Economic Indicators Every Real Estate Investor Should Track
Release Date: 11/04/2025
Creating an Exit Plan to Maximize Your ROI
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, Suzanne and I break down one of the most important and most overlooked parts of being a real estate investor: creating an exit plan that maximizes your return on investment. We walk through the major exit strategies investors actually use in today’s market like fix and flip, buy and hold, BRRRR, seller financing, lease options, 1031 exchanges, and portfolio sales, and show you how to match the right strategy to your timeline, risk tolerance, capital needs, and market conditions. We also talk about building your exit plan on day one, why you...
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Setting up Systems and Automations to Scale Efficiently
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we dig into one of the biggest levers for scaling your real estate business: systems and automations. We break down how to move from being the self-employed investor who answers 2 a.m. toilet calls to becoming a true business owner with structure, processes, and the right people in place. We walk through systemizing lead generation, deal analysis, acquisitions, property management, maintenance, rent collection, investor relations, and team communication, and we share practical ways to integrate tools like CRMs, project management...
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Creating Passive Income Streams to Fund More Deals
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we break down how to create passive income streams that don’t just pay the bills, but actually fund more real estate deals. We walk through long-term rentals, short-term/vacation rentals, notes, private lending, REITs and funds, affiliate income, education products, and real-estate-adjacent businesses, and show you how each one can create steady cash flow, better financing terms, and more buying power as you scale your portfolio. We also dig into the tactical side: using IRAs and tax strategy, working with specialized CPAs, leveraging passive...
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Developing A Repeatable Process for Consistent Growth in Your Business
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, Suzanne and I break down one of the biggest unlocks for scaling your real estate portfolio: building a repeatable process that drives consistent growth. We walk through the full lifecycle of a deal, from deal sourcing, underwriting, financing, operations, property management, to exit strategy and show you how to turn each step into a system you can run again and again, in any market.  We talk about practical tools like CRMs, project management platforms, cost-estimation software, virtual assistants, and outbound call partners, plus the...
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Reflecting on Lessons Learned & Planning for the New Year
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we hit pause on deals and dive into something every real estate investor needs to do at least once a year: reflect, reassess, and reset your plan for the new year. We talk through how to review your wins, losses, systems, market strategy, portfolio performance, team, and mindset so you’re not just repeating the same year over and over.  We cover how to celebrate business highlights, identify what actually moved the needle, and cut the processes, platforms, and partnerships that didn’t. We also dig into market insights, changing...
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Why Empty Houses Make No Money & Other Scaling Lessons Investors Miss with Bruce McNeilage
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we sit down with Bruce McNeilage, co-founder of Kinlock Partners, to break down what it really takes to scale a real estate portfolio across multiple markets and asset classes. With nearly two decades of experience building and operating thousands of units, Bruce shares hard-earned lessons from single-family rentals and build-to-rent communities to large multifamily developments and self-storage projects. We explore how Bruce identifies high-growth real estate markets like Nashville, Atlanta, and Columbia, why job drivers and industry...
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Structuring Your Portfolio: LLCs, Partnerships, and Trusts
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we keep our tax and legal strategy series rolling with a topic every real estate investor needs to get right: how to structure your portfolio with LLCs, partnerships, and trusts. We break down how the right entity structure protects your personal assets, improves tax efficiency, and sets up clean estate and succession planning as you scale from one rental to a full portfolio.  We walk through when to form an LLC, how to use partnerships to access capital and expertise, and where revocable and irrevocable trusts fit into long-term legacy...
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Cost Segregation Studies for Depreciation Benefits
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we are wrapping up our tax and legal strategy series with a deep dive into cost segregation studies and how they can supercharge your depreciation, tax savings, and cash flow. Most investors focus on appreciation – but if you’re not using depreciation the right way, especially on larger commercial and multifamily assets, you’re probably leaving money on the table.  We break down what a cost segregation study actually is, which property types it makes sense for, and how engineers and specialized firms reclassify parts of your...
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The 1031 Exchange Playbook: How Investors Scale Faster While Deferring Taxes
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we stay on our tax and legal strategies theme and break down one of the most powerful tools in real estate investing: the 1031 exchange. We walk through what a 1031 actually is, how it lets you defer capital gains taxes when you swap one investment property for another, and why it’s such a big lever for portfolio growth, net worth, and long-term scaling.  We talk about the 45-day identification and 180-day closing rules, the role of a qualified intermediary, and how to move from a duplex into a four-family, commercial building, or...
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How Opportunity Zones Could Be Your Next Opportunity with Tax Benefits
Uncontested Investing
In this episode of Uncontested Investing, we break down one of the most misunderstood tools in real estate tax strategy: Opportunity Zones. We unpack what a Qualified Opportunity Zone actually is, how the program was created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and why it matters for investors looking to defer capital gains, reduce tax liability, and potentially eliminate gains entirely on long-term projects. We walk through a real-world example from the Brunswick Naval Air Station in Maine, talk about converting old mills and strip malls into housing, and outline the three big tax...
info_outlineIn this episode of Uncontested Investing, we dive deep into the economic indicators that every real estate investor should track to make smarter, data-driven investment decisions.
We break down the most important real estate market metrics including GDP, unemployment rates, inflation, interest rates, and consumer confidence, and show you how each one affects property values, rental demand, competition, and overall investor behavior.
You’ll discover how to use economic data and housing trends to identify opportunities in any market, why local economic indicators are just as critical as national ones, and how housing starts, building permits, and lending standards can signal where the market is headed next.
Whether you’re a beginner investor or a seasoned real estate professional, this episode gives you the tools to read the market like an analyst and make confident investment decisions that keep you one step ahead.
Key Talking Points of the Episode
00:00 Introduction
00:53 Gross Domestic Product (GDP): What it means for real estate demand and values
01:39 How overconfidence during GDP booms can backfire
02:25 Predicting rental demand and payment risk through unemployment rates and labor strength
03:06 Tenant vetting during high unemployment: What to look for beyond credit scores
04:23 How interest rates and Federal Reserve activity drive housing and investor activity
06:01 Competition, timing, and refinancing strategies in fluctuating rate environments
07:19 Leveraging high-rate periods for long-term rental growth and portfolio positioning
08:51 Inflation: The “evil twin” of interest rates and how it shapes investor strategy
10:01 Why real estate is a hedge against inflation and how to use appreciation to your advantage
11:52 Housing starts and building permits: What they reveal about inventory and investor sentiment
12:36 Build-to-Rent trends and zoning changes creating new opportunities for small developers
15:18 Consumer Confidence Index: Gauging optimism and its ripple effects on real estate activity
16:51 Mortgage rates and lending standards: What changing criteria reveal about affordability
17:53 How to partner with your lender to stay informed and adapt to market shifts
18:50 Local vs. national data: How to spot opportunities by studying your own backyard
22:00 Ignoring media noise: Why your numbers and market matter more than the headlines
Quotables
“GDP is the low-hanging fruit—it’s what everyone’s heard of, but few investors truly understand how it affects their deals.”
“Real estate is one of the best hedges against inflation, because if prices go up, your assets appreciate too.”
“Don’t get distracted by national headlines. If your numbers work locally, keep buying.”
Links
RCN Capital
https://www.rcncapital.com/podcast
https://www.instagram.com/rcn_capital/
REI INK