No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian

Lost Millions in His 20s, Now One of LA’s Biggest Landlords (Here’s How) | Richard Mehta

*No Vacancy Podcast: Richard Mehta (Xenon Investments) on Building a 3,300 Unit Empire in Los Angeles*Taylor Avakian sits down with Richard Mehta, co-founder of Xenon Investments. Richard has built one of the most impressive multifamily portfolios in LA with roughly 3,300 apartment units, mostly on the Westside, Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown, and parts of the San Fernando Valley.In this episode, he opens up about his journey from losing money in the early 90s crash to becoming one of LA's most active buyers. He shares how he thinks about deals, why he trusts gut instinct over complicated models, his love for strong locations, and how he's navigated rent control, the mansion tax, and today's tough market.*Timestamps:*- 00:00 - Welcome and Introduction- 01:07 - Xenon Investments Portfolio Overview (3,300 units)- 02:26 - Richard Mehta Origin Story and Early Days- 04:05 - Family Background and Lessons from the 90s Crash- 05:35 - Cash Flow Philosophy and Investment Criteria- 07:19 - Gross Rent Multiplier vs Cap Rates- 08:13 - Why Location Matters Most in LA- 09:07 - Scaling From 1,000 to 3,300 Units- 11:00 - Current Market Challenges in Southern California- 12:33 - Westside Habitats and Building the Brand- 12:58 - Richard's Superpower: Being Decisive- 13:52 - First Big Home Run Deal - 747 Gayley Avenue- 18:07 - Buying with Intuition Over Spreadsheets- 19:22 - Working with Family and Running the Company- 21:43 - Leverage, Refinancing, and Portfolio Strategy- 23:00 - Early Deals and Non-Contingent Offers- 26:47 - How Richard Approaches Negotiation- 30:39 - Raising Money Experiences- 33:41 - The 3-Year Cash Out Refi Strategy- 38:13 - How the Name Xenon Came From a Nightclub- 42:03 - Worst Deals and Lessons from 2021-2022- 45:55 - Selling Strategy and the Mansion Tax- 49:54 - Who Richard Goes to for Advice- 53:17 - Future Plans for Xenon and LA Multifamily- 55:08 - Reputation, Integrity, and Legacy- 58:08 - Most Interesting Deal: The Bel Air House RTC Story- 01:02:56 - Advice for Young Investors*Guest:* Richard Mehta - Co-Founder, Xenon Investments *Host:* Taylor AvakianSponsor - Loan TitanUpscale your experience withhttps://loantitan.com/Sponsor - AI for CRE CollectiveAI for CRE Community: https://www.skool.com/ai-for-cre-collective/about?ref=3b3ff2c0ccce44ba8039fafd54bf291aReal estate investing, multifamily apartments, Los Angeles real estate, Westside LA, apartment investing, rent control, commercial real estate, value add multifamilySubscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: taylor@thegroupcre.comX: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#realestate #podcast #commercialrealestate

She runs Section 8 Housing in Los Angeles. Can she save LA? Lourdes Castro Ramirez (HACLA)

Lourdes Castro Ramirez, President and CEO of HACLA (Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles), joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy Podcast for an in-depth conversation on the affordable housing crisis, Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and strategies to address homelessness in Los Angeles. In this episode, Lourdes breaks down how HACLA serves over 200,000 Angelenos, the realities of rental subsidies, emergency housing vouchers, mixed-income developments, public housing redevelopment, and the challenges of high development costs. She shares her personal journey from immigrant roots to leading one of the largest housing authorities in the U.S., insights from San Antonio and the Obama administration, and practical opportunities for private landlords and developers to partner with HACLA. Topics include: Section 8 landlord participation, funding shortfalls, acquisitions program, Housing Our Veterans, mixed-status families, and long-term solutions for LA’s housing shortage. *Chapters:* - 00:00 Introduction & Sponsor - 00:06 What is HACLA? Serving 200,000 Residents in Los Angeles - 02:02 HACLA Programs: Public Housing, Section 8 Vouchers & More - 05:03 HACLA’s Quasi-Governmental Structure & Funding - 06:20 Lourdes Castro’s Journey: From UCLA to CEO - 14:00 What Governments Get Wrong About Housing - 16:27 LA Housing Shortage & Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) Update - 21:42 Section 8 Funding Challenges & Impact on Property Owners - 26:36 Development Costs: Why Affordable Units Cost $800K–$1M - 31:30 Acquisitions Program, Mixed-Income Housing & High-Resource Neighborhoods - 36:34 Current Development Focus: Jordan Downs, Woodland Hills & More - 39:41 Opportunities for Private Landlords & Developers (Housing Our Vets, Partnerships) - 42:15 Landlord Feedback, Service Improvements & RentCafe - 43:54 LA CASA & Measure A Explained - 46:03 If Lourdes Were in Charge: Policy Changes for Housing - 48:28 Lessons from Texas: Austin & San Antonio Housing Approaches - 49:55 Should Landlords Accept Section 8 Right Now? - 51:19 Future of Housing in LA: Next 5–10 Years - 55:04 Keeping Families Housed & Economic Opportunity Programs - 57:54 Build Hope Nonprofit & Wraparound Services - 01:00:45 Closing Thoughts HACLA | Affordable Housing Los Angeles | Section 8 Vouchers | Public Housing | Housing Crisis | Taylor Avakian No Vacancy Podcast #realestate #commercialrealestate #podcast

How He Builds Homes Without Investing A Dollar

Randy Johnson, the real estate veteran who helped master develop Playa Vista from Howard Hughes land into a thriving 6000 unit neighborhood, joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy podcast. In this in depth conversation, Randy shares the full story behind Playa Vista: navigating 30 lawsuits, coastal commission battles, methane mitigation, massive infrastructure costs, multiple ownership changes, the Dreamworks saga, and turning wetlands into one of LA's most successful master planned communities. He discusses lessons from 40 plus years in development, the 2008 crash, working with Brookfield, building Silicon Beach, affordable housing innovations, and why residential markets stay open longer than commercial.Randy also covers current challenges in Pacific Palisades rebuilding after the fires, LA housing policy failures, the broken affordable housing model, veteran homelessness solutions, and advice for aspiring developers in today's tough regulatory environment.*Chapters:*00:00 Intro and Sponsor01:42 Building Playa Vista: The Full History08:49 Litigation, Recapitalization and Ownership Changes11:36 Dreamworks, Silicon Beach Catalyst and Market Timing16:23 What Randy Would Do Differently Today19:14 Palisades Rebuilding After the Fires26:46 Life Changing Impact and Affordable Housing Lessons31:18 Surprises in the Development Process34:52 Randy's Early Career and Path Into Real Estate38:00 Working at Brookfield and Big Picture Trends39:28 Helping Homeless Veterans and Fixing Affordable Housing41:50 What Randy Would Change About LA Housing Policy43:11 Advice for Young Developers Starting Today47:10 Closing ThoughtsNo Vacancy with Taylor Avakian is the leading podcast for multifamily and commercial real estate professionals in Los Angeles.Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakianSponsor - Loan TitanUpscale your experience withhttps://loantitan.com/Sponsor - AI for CRE CollectiveAI for CRE Community: https://www.skool.com/ai-for-cre-collective/about?ref=3b3ff2c0ccce44ba8039fafd54bf291a📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: taylor@thegroupcre.comX: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#realestate #commercialrealestate #losangeles

How He Went From Fired Lawyer To Tech Legend

Randall Kaplan, Co-Founder of Akamai Technologies, shares his extraordinary journey from failed lawyer to building a $35 billion unicorn company in this powerful No Vacancy Podcast interview with commercial real estate broker Taylor Avakian.From writing 300 personalized cold letters to land a dream job with Eli Broad at SunAmerica, to co-founding Akamai during the dot-com era, navigating massive success and setbacks, mentoring with Sam Zell, and lessons on extreme preparation, relationship building, and giving back — this is a masterclass in grit, opportunity, and long-term thinking.Chapters: * 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg] Intro & Welcome * 01:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=75s] The 300 Letters Campaign That Changed Everything * 04:46 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=286s] Landing the Job with Eli Broad at SunAmerica * 11:45 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=705s] Lessons from Working with Eli Broad & the AIG Sale * 16:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=991s] The Akamai Story: From MIT to $35 Billion Valuation * 24:22 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=1462s] Meeting & Friendship with Sam Zell * 31:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=1878s] Starting "In Search of Excellence" Podcast & Giving Back * 33:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=1998s] Building Authentic Relationships (Not Transactional) * 44:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=2689s] Real Estate Investing: LP to GP Lessons & Challenges * 51:47 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=3107s] Advice for Young People & Where Opportunity Lies Today * 1:01:52 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=3712s] How to Dominate as a Real Estate Broker * 1:07:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=4038s] Key Takeaways from Interviewing Legends * 1:10:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30_ZH8a3Jg&t=4226s] Proudest Achievement: Giving Back & Changing Lives Randall Kaplan Akamai, Taylor Avakian No Vacancy Podcast, entrepreneurship, cold outreach, Sam Zell, real estate investing, career advice, extreme preparation, dot com bubble, success mindset. Sponsor - Loan TitanUpscale your experience withhttps://loantitan.com/ Sponsor - AI for CRE CollectiveAI for CRE Community: https://www.skool.com/ai-for-cre-collective/about?ref=3b3ff2c0ccce44ba8039fafd54bf291a Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: taylor@thegroupcre.comX: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#podcast #business #realestate

How He Built Playa Vista and Silicon Beach

Randy Johnson, the real estate veteran who helped master develop Playa Vista from Howard Hughes land into a thriving 6000 unit neighborhood, joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy podcast. In this in depth conversation, Randy shares the full story behind Playa Vista: navigating 30 lawsuits, coastal commission battles, methane mitigation, massive infrastructure costs, multiple ownership changes, the Dreamworks saga, and turning wetlands into one of LA's most successful master planned communities. He discusses lessons from 40 plus years in development, the 2008 crash, working with Brookfield, building Silicon Beach, affordable housing innovations, and why residential markets stay open longer than commercial. Randy also covers current challenges in Pacific Palisades rebuilding after the fires, LA housing policy failures, the broken affordable housing model, veteran homelessness solutions, and advice for aspiring developers in today's tough regulatory environment. *Chapters:* 00:00 Intro and Sponsor 01:42 Building Playa Vista: The Full History 08:49 Litigation, Recapitalization and Ownership Changes 11:36 Dreamworks, Silicon Beach Catalyst and Market Timing 16:23 What Randy Would Do Differently Today 19:14 Palisades Rebuilding After the Fires 26:46 Life Changing Impact and Affordable Housing Lessons 31:18 Surprises in the Development Process 34:52 Randy's Early Career and Path Into Real Estate 38:00 Working at Brookfield and Big Picture Trends 39:28 Helping Homeless Veterans and Fixing Affordable Housing 41:50 What Randy Would Change About LA Housing Policy 43:11 Advice for Young Developers Starting Today 47:10 Closing Thoughts No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian is the leading podcast for multifamily and commercial real estate professionals in Los Angeles.