At some point, every real estate investor has to ask a hard question:
Is this property still working for me, or am I just holding it out of habit?

In this episode, Dan Ihara, a national real estate planner with more than 400 completed 1031 exchanges and over $110M in deferred capital gains, joins Brian Hamrick to talk about how investors should evaluate aging properties, declining returns, and next-stage portfolio decisions.

Dan specializes in helping investors recognize when an asset has quietly stopped performing and how tools like Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) can be used to transition into truly passive, tax-efficient ownership—without emotional or rushed decisions.

• How to tell when a property has become dead capital

• Why many long-held assets produce 0–2% cap rates without owners realizing it

• How rising taxes, insurance, and expenses quietly erode returns

• Why most investors don't actually know their current cap rate

• The difference between appreciation and real performance

• How DSTs work in practice as a 1031 replacement property

• Who DSTs are designed for—and who they are not

• Passive income vs active ownership late in an investor's career

• How step-up in basis can eliminate capital gains for heirs

• The role of 721 UPREIT conversions and long-term planning

• Why real estate causes family conflict after death

• How pre-inheritance planning can prevent disputes

• Why real estate planning is about clarity, not control

This episode is especially relevant for investors who are:

• Over 50 and thinking about simplification

• Tired of active management but hesitant to sell

• Concerned about capital gains taxes

• Focused on wealth preservation and family harmony, not just growth

• Book: Property Decisions: Avoiding Family Disputes and Painful Taxes to Create a Legacy That Lasts by Dan Ihara

• Available on Amazon (ebook and paperback)

Today's episode is brought to you by Green Property Management, managing everything from single family homes to apartment complexes in the West Michigan area.

https://www.livegreenlocal.com

And RCB & Associates, helping Michigan-based real estate investors and small business owners navigate the complex world of health insurance and medicare benefits.

https://www.rcbassociatesllc.com

AI is no longer theoretical. It is already changing how real estate decisions get made in underwriting, leasing, operations, marketing, asset management, and communication.

In this special episode, I sit down with Steve Brown, AI futurist, bestselling author, and former senior leader at Google DeepMind and Intel. Steve is the Opening Keynote Speaker at the 2026 Midwest Real Estate Investor Conference (MREIC), and his message is clear: this shift is happening faster than most people realize—and "wait and see" is not a strategy.

Steve's lens is built for real-world operating environments with real assets, teams, capital, and risk. He breaks down what AI changes at the workflow level, where it creates real leverage, and what actually matters now versus what can wait, so you do not waste time, money, or focus chasing the wrong thing.

Steve explains what's accelerating in AI right now, what's likely to change over the next few years, and how real estate entrepreneurs and business owners should think about AI as a capability shift, not a collection of tools.

In This Episode, Steve Breaks Down:

• Why AI is moving faster than even experts expected

• Why buying AI licenses is not a strategy (and what is)

• How smaller teams can operate like they're 5x or 10x their size

• The shift from "people are the engine" to "AI becomes the engine"

• What it takes to rethink workflows, not just adopt tools

• The biggest fears, misconceptions, and early implementation mistakes leaders make

We also dig into the real competitive risk ahead: you won't lose to AI, you'll lose to someone who uses AI better than you.

That applies directly to real estate investors.

If you own rental properties, manage assets, raise capital, or run a real estate business, this conversation will sharpen how you think about leverage, workflows, and long-term competitiveness.

Midwest Real Estate Investor Conference (MREIC)
DeVos Place Conference Center | Grand Rapids, Michigan
April 27–28, 2026

Steve Brown Opening Keynote: Monday, April 27 at 9:00 AM
Keynote Title: Navigating What's Next: Practical AI Strategy for Real Estate Investors and Operators

Steve will also host a VIP Luncheon at 12:30 PM for attendees who want to go deeper on practical AI strategy and real-world implementation.

Learn more and get tickets: midwestreiconference.com

Steve Brown is an AI futurist and former executive at Google DeepMind and Intel. He spent decades helping Fortune 100 companies navigate digital transformation and now advises organizations on how to thrive in the AI era.

He is the author of The AI Ultimatum, written specifically for business leaders who want to understand and implement AI strategically.

Learn more at:
stevebrown.ai

Today's episode is brought to you by Green Property Management, managing everything from single family homes to apartment complexes in the West Michigan area.
www.livegreenlocal.com

And RCB & Associates, helping Michigan-based real estate investors and small business owners navigate the complex world of health insurance and Medicare benefits.
www.rcbassociatesllc.com

Paul Moore is coming to MREIC 2026 with a message a lot of investors need right now: the path to long-term wealth isn't exciting—it's durable, disciplined, and often "boring."

In this Speaker Spotlight conversation with host Brian, Paul (Founder of Wellings Capital) explains why many investors are still dealing with the fallout from the last cycle—paused distributions, capital calls, dilution, and deals that were sold as "set it and forget it." His session, The Boring Investor, is built to help you recalibrate how you evaluate risk, returns, operators, and long-term wealth preservation.

Paul will be speaking at the 2026 Midwest Real Estate Investor Conference (MREIC) on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why "high risk" doesn't automatically mean "high returns"

• What it looks like to invest for decades (not quarters)

• The three-part framework Paul uses to evaluate investments: durable assets, strong operators, and intrinsic value

• How to spot disciplined underwriting vs. "boom time" thinking

• A practical investor communication tool Paul uses

Get tickets + conference details: midwestreiconference.com

View ticket options: midwestreiconference.com/view-ticket-options