Global Investors: Investing in U.S. Real Estate

Short sale or foreclosure — which one offers better opportunities for real estate investors in 2025?

In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the key differences between short sales and foreclosures, how each process works, and why understanding them can save investors thousands in the current real estate market. You’ll learn how lenders, homeowners, and investors navigate these situations, and how short sales...

In this episode, host Charles Carillo sits down with real estate investor, broker, and attorney Michael Margarella, founder of Next Play Investments. Michael reveals how he scaled from small BRRRR projects and fix-and-flips to owning and operating over 540 multifamily apartment units across the Midwest.

He explains why he left residential investing behind, how to build a sustainable multifamily investing strategy, and why he believ...

A Lis Pendens is one of the most misunderstood legal terms in real estate but it can make or break your next deal. In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo explains what a Lis Pendens really is, how it can cloud a property’s title, and why it often signals both risk and opportunity for investors.

Learn what happens when a Lis Pendens is filed, how it affects buying, selling, and refinancing, and what steps you should t...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo interviews Joshua Pardue, a seasoned commercial real estate developer, advisor, and educator with over $1 billion in client transactions and $250 million in real estate developments.

Joshua shares his journey from finance into real estate investing, how he acquired distressed commercial properties during the recession, and why he’s passionate about adaptive reuse, urb...

What are loss runs and why can they make or break your real estate deal? In this video, Charles Carillo explains how loss run reports — the detailed insurance claims history of a property — can dramatically impact underwriting, insurance premiums, and even whether a property is worth buying.

You’ll learn:

• What loss runs are and how they work

• Why buyers, sellers, and insurers all depend on them

• How a single open claim can...

Thinking about investing in multifamily real estate while living abroad? In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo interviews Eric Nelson, founder of Wild Oak Capital. Eric shares how he went from engineering to real estate, scaled from single-family homes to 1,000+ multifamily units, and used creative strategies like seller financing to grow quickly. He explains why 50–120 unit properties are a powerful nich...

Tenant gone, rent unpaid, and calls unanswered—what should a landlord do next?

In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the legal process of handling tenant abandonment step by step. From understanding state abandonment laws to protecting yourself with the right lease clauses, you’ll learn how to avoid costly mistakes and regain control of your property legally.

 Inside this episode:

• What “tenant aband...

Charles and Heath Binder (LBX Investments) explain why neighborhood/community shopping centers still work. They show how outparcels and small-shop leasing grow NOI, and why “retail is dead” misses daily-needs demand.

What you’ll learn:

• How to spot the best center in a retail node

• Outparcel arbitrage: return equity, de-risk the deal

• Shop-space leasing: why small bays out-rent anchors

• Right-sizing anchors (Burlington exam...

A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is one of the most overlooked but critical documents in real estate. Without it, you may not be able to live in, rent out, or finance your property.

In this episode, you’ll learn: – What a Certificate of Occupancy is – When you legally need one (construction, renovation, change of use) – Types of certificates (new builds, existing homes, rehab projects) – How a CO protects owners, tenants, and in...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo speaks with Jonathan Nichols, a former aerospace engineer who transitioned into full-time real estate investing. Jonathan and his wife have built a portfolio of more than 2,000 multifamily units as both general and limited partners, along with a 20-unit short-term rental portfolio in Arlington, Texas. He shares how he scaled from single-family rentals into multifamily...

Can you really invest in real estate with no money down? In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo breaks down the truth behind no-money-down investing. You’ll learn three proven methods to get started, the hidden costs you need to prepare for, and why “zero down” doesn’t actually mean “zero dollars.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• 3 creative financing strategies that work for beginners and seasoned investors

• T...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo speaks with Greg Friedman, co-founder and CEO of Peachtree Group. With over 25 years of experience and more than $11 billion in real estate investments, Greg shares how he built one of the leading platforms in private equity and credit.

He explains why hotel investing is unique, the role of SBA loans in hospitality, and how Peachtree thrives by focusing on “mispriced ...

If you think raising rent is the fastest way to boost profits, think again. In this Strategy Saturday episode, Charles Carillo breaks down why occupancy is the true backbone of multifamily performance—and why lenders, investors, and property managers track it so closely.

You’ll learn:

• Multifamily occupancy rate explained and why it matters more than rent growth

• What is a good occupancy rate for multifamily property (and the...

Marshall Sykes grew up in a real estate family, learning early how building and holding properties could create lasting wealth. After serving 24 years as a U.S. Navy Captain in the Civil Engineer Corps and later managing billion-dollar projects at ExxonMobil, Marshall turned his focus to investing. Starting with single-family rentals, he soon discovered the power of scale in multifamily real estate.

In this episode of the Global In...

Are you still managing your rentals on your own? In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo explains the Top 5 Benefits of Property Management for Investors and why hiring a property manager often pays off.

You’ll learn how property managers help with tenant screening, bookkeeping, vendor negotiations, legal compliance, and market knowledge. If you’ve ever wondered whether to self-manage or hire a property manager, this ...

Luis Belmonte, founding partner of Seven Hills Properties and a former executive at AMB Property Corporation, joins Charles Carillo to share lessons from his 57-year real estate career. From his first duplex in 1964 to managing $250M in warehouse developments, Luis explains how to underwrite commercial properties, avoid exit strategy mistakes, and thrive in both constrained and oversupplied markets.

Topics include: – How commercia...

One small insurance claim can cause your landlord premiums to skyrocket or even get your policy dropped. But the good news is, you can prevent it.

In this episode of Strategy Saturday, Charles Carillo shares 7 proven tips that help landlords lower insurance costs, avoid costly claims, and protect their rental properties. From dryer vent fire prevention to water heater replacement strategies and the importance of requiring renter’s ...

In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, Charles Carillo interviews Jay Biggins, a seasoned investor with over 25 years of experience in value-add affordable housing strategy and LIHTC multifamily investing.

You’ll hear how Jay built his business without syndication, scaled from small C-class properties to a large portfolio across multiple states, and why he prefers self-management over third-party property management.

Topi...

Buying a property with unpermitted work can be a costly mistake but it can also be an opportunity if you know how to handle it. In this episode, we break down how to find open permits on a property, the cost to legalize unpermitted renovations, and how to protect your investment.

You’ll learn the real estate permitting process for investors, the biggest unpermitted construction risks buyers should know, and how to check if renovati...