Kirby Atwell is a former US Army Officer turned real estate investor and podcast host with a focus on short-term rentals! Kirby starts with his experience in the military and jumping into real estate shortly after reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”! With over 100 renovated properties under his belt, he shares great insights on small and large flips including pros and cons of both options. Kirby discusses the midwest markets that he focuses on to maximize cash flow and how experimenting with a basement short-term rental led him to change his focus to STRs! He sprinkles in some STR horror stories and ..read more

Taft West is the Vice President of Technical Assistance and Sustainability for the Chicago Community Loan Fund and is a renown property management instructor! Taft starts by sharing his background which includes some autopsy experience! He talks about starting in Chicago real estate, managing condominiums, and public housing in the late 1970s. Taft discusses the differences in leasing now compared to 40 years ago! He drops golden nuggets on the biggest mistakes landlords make and screen out bad tenants. Taft closes with powerful words on doing good work for your community to make a difference ..read more

What Should Investors Do To Ensure a Successful Rehab? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guests: Jonathan Klemm, Quality Builders Link: Episode 76: Big Business Processes Make a Powerful Small Business with Jonathan Klemm ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2024 ..read more

Michael Valente is the founder and CEO of Renovation Sells Franchising; general contracting experts that focus on cosmetic renovations of pre-market homes to maximize sales price! Michael shares how he left his corporate job and began working for his mentor to learn the ropes of general contracting and renovation! He talks about starting his own general contracting business and the biggest lessons learned as he grew his business. He breaks down the genesis of Renovation Sells; his general contracting company that focuses on cosmetic renovations of pre-market homes so sellers can get top dollar ..read more

Kevin Dugan is the Managing Principal of Altus Investment Group. He runs multiple businesses that successfully operate in Chicago while managing them remotely from Los Angeles! Kevin starts by talking about the skills he gained working on oil rigs and as a sales engineer and how that translated to real estate! He breaks down his first flip in South Shore and the process of managing that project from Los Angeles! Kevin dives deep into the challenges of managing rentals and growing a business remotely. He emphasizes hiring good people and building a construction arm as critical pieces for a thri ..read more

Morgan Basham is a real estate broker and investor with vast experience in off-market prospecting, acquisitions, and stabilization of investment properties! Morgan shares her start in real estate and the ins and outs of investing in Braidwood, IL! She breaks down her first deal in Chicago; an impressive story of tremendous due diligence as part of the acquisition of an auction property! Morgan, Mark, and Tom discuss the mindset required to take the leap of faith and dive into real estate full-time. Morgan closes with golden nuggets on frugality hacks to save for your next investment and improv ..read more

Bernel Hall is the president and CEO of New Jersey Community Capital and has executed over $5 billion in real estate investments and lending. Bernel starts off by explaining how playing Monopoly sparked his interest in real estate as a kid! He discusses how he got involved with public housing developments and gives his take on ways housing authorities can improve efficiencies. Bernel shares his proudest development story which involved the creation of the New Jersey Land Bank and the massive impact it had on the community. In this episode, Bernel motivates with his distinguished resume and ini ..read more

Tom welcomes President of the Neighborhood Building Owner's Alliance, Mike Glasser, for a special announcement about their upcoming 12th Annual NBOA Summer Soiree. You don't want to miss it! Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: NBOA (Neighborhood Building Owner's Alliance) President, Mike Glasser Link: 12th Annual NBOA Summer Soiree ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2024 ..read more

James Thompson is broker and property manager with vast experience acquiring, renovating, and managing apartment buildings all at the young age of 25 years old! James shares the early grind required to get off the ground in the commercial real estate game! He discusses the biggest lessons learned from renovating and managing 100+ apartments. James gives the scoop on investing in student housing and also provides some good REI horror stories. James closes with great advice for newer investors and a positive outlook on Chicago! If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review and share wit ..read more

What Are Some High-Level Guidelines Chicago Investors Can Leverage to Estimate Rehab Costs? Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guests: Jonathan Klemm, Quality Builders Link: Episode 76: Big Business Processes Make a Powerful Small Business with Jonathan Klemm   ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2024 ..read more