ELLIE'S FORBES MAGAZINE ARTICLES

July 3rd, 2024

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As we approach 2025, I believe the multifamily real estate market continues to be a robust and attractive investment option. With economic uncertainties and changing demographics shaping the landscape, it's essential for investors to stay informed about the trends and predictions that will impact this sector. As an owner and operator of multifamily investments across the U.S., here are my insights on the multifamily market, both for the short-term and long-term.

June 4th, 2024

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Being a CEO is often seen as the pinnacle of a business career, a role filled with power, prestige and influence. However, what many don't see are the significant and often unexpected challenges that come with the territory. As someone who leads a private real estate investing firm, particularly in the competitive world of multifamily real estate investments, I’ve experienced firsthand the difficulties that can arise. Here are the three hardest and most unexpected challenges of being a CEO.

May 7th, 2024

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As small-business owners in the real estate sector, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve in a landscape that's rapidly evolving with technological advancements. Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this transformation, offering tools and insights that could redefine how we invest in real estate. But what does this mean for you and how can you harness AI to benefit your business?

March 1st, 2024

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In my journey as the owner of a private equity real estate firm, I've witnessed a profound shift in the perception of wealth. This shift, influenced by recent economic trends and a change in priorities, reflects a changing sentiment that's resonating across private equity, venture capital and the business landscape.

December 6th, 2023

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The multifamily real estate sector is currently at a crossroads, confronted by a series of market forces that are admittedly a challenge. With the Federal Reserve's series of rate hikes starting in March 2022, the industry is poised for a period of adjustment. Amidst this uncertainty, one thing is certain: It's a time for creativity and innovation among multifamily owners and operators.

October 27th, 2023

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In the dynamic world of U.S. real estate, the housing market's ebbs and flows have become a focal point for investors and economic analysts alike. With property prices and mortgage rates reaching new peaks, the burning question emerges: Is the market on a precipice or gearing up for sustained stability?

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Let's delve into the current landscape, its implications and the unique opportunities it presents for multifamily real estate investors.

August 1st, 2023

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The multifamily housing market stands on the precipice of a transformative phase as a massive surge of refinancing loans worth trillions of dollars looms ahead. In this extensive article, I will delve into the driving forces fueling this extraordinary phenomenon, explore its potential impact on borrowers and investors and provide invaluable insights to navigate the multifamily landscape with confidence and success.

February 27, 2023

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The multifamily space has been performing incredibly well for the past two-plus years with record demands for rentals, surging rental rates and accelerated demographic changes that have had people flocking to new markets in droves. In aggregate, this helped drive historically high occupancy rates and double-digit rent growth, resulting in historically high returns for owners and investors in the space.

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Now, as the calendar runs out on 2022, multifamily real estate is facing pressures across a variety of fronts including sharply rising interest rates lingering supply chain issues, geopolitical issues, record-breaking inflation, declining consumer confidence, pressures on rent and the looming threat of a recession.

September 21, 2022

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In 2022, the real estate markets have been fairly turbulent. In such uncertain times, it can be difficult to predict exactly where the real estate market is headed. After all, no one has a crystal ball.

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However, savvy real estate investors can make money in any market, and this market is no exception. Here are some tips for how to keep multifamily properties profitable in today’s economy.

July 8, 2022

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A "syndication" refers to a group of investors who pool their resources together in order to invest in real estate. Usually, syndications are led by a sponsor, who is responsible for finding the deals, organizing the funding and transactions, holding the liability (signing on the loan) and managing the investment after it has been made.........

May 27, 2022

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While inflation might have been present in the background of American society for a number of years, all of the sudden, it seems to have sprung to the forefront. With inflation rates hitting a 40-year high and gasoline and home prices soaring, people are seeing the impact of inflation almost everywhere in their lives........

Mar 11, 2022

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Diversification is a word that tends to stir up a lot of strong opinions. Some people believe it is the be-all-end-all strategy for investing success, and others believe it is a fool’s errand and anyone who tries is destined to fail.......

Feb 1, 2022

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Following 2020, a year that was marked by great uncertainty with the start of a pandemic in the United States, many people were nervous about how the real estate market would fare in 2021......

Dec 29, 2021

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The “Build Back Better” plan initially proposed up to $3.5 trillion in spending. This figure has since been scaled back to $1.75 trillion. The new bill cut out a lot of items. However, many items such as universal free pre-k for 3- and 4-year-olds still remain, as does $555 billion in spending on climate initiatives, in addition to many other items for infrastructure, education, immigration, etc.....

Nov 17, 2021

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Even as businesses navigate returning to the office in earnest, the demand for flexible work arrangements isn’t dying down. For real estate investors, the time for considering whether to make changes to better accommodate how people are currently living and working is long gone. It’s now time to take action if investors want to keep up in this new environment.....

Oct 4, 2021

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How do you determine whether one multifamily deal is better than another? Let me start by saying that a deal is only as good as the assumptions you’re making as an investor, and assumptions are not guaranteed to materialize. As a real estate investor, operator and syndicator through my company Blue Lake Capital, a significant part of our analysis when considering properties to invest.....

Aug 31, 2021

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Family offices have been around for a while, but in recent years, I’ve seen rapid growth in their development. A family office is a private company that handles investments and wealth management for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Generally, that means people or families with $100 million in investable assets.....

Jul 26, 2021

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When I first heard the term “anti-financial plan,” I was somewhat surprised, as most experts use the term “financial plan” when discussing finances and retirement. But the more I looked into what an anti-financial plan was, the more intrigued I became.....

June 29, 2021

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Over the past several decades, there has been substantial growth in family offices. Throughout my career as a real estate syndicator, operator and investor, I’ve seen firsthand how family offices work and invest. They handle wealth and investment management for wealthy families or individuals, generally in amounts of $100 million and higher in investable assets....

June 1st, 2021

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There are many advantages to working for an employer, from healthcare benefits and pensions to paid holidays, vacations and a secure paycheck. However, for many individuals, there are downsides as well, and the biggest one is not having total control over your own future...

May 11th, 2021

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According to the U.S. Census, there are ten thousand Baby Boomers entering retirement age each day and by 2030 all Baby Boomers will be 65 and older. In preparing for leaving the workforce, many are considering selling their real estate assets to help fund their retirement...

April 19th, 2021

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Now that the government has passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and millions of people are getting vaccinated, there is finally some light at the end of what has been a very dark pandemic tunnel. Unemployment has dropped to 6%, down from a whopping 14.8%, job creation continues to rise and the GDP is recovering — all signs of a stabilizing economy....

February 22th, 2021

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There are many types of investment opportunities available, including angel investing, stocks and real estate. The question is, how do you allocate your money to provide the best return? 

January 26th, 2021

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While watching the pandemic turn the nation’s economy upside down and pushing unemployment numbers into double digits (though now the rate is around 7%), multifamily sponsors and investors feared the worst for their properties...

December 29th, 2020

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The worldwide pandemic continues to create serious problems with the economy, impacting almost every type of business imaginable. That certainly includes real estate investing, as it has forced owners, operators and investors to pause and re-assess their approach to how they invest...

December 8th, 2020

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A lot of attention has been placed on the impact that the pandemic has had on the multifamily market, from occupancy rates to rent collections to different ways that owners and operators can mitigate the pandemic’s impact on their properties. However, before any of those issues....

November 5, 2020

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The pandemic is fueling uncertainty in the economy and causing investors to rethink their overall investment strategy.

October 15, 2020

 

November 3 is looming on the horizon and the candidates are campaigning at a voracious pace. While the presidential election has rightfully taken center stage...

September 15, 2020

 

In August 2020, President Trump issued four executive orders after Congress, and the White House couldn't come to terms with an unemployment relief package to follow the CARES Act that expired at the end of July. Until that time, unemployed Americans were receiving an additional $600 per...

August 11, 2020

 

Whenever I acquire a property, my goal is to increase the value of the property. This is an important strategy because when I ultimately sell, I want to have maximum appreciation on the property after the hold period ends....

July 21,2020

 

Back in early April, a few months after the World Health Organization listed the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic “a public health emergency of international concern,” I predicted in a Forbes article I wrote that there would be a serious downturn in the economy...

June 29,2020

 

Before answering that important question, it’s best to gain an understanding of why some investors avoid out-of-state investments while others embrace the concept. Investing in real estate, particularly multifamily properties, that is close to home has many advantages...

June 8, 2020

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Many investors are now putting their money into real estate, especially multifamily properties. There are a number of good reasons to do this. Prices for multifamily properties have skyrocketed over the past several years, and because of their limited availability and the fact that downsizing retired baby boomers are keeping vacancy rates low, prices will continue to rise...

May 18, 2020

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COVID-19 has taught me a great deal about real estate investing. Though I was part of the real estate scene back in 2008, nothing had prepared me for the current crisis. Like many investors, I too was concerned about collecting rents from my tenants...

April 27, 2020

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There’s a famous Chinese proverb that says, “Wealth never survives three generations.” America has its own version, which says, “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.” But while 70% of wealthy families will end up losing their wealth by the second generation and 90% will lose it by the third, there are ways to avoid that from happening...

April 6, 2020

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The top story on all news feeds over the past several weeks has been about the coronavirus. While the concern about the virus is deepening, it is impacting the economy in many different ways. For example, I personally pulled all of my money out of the stock market before the first crash...

March 16, 2020

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When you look at the prices of multifamily properties, you’ll find that they’ve skyrocketed over the past several years. In fact, there are often bidding wars that drive up the prices due to a limited availability of properties along with the desire for new investors to jump on the multifamily bandwagon. Will the good times ever end?...

February 24, 2020

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While finding the right deal in the right market is critical to achieving success as a syndicator, the ability to raise capital is equally, if not more, important. I've found that having capital from investors in place before you have a deal in hand is the best way to ensure success...

February 3, 2020

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The multifamily real estate market is booming, and many new passive investors want to get in on the potentially lucrative investments that multifamily properties offer...

January 15, 2020

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Will there be a recession anytime soon? Many economists say yes, and many investors assume that there will be a recession in the coming year. In fact, an August survey of 226 top economists showed that 38% believed it would hit sometime in 2020, and 34% felt it would happen in 2021. While nobody can accurately predict exactly when it will begin, it’s definitely on the horizon...

December 30, 2019

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I’ve met many investors who believe that the smart way to enter the multifamily market is to start small and then “graduate” to buying larger multifamily properties. From my experience, that is a misconception that should be addressed because it prevents those investors from enjoying the many benefits associated with larger multifamily assets...

November 22, 2019

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I’m often asked what my preference is when comparing angel investing to real estate investing, since I participate in both investment avenues. I invest in multifamily properties across the U.S., and I like to diversify and invest in local and foreign technology startups...

October 4, 2019

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I recently met with an acquaintance who owns thousands of doors across the United States. As we were chatting, he told me that he recently sold a property at $3 million above what they thought they would get for the property. Yes, $3 million. I couldn’t imagine who would overpay so much, especially in a mature market...

September 3, 2019

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When most people think of owning multifamily properties, they believe that the cost would be prohibitive. After all, you can find solid apartment building in many markets, such as Texas, Florida and Georgia for $70,000–$150,000 per unit. So how could it be possible to own 100 apartments for just $100,000?...

August 7, 2019

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There is no question that many people have built their wealth over time using multifamily real estate investments. Likewise, many people have amassed significant amounts of money by investing in the stock market. So in a strategic showdown, which investment takes the prize — multifamily real estate investments or the stock market?...

July 24, 2019

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Let’s start by saying that I am an optimist by nature. I see the glass three-quarters full, not half, and I am passionate about real estate and its role in growing my wealth. That being said, I often speak with investors about their real estate investments, and often hear how optimistic they are about the multifamily real estate market and how they don’t see any reason to doubt that the prosperity and price appreciation will continue...