Podcast

By Mark Ainley

Episode 320: The Godfather of Chicago Property Management, Taft West

Taft West is the Vice President of Technical Assistance and Sustainability for the Chicago Community Loan Fund and is a renown property management instructor!Taft starts by sharing his background which includes some autopsy experience! He talks about starting in Chicago real esta...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 319: Great Tips on How To Manage Your Contractors

What Should Investors Do To Ensure a Successful Rehab?Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.comEmail the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.comGuests: Jonathan Klemm, Quality BuildersLink: Episode 76: Big Business Processes Make a Powerful Small B...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 318: How to 4X Your Real Estate Business with Michael Valente

Michael Valente is the founder and CEO of Renovation Sells Franchising; general contracting experts that focus on cosmetic renovations of pre-market homes to maximize sales price!Michael shares how he left his corporate job and began working for his mentor to learn the ropes of g...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 317: Kevin Dugan Does It From 2,000 Miles Away… What Excuse Do You Have?

Kevin Dugan is the Managing Principal of Altus Investment Group. He runs multiple businesses that successfully operate in Chicago while managing them remotely from Los Angeles!Kevin starts by talking about the skills he gained working on oil rigs and as a sales engineer and how t...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 316: 3 Features That Increase Your Insurance Premium and 3 Features That May Decrease Your I...

What Are 3 Features That Increase Your Insurance Premium and 3 Features That May Decrease Your Insurance Premium?Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.comEmail the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.comGuests: Josh Steigelmann, State Farm Insuranc...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 315: Streeterville High-Rise Developments and Top Tier Leasing Tips with Domu Founder Noah S...

Noah Schatz is the founder of Domu and CEO of Schatz Development. He has vast experience in design-driven developments in downtown Chicago and leasing apartments for operators through his apartment searching platform Domu.Noah kicks things off by talking about his first developme...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 314: Due Diligence for Off-Market Properties Like You’ve Never Seen with Morgan Basham

Morgan Basham is a real estate broker and investor with vast experience in off-market prospecting, acquisitions, and stabilization of investment properties!Morgan shares her start in real estate and the ins and outs of investing in Braidwood, IL! She breaks down her first deal in...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 313: Why Are Insurance Rates So High Right Now and What Can Investors Do to Minimize Premium...

Why are insurance rates so high right now?Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.comEmail the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.comGuests: Josh Steigelmann, State Farm Insurance

By Mark Ainley

Episode 312: Redeveloping Over 2100 Units in Underserved Communities with Bernel Hall

Bernel Hall is the president and CEO of New Jersey Community Capital and has executed over $5 billion in real estate investments and lending.Bernel starts off by explaining how playing Monopoly sparked his interest in real estate as a kid! He discusses how he got involved with pu...

By Mark Ainley

Episode 311: Managing and Operating 100+ Units at 25 Years Old with James Thompson

James Thompson is broker and property manager with vast experience acquiring, renovating, and managing apartment buildings all at the young age of 25 years old!James shares the early grind required to get off the ground in the commercial real estate game! He discusses the biggest...