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Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing

Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing

By: Jonathan Greene
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 What if you could learn from experienced real estate investors, find out what got them to where they are now, get insight into their daily habits, and take these insights to inspire your own growth? That's what each episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing brings. Hosted by Jonathan Greene, a real estate investor for more than 30 years, as well as advisor and coach, the founder of Streamlined Properties and the Team Leader of Streamlined Properties, brokered by Real, every episode is an in-depth look at the mindful approach to real estate investing. If you are looking to start from scratch, get to the next level, or just for a straightforward and honest approach to real estate investing, Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing is the free mentorship program you can take with you anywhere.2024 Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • 294: Capital Preservation and Resilient Returns Through Real Estate with Ari Rastegar

    294: Capital Preservation and Resilient Returns Through Real Estate with Ari Rastegar
    Nov 13 2025
    On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene welcomes Ari Rastegar, founder and CEO of Rastegar Capital and author of The Gift of Failure. Ari shares his journey from delivering pizzas and attending law school to building a vertically integrated real estate platform with institutional-scale developments across the country. The conversation centers on discipline, philosophy, and how setbacks became the foundation for both his personal growth and business success. Jonathan and Ari explore the mindset behind enduring market "winters," the cyclical nature of real estate, and why failure is an essential teacher. Ari discusses his approach to entitlements and master-planned communities, his prediction for one of the largest real estate booms in decades, and how technology—from robotics to 3D printing—could reshape the cost and speed of new construction. He also opens up about health, daily habits, and the quiet discipline that sustains high performance in volatile times. Listeners will take away a deeper understanding of how to balance ambition with patience, why zoning and long-term planning are undervalued edges, and what it means to invest in projects—and people—with lasting value. Ari's story is a reminder that compounding growth begins not in markets, but in the consistency of who you are when no one's watching. In this episode, you will hear: How a $3,500 land purchase in law school launched Ari's development career during the run-up to the Great Financial Crisis Why he views market "winter seasons" and failures as essential to building a resilient, multi-billion-dollar real estate platform The demographic, technological, and housing-supply forces that he believes will drive an unprecedented real estate boom over the next decade How personal development, tiny daily improvements, and emotional awareness compound into better business decisions Why zoning, entitlements, and construction innovation (including 3D-printed and robot-built housing) are critical to solving the housing shortage How Rastegar Capital structures large projects so accredited investors can co-invest alongside major institutions Follow and Review If you enjoy the show, please follow Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review. It helps other listeners discover these conversations and supports the show's growth. Supporting Resources Connect with Ari: Website: www.rastegarcapital.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rastegarcapital Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rastegarcapital Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rastegar/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rastegarcapital/ Twitter: https://x.com/arirastegar Connect with Jonathan: Website - www.streamlined.properties YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/streamlinen​j Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/jonathangreene Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties Email - info@streamlined.properties This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.
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    57 mins
  • 293: Real Estate Investments For the Alternative Investor with Scott Lurie

    293: Real Estate Investments For the Alternative Investor with Scott Lurie
    Nov 10 2025
    On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene is joined by longtime Milwaukee investor and lender Scott Lurie. Scott is the founder and owner of F Street Investments and The Hard Money Co., with deep experience in flipping, multifamily, industrial, private equity, and property management. Together, they explore what it really takes to build durable real estate and lending businesses across multiple cycles, from early "We Buy Ugly Houses" days to large multifamily conversions and a nine-figure lending platform. Scott and Jonathan dig into why "local always wins" in real estate, how national wholesalers have damaged the reputation of the industry, and the way relationship-driven business still compounds over decades. Scott explains the economics behind converting older Residence Inn hotels into multifamily, how he thinks about replacement cost and basis, and why tax-incremental financing has been key to new development in southeastern Wisconsin. They also unpack the coming pain in overlevered Class A multifamily, the role banks will play, and how disciplined operators can navigate the next 18 months. Listeners will come away with a clearer picture of what to look for in both operators and lenders, how to think about downside protection, and why character and work ethic are still the real edge in real estate. Scott's stories from buying hundreds of units at the bottom of the Great Financial Crisis and bootstrapping his lending company offer a grounded blueprint for building something that lasts—without chasing Lamborghinis or social media fame. In this episode, you will hear: How Scott went from a zero-experience franchisee with "We Buy Ugly Houses" in 2003 to a seasoned operator with a nationwide portfolio Why he believes local investors still have a huge edge over virtual buyers and national wholesalers—and how those wholesaler models created reputational damage The business case for converting older Residence Inn hotels into apartments, and why understanding replacement cost and basis matters more than buzzwords Scott's view on overlevered Class A multifamily, rising interest rates, and the equity erosion he expects to see over the next 18 months How The Hard Money Co. underwrites borrowers (closing only 7–9% of applications) and the behaviors that separate consistently successful flippers from those who end up in foreclosure Lessons from scaling to hundreds of units and a nine-figure lending platform while keeping investors first and building a track record of on-time payments Follow and Review If you enjoy the show, please follow Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review. It helps other listeners discover these conversations and supports the show's growth. Supporting Resources Connect with Scott Website: fstreet.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fstreet414 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fstreetinvest/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fstreet_invest/ Website: thehardmoneyco.com Connect with Jonathan: Website - www.streamlined.properties YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/streamlinen​j Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/jonathangreene Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties Email - info@streamlined.properties This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.
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    54 mins
  • 292: Why Self Storage is a Recession-Resistant Industry with Joe Downs

    292: Why Self Storage is a Recession-Resistant Industry with Joe Downs
    Nov 6 2025

    Jonathan Greene sits down with self-storage investor and operator Joe Downs, CEO of Bellrose Storage Group, which sources, acquires, and manages self-storage facilities across the East and Southeast. With a background in commercial real estate, capital raising, and distressed second mortgages, Joe explains how he pivoted into self-storage after discovering just how mom-and-pop dominated and under-optimized the space really was.

    Their conversation explores why self-storage is still far from "too late," how technology and remote management have transformed operations, and why small, overlooked facilities under 30,000 square feet can be a goldmine for investors willing to modernize them. Joe also breaks down creative plays like boat and RV storage, industrial outdoor storage, and converting large vacant retail boxes into multi-revenue storage campuses.

    Listeners will come away with a grounded understanding of why self-storage is such a powerful niche, what to look for in a mom-and-pop facility, and how to avoid overpaying by underwriting expenses correctly. Joe and Jonathan also discuss the importance of relationships and "caretaker" mentality with long-time owners, the role of SBA loans, and how to keep shiny object syndrome in check while still recognizing adjacent opportunities.

    In this episode, you will hear:

    • How Joe went from distressed debt and 1031 capital raising to building a self-storage platform

    • Why self-storage is still largely mom-and-pop owned and what that means for opportunity

    • How technology, remote management, and autopay have transformed facility operations

    • What to look for in a first small storage acquisition and how to approach owners as a "caretaker"

    • The importance of underwriting real expenses (marketing, tech, management) so you don't overpay

    • Creative self-storage derivatives, including boat and RV storage, IOS, and big-box retail conversions


    Follow and Review
    If you enjoy the show, please follow Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review. It helps other listeners discover these conversations and supports the show's growth.

    Supporting Resources

    Connect with Joe Downs:

    Website: https://belrosegrp.com/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belrosestoragegroup

    Twitter: @downsjoe

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-downs-7990851/

    Connect with Jonathan:

    Website - www.streamlined.properties

    YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos

    Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene

    Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties

    Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/streamlinen​j

    Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/jonathangreene

    Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties

    Email - info@streamlined.properties

    This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.

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    53 mins
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