The REtipster Podcast | Real Estate Investing

181: I'm excited to have Steve Hodgdon on the show today. He's a smart guy with years of experience in land investing and real estate. Rather than overpromising, Steve gives straight-shooting advice about the real complexities of this business.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/181)We have a free-flowing conversation about some of the less glamorous but oh-so important fundamentals—doing your homework on deals, choosing partners wisely, and how to leverage technology to make better decisions. AI is a big part of the discussion, but he also cautions that the human element is still key to verifying deals, and legwork is still king.Steve's not flashy, but I appreciate his thoughtful approach and how generous he is about sharing hard-won knowledge. Whether you're an operator looking for funding or interested in backing other investors yourself, this chat breaks down some key ideas that any land flipper can apply right away.

180: Today, I'm talking with Neil Clements, a seasoned expert in the art of land subdivision. Neil has extensive experience taking properties and dividing them into smaller, more valuable parcels.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/180)In our conversation, Neil provides a wealth of practical insights into this niche, from locating promising land opportunities to navigating local regulations and negotiations. We discuss his nuanced approach to due diligence and adaptability when maximizing returns. Neil also shares subtle and creative marketing techniques he's refined over the years, including cold calling to drive interest.Whether you're new to land subdivisions or have some experience already, we'll learn a ton from Neil's real-world perspective in this promising niche.

179: We struck gold with today's episode with Ben Nadelstein from Monetary Metals. Today, we're exploring some fascinating concepts around gold and its history as money—and ultimately, how to turn gold into a cash flow machine.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/179)In this episode, we geek out on the significance of gold as a stable store of value across centuries. We also get into the factors that make gold useful as a hedge against inflation and currency debasement, especially for currencies like the U.S. dollar. But it's not all charts and numbers; we also delve into the more tangible aspects of gold, such as its role in jewelry and various industries, and why it's important for preserving wealth across generations.This episode is packed with insights, from the nuts and bolts of Monetary Metals' operations to the broader economic principles governing our markets. We even touch upon historical events like Nixon's closure of the gold window and discuss the impact of such decisions on our current financial system.Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, there's something in this conversation for everyone. So, grab a comfortable seat, and let's unravel the golden threads of this intriguing topic together!

178: I had the awesome opportunity to sit down with Matt Theriault. I've been following Matt's journey for quite a while, and let me tell you, his insights on real estate investing are seriously mind-blowing.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/178)Matt has a knack for tackling challenges with a unique blend of creativity and critical thinking. From his early days in the music business to bagging groceries at 34 to building a 350+ unit real estate portfolio, Matt stresses the importance of overcoming the fear of large numbers and recognizing that a one-million-dollar deal takes the same work as a smaller one.Matt's experiences, ups and downs, and approach to problem-solving are inspiring and packed with sensible tips. If you're a lifelong learner and value practical advice, you don't want to miss this episode.

177: Logan Fullmer is an investor in land and commercial real estate and deals with some of the toughest title issues. Through his expertise in resolving problems in a property's chain of title, he can find and buy properties at insane discounts.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/177)Logan shares how he first invested in real estate by purchasing inexpensive vacant lots in San Antonio, Texas. A few years later, after the market appreciated significantly, Logan discovered one of the properties had a title issue that prevented it from being sold. Through resolving the title problem, Logan realized there was an opportunity to seek out properties with title issues to acquire them at a discount.Since then, Logan has made a business out of buying properties with all kinds of title problems - from multiple heirs to tax liens to breaks in the chain of title - to resolve the issues and unlock the properties' full value. He goes into detail on the podcast about the most common title problems he encounters, how he identifies properties with issues, the typical costs and timelines involved in resolving them, and how he determines how much to offer sellers. Logan also provides tips for those interested in getting started with title curative work.Logan shares his knowledge and experience navigating complex title scenarios to invest in distressed real estate successfully. His unique perspective and approach to seeking out properties with solvable issues to acquire them well below market value provide useful insights for real estate investors.

176: Today, I’m talking with a new friend named David Hansen.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/176)David Hansen is a civil engineer and planner with a wide breadth of experience in land development. He recently gave me a great education on taking any property with a potential for development and figuring out how to set it up so it’s worth the most after the development.Why is this important? With David's knowledge and skill set, he can create money out of thin air by understanding municipal planning and zoning ordinances and creating subdivisions that can deliver the most value and achieve their highest and best use.If you have any interest or experience subdividing land, you will get immense value from this conversation!

175: I met Ryan Love recently at the Land UnConference Inner Circle in Minneapolis.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/175)At 23 years old, Ryan got into the land business right out of college after learning about it through a friend, and he hasn’t wasted any time. He started in April 2023, has done a few dozen deals, and has four people on his team.Today, we’ll figure out how he got so far and fast, and we’ll probably pick up many other interesting things along the way.

174: Chris Johnsen is a former electrician who stumbled into land investing when he wanted to buy a neighboring lot near his house. His initial success ignited a realization of the potential in land investing.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/174)His story is a testament to the power of taking action and seizing opportunities in an unconventional industry.In this episode, Chris explains his journey and the strategies he's used to build a highly profitable land-flipping business in a relatively short time.

173: For years, I’ve wanted to interview a solar energy expert.Why? Because as land investors, when looking at a prospective deal, we need to be aware of every option available to monetize the property.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/173)In some cases, it's as simple as re-selling the land at a markup, but in some cases, vacant land can be held as a buy-and-hold investment that generates a stream of passive income for years to come.Today, we will talk about one way of generating passive income from vacant land by leasing to a solar developer.Dakota Malone reached out to me recently to pitch this idea for a podcast episode, and I thought it was a great idea.Today, I will talk with Dakota about how this industry works, how to determine when this strategy makes sense for a vacant parcel of land, and, as usual, we will pick up a lot of other informative insights along the way.

172: Travis King has invested in rural land for many years and built a multimillion-dollar portfolio. He's here to share the unique plays he's added to his investing playbook, allowing him to scale and adapt as the market changes.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/172)Travis is going to break down the formulas he uses to analyze campaigns and track metrics so you can move from just feeling like your mailings are working to knowing your numbers. We'll also understand the constraints he sees in today's market with higher interest rates and inflation and how to pivot your acquisition and disposition strategies accordingly.

171: In this episode, I talk with Jaren Barnes of the Land Maverick Society and Drew Haney of Rooster Capital.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/171)Jaren and Drew have been working together over the past year on a podcast and running a community of land investors. They offer coaching, funding, and a lot of other resources. This episode covers everything from their thoughts about data, funding, startup capital, the importance of following up with leads, and many other fascinating topics.

170: Born and raised in Uruguay, Meir Shemtov moved to the US when he was 13. He started his first e-commerce business at 23, became a partner in a creative retail company, and sold it to WeWork at 25.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/170)He launched a co-living startup, exited in 2020, and launched Lot of Land, Inc. shortly after that.Meir has a rapidly growing team; he does a lot of double closings and assignment deals (10-15 contracts a month). In this conversation, we will find out how Meir's business works, how he has managed to grow such a thriving land business, and a surprising competitive edge he's been able to find with email marketing.

169: Neighbor.com is a marketplace disrupting the $500 Billion self-storage industry, and today, I'm talking with the company's CEO, Joseph Woodbury.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/169)Joseph started this company by raising more than $65 million in funding with participation from the world’s top investors, including the creators of Airbnb, Uber, and DoorDash, to name just a few.Joseph and his team have grown Neighbor’s user base to cover all 50 states, with more storage options than any other storage company, and the hosts on Neighbor.com are earning tens of thousands of dollars annually.In this conversation, we will talk about what this company brings to the table, how it's changing the self storage industry, and how you can get started in the self storage business!

168: In this episode, I'm talking with Joe Roberts, the founder of LandCaller.com.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/168)Joe is a former Marine Cobra helicopter pilot who began investing in real estate while on active duty. He started acquiring single-family and small multifamily rentals before making the switch to flipping vacant land in 2021. Joe left the Marine Corps after 11 years in 2023 to pursue real estate full-time.Today, we will discuss the opportunity in cold calling to find acquisition opportunities for vacant land.Up to this point, cold-calling has not been a widely used marketing medium among land investors. The first time I heard about the idea, it sounded like the last thing I ever wanted to try, but part of my apprehension at the time was tied to my misunderstandings about how cold calling works.The truth is that cold calling can be incredibly fertile ground for land investors.As I think we’ll find in this conversation, there’s a compelling case for cold calling in the land business.

167: If you’ve been around the real estate investing world for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of the 1031 Exchange before… but just in case you haven’t, we’re going to give you a quick primer on what this is and more importantly, how you can use it to save yourself a TON of money on taxes as you’re growing your real estate portfolio.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/167)The 1031 Exchange is one of those fantastic tax advantages real estate investors get to take advantage of, and you NEED to know about this if you’re planning to make it big in real estate.In this lesson, I'm talking with Scott Saunders, the Senior Vice President of Asset Preservation Incorporated. Scott has an extensive background and a huge wealth of knowledge and experience in this realm. He will help us develop a new understanding and appreciation for how you can use this mechanism to get further, faster when you’re upsizing your portfolio, whether you're selling off a piece of land or some other type of real estate.As land flippers, we are often considered "dealers" who cannot take advantage of this helpful tool, but much of your classification depends on your intent and how well you document it along the way, so be sure to learn how to do it right!

166: Jeremy Resmer contacted me recently because he's been using a new marketing tactic to find motivated sellers with TV ads.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/166)Not long ago, I talked with another land investor named Larry Jarnigo, who has also tried this out and seen pretty decent results. But Larry was doing this for more of a conventional TV medium, where the commercials appear on network television and are aired as 30-second TV spots.Jeremy’s approach is a bit different. He created and tested it for 12 months and went from doing 48 to 86 deals without changing anything in their marketing for those 12 months, so there's pretty strong evidence that it has made a notable improvement.Jeremy's current focus is on houses, but as we’ve seen with pretty much everything house wholesalers do, this kind of thing can just as well be used for land. In this episode, Jeremy will explain exactly how this works, its role among his other marketing strategies, and the kinds of real estate investors this makes sense for.

165: Today, I’m talking with Michael Leigeber, the Founder of LandSearch.com.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/165)I first heard about LandSearch a few years ago when a member of their team reached out to me. Even back then, when I first saw the site, I thought it was pretty cool. Over the years, the platform has only continued to improve.LandSearch is easy and intuitive to use, it’s designed much better than the other big-name land-listing platforms out there, and they've added some very nice functionality to the site that no other land-listing marketplace has thought of. I’ve even found some deals on this site before!In this conversation, Michael will help us understand what this site is about, who it's for, and the unique value it brings to the market for land investors.

164: Today, I’m talking with one of the most enthusiastic and inspiring land investors I know in the REtipster community, Arturo Paturzo.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/164)Arturo is an Italian Navy Officer living in Rome and running his land investing business in the US. He started this business because he was looking for real estate investment opportunities; luckily, the YouTube algorithm showed him the "land flipping life cycle" video from REtipster, and the rest is history.Ever since Arturo joined the REtipster Community and enrolled in the Land Investing Masterclass, it has been fascinating and inspiring to watch him post in our forum and Facebook group as he tries to figure out the best ways to handle various situations and because of his inquisitive nature, he helps a lot of people figure stuff out, just by asking the questions that other people either don’t think to ask or are too scared to ask.I’m also fascinated by how Art has been doing this from a long distance, in a very different time zone, speaking a very different language, while working a very full-time job in the Navy. This guy has a lot of natural challenges to work around… as many of us do, but they’re even more intense because of where he’s coming from.

163: Michael Quan has done a lot in his life. He ran a successful technology company for over a decade and then sold it to prioritize his family.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/163)Since then, Michael has been blogging at FinanciallyAlert.com, a published author of the F.I.R.E. Planner through Simon & Schuster, and his guy has a deep passion for personal finance and empowers others to take charge of their financial well-being.This past May, Michael and I were at a REWBCON conference. At the conference, I sat in on Michael’s presentation about how real estate investors can use AI to run their businesses.As we all know, AI has been a huge topic over the past year, with the explosion of innovative new tools and websites that can be used in many different ways to make life easier and more efficient than ever before.I’ve been racking my brain, trying to think of different ways real estate investors can use AI because I know there is huge potential here, but when I saw Michael’s presentation, I realized he had already done most of the heavy lifting for me. So, rather than me trying to teach you what can be done, Michael will teach us what can be done, and we’ll talk about some of the cutting-edge tools available to you right now.With AI, your biggest limitation is your imagination and recognizing what can be done. With any luck, after hearing what Michael has to say, you may develop some of your own ideas, and if you do, I hope you’ll share them with the REtipster Community, either in our forum or Facebook group!

Today, I have the privilege of talking with my friend JB.(Show Notes: REtipster.com/162)JB is a land investor who nets, not grosses, but NETS well over seven figures in the land business, year after year. And you know what's interesting? He doesn’t want or need anyone else to know about it.He’s not trying to be an influencer. He’s not trying to build an audience or sell coaching services. He just keeps to himself and plugs away, and he doesn’t need your or my approval to keep himself motivated.Whenever I hear about a land investor doing this well, I’m always curious to know more about how they do it… but you gotta admit, there’s something pretty cool about someone who does this well, and they aren't going out of their way to seek extra attention or pats on the back.I’ve been emailing back and forth with JB since 2017, and the first time I talked with him on Zoom call a couple of years ago, I invited him to the podcast… but he didn’t seem excited about doing it.Luckily for me, I was finally able to meet him face-to-face at a conference recently, where I got to know him a bit better, and he actually agreed to do this interview! Can you believe it?!So… we’re going to sit down with JB and get a peek into the world of an undercover millionaire land investor and learn more about his recipe for success.