The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

If you've driven through any American town or suburb lately, chances are you've noticed a vacant Walgreens. Or a shuttered CVS. Or a boarded-up Rite Aid. These aren't isolated closures. This is a structural, sector-wide contraction that is reshaping the retail landscape in ways we haven't seen before.Here's the scale of what's happened. Walgreens has closed 1,200 stores over the past three years. CVS has shuttered more than 1,170 locations since 2022. And Rite Aid — a 63-year-old chain that once operated nearly 2,400 stores — went through bankruptcy twice and closed its last location in late 2025. It's gone. Entirely. In total, roughly 7,000 pharmacies across the country have closed since 2022. One in three pharmacies that existed in 2010 no longer exists today. Nearly 50 million Americans now live in what researchers are calling a pharmacy desert. So what does the industry say to do with them?---------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Joel Friedland is based in Chicago where he has a sizeable portfolio of industrial properties, virtually all of them are debt free. This is a choice, not an outcome. Today's conversation contains several counter-intuitive revelations. To connect with Joel visit https://www.britproperties.com/-----------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Joel Landon is based in Salt Lake City and he is with Heritage IRA. On today's show we are talking about the opportunity to reduce your 2025 tax obligation by taking action before April 15. Joel walks us through some of the types of opportunities that still exist to turn back the clock to 2025 and still influence the outcome. To connect with Joel and to learn more, visit heritageira.com----------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today we’re talking about the war in the Persian Gulf, and why a market like Lake Charles, Louisiana could be a real beneficiary, even if the war were to end today.The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important energy chokepoints in the world. A meaningful share of global oil and gas moves through that corridor. When conflict disrupts flows through that region, the world starts looking for stable, dependable alternatives.The war is also widening the pricing gap between U.S. natural gas and gas in Europe and Asia. Scott makes the point very clearly. If you’re a chemical manufacturer deciding where to build, and gas is $14 in Germany but $3 or $4 in Louisiana or Texas, that’s not a hard decision. That makes Louisiana more attractive not only for LNG, but for petrochemical and energy-intensive manufacturing investment as well.Louisiana is already a major energy state, and several LNG projects in Calcasieu Parish have either advanced or received major commitments recently, including Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project in 2025, while other Louisiana-area projects have also moved ahead. Just last week, Venture Global announced final investment decision for its CP2 project which is an $8.5B expansion of its LNG plant located south of Lake Charles on the Gulf coast.-------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

 On today show, we are talking about performing even the most basic of due diligence when it comes to potential suppliers, customers, tenants, lenders, brokers.It is sad to say, but there are large ecosystems of fraudulent players out there. Due diligence is both an art and a science. In fact, I have an upcoming episode where I interview a specialist in due diligence. On that show, we will dive into some of the more sophisticated techniques.But on today’s show, we are focussing on even the most simple forms of due diligence that are so easy to perform, and quite frankly expose those individuals with a questionable history.----------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today we're looking at New York City, and specifically at the combined impact of two policies associated with Mayor Mamdani's housing agenda, a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments and a proposed 9.5% increase in property taxes.Now separately, each of these policies is a political choice. Together, they become something more serious. They become a stress test of whether private ownership still means private ownership, or whether ownership has been reduced to a set of obligations without the corresponding rights.This is not just an economic question. It is also a constitutional one.-------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

As part of my ongoing research for the podcast, I’ve been using AI to help streamline information gathering. That, in itself, is not too controversial. If you’re tracking multiple markets, multiple asset classes, and multiple sources of institutional research, there’s nothing unreasonable about wanting a faster way to collect reports, summarize themes, and identify what’s changed.I installed an autonomous AI agent on my computer. I asked the agent to locate and download any new research reports from the major brokerages, CBRE, JLL, Marcus & Millichap, Colliers, and others. In my mind, that was a simple productivity task. Go find the latest market reports, download them, organize them, and save me the repetitive work. I asked it to perform this task every Sunday morning so that I would have a fresh download of reports to choose from each week.Some of the websites accepted normal interaction. Some did not. A number of them rejected queries that appeared to come from automated sources. In some cases, even with valid login credentials, the websites still resisted the activity.And this is where the experience changed.The agent became more persistent than I was comfortable with. It interpreted the blocked access not as a signal to stop, but as a problem to solve. It began trying alternate paths to achieve the objective. I didn't compromise the website and I didn't get access to files that I could not otherwise get through a browser interface. I’m not going to get into methods, because that’s not the point, and frankly that’s where the ethical and legal lines become very important. But in that moment, I realized something profound. Without intending to, I had placed myself in the role of someone effectively attempting to circumvent the security controls of a brokerage website.-------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today, I want to talk about the right questions to be asking when it comes to adopting AI in your business.There’s a lot of noise around AI right now. Most of the conversation is centered on fear. People are asking whether AI will replace jobs, reduce headcount, or make certain roles obsolete. Those questions may be understandable, but they’re not the most useful strategic questions.In many cases, they’re the wrong questions.If the only thing you ask is, “How many fewer people do we need?”, you’re already thinking too small. That’s a cost-cutting mindset. It assumes the opportunity is limited to doing the same work with fewer resources.But the better question is, “What can we do now that was previously impossible?”That’s the real opportunity.------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Tom Staub is based in Austin Texas where he develops master planned communities through central and south-east Texas. On today's show we are talking about the attraction and challenges of land development.To connect with Tom, visit https://redoakvc.com/-----------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Robby Butler is Managing Director at Y Street Capital. He's based in St. Louis plays a key role in our company. On today's show we are talking about how real estate trends are affecting long term strategies of investing. To connect with Robby , visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/robby-butler/ or at https://ystreetcapital.com---------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)