Dave Lucas joins Bruce Bean for a practical guide to triple net real estate and 1031 exchange planning. In this episode, Dave explains what investors need to know before moving from a management-heavy property like apartments into a more passive triple net investment. He also shares the biggest mistakes buyers make when they wait too long, move too fast, or fail to review the lease carefully.

Bruce and Dave walk through the basics of triple net investing, including why these properties appeal to investors focused on capital preservation, cash flow, and simpler long-term ownership. Dave explains that while triple net properties can be a strong fit for later-stage investors and families planning for the next generation, not every deal is a good deal.

The conversation focuses heavily on 1031 exchanges and the pressure created by the 45-day identification period. Dave shares why investors should begin searching early, build their team in advance, and avoid treating the deadline like a window to find the perfect deal. Instead, he recommends defining risk tolerance early and targeting a solid market deal before time runs out.

Dave also breaks down his four-part quick test for reviewing triple net opportunities. He looks at whether the rent is replaceable, how the location performs at the unit level, the credit quality of the tenant, and the economic strength of the surrounding market. He explains why investors should never rely on the tenant name alone and why the lease is the main document that drives value.

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Breck Bard joins Bruce Bean to discuss his unique path from architecture to commercial real estate ownership and asset management. Starting with a background in computer engineering and architecture, Breck explains how macroeconomic shocks like the Great Financial Crisis and COVID-19 shaped his career decisions and perspective.

He shares how earning an MBA helped him transition from design into the ownership side of CRE, ultimately leading to his work on major redevelopment projects like Hilltop Mall in Richmond.

The conversation also dives into today’s challenging investment environment. With high interest rates, compressed cap rates, and ongoing uncertainty, Breck explains why his firm is choosing to stay patient rather than rush into acquisitions.

A key highlight of the episode is Breck’s approach to using AI in real estate operations. From drafting tenant communications to improving workflow efficiency and even assisting with website SEO, AI is becoming a valuable tool—though still one that requires human oversight.

Breck also reflects on how his architecture background continues to give him an edge in project management, especially when dealing with complex retail repositioning and tenant improvements.

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What does it really take to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes, support growing cities, and adapt to new technologies like AI? In this episode, structural engineer Natalie Tse shares how engineering decisions shape the safety, sustainability, and future of our built environment.

Natalie Tse, a structural engineer with over 20 years of experience in the Bay Area, joins Bruce Bean to discuss the evolving world of structural design. From designing buildings to handle seismic forces to exploring new materials like mass timber, Natalie offers a practical and insightful look into how buildings are engineered to perform under real-world conditions.

She explains how structural engineers account for forces like gravity, wind, and earthquakes, and how building codes and historical seismic data influence design decisions. Natalie also breaks down how performance-based design works, helping owners understand trade-offs between safety, cost, and post-earthquake usability.

The conversation also explores current market trends. Natalie shares how her work has shifted over the years—from retail projects to schools, hospitals, and now a strong focus on affordable housing. With demand high and funding uncertain, engineers are constantly looking for smarter, faster, and more efficient ways to build.

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In this conversation, Bruce Bean sits down with Howard Kline to explore his unique journey through commercial real estate law. Howard began his career as general counsel for a supermarket chain, where he gained hands-on experience in developing grocery-anchored shopping centers, leasing, and litigation.

After experimenting with a career in real estate sales across multiple states, Howard realized his strengths were better suited to the legal side of the business. He returned to law and built a practice focused heavily on commercial leasing, negotiations, and landlord-tenant matters—areas that now make up the majority of his work.

Howard also shares how he launched CRE Radio & TV during the early days of online broadcasting, using it as a creative way to connect with potential clients and build authority in the industry.

During COVID-19, Howard leaned into his expertise, producing webinars on force majeure and lease renegotiation. This positioned him as a go-to expert and led to a surge in new clients, particularly in Northern California.

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Bruce Bean sits down with longtime developer Greg Margetich to explore his decades-long career in commercial real estate and his latest project near the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC).

Greg walks through how he started in real estate in the late 1970s, transitioning from residential into commercial brokerage and eventually into large-scale development. Along the way, he worked on government-leased properties across the country and developed retail and office projects from the ground up.

The conversation then shifts to his current 20-acre development in Silver Springs, Nevada. This ambitious project will include:

• A Chevron gas station with ExtraMile convenience store

• A casino and bar

• Two quick-serve restaurants

• Tesla supercharging stations

• A large RV park with over 150 spaces

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In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with real estate attorney Connor McNellis to explore how complex real estate transactions and renewable energy deals are structured—and what’s changing in today’s market. From life sciences leases to solar portfolio financings, Connor shares insights from both Big Law and his boutique firm experience.

Connor McNellis is a co-founder of Sunridge Legal, a San Diego-based boutique transactional law firm focused on real estate, renewable energy, and finance. After starting his career at a large international law firm, Connor transitioned to building a nimble, client-focused practice that delivers sophisticated legal work with greater flexibility and efficiency.

Connor shares his journey from the Midwest to California, including how his experience at a major law firm shaped his expertise in high-value transactions. He discusses the firm’s focus on complex deals across asset classes like life sciences, office, data centers, multifamily, and hospitality, along with large-scale renewable energy projects.

A key highlight of the conversation is how renewable energy projects are financed. Connor explains how developers bundle smaller solar installations—like rooftop systems on warehouses or carports—into larger portfolios to secure financing through debt and tax equity structures. He also breaks down recent legislative changes impacting tax credits and how those shifts are influencing deal flow and project viability.

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You can’t buy healthcare on the internet. And because doctors and patients always need a place to meet, medical real estate tends to stay strong even when other parts of the market get shaky.

In this episode, Bruce Bean talks with Colin Hart of ERE Healthcare Real Estate about a part of commercial real estate that many people overlook: helping physicians understand the value of the buildings they own. Colin explains how he started on the investment “buy side” and noticed that medical buildings often sold at great prices for investors, mainly because many doctors didn’t have strong representation when they sold.

Colin’s team works as sell-side advisors for physicians, often guiding groups through sale-leaseback transactions. That means the doctors can sell the building, pull money out, and still keep practicing in the same location by leasing it back. Colin also shares why doctors can sometimes get better financing terms than most borrowers, and why lenders like the stability of healthcare.

A big theme of the conversation is that the lease is the value. Colin walks through why an “institutional” lease matters if a doctor ever wants to sell the building, bring in partners, refinance, or sell the practice to a hospital or private equity group. If the lease is weak or rushed, it can limit options later.

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Laura Kruger didn’t originally plan to work in real estate. She was on track for law school, studying political science at Pepperdine and working in Washington, DC at institutions like Georgetown Law. But a short break after college—and a little family property chaos—changed everything.

In this episode, Laura shares how she returned home to help organize her family’s Bay Area real estate portfolio and unexpectedly found her career in property management. What began as a temporary project turned into a long-term professional path that eventually led her to launch her own company, Asset Locale.

Laura and Bruce discuss what it takes to manage residential properties successfully in today’s complex regulatory environment, the realities of property management margins, and why good operations are the foundation of profitable real estate investing.

Laura also shares her experience managing both long-term rentals and short-term or mid-term stays. From early experiments with Airbnb in the early 2010s to welcoming thousands of guests over the years, she explains how the San Jose market has developed a unique niche in extended-stay rentals for business travelers.

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