In this episode, Ed welcomes Michael Pouliot of Carbon Real Estate Investments, a vertically integrated private equity firm operating workforce housing apartments across the Southeast.  Pouliot explains Carbon’s buy box: 100–300 unit, older vintage (1970s–1990s) properties in strong school districts and stable submarkets, targeting families and raising rents about 20% through substantial CapEx that prioritizes deferred maintenance alongside unit upgrades.  They talk about navigating...

The Cincinnati Mistake That Built a $2 Billion Company with Joe Fairless

Real talk from an operator who learned real estate the hard way.Ed Mathews analyzed 1,100+ deals before buying his first property in 2011. Frozen in fear. He made every mistake, all while traveling 150+ nights a year working for some of Silicon Valley's top companies. 100+ deals later, he shares what actually works and what doesn't.Each week, Ed brings you candid conversations with experienced operators, investors, and syndicators. No hype. No theory. Just real deals, real lessons, and the street-level intelligence you won't find anywhere else.You'll learn and hear about:Deals that worked (and the ones that didn't)What we learned when contractors ghosted and we had to step inHow to vet opportunities when everyone else is sitting on the sidelinesConservative underwriting in markets that punish optimismSystems that protect capital when deals go sidewaysWhether you're analyzing your first deal or your hundredth, this is the conversation you'd have over coffee with someone who's been there, made the mistakes, learned the lessons and built the track record.New episodes every Tuesday at 12pm ET.