The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

Russia took a clever step last week to evade global sanctions, by attempting to peg its currency to gold.  Starting this week, the Russian central bank will pay a fixed price of 5,000 roubles ($52) per gram between March 28 and June 30, the bank said on Friday. This is below the current market value of around $68.  Economic sanctions have rarely worked in changing behaviour of governments. Sanctions have made things difficult for the population in Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and countless others. But those governments are still in power. Economic sanctions will not topple the Putin regime either. But Russia is rich in resources, resources that first world countries are dependent on. In response to escalating sanctions from the West for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow said that "unfriendly" countries could be required to pay for Russian gas in rubles or gold. ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Bascal Korkis hails from Tampa Florida where he specializes in in-fill redevelopment. On today's show we're talking about the application of Web 3.0 technologies to real estate. To connect with Bascal, you can find him on social media and at korcf.com ------------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Josh is based in Fort Lauderdale where he is part of the investor relations team for legacy-group.co. The company has invested heavily in Columbia where they are currently the #2 producer of specialty coffee in the nation with over 5,000 acres of coffee plantation under management. To connect with Josh, visit their website at legacy-group.co or email directly at investor.relations@legacy-group.co ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Our book this month is by famed hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. His observation is that every major surprise in market conditions had not been witnessed in his career as a trader on the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, nor had it been witnessed at any time before in his career. But that doesn’t mean it was a first time event. If you bother to look back through history, these same events have occurred numerous times. . In his research, Ray researched the cycle of 10 cycles of world dominance involving the rise and fall of a great power. These transitions usually last about 150-200 years with transition period that last between 10-20 years. These transition periods are usually marked with a lot of conflict. The outgoing powers don’t go down without a fight. ------------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we’re talking about a new report from commercial brokerage house CBRE on the state of cap rates across the United States. It comes as no surprise that cap rates have been compressing. Everyone knows that there is too much money in the system chasing yield. ---------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Today’s question comes from Gonzalo in NYC First I’d like to thank you for all your insight and knowledge you share on your podcast and in your book. It’s both informative and inspiring. I exited a bridge loan 2 years ago in the middle of the pandemic. Because of the pandemic, one of the banks requirements was to hold a cash reserve of $110k. I agreed with the understanding that the funds would be released after 12 months or once the pandemic was over. Although there hasn’t been any late or missed payments the bank requested to see income/expense report for the last 3 months. I shared the info with them which included several of the units being on Airbnb. I have abided NYC rent guidelines and have been doing 30 day minimum ONLY. The bank now refuses to release the funds stating that I am in default because I am Airbnb’in. I was totally unaware of how the Bank would scrutinize my loan. Ideally I would like to continue to use Airbnb as it yields higher income. Some useful facts 16 unit rent stabilized building 10 year fixed rate Prepayment penalty on the loan Can you offer any advice on what course of action would be best to take! Thank you in advance for your help. ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Today’s question comes from Wayne in Mississippi I’m observing that the share prices for national home builders like DR Horton and Lennar are both down 29% and 28.5% respectively from their highs in December. Both companies are competitors and their stock prices seem to be tracking one another. They’re both well managed companies with a strong pipeline. What is behind the share price drop? What does it tell us about the housing market going forward? How will this impact us as real estate investors? ----------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today’s show we are taking a look at what might be a looming crisis in health care. For years, many states have been facing a nursing shortage and it is only expected to get worse. It is predicted that the United States will need another 203,700 new RNs every year until 2026 to fill openings over the next few years.  According to a new study, fully one third of nurses plan to quit their jobs by end of 2022. There are a lot of reasons for this. Later This week we will also speak with a nurse who forms part of the army of people who have heroically put themselves in harms way during the pandemic. As real estate investors we can play a role in helping solve some of the issues that are affecting nursing shortages, including the lack of affordable housing. ------------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

On today's show we're discussing the parallels with the expansionist violence the world witnessed from 1939-1945. George was a teenager at that time and joined the army at the end of the war. Some investors have used the recent invasion of the Ukraine to pause their investment strategy as a result of the elevated uncertainty caused by the war. George offers his perspective.  ------------------ Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com

Our guest this weekend is Arleen Garza from San Antonio. On today's show we're talking about the evolution from C-Class to B-Class to A-Class and most recently development. Love hearing about this journey to connect with Arleen, visit ReepEquity.com -------------------- Host: Victor Menasce email: podcast@victorjm.com