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Straight Up Chicago Investor

Straight Up Chicago Investor

By: Straight Up Chicago Investor
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Are you a real estate investor in Chicago or someone looking to invest in the Chicagoland Market? If so, this podcast is for you! We break down the neighborhoods, different sides of the city, and surrounding suburbs so you can understand the uniqueness of investing in Chicago real estate. The hosts and guests are Chicago investors and Property Managers who are making it happen in and around the Windy City. We share information, winning strategies, obstacles, success stories, and most importantly, lessons learned. If you are looking for ground level information and want to learn what has worked and not worked in Chicago, you are in the right place.Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2021. Career Success Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Episode 389: Different Approach To Short Term Investing In Chicago With Sebastian Mysliwiec
    Jul 24 2025

    Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

    Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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    Sebastian Mysliwiec, founder of The Dream Rentals, explains how he’s built a short-term and mid-term rental management company that delivers top guest experiences and maximizes profits!

    Sebastian talks about cutting his teeth and eventually thriving at a marketing company that helped build his real estate skill set. He provides tactical advice on underwriting, marketing, and managing short-term rentals (STRs). Sebastian explains how his team manages seasonality, shares a STR horror story, and top amenities for guests. He closes with remarks on refinancing considerations for STR properties and his team’s growth strategy.

    If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

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    Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

    Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Guests: Sebastian Mysliwiec, The Dream Rentals

    Link: The Dream Rentals Instagram

    Link: Skyscraper Tom's Instagram

    Link: The 12 Week Year (Book Recommendation)

    Guest Questions

    01:58 Housing Provider Tip - Leverage Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request property info during due diligence!

    04:25 Intro to our guest, Sebastian Mysliwiec!

    08:31 Defining AirBnB arbitrage.

    13:28 Underwriting basics of short-term rentals (STRs)!

    20:10 Listing platforms for STRs.

    26:09 Managing STR seasonality in Chicago to optimize profit.

    35:36 STR Marketing Tips!

    45:45 AirBnB Horror Story!

    47:46 Top STR amenities.

    49:23 Mid-Term Rental analysis and expanding to other markets!

    55:13 Refinancing STR properties.

    56:47 What is your competitive advantage?

    57:15 One piece of advice for new investors.

    57:42 What do you do for fun?

    58:25. Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

    58:54 Local Network Recommendation?

    59:29 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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    Production House: Flint Stone Media

    Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2025.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Episode 388: NBOA 2025 Summer Soiree Update
    Jul 22 2025

    Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

    Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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    What is the NBOA Summer Soiree and how can investors benefit from this event?

    If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

    =============

    Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

    Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Guest: Mike Glasser & Real Estate Nate, NBOA

    Link: Episode 375: Learn How To Build A Chicago Portfolio Without Quitting the W2 with Nate Fernandez

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    Production House: Flint Stone Media

    Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2025.

    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • Episode 387: This Is How You Make Money In Chicago In Your Early 20s with Alex Diaz
    Jul 17 2025

    Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

    Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

    =============

    Alex Diaz explains how he left his day job as a barber to successfully flip and wholesale real estate for a living at 24 years of age!

    Alex starts by sharing how he made the jump from being a barber to wholesaling real estate. He explains how he acquired his first property; a househack sourced off-market! Alex provides tactical advice on marketing directly to sellers to create deal flow. He talks about lessons learned from flipping and gets granular on the real estate market in Aurora and the surrounding suburbs. This is another motivating show with an investor thriving at a young age!

    If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

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    Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

    Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

    Guest: Alex Diaz, Bluestone Property Solutions

    Link: Alex Diaz's Instagram

    Link: SUCI Ep 335 - Aram Ghazaryan

    Link: The Art of the Deal (Book Recommendation)

    Guest Questions

    03:16 Housing Provider Tip - Maintain and understand misusage of water hose spigots!

    05:09 Intro to our guest, Alex Diaz!

    10:38 Alex’s first house hack sourced off-market!

    14:24 Jumping into wholesaling and direct-to-seller marketing.

    26:20 Marketing strategy and the 101 on Montgomery, IL.

    29:11 Benefits of being around like-minded investors.

    35:10 Lessons learned from flipping!

    39:24 Alex’s geographic areas of focus.

    44:06 What is your competitive advantage?

    44:31 One piece of advice for new investors.

    45:14 What do you do for fun?

    45:31 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

    46:04 Local Network Recommendation?

    46:23 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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    Production House: Flint Stone Media

    Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2025.

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    49 mins
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