What could possibly go wrong? If you are the proud owner of a multifamily property, the answers range from minor falls to catastrophic weather events. How can you mitigate the risk and reduce your total number of claims? And what kind of multifamily insurance coverage do you need to manage the circumstances outside your control?

Bryan Shimeall is the Vice President of Multifamily Risk Advisors, a division of Tanner, Ballew and Maloof formed to leverage the firm’s 20-plus years of experience handling insurance for the multifamily industry. Bryan is dedicated to delivering customized solutions that mitigate risk for apartment building investors, and he is an expert in the realm of risk assessment and exposure to loss.

Today, Bryan sits down with me to share his definition of and approach to risk assessment. He discusses the most common gaps in multifamily coverage, the most common property and liability claims, and the best strategies for mitigating risk. Bryan also explains when to pursue a master policy and the fundamentals of catastrophic coverage. Listen in for insight on the benefits of working with a risk management consultant and learn what to look for in a multifamily insurance policy!

Key Takeaways

The role of Multifamily Risk Advisors

• Insurance services for multifamily industry
• Boutique shop in business 20 years

Bryan’s definition of risk assessment

• Process of identifying inherent risk of property
• Includes property and liability

Bryan’s approach to risk assessment

• Age and condition of property
• Construction type and location
• Look at seller’s historic losses

The most common gaps in coverage

• Catastrophic hurricane deductibles
• Denial that managing risk will mitigate claim

How operators can manage risk

• Routinely walk property
• Keep up with deferred maintenance
• Update AC units

The most common claims

• Liability—wet conditions, loose handrails cause falls
• Property—small oven fires

The disadvantages of the ‘trailing 12 premium’

• No reason to look at number for guidance
• Don’t know how owner has insured property

The benefits of working with a risk management consultant

• Knowledge, experience and relationships
• Specialize in multifamily, understand mechanics

How Multifamily Risk Advisors can assist during the acquisition phase

• Ask for OM on property (square footage, construction type)
• Respond quickly with real insurance costs for property
• Identify other issues (i.e.: budget money for roof replacement)

When to pursue a master policy

• No raw number (≈1K units)
• Geography is most important factor
• Uniform deductible, renewal date
• Allows for predictability

The fundamentals of catastrophic coverage

• Windstorm deductible in coastal areas
• Hailstorms in Midwest reflected in rates

The most common mistake among investors

• Pay attention to premium but not deductibles

Connect with Bryan

Multifamily Risk Advisors

Email bshimeall@multifamilyra.com

Resources

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Review the Podcast on iTunes

As an aspiring real estate investor, you possess a spirit of independence as well as a desire for financial freedom. What if you could take that self-determination to the next level and essentially become your own bank? Patrick Donohoe is on a mission to teach you how to take control of your money with the Perpetual Wealth Strategy, taking advantage of a particular kind of life insurance policy to facilitate real estate investment, secure retirement funds, and build a legacy that you can pass on to your children.

Patrick is the president and CEO of Paradigm Life, a financial services firm committed to changing the way their clients look at life and wealth. The Paradigm team supports thousands of individuals and businesses in creating income for life and leaving a meaningful legacy. Patrick is a sought-after speaker in the realm of wealth management and investment, and he serves as the host of The Wealth Standard podcast. He is also the author of Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: A Financial Strategy to Reignite the American Dream.

Today, Patrick joins me to share the benefits of the Perpetual Wealth Strategy and explain how it serves as the foundation for fulfilling the true American Dream. He offers insight around how a specifically-designed whole life insurance policy works, why its interest rate is so much higher than a savings account, and how the policy gives you a line of credit to borrow against for investment purposes. Listen in for Patrick’s advice around leveraging the Perpetual Wealth Strategy to generate passive income, pass on a legacy, and take control of your wealth—the way the rich do!

Key Takeaways

How Patrick came to start his business

• Mentored by Rich Dad advisor Kim Butler
• Stuck it out after partnership wiped out in 2008

Patrick’s definition of the American Dream

• Independence and freedom
• Greatest wealth built within person

The benefits of the Perpetual Wealth Strategy

• Whole life insurance policy with mutual company
• Designed for cash value accumulation
• Provision for insurance to give line of credit
• Grow without taxes, comes with coverage

The concept of liquid wealth

• Borrow against account (i.e.: real estate investment)
• Enables family to pass on liquid legacy

Who this type of policy is for

• Rich understand, know how to use
• Mindset only barrier to entry

The interest associated with a Perpetual Wealth policy

• Account holders own company, receive profit share
• Typically 4 to 6%

The power of the Perpetual Wealth policy credit line

• Can borrow entire amount (interest rate of 4 to 5%)
• Don’t have to qualify, loan not on credit report

How Patrick uses his own policy

• Hold cash reserves for personal and business life
• Rest used as opportunity fund to invest
• Use not dictated by anyone BUT you
• Make better decisions with access to alternatives

How a Perpetual Wealth policy serves as a passive income generator

• Longer you pay in, less risk to insurance company
• Interest earned in later years is compounded
• Consistency of income (not connected to volatility)

Connect with Patrick

Paradigm Life

Resources

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: A Financial Strategy to Reignite the American Dream by Patrick H. Donohoe

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Review the Podcast on iTunes

Real estate was a big winner in the tax reform bill passed in December 2017. So, how exactly do the new laws impact us as passive multifamily investors and syndicators? And how can we take advantage of the new regulations and use the available incentives to reduce the amount of money we owe the government?

Tom Wheelwright, CPA is the CEO of WealthAbility, a community of CPAs dedicated to reducing taxes and creating wealth for their clients. As a Rich Dad Advisor for Robert Kiyosaki, Tom is a well-known keynote speaker in the realm of wealth building and tax strategy. He is a regular contributor to publications including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine and Inman News, and Tom is the author of Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes.

Today, Tom joins me to explain how to shift the way you think about taxes, viewing the law as a roadmap to reducing how much you pay. He discusses the new laws around bonus depreciation, describing how both passive investors and syndicators benefit from the revised guidelines. Tom also shares the regulations around the 20% deduction and the changes in Section 179 that impact residential and commercial real estate investors. Listen in for insight around qualifying for the status of real estate professional and learn how to significantly reduce your taxes as a multifamily investor!

Key Takeaways

How Tom came to start his own network of CPA firms

• Experience creating courses on reducing taxes
• Worked for Fortune 500 company, as ASU professor
• Founded own firm (goal to expand to 1K in 5 years)

How to shift the way you think about taxes

• Incentive for doing what government wants
• Professional investor can get to zero in few years

The new laws around bonus depreciation

• Real estate now qualifies with new/used equipment
• Cost segregation of contents, land improvements
• Example—30% of $1M investment = $300K

How the new tax laws affect passive investors

• Leverage 70% or more = no taxable cashflow
• Convert ordinary income to capital gains by investing in syndication

How the new tax laws may impact syndicators

• Hold carried interest for 3 years to get capital gains rates
• Consider 1031 exchange to plan for potential 3-year issue

The changes around the 20% deduction

• Applies to positive taxable income from real estate
• Example—earn $100K, only taxed on $80K

The changes to Section 179

• Deduction for new/used equipment applies to residential real estate
• HVAC units, fire/security alarms and roofs in commercial properties

How to qualify for the status of real estate professional

• Spend more than 750 hours during given year (15 hours/week)
• Spend more time than other business, investment activities combined
• Must meet qualifications every year and keep good documentation

The tax benefits of being a real estate professional

• No passive losses from real estate (active can offset any income)
• 8% Medicare tax doesn’t apply when sell property
• 20% rule only applies to real estate that is trade or business

Connect with Tom

WealthAbility

The WealthAbility Show

Resources

Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes, Second Edition by Tom Wheelwright, CPA

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

If the extent of your financial education involved learning how to be a good employee, trading your time for money, then you’re probably beginning to realize that you simply can’t save yourself into wealth. But how do the multimillionaires and billionaires among us grow their assets? What strategies do they implement to generate passive income—from multiple sources? Brian Fouts has identified the shared patterns among high-net-worth individuals, what he calls the 5 Pillars of Elevated Wealth, and he is on a mission to share this information with you and me.

Brian is the co-owner and CEO of The Elevation Group, an online membership platform that seeks to teach the world how to invest like the rich. Brian and his brother Jake are passionate about empowering people to create and grow wealth by way of financial literacy, and The Elevation Group affords access to a network of true expert advisors who can support you in implementing the investment strategies of the wealthiest among us.

Today, Brian sits down with me to share the 5 Pillars of Elevated Wealth. He explains how to generate supplemental income through a side hustle and put that money to work for you. Brian addresses the importance of safeguarding the money you have through entity protections and tax incentives. Finally, he describes how to acquire assets that generate passive income and why it’s smart to pursue multiple sources of revenue. Listen in for Brian’s advice around keeping your money in a life insurance vehicle and learn how The Elevation Group can help you build wealth by way of portfolio and passive income!

Key Takeaways

How Brian got involved with EVG

• Started as member, blown away by vision
• Platform brings together expert advisors
• Financial education and empowerment

The 1^st Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Do something different

• Create impact in world
• Generate income through side hustle
• Shift mindset away from trading time for money

The 2^nd Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Take the money off the table

• Become own bank and put money to work
• Can take advantage of opportunities when presented

The 3^rd Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Protect what you have

• Safeguard money through entity protections
• Pay less taxes (i.e.: rent home to business)

The 4^th Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Acquire assets to earn passive income

• Build net worth and create cashflow
• Real estate, oil and gas, private lender, etc.

The 5^th Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Pursue multiple sources of income

• Wealthy individuals have 7 on average
• No crisis if 1 decreases or goes away

The benefits of The Elevation Group platform

• 30-plus lessons in all 5 categories
• Expert advisors to help implement
• Monthly live events

The advantages of keeping your money in a life insurance vehicle

• Guaranteed returns of 4-6%
• Loan money to self for investments

Brian’s insight around the 3 sources of income

• Active, portfolio and passive
• Focus on portfolio and passive to build wealth

Connect with Brian

The Elevation Group

Email brian@theelevationgroup.com

Resources

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

What is the quickest route to financial freedom through real estate? Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Go directly to… Multifamily. But how do you overcome a lack of experience and capital to accelerate the timeline and jump straight into apartment building investing?

Josh Eitingon is the founder and manager of JAE Property Group, a real estate investment company specializing in 50- to 150-unit value-add multifamily properties outside the New York metro area. With the guidance of a coach, Josh made his first multifamily investment in 2012, and now he is up to eight deals. He began his real estate career while working as a software developer, eventually joining a Long Island investment group where he led the acquisitions team in securing $100M in real estate. Today, Josh is a full-time investor in his own right.

Josh joins me to discuss the early investment in a coach that facilitated his shortcut to multifamily. He addresses how he overcame a lack of experience to do his first 20-unit deal and the personal guarantee he made investors to raise $200K for the renovation. Josh explains what he loves most about multifamily investing, describing the challenge of finding a formula to optimize each new property. Listen in for Josh’s advice around investing in your own deals, choosing the right location, and scaling up a multifamily business.

Key Takeaways

How Josh got started in real estate

• Hired coach to force action
• Multifamily made sense as asset class

Why Josh invested in a coach

• Working 9-5 for software company
• Long-term time, financial freedom

Why Josh went straight to multifamily

• Dumb luck + mentor’s help
• Ability to scale

How Josh overcame a lack of experience and money

• Partnered on distressed 20-unit in Cincinnati
• Raised $200K from family, friends and co-workers

How Josh overcame his reluctance to do the first deal

• Poor condition, no background in renovation
• Concerns around taking on debt
• Believed in deal, commitment to go all-in

The factors for success on Josh’s first deal

• Coach reinforced right path
• Good location, visibility
• Less than $10K/unit

How Josh raised $200K for the deal

• Talking up real estate for 6 months prior
• Personal guarantee at 9% interest
• $10K chunks

The additional risk of raising money in debt

• Bank loan for 80% + promissory notes
• ‘I carry burden, not investors’

How Josh’s first multifamily deal played out

• 20% occupancy, 0% economic occupancy
• Spent $5K/unit on interior renovations
• $50-70K on exterior, mechanical improvements

Josh’s subsequent multifamily investments

• One or two deals per year ever since
• 44- and 62-unit in same market
• 70-unit in Florida

What’s next for Josh

• 90-unit in Minneapolis under contract
• Continue on same path, 2-3 deals/year

What Josh loves about the business

• Creativity (partner, invest and find deals)
• Find formula to optimize each property

The challenges of scaling a multifamily business

• Source of equity
• Right partner for any given deal

Josh’s advice for aspiring multifamily investors

• Start saving money to invest in own deals
• Commit to ongoing education
• Right people around you (accountability)

Josh’s AHA moment around location

• Good schools, retail in area
• Allows for operational consistency

Josh’s top mistakes

• Could have done more deals
• Checks and balances on construction management

Connect with Josh

JAE Property Group

Resources

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

• Download
• Text “secretbook” to 44222

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

‘The cost of my self-education was six figures in mistakes and seven [or] eight figures in lost opportunity.’

If you have a poverty mindset, investing money in a mentor or spending more for a qualified contractor seems like a burden. But if you have an abundance mentality, it becomes obvious that spending a little more up front for coaching and devoting your time to the activities that will grow your multifamily business result in higher revenue long-term.

Jack Petrick is the owner of Petrick Property Group, a real estate firm that specializes in multifamily acquisitions and improvements. He spent 15 years working as a firefighter in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville, Ohio, before leaving to pursue real estate full-time.  Jack’s team focuses on on- and off-market multifamily assets, and to date, he has 100-plus rental units in Ohio and Florida.

Today, Jack joins me to discuss his initial experience as a self-taught custom home builder. He shares the major shift that took him from a poverty mindset to an abundance mentality and describes how he would use his time differently if he could go back to those early days. Jack explains the importance of mentoring and masterminds, the concept of forced appreciation, and the decision to hire an assistant that doubled his revenue. Listen in to understand what inspired Jack’s shift to multifamily investing and learn how to follow in his footsteps—by way of a laser focus on raising capital, finding deals and improving processes.

Key Takeaways

Jack’s introduction to real estate

• Rich Dad Poor Dad changed thinking
• Self-taught custom home builder
• Single family rental properties

Jack’s major mindset shift

• Poverty mindset (e.g.: hire cheap contractor)
• Abundance mentality to save money long-term

How Jack would use his time differently

• Invest in mentoring, masterminds
• Raise capital, deal flow and operations

What stopped Jack from leaving his job sooner

• Fear, thinking too small
• Listen to ‘free advice’

How Jack got clear on what’s important

• Time freedom to focus on family
• Change lives for investors

Jack’s insight around mindset

• Take action with right guidance
• Get beyond comfort zone

Jack’s transition to multifamily

• Walk-in medical clinic failed
• Buy and holds continued to cashflow
• Focus on pursuit of multifamily as option

The concept of forced appreciation

• Buy value-add property at discount
• Do renovation, tighten operations
• Increase occupancy and rent
• Value not contingent on market

Jack’s first multifamily deal

• Came across on Facebook
• 27-unit at 50% occupancy
• Financed through hard money lender
• Private investor to fund rehab
• Repair sewer line, renovate units
• Up to 100% occupancy

The value of hiring an assistant

• Fastest way to double revenue
• Focus on high-producing activities

What’s next for Jack

• Expand multifamily portfolio (100K units)
• Develop new multifamily properties

Connect with Jack

Petrick Property Group

Jack on Facebook

Resources

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

Syndicated Deal Analyzer

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

• Download
• Text “secretbook” to 44222

Michael’s Website

Michael on YouTube

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes