Podcast

Self-storage is appealing as a passive investment opportunity. Most interactions are with your tenants’ belongings. And if you don’t have to construct the building from scratch, it can be an incredibly lucrative investment opportunity.

Aside from the invention of the nail gun, technology has remained relatively unchanged in the last 75 years when it comes to constructing real estate. One company is trying to change that and make the industry more efficient and less wasteful.

Long-term rentals aren’t for every investor, but neither are short-term rentals. Just like Goldilocks, sometimes, it’s something in the middle that works best. That’s where mid-term rentals enter the arena.

On the surface, systems may sound like one of the boring details—something you only deal with if you have to. However, systems can make your life as a real estate investor much easier and maybe even save you money in the long run.

Becoming an accidental landlord happens a lot with long-term rentals, but the same cannot be said for short-term rentals. So what happens when it does?

While you may start a career with high hopes of loving your chosen path, it doesn’t always work out. You may find yourself looking for alternative paths to create more time freedom, which is where real estate investing comes in.

The traditional role of a landlord isn’t for everyone—even those who want to become real estate investors. If you don’t want to deal with tenants in a traditional rental property, self-storage could be the perfect option.

Some real estate markets are known for being expensive, so what do you do to become an investor in a state where it can be cost-prohibitive? You look beyond its borders.

While there’s a lot of buzz about the death of short-term rentals, some landlords are still finding tremendous success with this asset class. Today’s guest explains his methodology, pointing to calculation, hospitality, and the “plus ones” as keys to a thriving business.

Sometimes, the path to what you really want to do with your career is winding, but the rewards are even sweeter once you get there. Today’s guest started with nothing and built a successful company before selling it to dive headfirst into real estate.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Soli Cayetano joins Jonathan to share how she started real estate investing using out-of-state properties. Soli is the brains behind Lattes & Leases, and she’s been documenting her real estate journey since the pandemic.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Frank Rohde, co-founder of Ownify, a company reimagining the homebuying process by partnering with socially conscious investors to streamline the homebuying process.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Diana Ossa and Josh Dobken to the show. Diana and Josh are architects, designers, construction managers, real estate investors, and mid-term rental hosts. Their complementary strengths have led to an investing venture that continues to grow as Diana and Josh work toward their goals together.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Jon Bombaci, founder of Candor Realty, powered by FourPoints, in Massachusetts. Jon’s brokerage is focused on working with investors and has more than 30 investor-friendly agents on his team. He has decades of real estate investing and insurance experience behind him and has been involved in many real estate transactions on- and off-market.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Shawn McEnteer about how he became a professional house hacker—with a wife and four kids in tow! Shawn is a licensed real estate agent in New Jersey who discovered the magic of house hacking about a decade ago. Today, he specializes in properties he can house hack and teaches his clients how to do the same.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Kathy Fettke to explore both her career and the lessons she’s learned along the way. A guest expert on media outlets such as CNN, CNBC, Fox News, NPR, CBS MarketWatch, and the Wall Street Journal, she is also the founder of RealWealth, a real estate investment club based in Malibu. Kathy is also one of the four co-hosts of On the Market, a Bigger Pockets podcast.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Kenny Bedwell, founder and CEO of STR Insights. Kenny uses data to find the best places, prices, and markets in the short-term rental market. His predictions using data-backed analysis have helped him create a lucrative personal investing career and a successful company helping others do the same. Kenny is also the co-host of the STRonomics podcast.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Certified Public Accountant and real estate investor Thomas Castelli. Thomas is an accountant with Hall CPA who helps real estate investors and business owners reduce their taxes and build wealth. He is also the founder of New Babylon Capital, a holding company for his investments.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Mike Brockway sits down with Jonathan to discuss how his success with short-term rentals in the Denver area has allowed him to take bigger investment risks. Mike is the owner of Zen Haus Homes and an investor and entrepreneur. Zen Haus is primarily in the short-term rental market, and Jonathan explores the ins and outs of this investment class with Mike.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Catie Lawrence to the show. Catie is a real estate investor and agent based in the Denver, Colorado, area who left her W-2 position two years ago. She is also an Airbnb superhost, a fix-and-flipper, and a financial freedom advocate.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jason Velie is the tricks of the trade behind mobile home flipping. Jason is the founder of Cape Fear Cash Offer, a North Carolina-based investment firm. He’s been flipping properties since 2019, and Jason is mainly focused on single- and double-wide mobile homes.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, former firefighter Ian Horowitz sits down with Jonathan to share how he went from $15,000 in the bank and bad credit to retiring before age 40. Ian and his partner Dan are the managing partners of Equity Warehouse based in the Baltimore, Maryland, area. Making just $65,000 as a firefighter and with a wife ready to start a family, Ian knew there had to be a better way to make extra money than side work on his days off. He discovered real estate, got his wife on board with the plan, and the rest is history.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Kevin Amolsch, president of Pine Financial Group in Colorado. Kevin is a premier hard money lender in four states with more than 20 years of experience as an investor and 16 years as a lender. Additionally, Kevin is an author and podcast host.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan and Henry sit down to unpack Henry’s path from newly married, lousy credit, and no money to 116+ rental properties and doing at least 15 flips a year. Henry is the cohost of the On the Market podcast and author of the upcoming book Real Estate Deal Maker.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Laura Sides joins Jonathan to discuss how she maintains her role at home as a stay-at-home mom while succeeding as a real estate investor. Since the pandemic, Laura has been flipping homes and investing in short- and mid-term rentals. She’s a former teacher who loves what real estate offers her entire family.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, former NFL player Devon Kennard sits down with Jonathan to talk about his new career in real estate following a successful stint on the football field. Devon is a real estate investor, author, lender, and speaker. Today, he owns at least 20 single-family and smaller multifamily properties in addition to 40+ syndication investments. His company, 42 Solutions, is a private lending institution based in Phoenix, Arizona.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Nick Cooley sits down with Jonathan to unpack how he and his wife Hannah became real estate investors in 2016. Nick is a licensed real estate agent, investor, and co-founder of Jericho Capital. He is based in the Denver, Colorado area.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Becky Nova, real estate investor and founder of Lady Landlords, sits down with Jonathan to share how she became a first-time investor in her 30s. Becky owns and manages properties in New York City and the Dominican Republic and helps women achieve financial independence through real estate investing with courses, coaching, and a large Facebook group.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan’s guest is Leka Devatha, a Seattle-based real estate developer and broker. Leka’s company, Rehabit Homes, focuses on residential redevelopment. Over the past decade, she’s spearheaded hundreds of transactions, developing more than $50 million in real estate. Jonathan recently met Leka in Orlando, where she co-hosted the Bigger Pockets Conference, and they participated in a panel together.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Joel Friedland, the co-founder of Brit Properties in Des Plaines, Illinois. Joel is an industrial real estate broker and has secured over 2,000 industrial property leases and sales totaling more than $250 million in acquisitions. He has over four decades of experience with industrial real estate.