Belief in your product is a must for any startup, and a good sign for entrepreneurs is discovering other people believe in your product. The early years are often the most difficult for new businesses and angel investors can be a big help when money gets tight. So how do you convince someone like Leigh Soutter of Florence Venture Partners to ev ...…

Fact: The market is still a good sellers market. Fact: It is also an exceptional buyers market. While Bay Area and US home prices are still extraordinarily high, a plateauing market and increasing rates have given buyers a greater voice during negotiations. Now that easy money is off the table, Joe explains why buyers and sellers today need to ...…

Data breaches are happening more and more frequently and any person or business using social media is at risk. Not only can hackers hold social media platforms for ransom, but they can straight up copy your profile and use your likeness for fraudulent schemes. Today Joe, Jack Russo and Lucy Goodnough step into the studio to talk about what you ...…

October is set up to be an interest month for real estate for a market that is shifting from a sellers market to a buyers market. Even as schools start and people settle in for the holidays, Joe is still fielding calls about bridge loans, cross-collateralization and other creative ways to finance a mortgage. Could one of these alternative finan ...…

When it comes time to face a major battle good friends and a strong community can make all the difference and for Kara Jones her friend and neighbor Terri has been just that. Today these two friends join Joe for a final time to tell us about the difficulties Kara’s son faces living with Nephrotic Syndrome. There is no known cure for Nephrotic S ...…

Big changes are coming for the real estate world, but good people are still in high demand. Between companies competing for business in a slowed market and the increasing demand for technology we have to ask ourselves “Do any of us know what consumers really want?” It’s probably not offering services that cost consumers more in the long run. To ...…

It’s hard not to think of where we live as a place loaded with wealth and good fortune, but there are thousands of causes reaching out for help in the Bay Area alone. As part of our show Joe tries to help raise awareness by spotlighting specific organizations that are in need of your help. Today Joe welcomes back Kara Jones to share more about ...…

We have not been in a buyer’s market like this in years. No this is not the same show you heard earlier, but Joe is encouraging frustrated buyers to get out in the market and take advantage of the shift. The mistake buyers could be making is waiting and hoping for the market to calm down even further. While that could be the case for future buy ...…

Nobody lives forever and you could say the same goes for businesses. A business typically gets sold, merges or goes public. When this happens it is called a major transaction and non disclosure agreements are signed since you are opening the door to a lot of detail with the new partner or acquirer. Today Joe and Jack Russo look at this Dueling ...…

Many people think they know what interior design is, but do we really? Interior design actually goes beyond color schemes and furniture planning, it’s about creating healthy environments for people to live and work in. Today Joe talks with interior designers Carol Woodard and April Viola about how interior designers help your space fit you. Spe ...…

There is a lot of equity in a lot of homes around the Bay Area. For most people their home is their largest asset and a resource they can tap when income is needed. Reverse mortgages are not great for everyone, but it can be for the right person. Today Joe welcomes back Bill Benson, our reverse mortgage expert, to explain if this product could ...…

Nothing pulls on your heart strings quite like seeing a sick child. Dedicated parents everywhere care for their children battling diseases for which there is no cure. While we may not be able to help these parents care for their children, we can help them look for a better life for their kids. Today Joe chats with dedicated moms, Kara and Jenni ...…

Whether you’re a realtor, lender or consumer looking to buy or sell a home, you know this is a purchase market. Rates have slowly inched up the last few years officially taking us out of a true refinance market and it’s affecting the way business is changing. Today Joe discusses the purchase market and buyer strategies. Specific topics include: ...…

Today’s topic is a perfect way to sum up everything Joe and Jack Russo have discussed in the previous Starting Something in Silicon Valley podcasts. As your business grows it’s likely your brand will extend outside the United States and into the European Union. Not only will you have to deal with a huge stack of papers to do so, you will have t ...…

If you’re a home seller or thinking about selling your home you’ll want to listen closely to this podcast. A normalizing market means sellers will have to do something other than putting out a for sale sign to get offers. So how does one stay competitive in this market? Today Joe is joined by Manie Kohn, a marketing expert and real estate techn ...…

What’s going in the marketplace? Ask anyone what they think and you’ll hear everything from “the market will swing to a buyer’s market” to “we are heading for another strong sellers market”. You’ll also hear about how technology can never have a true place in the market or how technology is bound to take over the whole transaction. Today Joe ex ...…

Scammers hacking into your personal information have been taking over the news and security issues are becoming a major issue for businesses big and small. After a hack not only does a company have to focus on improving their security, a class action lawsuit is likely just around the corner for negligence to provide sufficient security. Today J ...…

The real estate industry revolves all around communities and for Joe it’s important to remember to give back to that very community you do business with. There are hundreds and hundreds of great causes around the Bay Area that are deserving of our time and money, but today Joe is spotlighting one in particular. Kara Jones steps into the studio ...…

Throughout the last few weeks Jack Russo has been teaching us about the alarming challenges of litigation. Litigation funding is a whole new topic that changes the way entrepreneurs think about surviving litigation. In fact if it weren’t for litigation funding many cases just wouldn’t be able to happen. Today Joe and Jack tackle modern litigati ...…

It’s more of a buyer’s market for the first time in years and it’s time to exercise your options. While we still have historically low inventory that makes for a good sellers market, the big difference is that the market has cooled off enough so buyer’s won’t have to work around skyrocketing prices every day. Today Joe talks directly to buyers ...…

In the last few Starting Something in Silicon Valley podcasts, Jack Russo has explained what happens when trademark and copyright infringement becomes an issue. So what happens when you get charged with patent infringement? Today Joe and Jack discuss the frightening topic of patent infringements. Specific topics include: The glut of patents Ine ...…

Litigation is one of those things you hope you never get into, but you have to educate yourself and understand how to prepare yourself just in case. An LLC does limit liability, but not as well as most people want to believe they do. Copyright infringements are one of the few exceptions that can cause nightmares for any business owner and Jack ...…

It’s time again to look at what technology can do to help both agents and consumers experience a better transaction. Today Joe continues the Future of the Real Estate Industry series with Group Strategy & Success Vice President, Tim Proschold. Specific topics include: Market overview and industry challenges Comparing and adjusting to new tech c ...…

One of the most important real estate decisions you'll make is what you do with the equity in your home. For the right person a reverse mortgage can be a great decision, especially in the Bay Area where the phrase “house rich, cash poor” gets used more times than some of us would like to hear. Reverse mortgage expert Bill Benson is back in the ...…

“Opportunity is out there if you’re a buyer.” That’s one sentence Bay Area buyers haven’t heard in years since sellers got everything they wanted and more. Buyers can get more creative crafting an offer that favors their wallet and timeline while sellers need to start getting more realistic. So get out there before the market changes again! In ...…

The future of the real estate industry is charging forward and another prominent brokerage has come to RERL. Intero Real Estate Vice President and co-founder, Brian Crane joins Joe in studio to share his perspective on which direction the industry is heading. Specific topics include: Market concerns and industry challenges Company reactions vs. ...…

Today’s topic is one that Joe has been waiting to talk about for a while now. If you’re a buyer out there listening to this, now is the time to get out there and put an offer on a house. The market is flattening out right now and buyers finally have a real chance when it comes to purchasing a home. No one knows what tomorrow holds for buyers or ...…

Where is the industry going? How is technology changing? What does it mean to the agent and the consumers? We have a lot of questions when it comes to disruption in real estate and the best thing is to have an expert on to tell us what is what. Alain Pinel EVP and COO Rainy Hake returns to RERL to discuss new things in the world of real estate. ...…

No matter how much effort you put into crisis prevention anything could happen that puts serious strain on a new company. Even if you’ve already gotten the domain name with the intent-to-use trademark, another company could come out of nowhere and start causing issues. What can you do? Today Joe and Jack Russo discuss how to strategize with an ...…

The design world is a world that relies on many people for a single job to get done. Today’s Joe chats with interior designer Steven G., who has put development, design, transportation, and installation together into one business. This means the client never has to waste time coordinating with other companies or even leave the warehouse when pl ...…

Most long time listeners know that on RERL we spend a fair amount of time covering residential financing programs. This time around we are going to learn about a more unique and different program designed for investor strategies. Today Joe finds out more about custom lending from Merrill Lynch wealth advisors, Brandon Picone and Anthony Hoye. S ...…

Growing a startup and getting out of the garage is tough for every entrepreneur and problems can come up at any moment. One of the things Jack Russo and his team at ComputerLaw Group do is help new businesses anticipate and address problems so they are prepared when trouble does happen. Today Joe and Jack take a look at several issues that can ...…

Whether you manage 1 or 100 properties managing them has remained the same. Today technology is changing every aspect from maintenance to legal contracts to make things faster, easier and smarter for investors. Hemlane CEO, Dana Dunford, returns to RERL as she talks with Joe about managing rental property on your terms. Specific topics include: ...…

Disruption in the real estate industry is not slowing down and today Joe is bringing in two agents from Compass who are helping pave the way. Andrew and Jennifer Oldham are in the studio to talk disruption, technology and why they made the move to Compass. Specific topics include: State of the market What makes Compass attractive to agents How ...…

The market is changing and buyers are watching the mania settle down. Interest rates are on the rise and by next year we could be seeing rates near 5%. One of the dilemmas paralyzed buyers now face is feeling locked in by their low interest rate and not wanting to sell their current residence. Today Joe addresses buyers who are hung up on their ...…

The market has changed dramatically recently and buyers, sellers and agents need to be ready to make adjustments. We knew it was coming but nobody really knew when the market would stop heading north. Today Joe discusses the changing market as buyers finally get the upper hand and begin calling the shots. Specific topics include: Agents reporti ...…

It has been just a few weeks since we first learned about cost segregation and sometimes new information has to be repeated to be understood. This week Joe calls back Madison SPECS Business Director, Yonah Weiss, for another crash course about cost segregation, the tool that helps property owners save on taxes. Specific topics include: Deprecia ...…

Everything you do in forming and growing a business is all about creating sustainable value. Today Joe and Jack Russo tackle the tricky task every company big or small faces: managing risk! Specific topics include: Life and half life of businesses Anticipating risks and needs What to do if you have to face your worse risk Risk management and et ...…

Whether we like it or not disruption is coming hard at the real estate industry. While it isn’t a real estate specific product, blockchain could be one of the biggest pieces of technology that affects how we go about transactions. Today Joe calls up Sarah Richardson, broker and owner of Tru Realty, to find out just how big an impact blockchain ...…

Everyone knows that for every real estate asset the IRS gives a deduction called depreciation. Depreciation is one of the most beneficial and overlooked aspects of real estate investing. Today Joe gets on the phone with Yonah Weiss who explains how cost segregation can help investors take advantage of depreciation without the years of waiting. ...…

The people living in the Bay Area make this place a pretty special and unique place and we know our real estate market is no different. Every now and then it helps to bring in someone with the legal expertise to help us understand what we are really getting into when we make a transaction. Today Joe chats with attorney, Dean Rossi, about non-co ...…

Today’s guest might be known for being an expert in real estate investments, but he can also boast his expertise when it comes to the market and tax issues. Joe call up real estate investment expert, Jason Hartman, for a complete breakdown of real estate investing and the new tax issues that go with it. Specific topics include: 3 types of real ...…

Most of the time on RERL we talk about the many benefits that come with buying and selling a home. However, there is one topic of home ownership that almost no one seems to even think about. Today Joe looks at the options and benefits of deciding to stay in your home. Specific topics include: Avoiding huge tax hits Ability to access equity Real ...…

For most of us we know we need insurance, so we get insurance, pay for insurance and then sometimes we need to use it. The trouble when we use it is sometimes the coverage isn’t there or we don’t know what we have. Today Joe welcomes back our insurance expert, Laura Peterson of Insurance and Financial Services Inc. to talk with us about auto an ...…

As much as we like to complain how stagnant the real estate and lending industry has been, the amount of disruption coming for it is nothing short of incredible. Everyday more money is being used to fuel new companies that are committed to improving the consumers’ transaction. Today Joe provides an update on what industry professionals and cons ...…

Another rate hike from the Feds! While interest rates do not directly affect 30 year mortgages, it does impact home buyers and owners starting now. Today Joe answers three big questions everyone has following today’s rate hike. Specific topics include: How could the market potentially be affected? How does the rate hike affect current home buye ...…

We are all very aware that Wells Fargo has fallen on some tough times when it comes to consumer complaints. Lawsuits are piling up as the company gets caught with false accounts, mortgage fees and more. Today Joe looks back at the problems plaguing Wells Fargo and questions if they change the way you do business with this banking giant. Joe als ...…

Not too long ago we learned how the internet is helping disrupt the insurance industry. For better or worse, insurance products are something that all growing companies have to think about. In fact investors may even require entrepreneurs to purchase a term life insurance policy that adds to your credibility. Today Joe and Jack Russo discuss th ...…

Throughout her career she has stayed on the cutting edge of real estate. Today Joe welcomes back Geraldine Barry of Geraldine Barry and Associates to learn about what’s going on in Silicon Valley’s economy and more. You can contact Geraldine by calling (408)396-7177 or email her at Geraldine@GeraldineBarry.com. Specific topics include: Offshori ...…

There are plenty of people out there that don’t fit the traditional W-2 income bill because they are either retired or hold a non-traditional job. What many of them don’t realize is that they are not exempt from financing all-together; they just have to think differently. In the first half of today’s podcast Joe takes a look at financing for re ...…