بقلم Nick Smith

In this episode, host Nick Smith discusses U-haul's Growth Index Report for 2023. This report ranks 50 U.S. states by growth based primarily on one-way U-haul equipment rentals that occur within the calendar year. The reports for the last 5 years were also analyzed. And several states continuously appear in the top 5 and several others continuously…

In Part 2 of the interview with J. Calaway with The Gate Church and InnerMission, Inc. of Hammond, IN, the importance of "Who" not "How" is discussed. He talks about he struggled with this concept early on but has come to value its significance now. He also talks about an experience he had with his introduction to the Section 8 program. Though ther…

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development WIRED), host Nick Smith interviews J. Calaway, Senior Pastor of the Gate Church in Hammond, Indiana and Founder/ President of InnerMission, Inc. Pastor Calaway has been at the Gate for 35 years. After 3 years of serving as the Youth Minister, he became the Senior Pastor. From his perspective, the…

Welcome to 2024!! On this first Wealth In Real Estate Development episode of the new year, it was a pleasure to interview Rick Wajda, CEO of the Indiana Homebuilders Association (IHBA). Rick discussed the history of the organization and its mission to keep housing safe and affordable for all Indiana residents, aka Hoosiers! The current median home …

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development, host Nick Smith discusses the world of "hard" money with Michael (Mike) Mann aka "Your Money Mann." One of Mike's specialties is helping investors get their real estate projects financed. Mike explains the difference between hard money and private money. And he also shows how both can be benefic…

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Redevelopment (W.I.R.E.D.), host Nick Smith interviews Anastacia Fratto of ResElevate. ResElevate offers development consulting services and strategic partnerships to developers in the Chicagoland area. Anastacia gives her background as master plan community developer and discusses how planning a community d…

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development, host Nick Smith discusses the age-old debate of building new vs. buying existing real estate as an investor. There is actually no right answer to this question. It depends on many factors. Do you have any experience with new construction? Or do any of your partners have experience with new const…

In today's episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), host Nick Smith sits down with Phylis Mamula of DesignTech. Phylis has almost 40 years of experience in the interior design field. Phylis studied interior design at the former Harrington Institue of Interior Design which was located in Chicago, IL. And she has designed everything…

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development, host Nick Smith discusses the journey of being a real estate investor in Gary, Indiana with Cory Armand of Armand Investment Group. Cory has been investing primarily in Gary, IN for well over a decade. This investing career has afforded him the opportunity to leave his job and become a full-time…

In today's episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), Nick Smith interviews Julie Holly of Three Keys Investments and host of the highly acclaimed Conscious Investor podcast. Julie specializes in helping passive investors find profitable real estate investments to park their money. She works primarily with multifamily and assisted l…

October is breast cancer awareness month. Therefore, in this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.) host Nick Smith discusses his mom's recent battle with breast cancer (which she won!) and the business lessons he learned from it. Nick uses the acronym "APE" as the title of the strategy to get you to your real estate development …

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), host Nick Smith has a candid conversation with Eric January. Eric is the CEO of Conduit Investment Advisors and the Principal with Eric O'Neal January & Co. As a CPA, Eric sees the good, bad and ugly as it pertains to entrepreneurs. And in today's interview, he provides a ton of adv…

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), host Nick Smith sits down with residential Mortgage Loan Originator, Aaron Stokes of First Financial Bank located in Northwest Indiana. If you are building properties to sale, then you must have good mortgage loan originators on your team. Aaron discusses how he got his start as a m…

In keeping with the theme of playing defense in your wealth building journey, today's episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), features host Nick Smith interviewing Randy Raines, owner of the Raines Insurance Group located in Valparaiso, Indiana. His company offers property, automobile, life and business insurance coverage options…

In today's episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (W.I.R.E.D.), host Nick Smith chats with Patrick Cailles, Director of Sales and Marketing for Barrister Title. Barrister Title is a title company with three locations throughout the Chicagoland area, two in Illinois and one in Northwest Indiana. Patrick breaks down what is title insurance and …

In today's episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development (WIRED), host Nick Smith interviews Bryan McCloskey, Wealth Strategist with Paradigm Life. Nick and Bryan discuss on a high level how you can literally create your own bank to do real estate deals using specially designed whole life insurance policies. Bryan believes that everyone should know …

In this episode of Wealth In Real Estate Development, host Nick Smith has a fireside chat with Raquel Favela who is the Executive Managing Director of Technical Advisory & Training with the National Development Council (NDC). NDC is one of the nation's oldest non-profit organizations that provides technical advisory and funding support for various …

In this episode, W.I.R.E.D. host Nick Smith sits down with Patrick Bell, Director of Business Development with the Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Patrick is commercial real estate broker specializing in land transactions. However, before becoming a broker, Patrick served as an elected County Commissioner in F…

Whether a fix and flip, a buy and hold or ground up new construction, funding is needed to make any of these deals happen. And in this episode of W.I.R.E.D., I interview Brandon Ellington aka "Brandon Mr. Finance" to discuss how to find the capital needed to create financial freedom through real estate investing! With Brandon's former mortgage bank…

Welcome to Episode No. 10 of WIRED (Wealth and Real Estate Development), where we explore topics related to wealth, families, individuals, and communities through real estate development. In this exciting episode, our host, Nick Smith, is joined by a special guest, the hardworking and dynamic attorney, entrepreneur, and social media influencer, Ms.…

Welcome to episode nine of the W.I.R.E.D. podcast. Host Nick Smith discusses real estate development and its impact on wealth for individuals, families, and communities. He advises listeners to evaluate potential deals thoroughly and emphasizes the importance of conducting proper research and due diligence, including obtaining written information f…

Welcome to another episode of W.I.R.E.D. This week, your host Nick Smith sits down with Edwin Carrion, an accomplished entrepreneur and real estate developer. Edwin shares his inspiring story of immigrating from Ecuador to the United States and his path to success in the real estate industry. They discuss the unique mindset of immigrants, the drive…

In this episode of the Wired podcast, host Nicholas Smith welcomes Ricki Barlow, a Las Vegas native and real estate professional. Ricki discusses the need for diversity in commercial real estate, sharing his journey, the field's complexities, and the potential for long-term wealth and community impact. He encourages individuals from minority backgr…

In the latest episode of W.I.R.E.D., host Nick Smith engages in a conversation with Sherry Ziller, the President and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA). They delve into the RDA's efforts to enhance infrastructure and revitalize Northwest Indiana. Key topics include: Expanding the South Shore commuter rail line Beautif…

In this episode of WIRED, host Nick Smith discusses the importance of finding the best locations for real estate development. Nick highlights the significance of population growth, referencing U-Haul's annual report on one-way trips as a valuable resource. He encourages listeners to explore opportunities in their own backyard by observing local dev…

Join us on this episode as we speak with Milt, the developer of the Brookstone Condominiums in Merrillville, Indiana. Milt shares his fascinating journey and how he ended up in northwest Indiana. From his background in the steel industry to his foray into real estate, Milt's story is one of resilience and determination. Discover how he navigated ch…

In this episode of the Wired Podcast, host Nick Smith introduces the show and announces that new episodes will be released every Thursday, with a duration of 30 to 45 minutes. He encourages listeners to subscribe to his YouTube channel and mentions the importance of familiarizing oneself with local online tools and resources connected to governing …

Welcome to W.I.R.E.D., a new podcast focused on wealth in real estate development. In the inaugural episode, host Nick Smith shares his journey, discussing his upbringing in East Chicago, his transition into the real estate field, and his experience in both residential and commercial real estate. Additionally, Nick highlights the challenges he face…

Episode 2 of the Wealth In Real Estate Development In this episode of the Wired Podcast, host Nicholas Smith interviews Nancy Frigo, an experienced real estate industry veteran. Nancy shares her humble upbringing, emphasizing the significance of love within her family and the lessons learned about diversity and hard work during high school. From he…