Podcast
GRID Charleston
Hosted by Paul Kelton · EN
Where Charleston’s real estate dealmakers come to connect, learn, and grow. Each month, we pull live audio straight from our GRID Charleston events—featuring local investors, developers, and entrepreneurs who are shaping the Lowcountry’s future. You’ll hear real conversations about finding, funding, and fixing deals… plus raw stories from the people doing it every day.
Hosted by Paul Kelton, this show brings the room to your ears—complete with market updates, sponsor spotlights, and expert insights that turn local knowledge into real opportunities.
Whether you’re an active investor or just getting started, plug in to the network that’s redefining Charleston real estate.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Drew Turner on The Fundamentals of New Construction | LIVE Event
3d ago00:41:45Tap to summarizeDrew Turner spent 15 years building things at institutional scale — data centers, multifamily programs, higher-ed projects — before coming home to Charleston and asking a simple question: can that same discipline work on smaller infill deals? The answer, it turns out, is yes. But only if you're willing to accept that ground-up development in the Lowcountry is slower, harder, and more expensive than almost anyone expects going in.Drew is the principal of Ashley Cooper Properties and has managed over $815 million in commercial projects across multiple markets. He joined GRID Charleston to walk through what it actually takes to develop here — from evaluating raw land to navigating entitlement and permitting, managing carry costs, building the right team, and knowing when to walk away from a deal that doesn't pencil.This episode covers the full development lifecycle through the lens of Drew's first deal: a half-acre infill site that yielded eight townhomes, a $2.5M total project cost, and a full-cycle exit in under two years. He gets specific — land basis as a percentage of project cost, return on cost benchmarks, the team members you cannot skip, and the single biggest mistake first-time developers make that has nothing to do with the vertical construction.KEY TAKEAWAYS[04:00] — Drew's background: 10 years in national commercial construction, JLL owner's rep, multifamily developer in the Carolinas, then going independent in 2024[09:00] — How Drew's first deal came together: half-acre infill, eight townhomes, $500K land basis, $2.5M all-in, full-cycle exit in under two years[17:00] — How to evaluate a piece of land quickly: land basis as a percentage of project cost, jurisdiction, zoning, density, and road frontage[22:00] — What infill actually means in Charleston — and what it doesn't[26:00] — The biggest cost surprises in ground-up development: site conditions, underground unknowns, and how permitting delays turn into financing carry exposure[33:00] — Return benchmarks: why 20–30% profit on cost is a solid deal, and why 12–15% return on cost beats institutional standards[38:00] — The essential development Rolodex: surveyor, geotech, civil engineer, structural engineer, architect, attorney, builder, and agent[43:00] — How to structure a land contract: why getting permits in hand before closing is best practice — and how Drew learned that the hard way[50:00] — Realistic timelines: one year for entitlement and permitting, one year for construction, one year for sales — plan for all three[01:01:00] — Deals Drew has said no to: soft spec home markets, wetland-heavy parcels, and deals with unfavorable infrastructure conditions[01:08:00] — Advice for aspiring developers: get into ULI, meet engineers early, find a strong partner, and build your network before you need itGUEST BIODrew Turner is a Charleston native and the principal of Ashley Cooper Properties. After a decade in national commercial construction and years in owner's rep and consulting roles at JLL, he returned to the Lowcountry to apply institutional-level development discipline to local infill projects. He has managed over $815 million in large-scale commercial projects and now focuses on ground-up residential development in the Charleston market, with a pipeline of townhomes, single-family infill, and mixed-use parcels in various stages of entitlement.HOST BIOPaul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a broker at The Matt O'Neill Team, one of Charleston's top real estate brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management.
Transcribe →Nick Pavia on The Wealth Blueprint: How Real Estate Fits Into an Investment Portfolio | LIVE Event
1w ago00:31:41Tap to summarizeNick Pavia is a wealth advisor at Apollon Wealth — and unlike most people in his seat, he actually owns rental real estate. He's done fix-and-flips, buy-and-holds, and made expensive mistakes. So when he sat down with GRID Charleston, the conversation wasn't a surface-level "real estate is great" pitch. It was a frank breakdown of how real estate actually fits inside a serious financial picture, what investors need to have in place before they buy, and where the popular podcasts and books get it wrong.This episode covers the financial infrastructure most investors overlook — reserves, LLC structure, credit, and liquidity — before ever talking about deal selection. Nick also breaks down when to use hard money, why owning real estate inside an IRA is much harder than it sounds, and how to think about leverage without blowing yourself up.If you're in that "I want to buy my first or next rental" headspace, this one's worth your full attention. Nick doesn't sell real estate as a miracle path. He explains what it takes to do it right, what temperament it requires, and why the people who get wrecked usually had warning signs they ignored.This episode of the GRID Charleston Podcast is brought to you by our sponsors: Tide Property Management Co., Coastal Equity Group, Matt O'Neill Real Estate, Sweetgrass Capital, Coastal Creative Media, Mitchum Law Firm, and Apollon Wealth. Key Takeaways[00:00] — Why a wealth advisor at Apollon Wealth actively encourages real estate investing — and how that's different from most advisors[04:30] — Nick's first deal in 2005: a no-doc loan, a condo on Ben Sawyer, and the lesson about needing equity cushion before you buy[09:00] — What a clean financial picture looks like before buying an investment property: credit score, down payment source, and reserves[14:30] — The two-silo approach: separating your personal emergency fund from your rental business reserves[18:00] — LLC structure: when one LLC is fine, when to stack individual LLCs under a master holding company, and why creditor protection matters as you scale[22:30] — Why real estate is one of the safest ways to use leverage, and how that compares to leveraging a stock portfolio[28:00] — Where real estate gets oversold: BRRRR strategies, renovation budgets, and what the BiggerPockets books don't tell you[33:00] — Who should NOT own rental real estate: temperament, emotional attachment to assets, and sleepless nights[38:00] — Hard money lending: when it makes sense and when you're not ready for it yet[42:00] — Self-directed IRAs and real estate: why it's clunky, the IRS rules you probably don't know, and what Nick recommends instead[52:00] — Audience Q&A and Nick's closing thoughts on real estate inside a modern wealth strategyGuest BioNick Pavia started his career in the insurance business right before the 2008 crash — and bought his first property in 2005 using a no-doc loan, a move that cost him dearly and shaped how he thinks about investing forever after. Today he's a wealth advisor at Apollon Wealth, where he works alongside partner Gavin Dooley and relationship manager Caroline Clark. Unlike most advisors who avoid the topic entirely, Nick actively integrates real estate into his clients' broader financial plans — because in Charleston, it's usually already a major piece of the pie whether they realize it or not.Host BioPaul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a partner at Matt O'Neill Real Estate, one of Charleston's top brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management. Paul focuses on multifamily acquisitions and has been investing in the Charleston market for over a decade.
Transcribe →Dawson Luthman on How to Operate STRs in Charleston | LIVE Event
1w ago00:35:52Tap to summarizeDawson Luthman built Luthman Luxury Estates from one unit in college to 20 properties across the Charleston area — no outside capital, no big staff, just ground-up organic growth alongside his wife Claire. He manages everything A to Z: deal analysis, furnishing, staging, guest experience, and ongoing operations. In this episode, he sits down with Paul Kelton at GRID Charleston to talk about what actually works in the Charleston STR market right now — submarket by submarket, not in theory.Most of what gets published about short-term rental investing is either too general to be useful or too focused on national trends that don't apply to a market like Charleston. This conversation is the opposite. Dawson breaks down where permits are still available, where they're not, what makes a property perform at the top of its market, and what kills a listing slowly over time. He also gets into an STR tax loophole — around self-employment tax and the real estate professional designation — that generated the most discussion in the room.Whether you're an investor evaluating your first STR deal or an operator looking to tighten up what you're already running, this episode is a grounded, practical look at what it takes to build a successful short-term rental operation in the Charleston market.This episode is brought to you by the sponsors of GRID Charleston: Tide Property Management Co., Coastal Equity Group, Matt O'Neill Real Estate, Sweetgrass Capital, Coastal Creative Media, Mitchum Law Firm, and Apollon Wealth. Their support is what makes this community possible every month.Key Takeaways[00:03] — Why Dawson and his wife chose STR over long-term rentals, and how they scaled to 20 units organically[06:45] — Submarket breakdown: where permits are available, where they're capped, and where investors should focus right now[10:00] — Hanahan as an underrated opportunity: no owner-occupancy restriction and no permit cap as of now[13:30] — Mount Pleasant's ~400-permit wait list, Downtown Charleston's STR overlay district, and what "commercially zoned" means for investors[18:00] — What to look for in a property before you buy: layout, amenities, competitive comp analysis using Airbnb's map view[26:30] — What drives five-star reviews — and why the answer after year two isn't what most operators expect[32:00] — The case against DIY management: why doing it yourself "okay" costs you more than hiring someone who does it well[38:00] — The STR self-employment tax loophole, the real estate professional designation, and how a cost-seg study stacks on top[47:00] — How Dawson structures client accounts so owners retain their Airbnb history, reviews, and future bookings if they ever leave[51:00] — Software stack: HostAway for PMS, PriceLabs for dynamic pricing, Blink cameras, and why Airbnb still drives 90–95% of volumeGuest BioDawson Luthman is the founder of Luthman Luxury Estates, a boutique short-term rental management company based in Charleston, South Carolina. He started the business with his wife Claire while finishing college, scaling from one unit to 20 properties over four years through entirely organic growth. Luthman Luxury Estates offers full-service, turnkey STR management — deal analysis, furnishing, staging, listing setup, dynamic pricing, and ongoing guest operations — with a boutique approach that keeps ownership of every listing with the client.Paul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a partner at The Matt O'Neill Team, one of Charleston's top real estate brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management. Paul focuses on multifamily acquisitions and has been investing in the Charleston market for over a decade.
Transcribe →Dawson Luthman on How to Operate STRs in Charleston | Pre-Event Interview
Apr 1400:19:45Tap to summarizeOVERVIEWDawson Luthman didn't come from real estate money or a family business — he came from a 27-person graduating class in rural Ohio and a supply chain desk job he quit just before his 23rd birthday. Today, he runs Luthman Luxury Estates, managing 22 short-term rental properties across Ohio and the Charleston market, building the operation from scratch alongside his wife with nothing but cold calls, trial and error, and a willingness to keep dialing after being told not to call back.This pre-event interview is a primer for Dawson's upcoming appearance at GRID Charleston, where he'll break down the real mechanics of operating STRs in the Lowcountry — what the demand cycle actually looks like, which areas of town perform and why, and what separates owners who thrive from those who flame out after their first year.Whether you own short-term rentals, manage long-term rentals, or just want to understand how this asset class works in a market like Charleston, there's a takeaway in here for you. Competition in the STR space isn't something to fear — it's a signal that the market is healthy. The question is whether you have the right systems, pricing, and owner relationships to stand out.KEY TAKEAWAYS WITH TIMESTAMPS[00:09] — How Dawson went from a small-town Ohio desk job to running 22 STR units across two markets[02:26] — The exact pitch he used to convert long-term rental landlords into STR clients on Zillow[04:19] — Why building owner trust has to come before any systems, software, or guest relations work[05:55] — The AI guest messaging mistake that hurt his reviews — and how he course-corrected[09:31] — What the best STR owners do differently: the reinvestment mindset that separates top performers[12:51] — How to read Charleston's annual tourism demand cycle and plan renovations around it[15:47] — Why doing major property improvements in the off-season is one of the most overlooked STR strategies[17:08] — Who will get the most out of the upcoming GRID Charleston STR eventGUEST BIODawson Luthman grew up in small-town Ohio and took a chance on short-term rentals after stumbling onto a clickbait Instagram video while still in college. He quit his nine-to-five just before his 23rd birthday and went all-in on building Luthman Luxury Estates, a short-term rental management company he runs with his wife. Four years later, they oversee 22 properties across Ohio and the Charleston market, with 14 active units in the Lowcountry alone.HOST BIOPaul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a partner at The Matt O'Neill Team, one of Charleston's top real estate brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management. Paul focuses on multifamily acquisitions and has been investing in the Charleston market for over a decade.
Transcribe →Hayden Albert on How to “Wholesale” Legally in South Carolina | LIVE Event
Mar 2400:48:04Tap to summarizeOverviewTwo years ago, South Carolina made wholesaling illegal. Not kind-of-illegal — specifically, explicitly illegal. And Hayden Albert, who had just hired a new VP and staked his entire company on deal flow, watched it happen in real time. He didn’t quit. He figured it out. Today his team of 12 does over 200 deals a year in the tri-county area, spending $40–50K a month on marketing and operating one of the most active off-market acquisition businesses in the Lowcountry.This episode is about how deals are still getting done — legally — and what the law actually says versus what most people think it says. Hayden breaks down the distinction between wholesaling (marketing a property you don’t own, which is illegal) and assigning a contract (which is not), and explains exactly how his business had to restructure its buyer outreach, deal flow, and operations to stay compliant without losing revenue.If you’ve been confused about how to operate in the current environment, or you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for clarity, this conversation gives you the real picture from someone who’s been in the trenches since before and after the law changed.Key Takeaways[00:08] — Paul introduces the event topic and why he brought Hayden in to explain the post-law landscape[08:00] — Hayden’s background: nine years in the military, going full-time in real estate in 2022, and building the business the hard way[15:00] — What the SC law actually says: why the real estate commission wrote it, how it defines wholesaling, and why it’s a trap for both licensed and unlicensed investors[24:00] — The legal workaround: how assignment contracts still work if the buyer reaches out to you first, and what the real estate commission told Hayden on a recorded Zoom call[32:00] — How Hayden’s team finds off-market deals: skip tracing, inbound marketing (Google ads, PPL, social), and why he now spends $40–50K a month to generate leads[42:00] — Building a compliant buyer’s list: why mass blast emails are gone, how his team adds 15 new buyers a day, and the “Facebook snipe” strategy[50:00] — Hayden’s two-funnel model: why he wholesales marketing deals and buys brand deals, and why he never cherry-picks the best deals for himself[58:00] — First 90 days advice: pull the foreclosure list, sort for equity, door knock, track your numbers, and why face-to-face still wins[68:00] — Q&A: When double closing creates more liability, not less — and when transactional funding still makes sense[75:00] — Q&A: Why Hayden only buys rentals when he has a tax problem, and how cost segregation erased $450K in taxable income in a single year[82:00] — Q&A: What’s still legal to wholesale — land and commercial are both fair gameAbout Hayden AlbertHayden Albert spent nine years in the military before leaving to go full-time in real estate in 2022 — the same year South Carolina’s wholesale law went into effect. Rather than pivot away from the business, he rebuilt his entire operation around the new rules, growing to a team of 12 and completing over 200 transactions in the Charleston tri-county area. His company operates across wholesaling, flipping, land development, and new construction, with a primary focus on building the highest-volume off-market deal flow in the Lowcountry.About Your HostPaul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a partner at The Matt O’Neill Team, one of Charleston’s top real estate brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management. Paul focuses on multifamily acquisitions and has been investing in the Charleston market for over a decade.
Transcribe →Ryan Groene on How to Invest in Mobile Home Parks | LIVE Event
Mar 2400:55:01Tap to summarizeOverviewMobile home parks have gone from overlooked to overpriced — and yet Ryan Groene is still finding deals, still buying, and still doubling his money. He’s been a full-time mobile home park investor since 2018, has owned over 20 parks across the Midwest and Southeast, and has operated through every market cycle since before most people even knew what a mobile home park was.In this episode, Marcela Ruiz sits down with Ryan to break down what the business actually looks like in 2026. Not the version you heard on a podcast in 2019 — the real one. Cap rates have compressed to below multifamily. Bridge debt has taken out operators who were doing everything else right. And infilling vacant lots is a lot harder than the YouTube videos make it look.If you’ve ever been curious about mobile home parks, or you’re already in the space and want to know how a 10-year veteran thinks about deals, due diligence, financing, and market selection, this is the conversation to watch.Key Takeaways[00:00] — Paul opens the event and introduces Ryan Groene; Ryan describes his background from finance to full-time park investing[08:00] — How Ryan thinks about operating parks: the weekly KPI meeting, delinquency management, and the no-pay-no-stay rule[15:00] — The real math on how you make a million dollars in mobile home parks — it’s all about the liquidity event[22:00] — How to get started: start within two to three hours of home, buy something producing revenue, don’t start with an empty park[30:00] — Why Ryan doesn’t develop mobile home parks: NIMBY zoning, city economics, and $75–150K per-unit development costs[38:00] — Financing structures: seller financing, commercial debt, syndication, and when each makes sense — and why short-term bridge debt is the “number one pitfall”[50:00] — Park-owned homes versus lot renters: how to transition, what lenders want, and the title problem nobody talks about[62:00] — What Ryan looks for in a market: big delta between median housing price and lot rent, city utilities, landlord-friendly states, 50K+ population[72:00] — Where cap rates are today (5.18% national average — lower than multifamily) and how Ryan still targets doubling his money[80:00] — RV parks vs. mobile home parks: why Ryan is exiting RVs (higher expense ratios, more employees, operationally intensive)[88:00] — Q&A: How to value park-owned homes when underwriting, on-site management thresholds, and clustering parksAbout Ryan GroeneRyan Groene left a finance career at 25 to go full-time in real estate, emptying his 401k to buy a 75-unit mobile home park in Fayetteville, North Carolina — his very first real estate purchase. Over the next decade he built a portfolio of 20+ parks and several RV parks across the Midwest and Southeast, learning to operate, syndicate, and scale through every market cycle. Today he focuses on 50+ unit parks with city utilities in landlord-friendly states, targeting a 2x return on every deal.About This EpisodeThis episode was recorded live at GRID Charleston’s monthly investor meetup on February 17, 2026, and hosted by Marcela Ruiz. GRID Charleston is a monthly real estate investor meetup founded by Paul Kelton, part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities.About GRID CharlestonPaul Kelton is a real estate investor and the founder of GRID Charleston, a monthly investor meetup that is part of a global network of 30,000 members across 30+ communities. He is also a partner at The Matt O’Neill Team, one of Charleston’s top real estate brokerages, and the founder of Tide Property Management. Paul focuses on multifamily acquisitions and has been investing in the Charleston market for over a decade.
Transcribe →How to become a Millionaire Investing in Mobile Home Parks | Ryan Groene | Pre-Event Interview
Jan 2900:16:59Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Paul sits down with Ryan Groene, Partner at Treeside Capital, to break down what mobile home park investing actually looks like in 2026.Ryan has been involved in 30+ mobile home parks across the Midwest and Southeast and has lived through the full evolution of the asset class — from mom-and-pop, blue-ocean deals to today’s institutional, highly competitive market.This isn’t a hype episode.They talk through:Why mobile home parks are fundamentally a land business, not a rental businessThe real supply-and-demand dynamics behind non-subsidized affordable housingWhy mobile home parks now trade tighter than multifamily — and why that mattersWhere Ryan is still finding opportunity today (and where he’s staying away)The hard truth about whether new investors should even be trying to break into this space right nowThis conversation is designed to reset expectations, sharpen underwriting thinking, and give investors a clearer lens on risk, operations, and long-term viability in mobile home parks.Ryan will be joining us in person at the GRID Charleston event on Tuesday, February 17 for a live mastermind and open discussion, where we’ll go deeper and pressure-test these ideas with real investors in the room.If mobile home parks are on your radar — or you want to understand why serious capital keeps flowing into this asset class — this episode is your foundation.
Transcribe →1031 Exchanges & Tax Strategies for Real Estate | Eric Bradshaw & Johnny Chandler | LIVE Event
Jan 2701:07:21Tap to summarizeHey guys, Paul Kelton here, host of GRID Charleston.This episode is a live recording of our most recent event, covering one of the most important – and most misunderstood – parts of real estate investing: how to leverage real estate to save on taxes using a 1031 exchange.I want to take a quick second to thank the sponsors who make GRID possible and keep these events free for everyone – Coastal Equity Group, Mitchum Law, Coastal Creative, and Sweetgrass Capital, Tide Property Management Co, and Matt O'Neill Real Estate. These are local operators actually doing deals here in Charleston, and we appreciate their support.Now, when it comes to 1031 exchanges, a lot of investors think they understand them. Most don’t – and the mistakes get expensive fast.So I brought in two people who live in this world every day – Eric Bradshaw and Johnny Chandler. They’re not here to talk theory. They’re breaking down real transactions, real timelines, and the things investors consistently get wrong.We cover when a 1031 makes sense, when it doesn’t, how the clock really works, and some advanced strategies most people don’t even know are options.And if you want to be in the room for conversations like this, GRID meets on the third Tuesday of every month, and starting this year we’ve also added Deals, Donuts & Coffee on the first Friday of the month – a daytime event where people pitch real deals, raise capital, and make connections.You can find all upcoming events and register at gridcharleston.com, or follow us on social media.
Transcribe →1031 Exchanges & Tax Strategies for Real Estate | Eric Bradshaw & Johnny Chandler | Pre-Event
Jan 1200:13:45Tap to summarizeNext week at GRID Charleston, we’re hosting a live, in-room conversation that every real estate investor should hear before their next sale.We’ll be joined by Johnny Chandler and Eric Bradshaw – two specialists who have collectively executed thousands of 1031 exchanges and spend their careers fixing mistakes investors didn’t know they were making.This is not a surface-level overview. We’ll break down:The rules investors routinely misunderstand about 1031 exchangesWhy the 45-day identification window kills unprepared sellersWhen partial exchanges make sense (and when they don’t)How reverse and construction exchanges actually work in real lifeWhy tax strategy should influence which deals you pursue – not just how you closeEvent formatBrief intro to GRID CharlestonLive conversation with Johnny and Eric to establish the frameworkSmall-table discussions so investors can pressure-test their own situationsOpen Q&A with real, deal-specific questionsPost-event networking with the speakersEvent details📍 1349 Old Georgetown Rd, Mount Pleasant, SC🕠 Doors open at 5:30 PM🕕 Event starts promptly at 6:00 PM💸 Free to attend, thanks to our sponsorsIf you own real estate, are thinking about selling, or want to compound instead of reset every time you exit a deal, this is a conversation you can’t afford to skip.Come prepared with questions. You’ll leave with clarity.
Transcribe →How to Buy a Neighborhood in 2025 | Jarrett Hodson | LIVE Event
Dec 1900:45:57Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the GRID Charleston Podcast, we’re joined by Jarrett Hodson, a 20+ year Charleston real estate investor, to break down how to buy a neighborhood in 2026. Jarrett shares how he identifies undervalued areas before the market moves, why being an “activist investor” creates outsized returns, and how long-term thinking beats chasing individual deals.You’ll learn how to spot overlooked neighborhoods, think beyond single properties, and take practical action to build wealth and create impact through real estate.Recorded live at GRID Charleston — our monthly investor meetup held every third Tuesday at 5:30 PM in Mount Pleasant. Learn more at gridcharleston.com.
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