184. The future of this podcast
An update on what's coming up in 2025.
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Top of Mind Series
We're answering the questions that are on your mind!
42. Top of Mind: What's Causing High Gas Prices?
Nearly everyone is asking, "What's the deal with gas prices?" Most Americans are feeling the pinch, while energy bills and gasoline prices have been skyrocketing for months. So, what is causing such a dramatic increase in ene...
70. Top of Mind: Are We Heading Into Recession?
Tune in to this episode (PLUS a webinar announcement) as co-hosts, Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser, dig into the data and talk about recession risks, inflation, historical stimulus, unemployment, interest rates. What does the stimu...
74. Top of Mind: Breaking Down Silicon Valley Bank's Collapse and the…
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser as they break down the factors that led to Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and analyze the potential ripple effects on the market. You'll learn the answers to these top of mind questions...
84. Top of Mind: The Fate of the US Dollar
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser as they delve into an insightful discussion on "The Fate of the US Dollar," a thought-provoking episode that explores the current state and potential future of the United States' curren...
86. Top of Mind: Is Gold a Good Hedge Against Inflation?
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser as they explore the dynamics and significance of gold as an investment, and specifically as a hedge against inflation. Many pundits argue gold is the ultimate hedge against loose monetary ...
![35. Top of Mind [New Series] – What Happened to the Retail Apocalypse?](https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/redwood-labs/showpage/uploads/images/e9e79e68-f2e7-41dd-a118-5ac8ce5510af.png "35. Top of Mind [New Series] – What Happened to the Retail Apocalypse?")
35. Top of Mind [New Series] – What Happened to the Retail Apocalypse?
What’s actually going on with retail real estate? For years, we’ve been seeing headlines declaring that retail real estate is dying, and e-commerce will win. We dive into some charts from a recent presentation we saw from a w...
52. Top of Mind: Why are US companies bringing manufacturing back to …
The past few years have completely upended the global supply chain. This, along with many other factors, is causing more and more companies to bring manufacturing back to America. But is this a short-term trend, or a fundamen...
87. Top of Mind: Is There a Real Estate Syndication Bubble?
In this episode of the Invest Like a Billionaire podcast, co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser delve into the recent headlines about a large apartment syndication foreclosure. Bob and Ben analyze the story and share their insig...
56. Top of Mind: Interest Rates, Recession, and Finding Opportunities
With interest rates rising and recession looming, successfully navigating bumpy waters can be challenging. But, the best opportunities always occur when the economic landscape is shifting. In this episode of the Top of Mind s...
54. Top of Mind: Is Multifamily Still a Good Investment?
Multifamily real estate has been an incredible investment for the past decade, but with interest rates rising, many investors are asking if it’s still a good place to invest. In this episode, Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser talk ab...
96. Top of Mind: When Crowdfunding Goes Awry
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast, as they talk about crowdfunding. Unpacking the recent Wall Street Journal article, "Missing Mill...
97. Top of Mind: Are Retail Strip Centers the Next Hot Real Estate Tr…
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast, as they talk about a recent Wall Street Journal article on “The Hottest Real-Estate Play Is in Y...
99. Top of Mind: Why China May Face Deflation
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser as they dive deep into China's economy, addressing a phenomenon that has taken experts by surprise — deflation. This episode delves into the unexpected aftermath of China's strict COVID...
101. Top of Mind: Consumer Credit Card Debt Surpasses $1 Trillion! Wh…
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast as they dissect the recent news that US consumer credit card debt has crossed a monumental $1 ...
103. Top of Mind: Large Funds Waiting for Distressed CRE Deals
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast, as they talk about a recent article on “Wall Street Is Ready to Scoop Up Commercial Real Estate ...
105. Top of Mind: The Curious Case of Retail Real Estate
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast as they delve into a recent Marcus & Millichap article on retail real estate. This thought-pro...
107. Top of Mind: Why Goldman Sachs is Predicting Higher Oil Prices
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast. In this episode, Bob and Ben explore the recent surge in oil prices, with Brent and crude oil...
109. Top of Mind: Is the Job Boom Over?
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast as they discuss the post-pandemic job market. Focusing their discussion on a recent Wall Stree...
111. Top of Mind: Will Oil Hit $100/Bbl by Year End?
Join co-hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser in the latest episode of the "Top of Mind" series on the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast as they explore a topic that's currently front and center in the minds of consumers everywhere...
113. Top of Mind: Forecasts from Economists Panel
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser on the "Top of Mind" episode of the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast, where they discuss takeaways from Bob’s recent participation in a panel with other economists. They explore the curre...
117. Top of Mind: How Will Middle East Conflict Impact Oil Prices?
Join hosts Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser on the "Top of Mind" episode of the Invest Like A Billionaire podcast as they react to recent events regarding the Middle Eastern conflict. They discuss the current political dynamics in t...
119. Top of Mind: Surprising GDP Growth, Higher Long-Term Rates & Wha…
What does the 4.9% GDP growth mean to the US economy, and to you as an investor? -Here are our thoughts on the consumer spending trend as a driving force behind economic health and the potential of the retail sector. Listen t...
121. Top of Mind: $44 Billion Funding Gap in Multifamily & Opportunit…
What's causing the Multifamily Funding Gap, and how can you navigate it? Join us to understand the impact of property value fluctuations and the steps needed to close the financial divide in the world of multifamily real esta...
123. Top of Mind: Labor Shortage Continues & Higher for Longer
All from inflation to labor shortages, we've been on the pulse for two years. We discuss the latest on rising wages, navigating inflation in real estate investing, and reshoring manufacturing. Sources | Wall Street Journal ar...
125. Oil Prices Dropped, What Does It Mean?
Oil prices recently dropped and analysts are trying to figure out what’s going on. In this episode, Bob and Ben Fraser dive into the factors at play. And address the questions if this is a temporary decline, or something more...
126. Top of Mind: Brewing Chinese Financial Crisis
Discussing the behind the scenes of China's economic landscape and what it represents for the global economy. Sources | Wall Street Journal articles https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-chinese-financial-crisis-nobody-is-talking-...
128. Top of Mind: Fed Cautions on Too Much Optimism
Discussing the Fed's impact on real estate. We explore rate decisions, market shifts, and future optimism. Connect with Bob Fraser on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-fraser-22469312/...
132. Top of Mind: Inflation is Lower, Are Feds Ready to Lower Rates?
Is lower inflation a green light for the Fed to lower rates? How good is a 3.1% Consumer Price Index? In this episode, we analyze the market response and discuss the likelihood of the Fed lowering interest rates. Connect with...
139. Election Year: What Will the Fed Do? | Top of Mind
Bob and Ben discuss the election year, the pressures that both political parties might exert on the Fed to implement changes in interest rates, and the narrative that the economic data is portraying for investors. Connect wit...
141. The Banks Are Not Okay | Top of Mind
Discover Bob and Ben’s insights and analysis of the state of bank's balance sheets amidst talk of a commercial real estate crash. Globest.com Article - https://www.globest.com/2024/02/02/the-banks-are-not-okay/ Connect with B...
143. Investors Are Almost Always Wrong About Rates | Top of Mind
Join Bob Fraser and Ben Fraser as they uncover the surprising data showing investors expectations on rates have historically been wrong. Learn about why this is and what it means for making investment decisions. Wall Street J...
145. How to Review a Deal Proforma - Part 1 | Top of Mind
Ever wondered how to review an underwriting file in 10 minutes or less? Join Ben Fraser as he shares shortcuts and guidelines for evaluating multifamily opportunities. Connect with Ben Fraser on LinkedIn ...
146. How to Review a Deal Proforma - Part 2 | Top of Mind
Join Ben Fraser for Part 2 on reviewing underwriting files in 10 minutes or less! Discover shortcuts and guidelines for evaluating multifamily opportunities efficiently. Connect with Ben Fraser on LinkedIn ...
149. Where Did $700B in Maturing CRE Loans Go? | Top of Mind
Learn about what happened to the $700B of commercial real estate loans that were set to mature last year, and what it means for the CRE market in 2024. Globe Street Article - https://www.globest.com/2024/02/20/about-multifami...
152. The Fed Dot Plot & Lower Rates Ahead? | Top of Mind
We discuss the latest insights on the Fed's rate sentiment and its impact on the market. Are investors prepared for potential rate changes? Tune in as we break down market reactions and investor strategies. Wall Street Journa...
174. Top Trends to Watch in Industrial Real Estate | Top of Mind
We have a new Industrial deal: https://app.junipersquare.com/i/aspenfunds/offering/1bdbcf6a-da16-4e65-a675-31909415300a Schedule a call with us: https://meetings.hubspot.com/mike-sullivant/ilab-speak-to-aspen-representative-...
Recent Episodes
184. The future of this podcast
183. Can Roth IRAs and S Corporations Help You Build Tax-Free Wealth?
182. What Are Today’s Best Opportunities in Multifamily Real Estate and Private Credit?
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About the Hosts
Bob Fraser
Co-Founder • CFO
Mr. Fraser has 20+ years’ experience as a finance and technology executive and is a Magna Cum Laude U.C. Berkeley computer scientist and a former Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner. Fraser is responsible for financial management, portfolio modeling, as well as systems and processes, designing and deploying Aspen’s scalable state-of-the-art back-end platform.
In 1995, Mr. Fraser founded NetSales, Inc., a back-office e-commerce provider. As a CEO, Mr. Fraser raised $44 million in investment capital, and guided the company to an average of 20% month-to-month revenue growth, becoming the metro area’s fastest growing company between 1997 and 1999.
Since 2002 Fraser has founded and served several non-profit organizations as a board member and CFO. Fraser has also been involved in a number of entrepreneurial initiatives, including book publishing, financial consulting, and an investment fund managing member.
In 2012 Fraser co-founded Aspen Funds, a fund management company focused on alternative investments.
Jim Maffuccio
Co-Founder
Mr. Maffuccio is a 30-year real estate veteran and an expert in mortgage notes. He is deeply networked in the secondary mortgage industry and is responsible for acquisitions and underwriting as well as relationships with primary sources and key vendors.
Maffuccio received his degree in civil engineering from Louisiana State University in 1979. Upon graduating, Mr. Maffuccio moved to the West Coast and gained extensive project management experience with Exxon.
From 1986 to present, Mr. Maffuccio has been engaged full time in the real estate development and investment industry. In addition, he has overseen several hundred purchase, sale, and/or financing transactions, and has been a licensed real estate agent since 1985.
During his real estate career, Mr. Maffuccio developed, and/or rehabbed multiple residential projects in Southern California, including infill subdivisions, affordable homes, luxury homes and homesites, multifamily, and planned developments, such as the Gold Nugget Award-winning “Traditions” community in Fillmore. Mr. Maffuccio has personally executed and/or managed every aspect of the development process, including site selection and acquisition, project conceptualization and design, procurement of entitlements and permits, regulatory compliance, entity structuring and capitalization, construction management, marketing, sales, and investor relations.
In 2009, Mr. Maffuccio began investing in mortgage loans, developing key sources and vendors and applying his extensive real estate experience to the note investment space. In 2012 Maffuccio co-founded Aspen Funds, a fund management company focused on alternative investments.
Ben Fraser
Managing Director • CIO
Prior to Aspen, Mr. Fraser was a commercial lender at First Business Bank specializing in government backed loan originations (SBA & USDA), for one of the top SBA lenders in the nation. Prior to that he was a commercial credit underwriter for Crossfirst Bank, personally responsible for underwriting over $125MM in C&I and CRE loans across a variety of industries.
Prior to that, he worked for Tortoise Capital Advisors, a boutique asset management firm in energy infrastructure investments, and helped grow their institutional managed accounts from ~$3BN AUM to ~$7BN AUM. Ben was responsible for responding to all institutional RFPs from interested institutional investors.
Ben completed his MBA from Azusa Pacific University, and his B.S. in Finance from the University of Kansas, graduating magna cum laude.