5/2/10: The State of the Fractional Interest Real Estate Market with Dr. Dick Ragatz
Unless you’ve been living off planet, you know that the real estate world has changed dramatically in the last few years. Why? Because financing as we came to know and love it has all but disappeared. But does that mean people have stopped wanting to buy real estate? Of course not!
The idea of fractional (not “fractured”, though many underwater property owners may feel that way) ownership isn’t new. It’s a proven structure which is often used to allow people the opportunity to enjoy the use and ownership of resort properties. But it’s also a great technique for building a diverse portfolio of investment property. And of course, you can combine resort property and your investment goals in what we call Lifestyle Investing. That’s one of our FAVORITE ways to invest!
We think market conditions are ripe for more people to consider fractional structures. So we decided it would be a good idea to talk to one of the biggest brains on the subject, Dr. Dick Ragatz. Anytime you call someone “doctor”, you know they’re pretty smart.
Dr. Ragatz has a Master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell. He taught Housing Market Analysis at Cornell and also at the University of Oregon. He’s been an active participant and leader in many industry trade groups including the American Society of Planning Officials, the American Institute of Planner, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and our personal favorite, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). He won awards for outstanding contributions from ARDA in 1989, 1995 and 2006.
We could go on and on, but you get the point. He’s a really smart and accomplished guy, the kind you would want to sit down and talk real estate with. So, since you couldn’t do that yourself, we did it for you!
Check out this very informative interview with this highly intelligent industry leader. Get the inside scoop on what’s happening in one of the most interesting segments of the ever-changing real estate industry, courtesy of The Real Estate Guys Radio Show! You’re welcome. 
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10/4/09: A Bird’s Eye View of Opportunities in Lodging & Hospitality
“Get rich in a niche” is a classic piece of advice for almost any profession. Specialists almost always make more money than generalists. On today’s show, The Real Estate Guys discuss one of the most unique niches in real estate niche: lodging and hospitality.
Joining in the conversation are:
- Host Robert Helms
- Co-host Russell Gray
- Six decade investor “The Godfather of Real Estate”, Bob Helms
- Special Guest: Ed Watkins – 35 year industry veteran and Editor of Lodging Hospitality Magazine
The dialog was lively and informative as The Guys discussed:
- An Overview of the Resort Market Today
- New Trends in the Hospitality Industry
- Boutique vs. Lifestyle Hotels
- The Outlook for Condo-Hotel and Fractional Product
- Opportunities for the Investor in the Resort Space
While the hotel business is flat and financing is almost non-existent, we discovered the picture is quite different in the boutique space.
We also contrasted the condo-hotel model (think City Center in Las Vegas) to the concept of “fractional” ownership. We’ve heard great things about fractional structures and Ed was able to share some interesting and valuable perspectives. There’s no substitute for 35 years at the center of an industry when it comes to being aware of cycles, distinguishing between fads and sustainable trends, and having one’s thumb on the pulse of a niche market.
We closed, as always, asking where the opportunities are for today’s investor and Ed gave us some great ideas to think about!
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