Building Your Edge in Today’s Market
Whether you are currently scouting for your very first duplex in Riverwest or managing a mature commercial portfolio, the key to scaling your real estate business always comes down to two things: access and defense This month, we are focusing heavily on equipping you with the exclusive tools, local insights, and protective strategies required to thrive in the current Milwaukee market From unveiling powerful new resources designed to sharpen your property analysis, to previewing our biggest networking event of the season, and diving into the legal structures that keep your hard-earned wealth safe, we are here to ensure you have the competitive advantage. Dive in, get inspired, and let’s keep building your real estate legacy together
Unlocking Your Newest Benefit: The REIA Member Vault!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a game-changing new resource designed exclusively for our members: The REIA Member Vault
As part of our ongoing commitment to bringing you fresh perspectives, system improvements, and top-tier educational opportunities, we ’ ve built this centralized hub to give you a competitive edge in today’s market.
Here is a look at what’s waiting for you inside the Vault right now:
The REIA Audio Library
Can’t make it to every live meeting? Want to revisit a brilliant strategy from one of our guest speakers? The Audio Library has you covered
Expert Insights: Stream recordings of our past educational panels, guest speakers, and masterclasses.
Convenient Formats: Perfect for your morning commute, while you're driving to inspect a property, or during your workout
Diverse Topics: From creative financing and wholesaling tactics to property management secrets.
Local Market Stats: Data-Driven Investing
Successful investing isn't about guessing; it's about data. The Local Market Stats section gives you the exact blueprint of our current local real estate landscape.
Monthly Updates: Stay ahead of the curve with fresh numbers on inventory, average days on market, and pricing trends
Hyper-Local Focus: Skip the generic national headlines. Get the real data that actually impacts your neighborhood deals
Make Smarter Offers: Use these structural insights to run your comps with total confidence and back up your negotiations with facts.
The Member Vault was built with a member-first focus, and we plan to continuously improve its systems and structure. If there is a specific market metric you want tracked, or a past event audio file you ’ re hunting for, let us know!
Main Meeting: Real Estate 101How to Start with $0
Online Masterclass: Build Your Cash Flow Factory
Online Masterclass: Everything You Need to Know About 1031
Dave Graf | 920-203-6087 | dave@gsifoundations com
Jodi Graf | 414-395-5478 | jgraf@premierpointrealty.com
Taylor Rens | 414-296-6225 | taylor rens@zrlaywers com John Newland | 414-852-0921 jnewland@terranova-realestate.com
Farsht | 262-208-4708 | info@reiahardmoney com 414-276-7378 | membership@aasew org
5 Reasons You Need to Attend The 2026 REIA Expo + Tradeshow
Every year, the Milwaukee REIA Expo + Tradeshow draws a crowd. It is the place for real estate investors to meet and network with vendors you need to succeed in real estate investing. Whether it’s financing, property management, or renovation services, our vendors have you covered!
But - what makes this year different? And, more importantly, why should you spend Tuesday, July 8th with the Milwaukee REIA?
1.Learn something new at our mini-seminars - We have an exciting lineup with various topics led by industry experts. Our lineup of speakers brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, ensuring that each seminar is packed with valuable insights and actionable takeaways. Whether you're looking to fine-tune your existing approach or explore innovative techniques to enhance your investment portfolio, our seminars provide the perfect opportunity to expand your expertise and stay ahead of the curve in today's dynamic real estate market
2 Network with 40 + vendors in just 2 hours - We are bringing in over 50 industry professionals that are essential to your real estate investing business If you are just starting out and building your team, you will find vendors that can help you get started and success On the flip side, if you already have a team but need a refresh, our vendors are here to help!
3.Enjoy cocktails with the vendors - Cap off your day of exploration and learning with our exclusive post-tradeshow cocktail hour! Unwind in a relaxed atmosphere and mingle with fellow vendors and investors in a laid-back setting. This is your chance to deepen connections, exchange ideas, and forge partnerships in a more intimate environment
4 Network with other real estate investors - Not only do we pack the room with vendors, there will be 150+ like minded real estate investors also in the room This event is perfect to learn what other investors are doing in their business, and how they are working with the vendors in the room to excel in their investing business
5.Win $500 Cash + other raffle items - Every attendee will have the chance to walk away with some amazing prizes provided by the vendors. Some of these prizes include: Hard Money giveaway, Discounts on Real Estate Mentoring, Signed memorabilia, and $500 in cold, hard, CASH!
This event is FREE and open to the public, so bring your friends and business partners This will be an evening of meaningful connections, lessons learned, and hopefully a few prizes in your pocket by the end of the night
Make sure you pre-register to skip the line!
Asset Protection and Belly Buttons
BY: JEFFERY S. WATSON VIA REALESTATEINVESTINGTODAY.COM
Whenever I write about asset protection, I know I will receive responses and comments, but here goes. Asset protection in the real estate space is a lot like belly buttons – everyone has one, but they all vary. What I’m going to share with you is based on over 30 years of experience as a real estate investor and over 34 years as a trial attorney Here is what I’m seeing now that is giving me pause.
Every flipped property should be in its own separate, distinct Grantor Revocable Title Holding Trust (often called a “Land Trust”). “Grantor” means the trust is controlled by the person who created it “Revocable” means the grantor can amend, alter or revoke the trust “Title holding” means the purpose of the trust is to hold title to a piece of real estate. “Trust” means there is a trustee (person or entity) listed on the deed and on public record as the owner of the property. The Trustee of that trust should be an independent, third-party trustee service or company, not your best friend Billy Bob or Sally.
A more advanced strategy is to use a combination of a Grantor Revocable Title Holding Trust which is owned by a single-member LLC, and then that single-member LLC is owned by a multiple-member, long-term LLC Both the trust and the single-member LLC are disregarded entities for tax purposes in the eyes of the IRS.
Now, for the more controversial part Open up a bank (savings) account for that trust, and open a bank account for the single-member, disregarded LLC. Do this so that in the event you go to closing and the title company doesn’t know any better and makes the seller’s proceeds payable to the trust, you then have an account in which to deposit them. From that account, the Trustee can then direct the funds to go to the single-member LLC, from which the funds can then be moved to the multiple-member LLC I realize that might take a couple of extra days, but it’s important so that if someone needs you to prove where and how the money flowed, you can show you followed the proper procedures
Here is a professional tidbit that no one else will probably share with you. When you sell a flip, disclose on either the seller’s disclosure form or in the purchase and sale agreement that the subject property is the sole asset of the seller.
You are probably saying, “Jeff, why are we doing all these things?” The answer is because I’m noticing an alarming increase in the number of times that fix-and-flippers are having their properties tied up in litigation while they are still working on them because something went wrong at property #1, so properties #2, #3 and #4 are now encumbered because they are all in the same “flipping LLC”. An advantage of holding title to property in a trust is that if anything happens at that property, it is limited to just that property, and the problem does not spread to any other properties owned by the same investor.
For example, it’s very frustrating when a year after a property has been sold, the buyer reaches out to a lawyer and complains about an alleged defect or condition in the property and wants to be compensated By implementing the strategy of having each property in its own trust with a trustee service as the trustee, the trustee will be able to clearly demonstrate that any lawsuit involving that property is limited to just that property A key element in this strategy is that after you sell the property, the trust is dissolved, and a few weeks later, the single-member LLC is dissolved in conjuction with how the money flows. This then leaves nobody to sue because the trust will be dissolved on public record by virtue of filing a Notice of Dissolution after the property has been conveyed out of the trust by the Trustee, and a month or so later the LLC will be dissolved on the Secretary of State’s website because it’s purpose as a blocker and shield is now done
For those of you who are penny-pinching tightwads, pay careful attention If you want to repeat and use that single-member blocker LLC, do so at your own peril The cost of an LLC filing fee is a small expense to give yourself a whole lot more peace of mind.
Obviously, I’m advocating that you use this strategy in conjunction with good, local legal advice and honest, honorable, high-integrity business practices where you make sure the property is fully and adequately rennovated, and that you do not hide or conceal any defects but instead resolve them or point them out in writing. Another advantage of using a trust is that it gives a great deal of anonymity and privacy so that the true beneficial owners of the property, the ones who are receiving the net operating income (cash flow) and are benefitting from the amortization and appreciation, are not discoverable on public record Anonymity and privacy are precious things and can go a long way in protecting and preserving assets.
While a title holding trust provides anonymity and privacy, a trust by itself provides little to no real asset protection characteristics. A trust does not have the statutory protections that a limited liability company has The sole purpose of using an LLC is to do just what its name says – limit liability to just that one asset and keep the rest of the grantor/beneficiary assets separate from any potential threats.
Milwaukee REIA Vendor Highlight
Gain 1031 Exchange Company is a Qualified Intermediary that assists property sellers with deferring capital gains taxes by facilitating 1031 taxed deferred exchanges
Our company strives to create comfort with the exchange process. Since exchange work is all we do, property sellers can rely on our expertise to answer questions and facilitate all types of exchanges from typical forward exchanges to more complex reverse exchanges
Patrick Harrigan 262-402-8072
Kitchen Cubes, LLC is a WI based manufacturer of exceptional wood cabinetry and laminate countertops. Our mission is to provide property management companies with quality cabinets and tops at unbeatable prices, direct from our factory floor to you Our products are also great for house flips, spec home builds, and fire/water restoration We pride ourselves on delivering our products on our trucks direct to most Midwest locations.
Heather Freeborn 262-671-3915
MILWAUKEE COUNTY
FOR WAUKESHA COUNTY
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