The Lone Star Capital Podcast

In this episode, Craig and I tackle the controversial topic of promote structures and fund manager compensation. We break down the double waterfall structure for fund managers and why projected compensation is never guaranteed.

I share the framework for evaluating deal quality across four key factors: location, vintage, leverage, and business plan. We explain why chasing deals with sky-high projected returns often leads to...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Hannah Wyatt, Lone Star Capital's Director of HR, who shares her remarkable journey from Executive Assistant to building our HR infrastructure. Hannah reveals how she absorbed HR operations when they brought everything in-house, creating systems that now support over 5,000 units across our portfolio.

She breaks down their innovative hiring pipeline using AI-powered res...

In this episode of Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther interviews Sarah Miskelly, founder of Hylee Capital, who shares her inspiring journey from growing up in multifamily property management in Toronto to becoming a location-independent fund manager living between Costa Rica and Canada.

Sarah reveals how real estate created lifestyle freedom for her family and why she pivoted from being a top-producing real estate broker to lau...

In this milestone 100th episode, Craig McGrouther and I share an incredible news: Preserve at Copperleaf, a 240-unit, 2003-vintage apartment community Lone Star Capital acquired in May 2024, just closed on a hugely successful 45% cash out refinance! We acquired this property for $34M and it appraised at $53.7M, allowing investors to receive 45% of their investment back while the remaining equity continues earning 8% cash flow.

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Scott Croul of George Smith Partners to discuss navigating the longest multifamily downturn in recent memory at 36 months and counting. Scott breaks down the current capital stack dynamics, revealing that preferred equity is now pricing at 12-14% with roughly 50% current pay, making it surprisingly competitive for sponsors.

They dive into why bridge-to-bridge financing went...

In this Fund Friday episode, Craig McGrouther welcomes Pascal Wagner, founder of Grow Your Cashflow. Pascal shares his journey from managing a $150M venture capital fund at Techstars to becoming an LP investor with $250K+ in annual passive income across 23 investments. He reveals how his Venture Capital background shaped his investment thesis approach and why he shifted focus to debt funds in 2022, perfect timing to avoid the multi...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Sawyer Zimmerman from our asset management team to discuss what really drives property performance in today's challenging market. Sawyer manages over 2,000 units across our portfolio and shares how we've revolutionized our hiring process using Culture Index assessments to find the right talent for each role.

We dive into why curb appeal and maintenance teams are c...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther is joined by Dasha Beardsley, Director of Investor Relations at Lone Star Capital, and Brandon Claisse from Tribevest, to walk through exactly how fund managers and capital allocators can raise capital alongside Lone Star through our fund-to-fund program.

This episode is specifically for capital allocators and fund managers looking to raise $500K+ for our deals. We walk through the entire ...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Ellis Hammond, VP of Capital at Aspen Funds, fresh off our co-hosted mastermind in Austin. Ellis shares his unconventional journey from college pastor to raising $250M+ in equity and reveals why Aspen's oil and gas fund raised $60M in just 60 days while their industrial fund struggles at $4M.

His key insight for fund managers: "The lifeblood of your business is 100...

In this episode of the Lone Star Capital podcast, Craig McGrouther and I sit down with Sam Morris to discuss the significant positive shifts happening in the multifamily market after three challenging years.

We reveal how our property insurance costs just dropped 32% at renewal, potentially adding millions in property value and increasing investor distributions by nearly 1%. We share exciting success stories from our port...

In this episode of the Fund Friday podcast, hosts Craig McGrouther and Joe Pistorius dive into the critical role of asset management in multifamily. Joe shares insights from managing over 2,500 units across 11 properties, revealing how different property vintages require different levels of care and why having the right on-site teams can make or break a property's performance.

The conversation explores innovative app...

In this episode of the Lone Star Capital podcast, Craig McGrouther and I sit down with Sam Morris, Partner at Lone Star Capital to discuss the impact of Texas HB21 on property tax exemptions and affordable housing deals. We explore how this new law eliminates "traveling HFC" tax exemptions by 2027 without grandfather clauses, potentially devastating many operators who relied on these structures.

The conversation...

In this episode of the Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther and Sam Morris outline what it really takes to raise capital consistently in today's market. They break down the exact system that helped close over $100 million in equity, including how they build trust, set expectations, and stay committed to investor relationships for the long haul. This isn’t about flashy pitches — it’s about clear communication, repeatability, and long-...

In this episode of the Lone Star Capital Podcast, Craig McGrouther and I dive into what’s really happening in the Austin multifamily market and why investors shouldn’t be scared off by the headlines.

We break down how recent pressure from tech layoffs and new development is creating pricing dislocation and why that could mean opportunity for long-term buyers. Drawing from what we’ve seen in other post-correction markets li...

In this Fund Friday episode, Craig McGrouther interviews Dasha Beardsley, Director of Investor Relations at Lone Star Capital and now author of Maximizing Wealth through Syndicated 1031 Exchanges. They dive into how passive investors can use 1031 exchanges to defer taxes, scale into larger deals, and preserve wealth across generations.

Dasha shares why many experienced real estate investors still don’t know they can 1031 i...

In this episode of the Lone Star Capital Podcast, Craig McGrouther and I dive into one of the most powerful tools in real estate investing: bonus depreciation.

With talk of 100% bonus depreciation returning in 2025, Rob breaks down what that could mean for investors — from maximizing early-year tax advantages to how it directly impacts capital raising, deal competitiveness, and after-tax returns. They explore the impact fo...

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Gil Murillo, co-founder and CEO of KUDO Funding, to talk about his journey from managing billions in hotel assets to launching a platform that provides fast, short-term loans to small businesses.

They break down how KUDO sources deals, protects downside risk, and delivers short-duration income for investors looking to diversify. Gil also shares how his background at Columbia...

Is real estate still the best investment vehicle in today’s market? Rob Beardsley and Craig McGrouther break it all down in this data-driven episode.

In this episode of the Lone Star Capital Podcast, Rob Beardsley and Craig McGrouther go deep into real estate fundamentals, compare the risk-adjusted performance of multifamily investing to the S&P 500, and explain why overleveraging can turn a good deal into a bad one.

In this episode of Fund Friday, Craig McGrouther interviews Igor Shaltanov, founder of Avista Fund, who shares his unique journey from Russia to the United States and his evolution into real estate investing. Igor discusses his early experiences with real estate in Russia, the challenges he faced upon moving to America, and the lessons learned in property management and alternative investing. The conversation highlights the importa...