The Dealmakers’ Edge with A.Y. Strauss

Andrew Stewart, CEO of Cronheim Mortgage, takes a deep dive into the most surprising trends in commercial real estate debt financing.

In this latest installment of The Dealmakers Edge, Stewart sits down with host Aaron Strauss to provide an insider’s view of the hottest asset classes to watch for in 2023; managing the unrelenting pressure of making deals; and his keys to success in business and in life.
Courtesy of Cronheim Mortgage:

Andrew Stewart began his real estate career at age 19 renting apartments to help pay for college in Boston, Massachusetts. As someone who has learned the business from humble beginnings, he has gained a wealth of experience at all levels of a real estate organization. He has used this knowledge to consistently rank among America’s most productive mortgage bankers and has evolved into an owner/sponsor partnering with real estate developers in numerous projects nationwide. His investment track record has generated excellent returns due to his creative problem solving, focus on market dislocations, and the ability to evaluate a project from various viewpoints as a mortgage banker/broker, property owner, and a CMBS B piece investor.

In June 2020, ICSC tapped Andrew to assist in the ongoing Congressional negotiations to provide additional capital for COVID impacted impaired real estate owners. His most recent article, ‘A Match Not Made in Heaven, Securitization and the Commercial Mortgage Industry’ was the September 2020 feature in Institutional Real Estate Investor and was submitted by ICSC to the Federal Reserve and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to illustrate the problems inherent in CMBS loan modifications.

A September 2006 article “Managing Expectations” correctly forecast the subprime and mortgage bond issues that impacted the market a year later.

Prior to working at Cronheim, he worked from 1987-94 at Donald Zucker Company, one of NYC’s top multifamily developers, and at Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette, later acquired by Credit Suisse, from 1984 to 1986.

He is a member of the ICSC, MBA/YMBA, IOREBA, NMHC, REBNY and NAIOP.

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at [email protected] to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.
Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

• Our website (www.AYStrauss.com)
• Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page)
• Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn)
• Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Michael Seeve to discuss his career, favorite deals, the current market, and his advice for those new to the real estate industry.
Michael serves as President of Mountain Development Corporation (MDC) and guides the firm’s activities in close coordination with its executive team, professionals, and partners. Michael provides strategic leadership for the firm and works actively on many of the firm’s projects.

Michael is a past President of the New Jersey Chapter of NAIOP, the State’s leading advocacy association for the commercial real estate development industry. The organization, which currently has more than 700 members just in New Jersey, focuses on public land use issues, professional advancement, and industry best practices.

Michael serves as Chairman of the Board of William Paterson University, one of the State’s public higher education institutions and is a past Chairman of the University’s Foundation. Michael serves on the State of New Jersey Uniform Construction Code Advisory Board. He is also a past Chairman of the Paterson Special Improvement District, a public private partnership active in the central business district of the State’s third largest City.

Michael is a past Chairman of the former Barnert Hospital Foundation. He has been recognized as Distinguished Friend in 2015 at William Paterson University’s annual gala, as Barnert Hospital’s “Man of the Year” at their 2006 gala, and included in the “Forty under 40” lists by NJ BIZ and Real Estate New Jersey magazine.

Michael is a 1992 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife Veronica and their two sons.

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at [email protected] to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.
Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

• Our website (www.AYStrauss.com)
• Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page)
• Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn)
• Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)

In this episode, Aaron sits down with Anthony Rinaldi, Founder and Managing Principal at Saxum Real Estate. Under Rinaldi, Saxum has quickly become one of the nation’s fastest growing real estate private equity firms with over 7 million square feet under management and offices in New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Rinaldi shares some of his perspectives, anecdotes, and philosophies he’s relied on to become one of the top young stars in the commercial real estate sector.

Highlights include:

• Contrarian opportunities within the volatile 2022 interest rate environment.

• What it takes to be an entrepreneur in commercial real estate.

• How Saxum has stayed ahead of the curve with unique investment strategies.
• Cold storage investments, and an eye toward the future.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Anthony Rinaldi is the Founder & Managing Principal of Saxum Real Estate, one of the nation’s leading privately held real estate investment firms. He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm’s strategic initiatives and operations, including investment strategy, acquisitions, capital raising, leasing activities, asset development, and management of the firm’s portfolio.

Since Saxum’s inception in 2014, Anthony has leveraged his extensive knowledge of individual markets and his distinct understanding of demand drivers to establish Saxum’s unique investment strategies. He capitalizes on his vast network and personal relationships within the real estate community to create opportunities and respond to market changes that are unseen and overlooked by others. Anthony has led Saxum through explosive growth to become one of the fastest growing real estate private equity firms in the nation, with a team of over 30 professionals, multiple offices, and a nationwide investment portfolio that includes 7 million square feet across more than 30 assets and over $2 billion in investment capitalizations.

Prior to founding Saxum, Anthony served as an advisor and consultant within the brokerage community. In his various roles, he oversaw the leasing and management portfolio of four million square feet of assets on behalf of corporations, REITs, family offices, special servicers, and private equity and institutional investors. His responsibilities have included project leasing and marketing, portfolio management, acquisitions and dispositions, and asset management in a variety of product types including office, retail, multifamily, and industrial. Anthony’s accolades include:

• In 2019, 2020 & 2021, recognized by the Opportunity Zone Expo as a “Top 25 Opportunity Zone Influencer: Fund Managers & Developer Category.”
• In 2020, Anthony was recognized by NAIOP with the Developing Leader Award, a national award with five recipients from across the country under the age of 35.
• In 2017, NJBIZ’s “Forty Under 40”
• In 2017, Real Estate Forum’s “Fifty Under 40”

Anthony is a graduate of New York University with a B.S. in Real Estate Finance. He currently serves on the Editorial Board for NAIOP’s Development magazine and a Co-Chair of the Developing Leaders program.
Hosted by Aaron Y. Strauss, Managing Partner at A.Y. Strauss

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at [email protected] to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.
Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

• Our website (www.AYStrauss.com)
• Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page)
• Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn)
• Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)

Host Aaron Strauss and featured guest Eric Barvin discuss how his firm – Barvin – offers unique investment opportunities to high-net-worth individuals otherwise excluded from the chance to expand their portfolio with multifamily properties, and how his team continues to earn the respect and referrals of those investors by emphasizing transparency, community, and candor.
Follow Eric’s journey from ambitious 22-year-old struggling to find his footing in real estate to successful leader of multifamily property management company with $850M+ assets in its care and how a mentor’s gift of, not a job, but full access to an established rolodex started it all.
Other topics include:

• How Eric puts together the equity necessary for each project;
• Why Eric believes avoiding institutional investors keeps him in the driver’s seat;
• How Eric’s alternative education – with jobs in the manufacturing and mortgage banking industries – prepared him for success in real estate;
• The importance of understanding the language of the local real estate market – whether in Thailand or Texas;
• How regular meditation and competitive basketball help Eric manage stress and improve communication channels, both personally and professionally.

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at [email protected] to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.
Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

• Our website (www.AYStrauss.com)
• Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page)
• Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn)
• Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)

For Swapnil Agarwal, building a multifamily value-add impact fund is personal. He experienced firsthand the challenges that face these low-income communities - first in India and then in Texas when his family immigrated at age 15. He shares his keys to succeeding in commercial real estate, the story behind Nitya Capital, and how his team is paying it forward while building a multi-billion dollar portfolio.

Highlights include:

• Turning humble beginnings into a competitive advantage.

• A walkthrough of his first major multifamily deal.

• Taking a key role in building communities.

• The winning mindset for growing two successful companies.

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at [email protected] to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.
Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

• Our website (www.AYStrauss.com)
• Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page)
• Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn)
• Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)