Full DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup Meeting | December 2025

In this special episode recorded live at the DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup meeting, host Rob Coldwell sits down with financial advisor and Forbes contributor Fred Hubler to unpack one of real estate's best-kept secrets: Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs).

What You'll Learn:

Fred opens with a story that will make any landlord pay attention: a family with a $14 million mobile home park, fully depreciated with no debt, facing a massive tax bill. Through strategic DST planning, Fred's team saved them $9 million in taxes while generating MORE passive income than they were making as active operators. The real estate agent on the deal? Bought two Bentlies with his commission. Fred? Got a box of cigars.

But this episode goes far deeper than one success story.

The Conversation Covers:

• What DSTs Actually Are

• The Emotional Side of Selling

• Real Numbers, Real Portfolio

• The Three Doors Strategy

• Advanced Strategies Revealed

• Institutional Advantages

• Real Risk Discussion

• Who This Is (and Isn't) For

Key Insights:

"When they buy, they will cut expenses by 25%" — Fred explains how institutional operators immediately add value through scale

"All 18 families said a derivative of that: 'We don't think anything's going to get any better and we just want income we can trust'" — The surprising common thread among sellers

"The first question you should be asking me is how are you protecting me against additional risk" — Fred's three-layer protection strategy for investors

"I have 1,800 failure points" — How one owner with 1,800 doors described his portfolio before converting to DSTs

Practical Takeaways:

• How to identify if you or a seller is a good DST candidate (minimum $100K equity, must be accredited)
• The critical 45-day identification rule and why the best DSTs sell out in days, not weeks
• Fee structures: 5-7% of equity invested, paid once (about 93 cents of every dollar actually goes into the property)
• Why Fred uses interest rate hedges, construction contingencies, and rental model validation to protect investor capital
• The accreditation requirements: $1M net worth (excluding primary residence) OR $300K joint income for individuals; $5M for trusts

Who Should Listen:

• Active landlords considering an exit strategy or transition to passive investing
• Real estate agents working with older clients who own appreciated property
• Syndicators and developers who want to offer sellers a tax-advantaged exit
• Anyone managing 10+ doors who's tired of the operational burden
• Financial advisors working with real estate investors
• Investors approaching retirement who want to de-risk their portfolio

Resources Mentioned:

• DST-Exchange.com (Fred's 1031 calculator tool)
• Forbes.com (search "Hubler" for Fred's educational articles on DSTs and alternative investments
• The "worst case scenario" example: Kansas Gander Mountain property (2007-2016)

Whether you're sitting on appreciated real estate wondering about your next move, working with clients who need exit strategies, or simply curious about institutional-quality passive real estate investing, this episode delivers actionable intelligence you won't find anywhere else.

Host: Rob Coldwell, Principal at Rentwell Property ManagementGuest: Fred Hubler, Financial Advisor & Forbes ContributorRecorded: DIG Philly Commercial Investment Subgroup Meeting, December 2025

Note: This episode is educational in nature. DSTs are securities available only to accredited investors. Consult with qualified financial and tax advisors before making investment decisions.

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What happens when you achieve your real estate goals... and realize you built the wrong thing?

In this episode of Living Well with Rentwell, host Rob Coldwell sits down with Gary Jonas, founder of The How Group, at the DIG Philly subchapter meeting for one of the most honest conversations about real estate investing you'll ever hear.

Gary's journey started like many of ours: reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, buying properties one at a time while working full-time, dreaming of passive income. Seven years and 10 properties later, he'd built a million dollars in equity—but zero cash flow.What happened next changed everything.

And it wasn't a smooth ride to the top.

In this raw, practical conversation, Gary reveals:

• The real timeline it takes to build wealth (spoiler: it's longer than you think, but more achievable than you fear)

• Why his operating companies made $0 profit for 3 straight years—and how reserves saved everything

• The return on equity calculation that determines when to sell your best properties

• How to actually protect investors against interest rate, construction, and rental risks (including the derivative strategy most investors don't know about)

• Why caring about effort over results has kept his partnership strong for 28 years

• The specific market opportunity Gary sees in 2026 (and why it reminds him of 2008)

• The brutal truth about partnership scorekeeping and why it destroys businesses

• How to structure deals that attract investors in a market where nobody wants to deploy capital

Gary talks openly about projects that went over budget, deals that didn't work, and the cycles that nearly broke him. But he also shares the exact strategies, calculations, and mindsets that took him from 10 single-family homes in Manayunk to a $350 million portfolio.

Whether you're buying your first rental property or managing a portfolio, this episode will change how you think about real estate investing.

GUEST BIO:Gary Jonas is the founder of The How Group, a real estate development and investment firm with a portfolio valued at over $350 million in the greater Philadelphia area. With 30+ years of experience across multiple real estate cycles, Gary has completed projects ranging from small multifamily buildings to large-scale developments. He's known for his investor-first approach and transparent communication about both successes and challenges in the real estate business.

RECORDED:DIG Philly Subchapter Meeting, November 2025

TOPICS COVERED:Real estate investing, multifamily development, partnership structures, risk management, market cycles, Philadelphia real estate, investor relations, return on equity, capital deployment, construction management, property management

Rob Coldwell and TJ Hock join us once again to have a more intimate chat about our next big project, and more or less show our viewers a peek at what goes on behind the scenes of RentWell and our Businesses. We have an announcement regarding small multi-family properties, as well as a recap of all of the different things we do. This is the podcast for you if you’re interested in learning what all goes on with the Rentwell Team Rentwell is a professional property management company that cares about what we do and the people we serve. We strive to set the highest standards in our industry. Our mission is to seamlessly manage properties by executing innovative services that provide peace of mind for both owners and residents. Our owners and residents are our top priority! We focus on building success by providing excellent customer service, efficient systems, and responsible growth processes. As a premier professional property management company, everything we do is rooted in innovation. Our highly motivated, energetic team works diligently to improve the systems and tools we utilize every day! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:15 - Our next project 8:34 - About our infrastructure 10:45 - The HUB