The Best Ever CRE Show

In this engaging conversation, Brad Johnson, Co-founder and CIO of Vintage Capital, discusses his impressive transition from institutional real estate to a $200M+ mobile home park investment portfolio. He reveals the secrets behind sourcing off-market deals through local partnerships and the importance of thorough due diligence. Brad emphasizes the value of long-term holds over short-term flips, while also addressing legislative risks like rent control. His insights on creative financing structures and current market resilience offer valuable strategies for real estate investors.

Jonah Bamberger, CEO of Aulder Capital and experienced multifamily real estate investor, shares his journey from military service to real estate. He discusses his first Brooklyn deal and the significance of relationships in the industry. Jonah elaborates on his expansion into suburban markets and Portugal, highlighting regulatory challenges and opportunities. He delves into the impact of COVID-19 and his strategic focus on value-add multifamily projects, while emphasizing the importance of networking and adapting to new market conditions.

Joe Fairless, co-founder of Ashcroft Capital and a multifamily investment expert managing billions in assets, shares his insights on navigating today's commercial real estate challenges. He discusses the record-breaking apartment absorption in late 2023 and the decreasing construction pipeline, which present unique buying opportunities. Fairless emphasizes the importance of fostering strong relationships with lenders, lessons learned from past deals, and the need for extreme ownership during difficult investor communications.

Brandon Cobb, Managing Partner of HBG Capital and a specialist in affordable housing, dives into the intricate world of land development. He discusses how value is crafted before any homes are built, emphasizing his team's strategic partnerships with national homebuilders. Listeners learn about the nuances of entitlements, land banking, and the vital due diligence required for successful deals. He shares cautionary tales about engineering mistakes and highlights the strong demand for entry-level housing amidst market fluctuations.

*Previously aired episode* Joe Fairless interviews AI-savvy investors Paul Hopkins, Perry Zheng, Lance Pederson, and Bo Barron to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial real estate acquisitions. The panel shares practical tools—like Google’s Notebook LM, ChatGPT, AI21, and Claude—and strategies for deal analysis, underwriting, parsing PDFs, and even creating custom GPTs to automate offering memorandum reviews. They discuss how AI streamlines market research, transforms spreadsheets into semantic data, and helps underwrite deals more accurately and efficiently, while also acknowledging its limits in replacing human decision-making and deal sourcing relationships. Paul Hopkins COO and Partner ⁠https://cpicapital.ca/⁠ Perry Zheng Founder and CEO ⁠https://www.cashflowportal.com/⁠ Lance Pederson CEO and Co-Founder ⁠https://www.passiveadvantage.com/⁠ Bo Barron CEO ⁠https://barroncommercial.com/ Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Chang shares a year-end perspective on where commercial real estate stands after 2025 and what he’s watching heading into 2026. He breaks down the sharp slowdown in job creation following tariff uncertainty, rising unemployment among young adults, and how those trends are already impacting household formation, apartment absorption, and overall CRE demand. John also explains why institutional capital is quietly coming back off the sidelines, why retail may be the most resilient sector near-term, and how pent-up demand could drive a powerful rebound once economic clarity returns. Despite near-term choppiness, he makes the case that 2025–2026 entry points could set investors up well for the long-term cycle ahead. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Visit bestevercrypto.com today to get started and earn up to $2,500 in bonus crypto. Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Casmon interviews Keith Miller about scaling from small backyard ADU and infill development projects into large-scale modular and manufactured home communities as a way to solve affordability and construction bottlenecks. Keith explains how subcontractor shortages, cost overruns, and timeline risk pushed his team toward factory-built housing, which offers faster delivery, more predictable pricing, and comparable quality to site-built homes. They break down the real differences between manufactured and modular housing, how Freddie and Fannie financing has changed the game, and why these homes can appraise and sell like traditional single-family residences. The conversation also covers Keith’s transition from a full-time teaching career to real estate, the importance of building a rental income base before going full time, and how thoughtful development can create both investor returns and meaningful social impact. Keith MillerCurrent role: Co-Founder, Upslope GroupBased in: MontanaSay hi to them at: https://upslopegroup.com/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Visit bestevercrypto.com today to get started and earn up to $2,500 in bonus crypto. Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging discussion, Maurice Philogene, a real estate investor and founder of Try Life On, shares his transformative journey from various careers to achieving financial freedom through strategic investing. He emphasizes the importance of lifestyle design, prioritizing personal fulfillment over financial status, and the lessons learned from past mistakes, including the 2008 financial crisis. Maurice also dives into international investments in Cyprus and Lebanon, stressing the significance of building authentic relationships over mere profit, and offers insights into parenting and fostering financial literacy.

A year-end roundtable reveals surprising market developments from 2025, highlighting hidden distress and the importance of liquidity and discipline. The discussion focuses on the shift towards cash flow and capital preservation among LPs, along with evolving opportunities in small-cap multifamily and discounted office assets for 2026. The hosts debate the role of bridge debt, the need for strong operator-LP relationships, and the implications of AI in real estate operations. Key questions for LPs are emphasized, alongside lessons learned from past investor interviews.

In a lively discussion, Chris Streit, CEO of CSA Partners and expert in cost segregation, sheds light on the importance of tax deferral strategies as we approach 2025. He emphasizes that the return of 100% bonus depreciation doesn’t lessen the urgency for cost seg. Chris explains the look-back/catch-up depreciation technique, allowing retroactive savings without amendments. He also dives into the complexities of 1245 recapture and how a 1245 exchange can minimize tax burdens, while highlighting the risks of doing accelerated depreciation incorrectly.