The Embassy Wealth Podcast

Part II: Investing in Self Storage Facilities with Courtney & Matt Glass

Courtney and Matt Glass have discovered not one but two niches of the real estate investing world for themselves. After joining the Foreign Service and becoming accidental landlords, Courtney and Matt learned about the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement and promptly began investing in short-term rentals in 2019. Since then, they have expanded their real estate portfolio and begun investing in self-storage facilities. These investments have allowed Matt, as an eligible family member, to have a continuous income stream managing their real estate portfolio as they move from post to post.

 

In this interview, Courtney and Matt share: 

 

• How to find and finance self-storage facilities
• How to evaluate a self-storage property
• Managing a facility from a distance

 

…and so much more! 

 

This is part two of a two-part interview with Courtney and Matt. In part one, they discuss their experience in investing in short-term rentals. 

 

Courtney and Matt would love to hear from you! You can reach them through their website: www.crossover-wealth.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Part I: Finding & Managing Profitable Short-Term Rentals with Courtney & Matt Glass

Courtney and Matt Glass have discovered not one, but two niches of the real estate investing world for themselves. After joining the Foreign Service and becoming accidental landlords, Courtney and Matt learned about the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement and promptly began investing in short term rentals in 2019. Since then, they have expanded their real estate portfolio and begun investing in self-storage facilities. These investments have allowed Matt, as an eligible family member, to have a continuous income stream managing their real estate portfolio as they move from post to post.

 

In this interview, Courtney and Matt share: 

 

• How to identify a short term rental market
• The value of reliable “boots-on-the-ground” vendor partners
• Cultivating good relationships with the neighbors next to your rentals
• Income differences between short-term rental and a home leave vacation home

 

…and so much more! 

 

This is part one of a two-part interview with Courtney and Matt. In part two, they discuss their experience in investing in self storage facilities. 

 

Courtney and Matt would love to hear from you! You can reach them through their website: www.crossover-wealth.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

European Citizenship through the Golden Visa Program with Dillon Banerjee

After several wonderful assignments in Europe, Dillon Banerjee wanted to see how he could continue living in Europe after retiring from the Foreign Service. A tourist passport only allows Americans up to a 90 day stay in the Schengen Area, and Dillon wanted to be able to enjoy retirement with his family without geographic limits. 

 

While researching options, he found another Foreign Service officer who had used the Golden Visa program to become a full-time resident of Portugal. This impactful conversation launched Dillon down a path that ultimately led him to applying for EU citizenship. 

 

In this episode, hear Dillon discuss: 

 

• How to navigate the bureaucratic process of the Golden Visa application
• The funds necessary for the investments
• In which countries the Golden Visa is a possibility
• How to find and vet law firms that specialize in this process and can assist you

 

…and so much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Ethically Driven Investing in Regenerative Agriculture with Toby Wolf

During an overseas assignment in France, Toby Wolf and his wife discovered their appreciation and love for sustainably-raised local food. While his wife was in the process of writing a French cookbook, they toured local farms. Talking with farmers and seeing how their businesses worked inspired Toby to consider more directly supporting and investing in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. These investments are now part of his overall portfolio allocation, providing not only diversification, but an ethical component to his investments. 

 

Hear from Toby about: 

 

• How to invest in agricultural investments as a small, non-institutional investor
• Utilizing a self-directed IRA for unconventional investing
• How investing in regenerative agriculture can build up rural communities
• The ease of investing in sustainable projects through index funds

 

…and so much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Building a Bigger Portfolio with Less Risk with Stephen Marquette

Vacation rentals, multi-family properties and house-hacking: Stephen Marquette has tried a variety of real estate investments over twenty years of overseas and domestic assignments. From purchasing his first condo to partnering up with a FS colleague and learning the power of a team, Stephen has gained a wealth of experience along his investing journey. Building a strong local network, leveraging partnerships, and continually educating himself and adjusting his strategy has helped him and his partners build a portfolio of 27 units in 3 states.

 

 

Learn from Stephen: 

 

• How to utilize your primary residence as an investment property through house hacking
• The benefit of partnerships to mitigate risks and grow your portfolio faster
• The importance of keeping accurate and clean records of your investments and expenses
• How real estate fits into his diverse investment strategy

 

…and so much more! 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Leaving The Foreign Service and Starting a Beverage Company in South Africa

Ajani Husbands was a seasoned FSO when he went on leave without pay to attend law school and pursue a career in corporate law. During several grueling years in corporate law, during which he officially resigned from the FS, Ajani decided to launch a beverage brand based on his mothers signature rum punch recipe. He experimented with different flavor profiles and, after moving overseas with his FS spouse, he re-branded his punch in order to launch his new beverage brand in South Africa.

 

Hear Ajani explain:

 

• Leaving the Foreign Service and transitioning into corporate America and entrepreneurship
• How he turned a family rum punch recipe into a high end beverage that he launched on the South African market
• The importance of market research and partnering with experts in design, branding, and manufacturing to launch a product in a foreign country
• Determining product pricing and design and building brand awareness

 

…and so much more! 

 

You can learn more about Ajani’s signature rum punch at www.drink1966.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Building a Sizeable Real Estate Portfolio One Property At A Time with Mike Warder

Mike Warder fell into real estate investing in 2006, when he turned his Denver condo into a rental property. He self-managed that property for 10 years before he and his wife decided to buy a second property. Since then, they have been acquiring properties each year and now own properties in Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. Mike is a hands-on landlord with lots of great lessons and stories on how to self-manage your properties from a distance, even when you’re in a different time zone.

 

Hear Mike discuss:

 

• Why a strategy of owning a mix of appreciating and cash flowing properties helps balance risk
• How you can successfully self manage a property from a distance
• The benefits of networking with fellow investors

 

…and so much more!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Starting a Gourmet Popsicle Franchise and Multiple Online Businesses with Corey Crane

After being in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then completing several tours abroad as a Diplomatic Security Agent with the Foreign Service, Corey Crane left the FS for a desk job with another federal government agency. That desk job wasn’t particularly fulfilling, especially after tours overseas in Iraq and New Zealand, so Corey started thinking up ideas for small businesses in his spare time. Although no one in his family had a business or was an entrepreneur, Corey launched his first online business with just a few hours a week and a website, and an entrepreneur was born.

 

That initial, small success with his first online business led him to found a skip tracing business, a real estate wholesaling business, and a background check company. Corey also used funds from the sale of a home he and his wife owned to purchase and found several locations of a gourmet popsicle franchise, which exist to this day.

 

In this interview, Corey discusses:

 

• Following your intuition and ideas to discover opportunities with just a few hours a week
• How to use your existing skills and knowledge to create a side business
• How to be successful in many different industries
• How to purchase, set-up, and successfully run a franchise
• The importance of mentors and partnerships
• Free resources everyone can use to build a company

 

…and so much more!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

 

Mortgages vs Skyrocketing Rents: Should You Purchase or Not? with Liz Conrad

What do rising interest rates and skyrocketing rents mean for the housing market? Should you rent or should you buy? Having a good grasp on mortgage financials in a rising interest rate environment with inflationary pressures can often mean saving (or losing) thousands of dollars. Hear Loan Officer Liz Conrad break down how the larger economic picture matters when taking out a mortgage and how you can select the best type of mortgage for your situation, whether you’re a first time homebuyer or seasoned real estate investor.

 

Hear Liz discuss: 

 

• how being a loan officer can be a great “portable” job for EFMs
• how FS clients can close mortgage loans from overseas, even in remote areas with no internet (hint: it’s difficult, but not impossible)
• what happens when a mortgage gets sold and where does it go?
• differences between a primary, secondary and investment mortgage loan (and which types allow you to rent out your house and when!)
• why interest rates are already going up in anticipation of the Fed’s interest rate increase and what this means for home buyers and renters

 

…and so much more!

 

Liz Conrad is a former EFM and Senior Loan Officer with George Mason Mortgage. Liz is licensed in 13 states to include MD, VA, DC, PA, DE, WV, KY, TN, OH, NC, SC, GA & FL and specializes in helping Foreign Service, DOD and Veteran Families to finance primary, second homes or investment properties while still living abroad. 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Planning for the Ultimate Foreign Service Retirement (Part II) with William Carrington

After the incredible response we had to William Carrington’s first episode, he returns for a second episode to break down the steps necessary to successfully make the leap, both financially and emotionally, into a fulfilling retirement.

 

Hear William discuss:

• how to come up with a budget for retirement, even if you don’t know where you’ll retire
• why the first couple of years of retirement might be more expensive than expected
• when to take withdrawals from your TSP, pension, and social security 
• the dollar amount most FS retirees budget annually to live on each year
• why the FS pension and healthcare benefits are so valuable and how hard it is to match those benefits in the private sector
• what inflation does to retirement savings
• the one question you can ask yourself now to ensure your retirement is fulfilling

 

…..and so much more!

 

William Carrington is the owner of Carrington Financial Planning, a financial planning and wealth management firm that specializes in working with Foreign Service employees. Since founding his firm over a decade ago, William has worked with more than 500 Foreign Service clients. He is a Certified Financial Planner, a Retirement Management Advisor, a NAPFA-Registered Advisor, and is a fee-only fiduciary. He was also an Eligible Family Member (EFM) for 24 years until his wife retired from the Department.

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers