Mike Scanlon of the Axon Group returns to share his personal real estate journey with several insights on how he has reached his success!

Mike starts by discussing his background prior to real estate and then jumps into his first property acquisition which was a rent-by-the-room condo house hack! He shares how he got gritty and creative to finance and acquire a pair of distressed properties in University Park. Mike breaks down how he identified value and got a down payment to purchase a prime 3-unit house hack in Lakeview! He explains how he grinded to build his real estate brokerage business and used commissions to fund his portfolio. Mike closes the show with how his investment strategy has shifted and with Chicago neighborhoods that he's extra bullish on!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Mike Scanlon, The Axon Group

Link: Mike's Instagram

Link: The Axon Group Instagram

Link: SUCI Ep 427 - 2026 Predictions with the Axon Group

Link: SUCI Ep 398 - Paul de Luca

Link: Never Split the Difference (Book Recommendation)

Guest Questions:

01:50 Housing Provider Tip - Consider offering tenants a valuable unit improvement when enforcing large rent increases.

03:23 Intro to our guest, Mike Scanlon!

10:17 Mike's start in real estate.

17:25 How Mike acquired his second deal.

23:45 Buying a prime 3-unit in Lakeview!

32:49 Building a pipeline of leads as a real estate broker.

37:16 A creative 8-unit deal in Melrose Park!

43:27 Mike's shift in investment strategy.

49:01 Up and coming Chicago neighborhoods!

50:25 What is your competitive advantage?

52:15 One piece of advice for new investors.

54:01 What do you do for fun?

55:23 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

56:38 Local Network Recommendation?

57:33 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

What are the main differences in the 8.0 CAR contract vs the previous 7.0?

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Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Guest: Chance Badertscher, Chance The Lawyer

Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Link: Build Your Team | Straight Up Chicago Investor Podcast

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Dan Nelson is a real estate agent and investor with over 2 decades of experience flipping properties and buying rentals!

Dan jumps right in by explaining his start in real estate and how success in poker helped fund his real estate business! He breaks down his first few flip projects including lessons learned and great tips on vetting contractors. Dan talks through the challenges of getting off the ground as a new real estate agent and provides advice for rookie agents. He gets granular on investment performance expectations across various Chicago neighborhoods including areas he is extra bullish on. Throughout the episode, Dan hammers home the importance of taking a 10,000-foot view letting time be your biggest asset when it comes to succeeding in real estate investing!

If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content!

=============

Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com

Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Properties for Sale on the North Side? We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com

Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement

Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com

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Guest: Dan Nelson, Dan Loves Houses

Link: Dan's Instagram

Link: Dan's Compass Page

Link: The War of Art (Book Recommendation)

Guest Questions:

02:03 Housing Provider Tip - Protect yourself against rental listing scams.

04:20 Intro to our guest, Dan Nelson!

13:02 How to find and vet contractors.

14:24 Dan's geographic area of focus!

18:01 Getting off the ground as a new real estate agent.

20:23 Chicago neighborhood expectations for investors!

30:25 Providing value as a real estate agent.

34:25 Common mistakes investors make when analyzing buildings.

41:33 Dan's outlook on Chicago!

44:23 What is your competitive advantage?

45:33 One piece of advice for new investors.

46:14 What do you do for fun?

46:25 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?

46:50 Local Network Recommendation?

47:14 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you?

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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.