Multifamily Real Estate, Equity Investment and the “Karma Economy” with Nick Earls and Eric DiNicola of Winterspring Capital

January 05, 2022 by Guest User

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, host Phil Coover and co-host Jay Augustyn are joined by Nick Earls and Eric DiNicola, co-founders of Winterspring Capital. Phil and Jay sit down with Nick and Eric to discuss the pair’s 20-year friendship and how they successfully developed a business and brand from their first real estate project, which included the renovation and sale of three condominium units in Boston.

The Winterspring story is interesting in seeing how two friends can create a real estate development company, without deep pocket backers, by taking one step at a time, by building skills, by stepping out of their comfort zone and focusing on marketing, and by measuring each decision and learning lessons as they build for the future. Specifically, the group examines the pros and cons of funding projects with equity investments in lieu of debt; the company’s marketing strategy and plans for future growth including writing books and articles for public consumption; the concept of the “karma economy”; and Winterspring’s foray into Boston’s affordable housing market.

As co-founder and managing principal of Winterspring Capital, Nick Earls has over a decade of experience in all phases of commercial real estate, including asset management, sales, new construction development and property management.

While building his own portfolio, he has also guided many investors down the path of multifamily investment, management or development. He is an expert on multifamily condominium development, underwriting, and asset management in the multifamily space and is also the author of the top-rated book, “Making Millions through Multi-Family Development.”

Eric DiNicola is also a co-founder and managing principal of Winterspring Capital. His strong financial background spans over a decade. Eric began working in public equity in 2010 and moved into the private equity markets where he worked on valuations and capital raising.

Joining forces with Nick in 2015, Eric leveraged his investment experience and expertise to accelerate the growth of Winterspring's real estate business. Heading up the company’s acquisitions team, Eric leans on his extensive broker network to keep Winterspring's deal pipeline full.

For more information, visit: https://winterspringcapital.com/

Debt Financing and Life Companies with Mark Perkowski of Draper and Kramer, Incorporated

November 30, 2021 by Guest User

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, host Phil Coover and his co-host Jay Augustyn are joined by Mark Perkowski, a Vice President in Draper and Kramer, Incorporated’s Commercial Finance Group.

On the podcast, Phil and Mark discuss the process of debt placement and financing for all types of commercial real estate deals. In particular, they examine a particular type of financing from life insurance companies, and what those types of lenders look for in terms of deals. From there, they discuss the difference between lending sources, from life companies, to traditional banking, to CMBS loans, and current market trends stemming from COVID-19 fallout. Mark highlights the importance of relationships– both his own personal relationships and those cultivated throughout Draper and Kramer, Incorporated’s over 125-year history – in finding the best deals for his borrower and lender clients.

During his time at Draper and Kramer, Incorporated, Mark has closed $600 million in loans across all major property types, including hotels and data centers. He specializes in placing loans with life companies and structuring complicated transactions.

Hailing from western New York, Mark began his commercial real estate career in 2004 helping retailers use market data and analytical tools to identify the most profitable locations. He then served as a consultant to banks, advising them on the quality of their commercial real estate loans, prior to transitioning to commercial mortgage banking in 2011 when he relocated to Chicago. He holds a B.S. in business administration and finance from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.

Since 1893, Draper and Kramer, Incorporated, has sourced commercial real estate debt and equity used to acquire, develop, renovate, refinance and recapitalize assets across property sectors and markets throughout the U.S. Today, through its Commercial Finance Group, the company continues that tradition with innovative financing solutions at all levels of the capital stack that are offered to third-party clients and used by Draper and Kramer for its own investments.

For more information, please visit https://draperandkramer.com/

Building the Capital Stack with Trisha Connolly, Managing Director of Alpha Capital CRE

December 04, 2019 by Phil Coover

On this episode, Alpha Capital CRE Managing Director Trisha Connolly joins Phil to discuss building the capital stacks, money, and the various types of financing and equity investments available. Alpha Capital CRE started in 2008 as a hedge fund placement agent firm raising institutional capital for fund to funds. In 2010, Alpha Capital transitioned to a capital markets platform. Since its inception, the company has changed its name, institutionalized its platform, and grown its team. They optimize solutions for capital, whether it’s debt or equity, for transactions across the country.

Phil and Trisha start by discussing what goes into a capital stack. They touch on what a bridge lender may provide in commercial real estate, why the 30-year mortgage is often an afterthought in this space, and the types of debt with flexibility in a future sale. Phil also asks Trisha about the influence of local banks in her work, as well as her depth of relationships in the national lending community. Phil and Trisha close out the interview by going into the details of creating a development deal, subordinate financing, and the concept of preferred equity.

Trisha Connolly is a Managing Director at Alpha Capital CRE and serves as a partner on the equity and debt placement team nationwide. She specializes in commercial real estate financing with over 11 years of experience including loan restructuring, term financing, syndicated credit facilitating, construction financing, acquisition financing, advisory and joint venture equity or programmatic equity. She has advised on capital markets financing transactions exceeding $2 billion. Trisha specializes in structured financings and continues to work on permanent and floating rate executions. Prior to joining Alpha, Trisha spent four years managing Cushman and Wakefield's Equity, Debt & Structured Finance team. Preceding C&W, Trisha spent more than five years at General Growth Properties (GGP) within their Capital Markets team, focusing primarily on workouts, refinances and development financing.

Learn more at: www.alphacapitalcre.com

Dee Brown, CEO of the P3 Group, Inc. – Changing 60,000 Pound Anchors on Nuclear Submarines – and Other Public-Private Partnership Development

September 24, 2019 by Phil Coover

Phil is joined in this episode by Dee Brown, CEO of The P3 Group, Inc., a commercial real estate, boutique development and consulting firm that specializes in business and community development through the creation of P3's: public private partnerships. Dee explains that The P3 Group’s projects are atypical, meaning that they generally take on modestly sized building projects, which most P3 companies shy away from—due to the complexity of the deals and efforts needed to coordinate these types of municipal projects. For instance, Dee’s first public private project was changing 60,000 pound anchors on a nuclear submarine.

Phil and Dee discuss the benefits of a company like The P3 Group, with its multi-faceted background of team members that include legal, real estate and construction experts. Dee goes on to discuss an exciting project that The P3 Group recently received an award for – an 80,000 sq. ft. regional public safety facility for police, EMS, and other governmental emergency responders. It will be designed to withstand extreme inclement weather, no-power, and no water! Tune in to learn more.

As Chief Executive Officer Dee Brown has a 26 year record of real estate sales, development, management, and success overseeing all phases of multi-million dollar construction, infrastructure, water/sewer, and environmental projects for government and private-sector clients. His experience includes managing personnel of up to 200 people in highway/bridge improvements, asbestos abatement, real estate sales and development, solar installations, and a variety of other projects. Dee is backed by strong credentials and a proven history of on-time, on-budget, and high-quality project completions.

Learn more about the P3 Group here: https://thep3groupinc.com

Co-Living With Susan Tjarksen of Cushman and Wakefield

July 16, 2019 by Phil Coover

Joining Phil on this episode is Susan Tjarksen, Managing Director at Cushman and Wakefield. Susan has over 30 years of experience in real estate, in both the public and private sectors. She is a leading expert on co-living and joins us to discuss how buildings are being developed and adapted for the Co-living model to generate more income per square foot while at the same time serving marketplace demands. Co-living is a community style of living where common spaces are shared, and spaces such as bedrooms are private, with each tenant responsible only for their share (rather than everyone in one unit being jointly and severally liable). Susan and Phil discuss why co-living, which has existed for quite some time in various forms, is regaining popularity among the younger professional demographic: millennials. Susan goes in depth about what is attracting more and more people to co-living in the gateway markets. One of the main reasons is affordability, because rent is rapidly expanding in these markets, and the other is convenience. This creates an opportunity for developers and investors. According to a survey by the National Apartment Association, millennials chose to live close to work and travel for entertainment, which makes co-living all the more attractive for young professionals seeking the ideal living situation.

You can contact Susan Tjarksen and learn more about Cushman and Wakefield here.

You can download the coliving report here.

DISCLAIMER – No information contained in this Podcast or on this Website shall constitute financial, investment, legal and/or other professional advice and that no professional relationship of any kind is created between you and podcast host, the guests or Clark Hill PLC. You are urged to speak with your financial, investment, or legal advisors before making any investment or legal decisions.

Finding Space for the Future of Your Business with Jon Milonas of CBRE

May 30, 2019 by Phil Coover

In this episode, Phil is joined by Jon Milonas, a Senior Vice President in CBRE’s Tenant Representation Group, the largest commercial real estate firm in the world. Jon’s Chicago team focuses on helping occupiers of real estate to align their business strategies with their real estate, by identifying the needs and challenges of an organization and couple those needs with finding the right office space. Jon discusses his approach to clients by asking where businesses see themselves in 5-10 years, and how to help them achieve their vision by finding an appropriate office space for their current and future business. Jon elaborates by mentioning the two most important questions that his clients should be answering when solving issues from both a challenge and a future goal perspective: (1) what are their deficiency drivers; and (2) what are their success factors? Jon stresses the importance of these questions and what it will mean for a business’ future. Jon authored the book: “Kicking Off Your Office Lease: 6 Proven Steps to Develop a Thorough Strategy and Avoid Costly Mistakes,” which helps to prepare businesses in starting a conversation with their executives and bringing in the right people to run a project. Jon emphasizes that so much of what business relationships consist of is confidence, and if you have confidence in your relationships, you can strengthen them and move forward toward reaching your real estate goals.

Jon Milonas is a Senior Vice President in CBRE’s Tenant Representation Group in the Chicago Region. Jon focuses his practice on developing comprehensive and strategic real estate plans, structuring and negotiating office leases, and assisting with the renewal, relocation and sublease/buyout of leased properties. During his career, Jon has completed over two hundred fifty transactions on behalf of local Chicago based organizations as well as national and global organizations such as Willis Towers Watson, PwC, McGraw-Hill Companies, Morningstar, Hewlett Packard, Prudential, and Société Générale. Jon’s team has successfully transacted across a wide array of industries, with a focus in the legal, financial services, insurance, technology and consulting sectors.

Prior to joining CBRE in 2007, Jon worked as an International Representative of the YMCA of the USA, in Valparaiso, Chile. In this role, he was the Spanish-English oral and written translator and participated as a member of the Chilean International Committee facilitating international leadership conferences.

View more on Jon and CBRE here.

Large Scale Development and Geographic Expansion with Matt Katsaros of CA Ventures

May 06, 2019 by Phil Coover

Joining Phil Coover on this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast is Matt Katsaros, SVP – Acquisitions of CA Ventures’ subsidiary—CA Residential. CA Ventures is one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the Midwest, and does about $1.5 Billion in real estate development every year. Matt and Phil discuss the history of CA Ventures from its initial niche in student housing to a current portfolio of multiple asset classes and real estate services. Matt shares trends in residential real estate development and investment markets across the U.S.

Founded in 2004, CA Ventures is an international real estate investment management company headquartered in Chicago, IL, with offices in Denver, CO, and London. The firm found initial success focusing on off-campus student housing and has delivered almost 50,000 units (or beds) of student accommodation across 40 major university markets. Today the portfolio is diverse spanning multiple asset classes including student, senior and other residential real estate, as well as industrial and office markets.

You can find out more about CA Ventures here: https://ca-ventures.com/

Collete English Dixon of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate

February 25, 2019 by Phil Coover

Visit the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate website here.

In this episode, Phil is joined by Collete English Dixon, Executive Director of the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate and Operational Chair of Real Estate in the Heller College of Business, at Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL. The dynamic Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate sets itself apart from other educational institutions in that it’s deeply intertwined with the Chicago Real Estate community, by helping those in the community to feed off of and learn from one another. Collete and Phil discuss how valuable networking and educational opportunities within the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate can help further the careers of professionals and enable students to grow in the Real Estate community. Collete also discusses the academic offerings of the Institute such as the Masters in Real Estate (MSRE) program, and the creation of the Advisory Board, which consists of industry leaders who share their knowledge with students, providing a connection with those who are moving the Real Estate industry forward.

Collete English Dixon has more than 30 years in investment management with a focus on commercial real estate investing. Prior to her current role at Roosevelt University, she was Executive Director - Transactions for PGIM Real Estate (formerly known as PREI), a business unit of Prudential Financial, and co-leader of PREI’s national investment dispositions program. In that role, she oversaw the sale of more than 200 investment properties located throughout the US, with a total value of more than $8.7 Billion, on behalf of PREI’s investment funds. Prior to her role in dispositions, Collete was responsible for sourcing more than $2.75B of wholly-owned and joint venture real estate investment opportunities in the Midwestern markets covering all property types, including office, multi-family, hotel, industrial and retail properties. Collete’s experience also includes property development and asset management.

She is a Past President of CREW Network, a Past Chair of the CREW Network Foundation, a Past President of CREW Chicago, a full member of ULI and the 2016-2019 Chair of the UDMU Council/Purple. She is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Housing Partnership Equity Trust, a member of the Board of Directors for BDREX and a member of its Audit and Governance committees, a board member of the Chicago Forum of the International Women’s Forum, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry.

Episode 34 – Kevin Bupp, CEO of Sunrise Capital

January 28, 2019 by Phil Coover

On this episode, Phil Coover is joined by Kevin Bupp, CEO of Sunrise Capital Investors and host of the popular podcast “Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow”, on which Phil was a guest in November. Florida-based with a national presence, Sunrise Capital has developed an investment niche in mobile home parks. Kevin and Phil discuss what makes this asset class different from other multi-family commercial real estate and the unique opportunity it presents. Kevin also talks about making the transition from self-funded investment to finding partners and raising capital.

Kevin Bupp is a real estate and marketing professional with extensive business development experience who holds a sincere passion for helping investors achieve above average and safe returns. He has a successful track record of identifying and re-positioning multi-family value-add properties. Kevin’s “Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow” podcast is available on iTunes.

Episode 31 – Big Data Investments - Todd Stofflet of KIG CRE

September 24, 2018 by Phil Coover

In this episode, Phil sits down with Todd Stofflet, Managing Partner of real estate investment brokerage firm KIG CRE. Investing in big data and using that data to drive better investments, KIG is using predictive analytics in new ways.

Todd Stofflet, Managing Partner, KIG CRE

Chicago-based and Mid-West focused, KIG CRE represents some of the most prominent institutional investors and developers in the multifamily real estate industry. Phil and Todd discuss the firm’s innovative use of data-driven intelligence to make investment decisions. Using open source data including occupancy figures, rental rates and demographic trends, KIG provides investors with valuable analytics. Phil and Todd also explore KIG’s recent “State of the Market” report and current trends in the regional real estate industry.

Visit KIG CRE’s website for more information on the company and their reporting: http://www.kigcre.com/