the importance of measuring progress and accountability in real estate investing. He also talks about the challenges he faced during his first multifamily project, the benefits of investing in Nashville, and his recent acquisition of a 206-unit property. Sean emphasizes the importance of using a data-driven approach in real estate and shares his strategies for securing deals and managing properties.
 
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Intro (00:00:00)
 
Sean Tagi's Background and Real Estate Journey (00:01:13)
 
Analyzing and Investing in a Multifamily Property (00:07:24)
 
The cost of living in Nashville (00:10:01)
 
Using a scientific approach to investing (00:10:59)
 
Renovating and raising rents in the property (00:16:11)
 
The phone answering race (00:20:01)
 
Measuring and reporting data (00:21:27)
 
Simplicity of focusing on one trade (00:22:40)
 
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Connect with Sean: 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantagge/
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeanTagge
 
Web: https://acornea.com/multifamily/
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Sean Tagge (00:00:00) - What gets measured gets done. And then I think add on top of that what gets measured and reported on the rate of improvement increases. So it's just having that accountability is like, hey, you know here here we're at in the project and every week we're just following up on the numbers. Here's where I'm on our budget. Here's how much is completed. Here's the goal I mean, like you don't even really need to say much after that. You just look at the data and the person who's responsible for it can just see, oh, I'm ahead or not on this. And then it gives you a lot of opportunity for coaching and help and giving them tools to succeed. Welcome to the how.
 
Intro (00:00:36) - To scale commercial real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:48) - Sean Tagi is a biomedical engineer turned real estate investor. He uses a data and science approach to investing. He currently has 1500 single family residence doors and 700 and multi 750 multifamily doors.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:02) - Sean, welcome to the show.
 
Sean Tagge (00:01:04) - Hey Sam man. Super excited and honored to be on the show with you. And yeah, excited to dive on in. Hopefully, you know we can get some good golden nuggets for the audience.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:13) - Absolutely Sean. Appreciate you coming on today. There are three questions I ask every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less. Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now and how did you get there?
 
Sean Tagge (00:01:23) - Yeah, started in Memphis, Tennessee. I moved from Utah to Memphis and joined on with some partners and started doing turnkey single family flips. So flipped 1500

Today’s guest is Jim Lee. 
 
Jim began his investing journey of a 2 bed/1 bath condo and now, through real estate syndication, he has invested in over 600 units in the past 2 years where he has participated as a general partner/limited partner.
 
Show summary:
Jim Lee discusses his transition from managing a two-bedroom condo to syndicating large-scale properties, and the importance of education and networking in this process. Lee also talks about the challenges he faces in the current market, such as rising insurance costs and managing capex and reserves. Despite these challenges, he emphasizes the importance of transparency with investors and shares strategies to mitigate risk. He concludes by stressing the importance of relationship-building in the real estate community.
 
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Intro (00:00:00)
 
Transitioning to syndication (00:01:59)
 
Insurance Costs and Financial Struggles (00:11:41)
 
Strategies to Mitigate Risk and Increase Revenue (00:14:39)
 
Lessons Learned and Future Investment Approach (00:15:58)
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Connect with Jim: 
https://twitter.com/FormosaInvestin
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/formosainvesting/
 
https://www.instagram.com/formosainvesting/
 
https://www.facebook.com/formosainvestin
 
https://www.formosainvesting.com
 
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Jim Lee (00:00:00) - We're the one making the decision. The LPs have no saying in it, so we should be taking full responsibility on this. Only if we'll go to LP, only if we really need to. Only we're going on on on the verge of default, you know. So hopefully that doesn't happen. But you know, that's, that's, that's that's you know, that's that those are the people that we look for. We that share the same value as we do.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:21) - Welcome to the how to scale commercial real estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor. We'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:33) - Jim Lee began his investing journey of a two bed, one bath condo, and now, through real estate syndication, he is invested in over 600 units in the past two years, where he has participated as a general partner. Jim, welcome to the show.
 
Jim Lee (00:00:47) - Thanks for having me, Sam.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:48) - Absolutely. The pleasure's mine. Jim. There are three questions I ask every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:54) - Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now? And how did you get there?
 
Jim Lee (00:00:58) - I started working at Loop Net. I graduated 2010 back in 2000 right after the subprime subprime mortgage crash. 2008 followed by the European debt crisis. It was really difficult for me to find a job, but I was fortunate enough to land a job at Loop Net, working as an inside sales rep. Um, that from there, it kind of taught me everything I need to know about real estate. Spoke to property managers, real estate investors, lender agents on a daily basis, learned the importance of having multiple streams of income. So I got in myself into investing in a two bed

Today’s guest is Whitney Ward.
 
Whitney is the Principal & Fund Manager at CRE-Endeavors where she leads the strategic growth initiatives of the firm. Whitney oversees capital markets, acquisitions and dispositions with a focus on the firm's fund management, and real estate investments.
 
Show summary: 
Whitney shares her journey from corporate America to real estate, her business plan, and her belief that real estate rates will decrease over the next three years. She also discusses her company's focus on 10 to 75 unit deals, their strict criteria for co-investing, and the challenges of raising capital in the current market. Whitney also touches on the importance of educating investors about market conditions and the opportunities they present.
 
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The Journey from Brokerage to Fund Management (00:00:58)
 
Focusing on Niche Multifamily Deals (00:04:36)
 
Seizing Opportunities in the Current Market (00:07:22)
 
Opportunity for arbitrage and acquiring deals at higher rates (00:10:08)
 
Classifying deals as distressed and the impact on sellers (00:11:07)
 
Selling assets at a discount due to high cost of debt (00:12:54)
 
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Connect with Whitney: 
 
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneywardcre/
 
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@WhitneyWard-CRE-Endeavors?feature=shared
 
Web: www.cre-endeavors.com
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Whitney Ward (00:00:00) - I mean, a lot of our, our business plan is derived from our belief that, you know, in the next over the next three years, we'll see rates decreasing. They might not get down to where they were in 2020. Right. But we see an opportunity where some people might be fearing we're seeing lower, lower values. More deals come into the market as an opportunity for us to acquire these deals.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:24) - Welcome to the how to Scale Commercial Real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big. Whitney is the principal and fund manager at CRA endeavors, where she leads the strategic growth initiatives of the firm. Whitney, welcome to the show.
 
Whitney Ward (00:00:46) - Hey, Sam. Thanks. Thanks for having me.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:48) - Absolutely, Whitney. The pleasure is mine. There are three questions I ask every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less. Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now? And how did you get there?
 
Whitney Ward (00:00:57) - Sure.
 
Whitney Ward (00:00:58) - I started in corporate America. I've entered the real estate business in 2016 through, you know, starting in the brokerage business focused in multifamily assets at this, which since 2016, I've done everything from multifamily brokerage transactions to some passive equity investments into deals. I'm currently now, like you said earlier, the principal and fund manager for my own firm that I launched in 2019, which since then we've done over 100 million in acquisitions and sales transactions and multifamily investments. And we are now dipping into the fund management space.
 
Sam Wi