The LSCRE Podcast

The Truth About Building Wealth in Real Estate with Gino Barbaro

Rob Beardsley

In this episode, Craig McGrouther sits down with Gino Barbaro of Jake and Gino, who shares his 20-year journey from running a restaurant to owning 1,800+ multifamily units. After spending 18 months finding their first 25-unit deal for $675K (now worth $2.5M), Gino explains how he worked full-time while building his portfolio – dedicating 15-20 hours weekly to real estate until 2015.

He emphasizes the importance of limiting downside risk and following foundational principles: "buy right, manage right, finance right." Gino warns against rosy rent projections in today's market, noting that properties advertising $1,500 rents with concessions really rent for $1,400. His key insight: in periods of stagnant rent growth and rising expenses, investors need 5-7 year horizons, not the 24-36 month exits that spoiled the market during 2020-2022's "sugar high."

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