CONFERENCE PROGRAM GUIDE
Februar y 21 - 23, 2019 | DeVos Place • Grand Rapids, MI
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! FEATURING 8 NATIONAL SPEAKERS + STARS FROM NEW HGTV SHOW GRITT Y TO PRETT Y! PLUS! 10 Breakout Sessions • Michigan Real Estate Market and Economic Forecast Grand Rapids Real Estate Development Update • Networking Opportunities Vendors & Exhibitors • Deal Room
8 N AT I O N A L S P E A K E R S BETH CARSON
SHORT-TERM & VACATION RENTAL INVESTING: MAKE MORE MONEY WITH YOUR INVESTMENT PROPERT Y THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 10:10AM - 12:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F Short-term rentals, like Airbnb’s, are still a hot investment commodity…especially in a place like Michigan. Beth helps investors and vacation rental owners make as much money as they possibly can out of their investment. Are you leaving money on the table–like thousands of dollars? Beth will help you make tweaks and changes—and BAM—you’ll be making more money with your investment property. She not only knows vacation rentals in the U.S. but is also well versed in international vacation rentals and retirement strategies using short-term rentals. You’ll learn the tips and tricks used to increase revenue, decrease vacancy rates, improve ratings, and more. Having been an international traveler since she was 9, Beth caught the vacation bug early. After getting her degree in Psychology, she entered the travel marketing business and has worked in the industry for 18 years—working with mini-resorts and high-end homes. She’s helped investors go from losing millions a year to being profitable in one month.
SCOTT MEYERS
SELF-STORAGE INVESTING: HOW TO FIND DEALS AND CREATE MASSIVE CASH FLOW THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 1:10PM - 3:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F With the significant increase in those choosing to rent instead of buy, the number of people looking to rent storage units is skyrocketing. Storage units are a great way to create massive cash flow without the downsides associated with residential rent units. Scott will teach you how to find undervalued deals (where nobody else is looking!), how to evaluate a good market for self-storage, how to fund self-storage deals, and more! Scott began his real estate career began back in 1993 after purchasing a home study course by one of the top “gurus” in the country on how to invest in real estate with no money down—and it worked! He then followed that success up with rehabs and flips and then ventured into apartment investing with over 400 units. He is now the living the dream of low-risk, high cash flow investing through the self-storage business.
MARCO KOZLOWSKI
MOBILE HOME INVESTING: INVEST FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT USING YOUR OWN MONEY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 3:30PM - 5:30PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F Many investors are turning to mobile home investing to avoid the crazy competition in the real estate market for rentals and flips—and they’re succeeding! Mobile homes are sometimes the only alternative for those families with less money to spend on rent. Marco believes that anyone can achieve success in real estate and is betting that mobile home investing is the fastest and best way to achieve that dream in today’s market. He’ll show you how you can do mobile home investing virtually from anywhere in the world—without using your own money or credit. Marco is well known as one of the world’s leading experts in real estate investing, platform speaking and systems process engineering. He is currently an owner in a wide variety of successful companies in multiple countries. From holistic medical centers to a robust property portfolio to advanced one on one mentoring – Marco’s methodologies have proven results.
ALAN COWGILL
PRIVATE MONEY & LENDING: ALWAYS HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO CLOSE THE DEAL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 10:10AM - 12:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F One of the most asked questions: where do I get more money to do more real estate deals? (Or, if you’re just getting started, where do I get the funds to do my first deal.) Alan has the answer. He’ll teach you how to look for “win-win” situations, where the seller, the private lender, and the eventual homeowner can all “win”—while meeting all the requirements of the SEC. With private lenders, you can have funds available all the time. When a good deal comes your way, you can grab it because you’ll know the money is waiting for you. While your competitors are scrambling to find funding, you’ll be closing the deal. Alan is a full-time real estate investor, investing in single family and small multi-family properties in Springfield, Ohio. Since 1995, Alan has done hundreds of real estate transactions. He uses private lenders to fund his real estate purchases. By doing this, he has created his own private bank of funds.
GENE GUARINO
SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING: HOW TO INVEST IN THE MEGA-TREND OF RESIDENTIAL ASSISTED LIVING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 1:10PM - 3:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F The profits from senior citizen housing are huge, and the total number of senior citizens is only going to increase in the coming years. Gene will teach you how to significantly increase your return on investment by owning real estate, leasing it to an operator AND operating a residential assisted living business. This approach is a powerful combo for increasing revenue and obtaining longer leases from individuals that take better care of your property. Gene Guarino is President of Residential Assisted Living Academy™ in Phoenix, AZ and has over 30 years of experience in real estate investing and business. Today, Gene is focused on just one thing… investing in the mega-trend of senior assisted housing. Having trained tens of thousands of investor/entrepreneurs over the past 25 years, he now specializes in helping others take advantage of this megatrend opportunity.
SUE NELSON
COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY INVESTING WITH REOs & NOTES: SPECIAL 4-HOUR SESSION! FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 3:30PM - 5:30PM & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 10:10AM - 12:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F Sue Nelson has constructed almost every type of creative real estate deal: commercial short sales, loan modifications, options, master leases, JV agreements, note buys, you name it. She’s repositioned all of her assets to create massive value and is the queen of understanding how to cash-flow apartments and ferret out hidden pitfalls overlooked by even the most experienced investors. Sue will teach you how to find deals, analyze them and raise the capital needed to invest in multi-family housing. Sue Nelson was a very happy high school teacher. She loved her job, she had no money, and she had a stack of unpaid bills. In one day her life completely changed by a tragic event and she could no longer go back to that job. Sue looked for ways to make money from home and was attracted to the big profits that could be made quickly in real estate. Having virtually no money of her own, she had to find creative ways to buy properties and raise money from private investors. She quickly discovered (and created) little-used techniques that allowed her to take control over numerous commercial and residential properties with as little equity as possible. She and her partner now own over 1,500 apartment units.
JEFFREY TAYLOR (AKA MR. LANDLORD)
INCREASING RENTAL INCOME: INCREASE YOUR CASH FLOW BY THE THOUSANDS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, 1:10PM - 3:10PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F Back by popular demand! Jeffrey will share his many ways of increasing rental income—without increasing the rent. Jeffrey is one of the most creative landlords out there. He’ll show you how you can easily increase your cash flow by the thousands with simple tweaks to your current business strategy. His presentation is not only one of the best landlord teaching moments on the circuit but—without a doubt—one of the most entertaining. Jeffrey and his wife have acquired and managed rental properties ranging from single family to apartment communities for over 20 years. He is the founder of the MRLANDLORD.COM website that has over 1,000,000 page views every month and the most visited Q&A forum online by rental property owners. He is also the author of THE LANDLORD’S KIT, the bestselling book nationwide on the subject of property management. His latest book is THE LANDLORD’S SURVIVAL GUIDE.
CAMERON GASKILL
REHABBING & FLIPPING: THE REAL DEAL ON HOW TO FLIP PROPERTIES FOR PROFIT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, 3:30PM - 5:30PM • RIVER OVERLOOK E - F Cameron is the real deal! He’ll teach you how to flip properties for profit. He’ll share with you how flipping houses changed his life and helped him build his financial legacy. His course contains information for first-time investors as well as seasoned investors. His system provides investors the “real deal,” nuts-and-bolts facts on how this stuff is really done. He’ll share with you how to find deals, find great contractors and get the job done. He also has available over 44 forms–from agreements and contracts to marketing letters. Cameron didn’t start his real estate journey from a place of wealth or privilege. He was struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck, and telling people he wanted to be a real estate investor. (They laughed.) After one last disaster, he decided to make a change—and the rest—as they say—is history. He has now rehabbed over 800 houses in northeast Florida.
Don't miss our national speaker podcasts, airing weekly through the start of the conference! Listen at rpoaonline.org /podcasts.
PLUS THESE SPECIAL GUESTS! JEREMY COLE & RAMON HUERTA
STARS OF NEW HGTV SHOW GRITT Y TO PRETT Y: SPECIAL Q&A SESSION! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 6:00PM - 7:00PM • RIVER OVERLOOK A - B To Jeremy Cole—affiliate RPOA member—buying a nightmare house is a dream come true! He loves buying the houses that no one else wants. So much so that he landed a pilot episode on the DIY Network, Gritty to Pretty. The pilot episode was very successful and was picked up by HGTV! The show follows Jeremy and his team as they buy, renovate and flip "nasty" houses in Kalamazoo. Jeremy will be joining us on day 1 of our 2019 conference on Thursday, February 21st at 6pm for a special Q&A session happy hour! He'll be joined by Ramon Huerta, Vice President of the Kalamazoo Real Estate Investors Association. Ramon also hosts Kalamazoo's Property Krawl with Jeremy, which is a monthly event that helps those wanting to get into renovating distress properties. Ramon also appeared on the pilot episode of Gritty to Pretty. This is sure to be an exciting event and a great opportunity to chat with two locals who are making it BIG renovating and flipping houses! Gritty to Pretty is scheduled to air late January or late February—stay tuned!
PAUL ISELY
ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, GVSU: REAL ESTATE MARKET AND ECONOMIC UPDATE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 9:10AM - 10:00AM RIVER OVERLOOK E - F
KRISTIN TURKELSON
CIT Y OF GRAND RAPIDS ASSISTANT PLANNING DIRECTOR: GRAND RAPIDS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 2019 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, 9:10AM - 10:00AM RIVER OVERLOOK E - F
S C H E D U L E
Thursday, February 21st 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens River Overlook Area (near escalators) 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Exposition Open Check out the offerings of over 40 exhibitors 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Breakout Sessions: ▪
Free Windows, Doors & Siding: Grand Rapids Grant Program River Overlook A - B
Find out how you can receive free replacement windows, doors and siding if you own a rental
property in the city of Grand Rapids.
▪
Interpreting Credit & Criminal Reports, DJ Newman River Overlook C - D
Take the mystery out of interpreting the information in credit and criminal reports to better screen
your tenants.
▪
Fair Housing: Service/Support Animals, Liz Keegan River Overlook E - F
Get an overview of this often confusing subject so you know the do's and dont's when it comes to your
renter's furry...or not so furry companion.
F U L L
C O N F E R E N C E
9:10 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. RPOA Annual Membership Meeting River Overlook E - F 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Meet & Greet with Exhibitors & Sponsors! 10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Beth Carson, Short-Term & Vacation Rental Investing, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Lunch & Visit Exhibitors! (concessions available near escalators) 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Ask the Experts, Bring Your Lunch River Overlook C - D Bring your lunch and any real estate investing questions you have and ask our experts! 1:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Scott Meyers, Self-Storage Investing, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 3:10 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet & Greet with Exhibitors & Sponsors! 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Marco Kozlowski, Mobile Home Investing, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Gritty to Pretty HGTV Stars, Jeremy Cole & Ramon Huerta Q & A River Overlook A - B
Friday, February 22nd 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens River Overlook Area (near escalators) 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Exposition Open Check out the offerings of over 40 exhibitors 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Breakout Sessions: ▪
Legalized Marijuana & Investment Property, Expert Panel Discussion River Overlook A - B
Recreational marijuana is now legal in the state of Michigan. Learn what this means for your
rental property.
▪
Doing Bookkeeping for Your Rentals Online the Easy Way, Steve Bjorkman River Overlook C - D
Get tips on how to keep track of your rental income and expenses online.
▪
Self-Directed IRAs for Tax Free Investment, Jodi Patrick River Overlook E - F
How to use self-directed IRAs to make a tax-free investments.
▪
Buying Foreclosed & Bank-Owned Properties, Casey O’Neill - Auction.com Chase Board Room
Get a firsthand look at what a real estate auction is like.
9:10 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Paul Isely, Economics Professor, GVSU, Real Estate Market and Economic
Join us for one of the most popular sessions of the conference! Paul will provide a review of where our economy is now and where it is headed in 2019 and beyond with a perspective on real estate. 10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Alan Cowgill, Private Lending, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Lunch & Visit Exhibitors! (concessions available near escalators) 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Deal Room, Bring Your Lunch River Overlook C - D Bring your lunch and share deals you have or ones you're looking for.
F U L L
Forecast River Overlook E-F
1:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Gene Guarino, Senior Citizen Housing, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 3:10 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet & Greet with Exhibitors & Sponsors! National Speaker River Overlook E - F
Saturday, February 23rd 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens River Overlook Area (near escalators) 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Exposition Open Check out the offerings of over 40 exhibitors 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Breakout Sessions: ▪
Note Buying, Expert Panel (Sue Nelson, Gene Chandler, and Kyle Zimpleman) River Overlook A - B
An expert panel discussion on this very popular and highly profitable method of investing in real estate.
▪
Don’t Do What I Did! (Audience Participation) River Overlook C - D
Experts and attendees share their horror stories and latest and greatest ideas regarding real estate
investment and landlording. Come with your own to share!
▪
City of Grand Rapids Short-Term Rental Regulations, Kristin Turkelson River Overlook E - F
Thinking about opening up a short-term rental (i.e. Airbnb) in Grand Rapids? You won't want to miss
this breakdown on what you can and can't do with short-term rentals within the city limits.
9:10 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Kristin Turkelson, City of Grand Rapids Assistant Planning Director, Grand
C O N F E R E N C E
3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sue Nelson, Commercial & Multi-Family Investing with REOs and Notes, (Part 1),
Rapids Real Estate Development Projects 2019 River Overlook E - F Learn about all of the new developments in the city of Grand Rapids. National Speaker River Overlook E - F 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Lunch & Visit Exhibitors! (concessions available near escalators) 12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Deal Room, Bring Your Lunch River Overlook C - D Bring your lunch and share deals you have or ones you're looking for. 1:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Jeffrey Taylor, Increase Rental Cash Flow by Thousands!, National Speaker River Overlook E - F 3:10 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet & Greet with Exhibitors & Sponsors! 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Cameron Gaskill, Rehabbing & Flipping for Profit, National Speaker River Overlook E - F
As of February 13th, 2019. The schedule is subject to change. Visit michiganreiconference.com for the most up to date schedule.
S C H E D U L E
10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Sue Nelson, Commercial & Multi-Family Investing with REOs and Notes, (Part 2),
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS A S O F F E B R UA RY 1 3 T H , 2 019
CONFERENCE UNDERWRITER
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
Carrier Law
Las Vivid Medical Lease GR Rental Property Management Mercantile Bank of Michigan Michigan Lawn Service & Snow Modernistic Rockfinch Realty Shield Insurance Agency Simple Property Management SpotOn Westshore Property Management
Compass Property Services Compass Realty Culver CPA Group Indoor Climate Solutions Quest Trust Company
EXHIBITORS 1lasteye, LLC
Hampton Cabinets
Rental Hero
Bath Fitter
The Home Depot
River Valley Insurance
Columbo's Floors to Go
J & M Landscaping
United Bank
The Flying Locksmiths
Junk King
United Properties of West Michigan
Fund Your Deal
LASTBIDrealestate.com
Velo Law Office
Grand Slam Investigations
National Real Estate Investors Association
Williams Distributing
Green Property Management
Northpointe Bank
PUBLIC SERVICE TABLES Get the Lead Out! Grant Program • Grand Rapids Green Space • Kent County Housing Commission • Michigan Agency for Energy