The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

Jim Manning runs a volume flipping and lease option business in St. Louis. On today's show we are talking about finding fulfillment in growing a business. To connect with Jim and to learn more visit passivewealthshow.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)

Michelle Jeong is based in San Francisco where she runs FIRE Capital (Financial Independence Through Real Estate). On today's show we are talking about acquisition strategy in the current market conditions. To connect with Michelle visit investingwithfire.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)

Ou book this month is “Profit First” by Michael Michalowicz. You’ve no doubt heard the advice from financial advisors called “Pay yourself first”. This book sounds like the same advice, only it’s quite different. It breaks down the human behaviours that result in a money management cycles that ultimately can become a trap. Most businesses focus on growing revenue to generate cash and stay ahead of expenses. The problem with this approach is that the additional revenue attracts hidden expenses which erode the benefit of the added revenue. Some businesses can grow themselves into the ground. As a minimum, the relentless focus on adding revenue removes the focus on the primary motive which is profit for the owners. Profitability is a decision that happens first. But most businesses treat profitability as a consequence of all the other decisions. Profit is the left-over. Many business owners end up “reinvesting” their income to grow the business and in so doing, end up working for free, or at least for far less than they’re worth. What Michael Michalowicz teaches is how to establish new money management governance within your business that becomes a new set of habits. These habits eventually become muscle memory and they become normal. -------------- **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’s show we are talking about solving the needs of aging population. As parents age, some families resort to independent living, maybe assisted living, professionally managed institutions. These are quite expensive and not everyone can afford this. In fact, there is a huge percentage of the population who can’t afford senior housing. For many, that means family takes on the burden of caregiving. As older adults become more reduced in their mobility, the family home might no longer be suitable. Navigating stairs to enter the home, or navigating stairs to get to the bedroom level in a two story or three story home becomes a problem. Moving out of the family home into a single level ranch style house is not an option for many families. We have talked about the so-called lock-in effect that is well established in the current market. Those owners who locked in a 30 year mortgage at 2.5% interest rate don’t ever want to sell their home and face a more expensive proposition with a new home at a higher interest rate. The cheapest option, by far, is to modify the existing home to install the mobility features required to accommodate an aging adult. --------------- **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)

Yes, you read that correctly. Today’s show is a deep dive into a due diligence item that we often don’t think about. I’m going to read a few extracts from an engineering letter we received as part of an information package on a property. The project in question is a residential subdivision with a large rock outcropping in the middle of the property. The top of the hill consists of large boulders and the residential area below is surrounding the rock outcropping. The residential homes would be situated on more level ground. The possibility of a rock fall can only be mitigated in a few ways. All of these solutions come at a cost. Retaining walls can cost more than $1,000 per linear foot depending on the height. You can end up spending hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions if you have a large scale site with vast unstable structures. This type of situation can be further amplified by destabilizing events. In this particular instance, there is a known seismic surface fault within 150 feet of the subject property. There is a second engineering report governing the potential for seismic activity with the fault. An earthquake in the immediate area may not be enough to damage the buildings in the planned subdivision. But they could easily be enough to destabilize the large boulders that sit on top of granular and silty material that could easily liquify when subject to seismic activity. This could increase the probability of rolling boulders. ------------ **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’s show we are breaking down the different types of construction contracts that you can sign. Now let me be clear, I’m not here to offer any type of legal advice. I’m merely sharing our experience when it comes to undertaking different types of construction projects. The first thing you need to get clear on is whether you are hiring a general contractor or a construction manager. This is a distinct choice. In either case, there will be subcontractors involved for the specific work items. You might have different subs for framing, mechanical electrical, plumbing, concrete, finishing and so on. There could be up to 20 distinct subcontractors on a typical build project. The main distinction between the general contractor and the construction manager is who hires the subcontractors? You might hire the subcontractors directly and pay them directly. The subs work under the direction of the construction manager. The bids, the schedule, and all of the practical elements of the project are handled by the construction manager. But the contractural relationship is different. There is no markup being charged on the subcontractor’s work. You pay the construction manager a fixed fee. Let’s assume that you decide you want to hire a general contractor and you are going to pay only the general contractor. The GC is responsible for all aspects of the project. In construction projects, the contract type is crucial for defining cost control, risk allocation, and payment structures. Here’s a comparison of the three main types: 1) Cost Plus 2) Lump Sum (Fixed Price) 3) Guaranteed Maximum Price The biggest item to figure out with each of these models is who is going to carry the contingency fund. There is always going to be some variability in construction. The question is who is going to carry that risk and where is the money going to come from to pay for those costs if and when they do arise. Whichever model you choose, there are pros and cons. Whatever you do, make sure you hire a lawyer who specializes in construction contracts. This is an area of specialty in the law just like real estate . ------------- **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’s show we are looking at the demand for construction materials and labor. The number of housing starts is way down nationally. This is true for single family homes and for multi-family apartments. So it stands to reason that there should be plenty of labor available for your projects if you decide you want to undertake a project in this current environment. -------------- **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's show I'm asking George about how he used to attract business before the days of digital marketing. Love his answer. ------------------ **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’s show we are looking at the national average numbers for residential real estate. The statistics seem to be conflicting and it seems like the numbers are not adding up. On today’s show we are going to unwind the apparent contradiction to make sense of what is truly going on. The national association of realtors reported that sales volume in September fell to the lowest level since October of 2010 with an annualized rate of 3.84M homes being sold. This is a 3.5% decline from the same period last year. Inventory of homes for sale increased to a 4.3 month supply of homes. Finally, the median price of a home increased 3% in September compared with the same period last year to a price of $404,500. Normally you would think that falling sales volume combined with rising inventory of homes for sale would translate into falling prices. If demand is falling and supply is rising, then you would expect prices to fall. So what is up with the 3% rise in the median sale price? ---------------- **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)

The Bank of Canada took a victory lap yesterday as they cut interest rates by 0.5%. This is the fourth consecutive rate cut since June. The rationale given was that inflation in September hit 1.6% down from 2.2% in August. The fact is, Canada’s economy is extremely weak right now. The drop in rates is needed to maybe stimulate growth. For real estate investors, the rise in interest rates over the past few years has created a glut of condo’s for sale in the market. About 25% of new condo’s appear in the rental market. These are typically the smaller units in a high rise building that are purchased by amateur investors. These units are rarely purchased by owner occupants. Owners tend to want a larger floor area. Those who are willing to rent will often accept a smaller apartment. When the bank of Canada dropped its rate on Wednesday this week, all of the major banks also dropped their prime lending rate in tandem. The picture in the Toronto condo market is not pretty. The sold to new listing ratio is around 30%. The percentage of condos in the rental market that are experiencing negative cash flow is 81%. That’s up from about 40% only a couple of years ago. The pre construction market is currently absorbing about 300 units a month against a backdrop of over 17,000 units of pre-construction units for sale. In the current market conditions I predict that none of these buildings will achieve the 70% sales threshold needed to qualify for construction financing. The only path for some of these condo projects will be to convert their offering to apartments. But if they’ve already taken deposits, they will need to recapitalize the projects in order to convert them to apartments. The appetite among lenders may be In the last 7 days in the Toronto market we saw over 1350 new listings and more than 600 conditional transactions terminated. On today’s show I’ve focused on the Toronto market. The picture is similar for condos in other markets across Canada. I would characterize the Vancouver market as being most similar to Toronto. But there is very little activity in new condos in Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal. The name of the game in Canada right now for apartment living is purpose built apartments. For that asset class the drop in interest rates translates into long term improvement in the outlook for that sector. ---------------- **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’s show we are talking about a service business that used to be on top of its segment in the market. The company we’re talking about is Starbucks. So it’s no surprise to me that today Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced a major drop in both earnings and revenue. They also suspended financial guidance for the upcoming quarters. Once a brand loses loyalty to the brand, it’s hard to get it back. Same store sales are down 6%. Attempts to win back customers with various promotions have failed. Starbucks, like many other premium retail locations is often connected to prime real estate. I predict that the averages obscure the extremities. Some locations will continue to perform very strongly. Still others will dramatically underperform. Unless the turnaround happens quickly, some of these poorly performing locations will close. If Starbucks saw enough good data in the metrics to open a location, then chances are good that the location is still good, even though Starbucks revenue has fallen at that location and that location is now losing money and will close. The problem is not the location, but rather that Starbucks lost its way and alienated its customers. -------------- **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’s show we are wondering if governments and central banks in particular have any effect on the repairing the economy. It’s a simple question really. If central banks can truly influence the economy, inflation and the unemployment rate, then why are central banks all behaving the same way at approximately the same time? Why is the bank of Canada going to lower interest rates later this week? Why did the ECB lower rates last week? Why did the Federal Reserve lower rates by half a point a month ago? Why did China’s central bank lower its benchmark rate by 25 basis points yesterday? I mean seriously, have you ever wondered why all of these central banks are setting their interest rate policy in virtual lock step? If the currency is being devalued at 2% per year, within the life of a 30 year Treasury, the value of that bond is reduced to 55.5% of the original face value of the bond within that 30 year period. This is a silent tax on consumers, on savers, and most importantly on the debt. The government needs that debt to be depreciated away. There is no magic behind the 2% number. It seems that 2% is large enough a number to have the debt whither away, but not so large as to cause a revolt among the population. When consumer prices are rising at 9-15% as we saw in the wake of the pandemic, it’s enough to cause social unrest and for governments to get voted out of power. But it’s curious that all of these disparate economies with vastly different governments are all experiencing falling consumer price indices. It’s not outright deflation, but is squarely in disinflationary territory. Can governments take the credit, or should they take the blame for printing money like drunken sailors?

On today’s show we are talking about how to evaluate a bid from a subcontractor. If you follow the procurement method used by most government departments, in the US and in Canada, the process makes sense. Everyone needs to meet the minimum requirements. For all those who meet the minimum requirements, the purchaser will select the lowest bidder. Intuitively this makes sense. But it puts the burden on the purchaser to specify every aspect that matters to the buyer. My mentor Dr. Nido Qubein says that when the value is unclear, the discussion always degenerates to price. All other things being equal, then price would be the only remaining differentiator. But some things are subjective and not just functional. When an architect designs a building for you, there is a complete set of drawings. These drawings are then supplemented by another document which details the specifications. In most of our projects, this spec document is somewhere between 600-800 pages in length. Even then, it doesn’t capture everything that we would want in the products used in our finished buildings. The specifications fall into several categories. First there are those specifications that are required by the building code. Two of the most difficult items to specify are the product longevity and the product quality. If you are specifying a paint, the paint can have different qualities of durability. What is the solid content of the paint? What is the durability of a product? How many years will a wood floor finish last in a high traffic area? Some products feel cheap, or look cheap even if they’re not. How do you specify that you don’t want the ceramic tile to look cheap? -------------- **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)

Hunter Webb is in Lisbon Portugal, where he is a principal at DeepRent.ai. On today's show we are talking about how artificial intelligence can automate the management of a portfolio of storage facilities. To connect with Hunter and to learn more, visit deeprent.ai ----------- **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)

Eddie Lack is originally from Sweden. He moved to North America to play professional hockey with the Vancouver Canucks, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Calgary Flames and the New Jersey Devils. Today Eddie is based in Scottsdale Arizona where he is building luxury homes. Not the typical career path into development. Eddie has built his skills methodically over time. To connect with Eddie visit eddielack.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)

On today’s show we are taking a look at a couple of global companies. I’m reading front page articles in the WSJ and others suggesting that economists are thinking that the chance of recession in the foreseeable future is vanishing. The world seems to have embraced a new form of double speak. ----------------- **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’s show we are continuing our series on international outlook. There are many jurisdictions that position themselves as great retirement destinations. If you’re visiting, then you can usually stay in some places up to 90 days on a visitor visa before you need to leave. Some places allow up to six months. But if you’re looking for a location for a winter residence and want to stay longer than 90 or 180 days then you will likely need a residency visa. Some countries offer a lengthy process for a residency visa. But if you’re willing to make an investment in the country, there is often an accelerated process. Choosing a destination involves a number of considerations. One of the interesting locations is Panama. Panama has a Qualified Investor Visa program that grants you Panama permanent residency by investment. The Panamanian government has relaxed certain measures for foreign investors. First, it extended the availability of a reduced minimum investment amount of USD 300,000 for foreign nationals by another two years. -------------- **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’s show we are taking another look overseas. We are accustomed to places where there is growth. We don’t really know how to invest in places where population is shrinking. Today’s show is the story of Nadia. My wife and I met Nadia when we were on vacation in Mexico a few years ago. Nadia was born in Germany and she has lived in Ireland and the US. She married an Irishman who was in investment banking and moved to the US. The marriage didn’t last and Nadia found herself on her own. She has a few close friends and a few years ago she decided that she wanted to travel the world. But she didn’t have the funds to do it all. She figured that if she found a place in Europe that was inexpensive, she would have enough funds left over to travel as much as she wanted. After all, destinations in Europe are very close and flights on discount carriers can be real bargains. Often the taxi ride to the airport is more expensive than the flight. Carriers like Easyjet and Ryan Air pioneered the discount carrier model in Europe. Today Air Berlin, Blu Express and many others offer amazing deals. So Nadia moved to Bulgaria an bought a home for 8,000 Euros. She put a few nickels into fixing it up and her total investment was around $20,000 Euros. Today Nadia has a new boyfriend. He’s an Englishman and they spend their savings on traveling around Europe mostly. Next year they’re planning to visit Machu Pichu in Peru. Now just in case you’re wondering if this is an outlier, I did some additional research. I searched for properties under $30,000 across Bulgaria and I found hundreds. --------------- **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’s show we are talking about why Germany’s economy seems to be stuck in reverse. We keep hearing about how Germany, which has traditionally considered the economic engine of Europe is struggling. The German government recently downgraded their economic outlook and are forecasting contraction well into next year. The ECB is forecast to drop rates this week in order to further stimulate the economy. But I believe Germany’s issues are structural. Here are the factors that in my opinion represent significant structural headwinds for the German economy. These headwinds are not isolated to Germany. We are just seeing them align together all at once in a single location. -------------- **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’s show we are talking about demographics and migration. This is a topic you’re going to hear a lot more about in the coming weeks and months. Demographics is like a law of physics when it comes to real estate investing. It’s like gravity. It’s no surprise that fertility rates are well below the rate required to maintain population constant. If you want to examine at what declining population looks like, you only need to look at Japan. Japan’s fertility rate has been below the minimum 2.1 required to maintain population constant for a long time. Japan’s population has been declining sharply for the past 15 years. There are now 11M empty, vacant homes in Japan. So when we look at our future, we need to look at those places in the world where people have walked before us. Now some people are quick to dismiss the comparison. After all, Japan is nothing like North America. We tend to buy into the narratives that promote investing. We need to be very mindful of oversupply. When oversupply happens in a market, and when demand drops, bad things happen. --------------- **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)