ep14 – Tampa Real Estate Market: a Florida Economic Enigma?

Posted on February 2, 2015 by admin

The Tampa Real Estate Market marches to the beat of its own drum. While the beach communities of Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas follow the State’s tourist market, Hillsborough and Polk counties have a solid industrial and transit base. Tampa International Airport is the largest in the area and Ports Manatee and Tampa are significant players in the bulk and container maritime markets. Tampa, however, was slow to emerge from the real estate downturn and has had a history of surges followed by uneven growth. Tim Becker, Director of the Bergstrom Center at the University of Florida, talks about the economic base in Tampa and what the future holds for the Tampa market for 2015 and beyond.

Tim Becker, Director, Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies, is our special guest for this third of a four part series of the State of Florida’s major real estate markets, in preparation for the Center’s Trends and Strategies Conference February 26-27 in Orlando, Fl.

If you are an active or aspiring real estate investor in the Florida markets, you will definitely want to catch all four parts of the series.

Check out this episode!

EP13 – {Podcast} When Did You Start Investing in Real Estate?

Posted on January 26, 2015 by admin

…this investor considered buying his first property shortly after buying his first car! Listen to more:

Tony Muniz, a Tampa, Fl native, started off in real estate investing at the ripe old age of 18, with no money and little real world experience. Tony bought his first home in 1979 for $5,000 by convincing an owner to provide him financing. By the age of twenty two years old he owned approximately eighty homes throughout Ybor city and Sulfur Springs.

Like every other real estate investor in America Tony was affected by the economic downturn of 2008, but he not only survived he came out stronger and shares his his experiences on tough markets.

Quotes and Tid Bits of Advice:

“Real estate investors, especially, have to live within their means.”
Have the ability to realize when you are simply not fit for an investment. Tony reveals that sometimes you need to, “Do what you do best”. You should not waste your time, energy, or resources on tasks that you are not able to complete successfully.
Sometimes its better to me lucky than to be good…..Tony believes that Tampa’s bubbling economy contributed greatly to his real estate success.
Losing money is not necessarily a bad experience. The only way to know how to not get your nose bloodied is to get your nose bloodied and then make sure it does not happen again

Is he still in the Market?

Tony is currently looking to invest in retail centers that are anywhere from 20,000-50,000 square feet.

Most influential educational tool? Nothing Down: How to Buy Real Estate With Little or No Money Down ~ Robert Allen.

Favorite Restaurant – Carmine’s in Ybor City.

The best way to reach Tony is his email Tony@gabrieltampa.com or his cell phone number which is 813-932-7944.

EP12 – Orlando Real Estate Market: It Is More Than Mickey Mouse

Posted on January 19, 2015 by admin

Mobile:

Desktop:

Tim Becker, Director of the Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida talks Orlando in the 2nd of 4 part series, covering the major real estate markets in the State of Florida. In anticipation of the Bergstrom Center’s Trends and Strategies conference February 26-27 in Orlando.

Check out this episode!

EP11 – Florida Investor Overcomes Obstacles to Own over $1m in Real Estate

Posted on January 12, 2015 by admin

Tony Montanez was stuck in the daily grind of his carpentry and handyman business, but he dreamed of taking control of his professional life and longed for financial freedom. He saw real estate ownership as the potential solution. The problem, however, was that the downturn in the market had hurt his credit and it was challenging for him to acquire the debt necessary to make ownership of real estate in critical mass a realistic possibility. But, Tony did not let his dream die quietly. Armed with the skills he had learned as a tradesman and the willingness to network whenever and wherever, Tony set the wheels in motion. Creativity and open mindedness helped this Pinellas County investor obtain success in a very short period of time..

Listen to how Tony overcame his personal obstacles to put him on the path to realizing his goals and dreams.

Check out this episode!

Show Notes:

Quotes:

“One of the worst things an inexperienced investor can have is good credit and some money”
“You can only do so much behind a computer. Deals are done meeting with people.”

Favorite Florida Restaurant:

Bonaire – St Petersburg Beach – 36:30
Email
tonymontanez.com
Tony’s Band – Big Moon Rocket

EP10 – What is Happening in Miami Real Estate Development? Where Is the Market Headed?

Posted on January 5, 2015 by admin

The Miami real estate market is one of the most resilient markets in the world and certainly the strongest market in the State of Florida. It was left for dead after the 2008 market downturn and even optimistic projects estimated it would take at least a decade to rebound. Fast forward to 2015 and the Miami market is seeing eye-popping growth, not only in construction starts, but also a rebound in prices.

Tim Becker, CCIM & Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies, is our special guest for this first of a four part series of the State of Florida’s major real estate markets, in preparation for the Center’s Trends and Strategies Conference February 26-27 in Orlando, Fl.

In this part of the series Tim gives a brief overview of what is moving and shaking in the Miami real estate development scene and some areas of potential concern. If you are an active or aspiring real estate investor in the Florida markets, you will definitely want to catch all four parts of the series.

Check out this episode!

Contact info:

Twitter
Linkedin
Stutzin Hall
PO Box 117168
Gainesville, FL 32611-7169

EP9 Todd Jones: Yes! You Too Can Reduce Your Property Tax Bill!

Posted on December 27, 2014 by admin

After the mortgage, the second highest expense for real estate investors is often property taxes. It might surprise you to know that experts estimate that between 30 and 60 percent of taxable property in the United States is over-assessed, which leads to higher property taxes.

Fighting and winning a battle with your local tax assessor’s office might not be as difficult as you believe. Investors, apparently, do not believe that to be the case as only a small percentage of property owners appeal their assessment. Maybe it is a case of investors having too many other battles to fight in the day to day management of their respective business, but perhaps there is lack of clarity over how the process will play out, as well as a fear of fighting a government agency armed with seemingly legions of trained professionals and a legal system tilted against them.

Perception is probably not reality. In this episode, Steven and Eric talk to Todd Jones, shedding some light on how the process works and how investors can contest the assessment. Todd helps guide us through the sometimes mysterious ways of how property assessors determine value of your real estate and subsequently, the taxes you pay.

Todd Jones is an MAI appraiser and President of the Florida Association of Property Tax Professionals

Todd’s position as an appraiser and Tax Professional allows him to look at a many types of deals all across the State. As a bonus, he talks about an area of investment that he sees as one of the hottest in Florida.

Quotables -
“In Florida, the Statutes require that that assessors extract the costs to the buyer and the costs to the seller from the sales price.” …approximately 15%

Favorite Restaurant (s) -
Yoko’s Sushi Restaurant
Capital Grill
Zudar’s Deli
Pipo’s
Holy Hog BBQ

Favorite Book
No Asshole Rule – Robert Sutton

Must Attend
The University of Florida – Bergstrom Center for Real Estate – Trends and Strategies Conference

Counsel to Investors
There are always niche opportunities – learn how to peg values
Hone “imagineering” skills

Todd Jones –
813.760.0212 – mobile
Linkedin

EP8 – Flood Insurance Changes Coming….How Will the Changes Affect Florida?

Posted on December 22, 2014 by admin

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UPDATED JUNE 1, 2015 —–> More Flood Insurance Changes

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Storms and potential flood issues are of considerable concern for the Sunshine State. The coastal areas are the ones that people assume are associated with flood insurance, but low lying areas throughout the State are also subject to flooding issues.

FEMA has recently created new flood maps that have been put in to place. These new maps are placing more areas into flood zones and that’s creating the need for more Florida flood insurance.

Your homeowner’s insurance policies only cover so much. Investors and homesteaded property owners alike should carefully review their policies and need for coverage on a regular basis.

But, change in FEMA maps are not the only changes that have caused alarm in the pas couple of years. Changes at the legislative level in 2012, referred to as the the Biggert Waters Act, intended to gradually phase-out subsidized rates flood insurance rates for about 20% of property owners. As soon as the Biggert-Waters laws were passed, there was a public outcry about the changes. Florida was hit harder than most states in terms of insurance rate increases and the law threw ice water on a real estate market that was just starting to emerge from one of the worst downturns in history. But, seemingly, as soon as the law was passed, it went away…or did it?

On March 13, 2014, Congress amended the 2012 Biggert-Waters law with the “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.” The 2014 Amendments strive to resolve many of the unintended consequences due to implementation of Biggert-Waters, but many concerns still exist. Chris Coleman of the Coleman Insurance Agency in Dunedin, Florida join us to discuss how the laws will affect the market and what investors can expect for the future. This is a show you will not want to miss as making a mistake on calculating flood insurance for the future could prove to hazardous to your bottomline on your real estate investments.

Chris Coleman can be reached at —->
Website
727-239-4971

EP7 Darren Wilson: Accidental Landlord Turned Serious Investor in Tampa

Posted on December 16, 2014 by admin

Darren Wilson was an accidental investor. He did not start out to be a professional investor in single family properties, but once he got the taste of it, he didn’t look back. In the early part of his career, he was in the technology business, but now is an investor full time for himself and Kennedy Investments. Darren and Kennedy Investments recently completed a large value added office transaction in Central Tampa. They are currently completely upgrading the property, Twin Lakes Office Park (formerly known as Lincoln Gardens), on Busch Boulevard in Tampa.. Learn how he leverages other revenue streams to grow in to owning over 40 properties, mostly single family homes.

Quotables -
“If you want to build a great process…a great product….a great business, start by surrounding yourself with great people.”
“Just do it – At some point you have to stop running the numbers and do the deal.”
“Don’t bet the farm on one deal”
“Don’t buy anything you couldn’t live in”

Recommended Reading -
Class – Paul Fussell

Favorite Florida Restaurant –
Bern’s Steakhouse – Tampa
Ulele – Tampa

Kennedy Investments
813.554-1200
3410 Henderson Blvd #200
Tampa, FL 33609

EP6 – Sale-Leaseback from a Seller and Investor Perspective

Posted on December 9, 2014 by admin

A sale-leaseback is when a business entity sells its commercial real estate property to an investor with prearrangement to lease the property to the seller, typically with a long term lease. The business entity receives the market value of the property and gains liquidity, while the investor earns a return on his investment from a credit worthy tenant with a track record and commitment to the property.

Sale-Leasebacks can be a win-win situation for Investors and Sellers. What type of sellers should consider this structure? What can investors expect and look out for when taking advantage of these opportunities?.

Check out this episode!

EP5 Dan Pepper – 5 Pitfalls of Conducting Due Diligence on Real Estate

Posted on December 2, 2014 by admin

Dan Pepper is a young guy with a lot of experience. He is a value added real estate investor. While he has invested in many different asset classes, his focus is on multifamily dwellings. He is going to share with us his 5 biggest pitfalls of conducting reviews of investment properties. Due Diligence …the nuts and bolts of real estate decisions.