Like a drug addict searching for more of his narcotic of choice, the pursuit of certainty is my vice and the source of nearly every anxious moment I have… As an entrepreneur and someone who routinely takes on sizeable risks, I crave certainty. And I have to face the fact that I’m addicted to the…
The latest real estate renovation for investment purposes we completed was a basement suite. More specifically, it was the basement suite for a half-duplex (built in the 1960s) in the inner city. The premise behind the reno was to turn a single unit investment property into a dual unit. The upstairs suite had already been…
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a conflicted man, and a brutal general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He was a ruthless tactician and a racist. Federalist William Tecumseh Sherman (another infamous general from the Civil War) famously dubbed him ‘that Devil Forrest.’ Erwin Rommel, the Nazis top general, studied Forrest’s battle tactics…
Anxiety seeped through their voices. I heard devastating stories while speaking with many fellow entrepreneurs this past week. Some are left in precarious positions requiring a big dip into their personal savings to keep their employees paid and business afloat… Although a cash call to self-finance your business is never easy, it’s deemed a part…
The market is shifting from aggressive growth-focused companies (scale before profit) to ones who actually generate profit… right from the commencement of commercialization. The renewed focus on the bottom line, I think, was brought about by WeWork’s failed IPO. Or perhaps that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Either way, investors and entrepreneurs…
After reading “Ugly Americans” (a personal top 50 book), and “Rigged” many years ago, I became a fan of author Ben Mezrich. He has a penchant for writing fascinating entrepreneurial stories, typically based on real-life events. So when Bitcoin Billionaires was released over the summer, I put it on my to-do list; and, like every…
This year has served as a good reminder. 2019 has been one of high tenant turnover, and managing rental properties has been time-consuming. Almost every rental property we manage has had a transition from one tenant to the next, which reminded me of just how vital a low tenant turnover rate is for landlords’ bottom…
A friend of mine and fellow entrepreneur is a ‘sensei of the sales process.’ The guy is a natural closer. He does it in such a casual yet skillful manner that when describing how he closes tough deals, you get the urge to pull out a pen and pad. When he and I get together…
Every buyer or real estate investor wants a motivated seller because it often results in getting a pretty good deal on the property… however, it’s not always easy to spot a motivated seller, at least not before negotiations begin. Over the years, I’ve figured out ways to find motivated sellers that I want to share…