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Legalized cannabis is here to stay.

Despite the federal government’s unchanged stance, there has been a recent wave of states pushing for some form of legalized cannabis whether it be medicinal or recreational. With Amendment 2, Florida joined the ranks of other states that have adopted some form of a legitimate cannabis industry.

However since Florida voters passed medical marijuana into effect, there has been some uncertainty as the move faced moral and legal push-back from some business owners and municipalities. Real estate investors and landlords have been faced with some of the more difficult questions regarding the legitimacy of the medical marijuana industry.

Like any burgeoning industry, the market will face some growing pains. But turning away from medical marijuana in its earliest stages may be short-sighted. Medical marijuana and retail cannabis tenants already have demonstrable value; the investment potential is there. Education and understanding can go a long way in bringing you to the forefront of this emerging marketplace.

Leasing to Medical Marijuana Tenants

• Zoning
• “Sin Clauses”
• Tenant Licensing

About Our Guests

Leslie Plettner is the Managing Director of BaseCanna. A lifetime entrepreneur, Leslie’s real estate journey started with designing and transforming under-performing schools before transitioning into a more robust role in real estate development. In 2015, Leslie set her entrepreneurial sights on California’s emerging cannabis market.

Jack Boyajian is the CEO of BaseCanna. Having handled over $3 billion in the development, management and conversion convert residential and commercial real estate, Jack focused his interests on the value of the legal cannabis industry after witnessing the demonstrated positive effects of medical marijuana.

BaseCanna offers comprehensive, turnkey real estate solutions as well as operational guidance for tenants involved in medical marijuana or retail cannabis. BaseCanna can help match landlords with licensed, qualified tenants.

If you have more questions about leasing to a cannabis tenant or just questions about Florida’s medical marijuana industry, visit their website.

The post Ep. 158 Leslie Plettner & Jack Boyajian: What Landlords Need to Know About Florida’s Medical Marijuana Industry appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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Motivation: it’s something every one needs. Whether it’s a financial drive or a spiritual one, everyone needs something that keeps them focused and real estate investors are no different.

Setting investment goals is something that every investor does. But sometimes as investors, we find ourselves setting unrealistic investment goals or goals that may reap immediate rewards but lack long-term gain. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming trying to set manageable, realistic investment goals that can actually be leveraged into cashflow.

Investor, author and real estate investing mentor, Rod Khleif, believes in the power of actionable investment goals. By setting goals for himself that not only inspired him to become a successful real estate investor, they also empowered him to forge his path.

Rod was introduced to real estate investing early on. He managed to find success fairly quickly and, by 2006, had acquired thousands of properties across the U.S., including 800 in Florida.

Following the market crash however, Rod lost everything. Instead of accepting defeat, Rod took that as a learning opportunity. He realized that, while his investment goals had been earning him income, they did not lay the foundation for a successful, long-term cashflow strategy. Rod re-tooled his approach and, by aligning his investment strategy with philanthropic efforts, was able to form actionable, empowering investment goals.

The Key to Setting Investment Goals

• Daily routine/morning ritual
• Find personal drive in life, incorporate purpose into daily routine
• Keep family, personal and business life evenly balanced
• Write down goals
• Spiritual, not just financial fulfillment

Resources

• Tony Robbins – motivational speaker; psychology of success and self-empowerment
• Lifetime Cashflow through Real Estate Investing podcast
• How to Create Cash Flow Through Multi Family Properties
  • Text “Rod” to 41411 (free copy of book)
  • Website

For any other questions about setting investment goals to earn real estate cash flow, or to find out more about Rod’s mentor programs and investor education, check out his website!

The post Ep. 118 Rod Khleif: Leveraging Investment Goals into Real Estate Cashflow appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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Commercial real estate investors and developers know the term: “Green”. In Florida, it seems that “green” is the phantom criteria for real estate: many have heard of it, few have seen it. The term brings to mind vague notions of sustainability and energy efficiency, but what exactly is it? What is the merit in “going green”? As an effort to shift toward sustainability becomes a rising trend in the nation, Florida continues to lag behind as commercial developers and investors grapple with the nebulous nature of sustainability and green construction.

Sandra Adomatis, SRA, and LEED green associate is an appraiser with a focus on green initiatives and sustainability in real estate. Based out of Punta Gorda, Florida, Sandra has over 25 years of experience in real estate appraisal in the state of Florida. Sandra is a green valuation expert for the Appraisal Institute. Through course development, seminars and literature, Sandra has been helping commercial real estate investors integrate sustainability and energy efficiency into their investments.

• 6 Elements of a True Green Building
  • Site orientation
  • Water efficiency
    • Low-flow plumbing, greywater recycling, rain barrels/cisterns, energy star rated washing appliances
  • Energy efficiency
    • Solar power: Amendment 4 in FL; PV Value; Tax credits, rebates and incentives offered
  • Environmentally-friendly materials
  • Clean air circulation
  • Operations & maintenance
• Adapting Existing Structures
  • Lighting
  • Heating/cooling
  • Insulation
• Energy Modeler/building scientist
  • Assess what existing structures can handle for energy and sustainability adaptations
  • Calcs-Plus (Florida)
• Green building investment appeal
  • Low-interest, flexible financing exclusive to green buildings
  • Cost-saving on appliances and utilities
  • 2-10% sale premiums vs. traditional structures
• Resources and Info
  • Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
  • Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum

To find out more about sustainability options or for appraisal services, visit Susan’s website or email her at adomatis@hotmail.com

The post Sandra Adomatis: Energy and Sustainability Initiatives to Increase Your Bottom Line appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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In a recent episode, we spoke with an investor who managed a Florida real estate portfolio from outside the country. This week’s episode features an investor who runs a foreign investment firm out of his home-base in Davenport, Florida.

Garrett Kenny started building his investment portfolio in Florida after being introduced to Orlando’s vacation markets in 1996. Since then, he has built his investment firm, Feltrim, into an international name for foreign investment in Florida real estate, handling all aspects of the investment process. This episode, Garrett discusses foreign investment in Florida and hot real estate sub-markets in Orlando.

Foreign Investing in Florida

• Most foreign investors can expect to average 6% annual ROI
• Easy to find financing options, but many do cash deals
  • Usually require more up-front from investor for financing
  • 4-4.5% interest rates
  • Some foreign investors use local banks and mortgage brokers
  • Some financing may be available through institutions in home countries
• Brazil and China emerging as dominant foreign investors in Florida markets
• Foreign investors expanding portfolios in Florida real estate

Orlando

• 62 million visitors to Orlando area in 2014
• Diverse investment opportunity
  • Vacation rentals, commercial and industrial markets
  • Top 3 vacation rental areas – Championsgate, Davenport, and Kissimmee
  • Medical + Technology – Lake Nona
  • Long-term investing in 30 mi. radius of Disney
• Other hot sub-markets
  • Distressed and repossessed homes
  • “Class A” properties – Windermere, Winter Park

Tips on Foreign Investment

• Having a local knowledge of your desired market is key
  • Find out about the area before investing
• Location, Location, Location
  • Finding the right location for your investment is important

To find out more about Garrett and Feltrim’s services or about investing in Orlando real estate, visit the firm’s website

Garrett recently published a book, Buying and Owning Property in Central Florida available on Author House and Amazon

The post Ep. 75 Garrett Kenny: Irish Builder Talks Foreign Investment in Florida & Hot Orlando Real Estate Sub-Markets appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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For the average Florida real estate investor, Wall Street banking and investing practices may seem worlds away. However, one investor and developer in the state has managed to successfully fuse his expertise in Wall Street investing with the Florida real estate market.

Santosh Govindaraju is a Florida developer with an interesting history. Prior to finding success in Florida real estate markets, Santosh was immersed in the world of high-strategy investment banking on Wall Street. After moving to Florida, Santosh applied his investment banking expertise to Florida real estate with a focus on the Tampa market. Santosh and his firm, Convergent Capital Partners, have been providing equity and debt investment options in a variety of Florida commercial real estate for over 17 years. This episode, he discusses his transition to real estate investing and what’s next for the Tampa market.

• Wall Street Lessons
  • “Reversion to the Mean” – markets and prices fluctuate, but they will always indicate a trend, or mean
  • Relative-value trading – With two similar asset classes, sell asset class sitting above the mean and buy the asset class sitting below the mean
• Convergent Capital Partners
  • Santosh paired his understanding of financial side of investing with partner’s physical knowledge of real estate
  • Saw relatively stable markets in FL during late 1990s
  • Opportunistic commercial investing: all commercial asset classes except industrial; looking for properties with mixed-use potential
  • Private Equity Platform Fund-Operation: base of 10 investors; deal offered first to fund as whole, then to individual memebers
• Tampa Market
  • Strong recent investment/development growth
  • Institutional capital competing for projects
  • New vision for Downtown Tampa
  • Harbor Island Project: “The Point” – Convergent Capital developing 115k sqf. property in Tampa harbor

For more information about Convergent Capital’s current projects or to contact Santosh, visit their website

The post Ep. 72 Santosh Govindaraju – Florida Developer Applies Wall Street Lessons to the Tampa Market appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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When transitioning from residential or simply starting your investment portfolio in commercial real estate, it is important to remember one thing: commercial leases are not the same as residential. Commercial leases are subjected to a much higher percentage of risk if not properly structured.

Elise Batsel has made it her business to ensure landlords are protected in any commercial lease issue from the ground up. As counsel with the Tampa firm Phelps Dunbar, LLP, Elise specializes in commercial real estate land-use and zoning. Elise represents developers and institutional lenders in acquisitions, dispositions, financing and transactions as well as all aspects of commercial leases. In this episode, Elise discusses seven hot-topics all landlords and owner/operators should know about commercial leases.

1. Commercial vs. Residential Leases
   1. Commercial properties have different costs and expenses that can be transferred to tenants: common area maintenance expenses (CAMs)
   2. CAMs may include: utilities, landscaping, management fees and other costs associated with owning and operating commercial properties
2. CAM and Triple Net Leases
   1. Triple Net Lease – For landlords and tenants who want stability; does not account for unanticipated expenses or for properties without a familiar investment history
   2. CAM lease – Serves as umbrella to protect landlord/owner from future costs and expenses incurred from property management; specifies expenses and tenant liabilities
3. Tax Implications
   1. Though not frequently addressed in lease, tax implications are a major tenant-landlord discussion that could be beneficial for both parties
   2. Leases can stipulate landlord ownership over tenant-improvements with proper recompense for tenant
4. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
   1. Commercial real estate considered public accommodations and subject to more ADA compliance regulations
   2. Represents huge liability for landlords not in compliance
5. Sub-letting and Tenant-Assigned Leases
   1. Landlords can address sub-leasing and assigning terms in commercial leases
   2. Landlords entitled to portion of income from tenant leases
6. D-I-Y Leases
   1. Do not attempt to draft generic commercial leases if self-managing property
   2. There are many changing facets to follow when drafting commercial leases
   3. If drafting your own lease, have attorney or specialist review
7. Protection Against Bad Tenants
   1. Always ensure strong deposit from tenant
   2. Small-Claims Court
   3. Write effective demand letter to tenant

For any commercial lease, zoning or land-use issues and questions, Elise can be contacted by phone at 813-472-7564 or through email at elise.batsel@phelps.com

For even more information on commercial leases as well as landlord and tenant relationships, Elise suggests the following articles: Tenant’s Checklist of Silent Lease Issues  and Model Landlord’s Checklist of Silent Lease Issues – S.H. Spencer Compton, Esq. & Joshua Stein, Esq.

The post Ep. 71 Elise Batsel – 7 Things Landlords Should Know About Commercial Leases appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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Hoyt Prindle of the Florida Business Development Corporation talks about Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for investment real estate. Most real estate investors overlook this type of financing, because, frankly, it has limited use for investment property…BUT, the financing source can be excellent for mini-warehouses, hotels, golf courses, etc…OR, the professional or retail user who decides to have some attached rental space on the current space in which they own and run their business/practice. The terms of an SBA loan can make a deal VERY attractive for investors. Listen to Hoyt tells us what programs work best.  

Check out this episode!

The post Ep 40 – Don’t Forget About Small Business Loans for Investment Real Estate appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.

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

The post EP9 Todd Jones: Yes! You Too Can Reduce Your Property Tax Bill! appeared first on Real Estate Investing in Florida.