And, schedule a video verification call with us. Don't worry it takes a few
minutes only :)
Latest Episodes
Is the Housing Market Really Recovering?
What does todayโs housing data tell us about tomorrowโs economy? On this episode of REady2Scale, Jeannette Friedrich sits down with Lance Lambert, CEO of Resi Club and former real estate editor at Fortune Magazine, to unpack the real story behind housing inventory levels, affordability pressures, and regional price corrections. From Sunbelt softness to generational shifts in homeownership, Lance offers a grounded, data-informed view of where we stand and where we may be headed.
Key Takeaways:
Inventory is building, but not fully recovered: Active listings have passed one million for the first time since 2019, though total inventory is still below pre-pandemic norms. The increase is driven more by slower sales than a surge in new supply.
Affordability remains a constraint: Home prices grew faster than incomes during the pandemic boom. With mortgage rates still elevated, many homeowners are hesitant or unable to move.
Underwater mortgages are highly concentrated: While only about 1% of U.S. mortgages are underwater nationally, pockets in the Sunbelt, like Cape Coral and Austin, show higher risk. These cases are mostly limited to 2022 buyers.
Regional bifurcation is widening: Sunbelt markets and parts of the West are softening, while many Midwest and Northeast markets are holding firmer due to tighter supply.
The โlocked-inโ effect is real: Homeowners with low mortgage rates are staying put, reducing turnover. The current level of home sales per capita is at a 40-year low.
Generational timing is shifting: The average age of first-time homebuyers is now 38, up from 33 just five years ago, driven by both affordability and lifestyle delays.
Builders are feeling the pressure: New construction inventory is at a decade high, and developers are relying more on incentives and price cuts to move product.
The housing shortage debate is nuanced: Estimates of how short the market is vary significantly. Some regions have a true supply gap, while others show little evidence of shortage when adjusted for population and household formation.
What could shift the market: Income growth, rate adjustments, and time-driven lifestyle changes may gradually unlock inventory and restore balance.
This episode is a detailed, research-backed conversation for anyone seeking clarity on how structural shifts and economic forces are shaping the future of U.S. housing.
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is Preferred Equity Worth It? Understanding the Upsides and Downsides
Is Preferred Equity Worth It? Understanding the Upsides and Downsides
As the market evolves and new deal structures gain traction, more investors are being offered alternative positions in real estate deals. One of the most talked-about today is preferred equity. But how does it actually work, and what should you be weighing before committing capital?
In this episode of REady2Scale, Jeannette Friedrich, Director of Investor Relations at Blue Lake Capital, breaks down where preferred equity fits in the capital stack and explores both the advantages and trade-offs of taking this position. If you're considering a pref equity investment, this episode will help you better understand the mechanics, the risks, and the questions to ask before investing.
Key Takeaways:
What preferred equity is and how it fits into a real estate capital stack
Why investors are showing increased interest in this structure
The potential benefits and limitations of preferred equity positions
How pref equity compares to common equity from a risk and return perspective
What to consider before deciding if it's the right fit for your strategy
If you're evaluating different ways to invest in real estate beyond the typical LP role, this episode offers essential context to help you make an informed decision.
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Balancing Profit & People (Inside Multifamily Asset Management)
What if managing a 300-unit apartment complex was more like running a multimillion dollar business than simply collecting rent?
In this episode of REady2Scale, Jeannette Friedrich is joined by Kayla Maack, Senior Asset Manager at Blue Lake Capital, to unpack the reality behind asset management in multifamily real estate. From fostering resident relationships to avoiding costly renovation pitfalls, Kayla brings a wealth of experience and unfiltered insight into the systems, leadership, and mindset that separate average operators from great ones.
Key Takeaways:
- Beyond Rent Collection: Discover the complex daily operations required to manage multifamily assets and how even small inefficiencies can have significant financial consequences.
- Resident Retention Through Human Connection: Learn how consistent, compassionate communication with residents can reduce turnover and build long-term trust, even in a tech-driven environment.
- The โCEOโ Mindset: Understand why on-site managers should think of themselves as CEOs of multimillion dollar businesses and how that shift impacts property performance.
- Leadership as Leverage: Explore how thoughtful leadership and team motivation directly translate into better resident experiences and stronger returns.
- Avoiding Renovation Pitfalls: Hear how renovation tracking systems, especially those that measure cost and ROI by unit, can help prevent project delays and budget overruns.
- When Management Changes Lives: Kayla shares a powerful story of how one small act of thoughtfulness changed the trajectory for a resident in crisis.
This episode is essential for investors, asset managers, and anyone curious about what truly drives operational success in multifamily real estate.
Guest: Kayla Maack, Senior Asset Manager at Blue Lake CapitalHost: Jeannette Friedrich, Director of Investor Relations
Connect with Kayla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-maack-7999354a/ Learn more at bluelake-capital.com.
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Understand Insurance in Multifamily Strategy
Is insurance the hidden reason multifamily deals no longer pencil like they used to? In this episode, Jeannette Friedrich, Director of Investor Relations at Blue Lake Capital, breaks down how a global phenomenon called reinsurance is driving up insurance costs across the U.S. and eroding investor returns. What used to be a manageable line item has now doubled or tripled in some markets, threatening the viability of deals, especially in high-risk regions.
This episode covers:
What reinsurance is and why it impacts local multifamily investments
How premiums have surged 30% to 50% in 2023 and 2024 due to climate risk and inflation
Why insurance now consumes as much as 9% of gross income in some deals
How this shift is affecting underwriting, deal flow, and investor distributions
Red flags passive investors should watch for when reviewing deals
What proactive sponsors are doing to mitigate insurance risk, such as shifting markets, increasing deductibles, and focusing on disaster-resilient CapEx
Why conservative underwriting and geographic diversification matter more than ever
To dive deeper into how insurance fits into broader 2025 risk trends, check out our H2 Multifamily Outlook Report here: https://hubs.la/Q03rwdbQ0ย
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Multifamily Investment Challenges
00:42 Understanding Reinsurance
01:20 Impact of Reinsurance on Multifamily Investments
02:59 Strategies for Investors to Mitigate Insurance Costs
04:08 Evaluating Sponsor Practices
04:35 Blue Lake's Approach and Resources
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Retail Real Estate (Still Worth It?)
What if the retail apocalypse was just bad PR? In this episode of REady2Scale, we dive into the misunderstood world of retail and mixed-use real estate with Babak Ziai, founder of BrandView Inc. With over $2.5B in transactions and decades of experience transforming overlooked properties, Babak offers a grounded, data-informed perspective on where the real opportunities lie in todayโs evolving retail landscape. If youโve ever written off retail as yesterdayโs asset class, this conversation may change your mind.
Key Takeaways:
- Retail is not one thing: Babak breaks down the diverse categories of retail such as malls, grocery-anchored centers, and street retail, and explains why each responds differently to market forces.
- Why e-commerce didnโt kill retail: Retail isnโt disappearing; it is evolving into a service and experience-based model where human interaction, wellness, and dining are central.
- What makes mixed-use properties work: Learn how thoughtful integration of secondary uses like office or residential around retail can create stronger, more resilient assets.
- How to revitalize overlooked assets: Babak shares his โrent roll 2.0โ strategy and explains what types of tenants and experiences drive long-term NOI growth in challenging markets.
- Real-world operations insight: From activating vacant space with pop-ups to building trust with tenants, hear how hands-on property management can become a competitive advantage.
- Misconceptions investors still have: Babak reflects on why retail remains misunderstood and where sophisticated investors are finding opportunities that others miss.
Whether you are active in commercial real estate or simply curious about whatโs next for physical retail, this episode offers a thoughtful and nuanced look at an asset class that is far from obsolete.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:24 Meet Bobak Zai: Retail Investment Expert
01:44 Understanding Retail Segments
03:58 The Future of Retail in an E-commerce World
07:20 Transforming Overlooked Properties
26:15 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The 3 Layer Wealth Defense Strategy
If the market dropped 30%, would your legacy be at risk? Wealth that lasts doesn't just grow. It defends. In this episode, Jeannette Friedrich, Director of Investor Relations at Blue Lake Capital, shares the exact three-layer strategy she has seen high-net-worth investors use to preserve their wealth, and now teaches within her own family. This approach helps you navigate uncertainty, avoid forced decisions, and remain flexible in volatile markets.
Key takeaways from this episode:
- Why holding 6 to 12 months of operating cash is essential, even for those with eight-figure net worths
- How passive income investments like multifamily real estate and preferred equity help reduce taxable income
- The purpose of a dedicated liquidity buffer and how it gives you the freedom to act without disrupting your portfolio
- Why relying on a single investment strategy leaves you vulnerable in unpredictable markets
- How combining all three layers builds financial resilience that supports both lifestyle and legacy
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Wealth Defense
00:45 Understanding Market Impact
01:52 Layer 1: Operating Cash
02:25 Layer 2: Passive Income
03:09 Layer 3: Liquidity Buffer
04:19 Conclusion and Next Steps
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Changed (And What Didn't) in CRE?
What changed, what didnโt, and what does it all mean for investors today?
Twelve months ago, Paul Fiorilla of Yardi Matrix shared a cautiously optimistic outlook on multifamily real estate despite rising interest rates. Now, in June 2025, he returns to assess how that outlook held up. In this episode, Paul and host Jeannette Friedrich take a data-driven look at the key shifts in market fundamentals, capital flows, rent dynamics, and global headwinds, and what these mean for the road ahead.
Key Takeaways:
- Multifamily demand remained strong through 2024 but is expected to moderate due to slowing job growth, reduced immigration, and corporate return-to-office mandates
- Interest rates have not declined as anticipated, keeping refinancing difficult and limiting transaction volume across the market
- Distress exists but remains isolated, with capital still available for loan workouts, preferred equity, and mezzanine solutions
- Sunbelt markets continue to experience rent softness due to oversupply, even as new construction slows significantly
- Renewal rents are outperforming asking rents, reinforcing the value of tenant retention over new lease growth assumptions
- Conservative underwriting is critical, particularly in assuming flat or modest rent growth and avoiding reliance on overly optimistic projections
- Investors should prioritize experienced sponsors with strong balance sheets and a track record of navigating challenging environments
- Geopolitical shifts, including trade policy and U.S. retrenchment from global leadership, introduce new macroeconomic risks that may influence capital flows and inflation
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Guest Reintroduction
01:22 Market Overview and Risk Assessment
02:19 Property Fundamentals and Demand Drivers
05:49 Capital Markets and Financing Challenges
15:30 Regional Market Insights and Rent Growth
23:57 Geopolitical Risks and Future Outlook
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Immigration & Investment: 5 Countries Quietly Shaping U.S. Real Estate in 2025
When you hear โimmigration,โ do you think of people or capital? In this episode, Jeannette Friedrich breaks down a lesser-known but highly influential trend: the flow of global wealth into U.S. real estate. From institutional investors to high-net-worth families, five countries are significantly shaping U.S. property markets through strategic investments. This episode offers a data-backed breakdown of who is investing, where, and why, giving investors a clearer lens on what drives pricing, competition, and long-term opportunity.
Key Takeaways:
- Canada leads as the largest foreign investor in U.S. commercial real estate with over $184 billion deployed since 2015, driven by pension funds seeking long-duration, dollar-denominated cash flow
- Chinese investors focus on single-family and condo assets near top universities, with motivations including capital flight hedging, education pipelines, and EB-5 visa incentives
- Mexico leverages geographic proximity, with dual-national families targeting vacation rentals and income properties in border states and Florida
- Indian investors are the fastest-growing segment, focusing on suburban tech corridors in markets like Austin and the Bay Area to establish long-term roots and benefit from rental yield differentials
- Sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf region, especially Qatar, are deploying capital at scale into U.S. trophy assets, data centers, and private credit, seeking diversification away from petro-currency exposure
- By understanding these trends, investors can gain a competitive edge in anticipating shifts in demand, asset pricing, and capital inflows across U.S. markets.
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What the Great Depression Teaches Us About Todayโs Market (with Adam Gower)
Are we heading toward a global correction, or just caught in fear?With uncertainty dominating todayโs headlines, it is natural to look for historical patterns that help make sense of what is next. In this episode, Dr. Adam Gower, founder of GowerCrowd and a seasoned real estate capital advisor, unpacks the financial lessons he uncovered from studying the Great Depression and how they apply to navigating todayโs volatile market. From capital preservation to creativity under pressure, this episode is filled with hard-earned wisdom for investors looking to endure and thrive in uncertain times.
In this episode, youโll learn:
- Why the impact of major downturns often feels delayed in real estate but is no less severe
- How low leverage, lender relationships, and capital reserves helped investors survive the Great Depression- Why creativity (like Hiltonโs asset management pivot) was essential during past crises- What signals Adam Gower is tracking now that concern him more than any in his 40-year career- How to rethink financial freedom, modest wealth-building, and burn rate in a post-2024 world
- Why long-term perspective, humility, and helping others are critical for building an extraordinary life
Guest: Dr. Adam Gower Founder, GowerCrowd Newsletter: gowercrowd.com
Research paper: https://gowercrowd.com/real-estate-syndication/resources/navigating-uncertainty-great-depression-lessons PhD in History, Banking and Risk Mitigation Former President, Asia Pacific at Universal Studios
For a deeper dive into Adamโs research on the Great Depression and its parallels to todayโs macroeconomic landscape, find the link to his white paper in the show notes.ย
Are you REady2Scale Your Multifamily Investments?
Learn more about growing your wealth, strengthening your portfolio, and scaling to the next level at www.bluelake-capital.com.
Credits
Producer: Blue Lake Capital
Strategist: Syed Mahmood
Editor: Emma Walker
Opening music: Pomplamoose
*๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฑ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ. ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ญ๐ต ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ/๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bio of REady2Scale - Real Estate Investing
REady2Scale - Real Estate Investing, a podcast that takes listeners on a journey of inspiration and knowledge in the world of real estate investing. Hosted by Jeannette Robinson, a prominent figure in the industry and a member of Blue Lake Capital, this show aims to help listeners elevate their investing game and prepare for scaling their portfolio, business, and life.
Through REady2Scale, listeners will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most successful investors from around the globe. Each episode features insightful conversations with experienced individuals who have achieved remarkable success in real estate investing.
Their stories, strategies, and wisdom serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for listeners, encouraging them to set higher goals and unlock new possibilities in their real estate ventures.
The podcast covers a wide range of topics related to real estate investing, including market trends, property analysis, financing, property management, and more.