At just $5 a unit per month, it’s worth checking out shukrentals.com or booking a live demo in the show notes. https://calendly.com/oliver-theshuk/shuk-demo — Use discount code TCREI20 for 20% off.

🎙️ About the TCREI Hosts

Adam Tafel – Investor, Realtor, and host of Twin Cities Real Estate Investing. Adam has helped hundreds of clients buy, sell, and analyze investment properties across the metro. He works daily with local investors and is passionate about building wealth through smart real estate strategies.
📩 adam@UpsidePropertySales.com

Tim Swierczek – Mortgage lender and experienced investor who helps clients structure financing to maximize returns and long-term wealth. Tim brings a practical, numbers-first approach that makes deals work in the real world.
📩 tim@timswierczek.com

💡 We’d love to meet with you and hear about your investing goals. Book a time with us here: TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule

Ryan Chernik and his wife got their start the old-fashioned way — by renovating a tired farmhouse in Saint Anthony in the aftermath of the 2008 crash. They poured sweat equity into that property for years, eventually selling at a substantial gain. That first deal lit the spark. From there, they bought a duplex on St. Paul’s West Side — a hands-on learning experience with some clunky moments and lessons earned the hard way. Next came another older duplex in Northeast Minneapolis’ Beltrami neighborhood. Then last spring, they completed their first 1031 exchange — trading a C-class workhorse on the West Side for a Class A 1920s up/down in Crocus Hill, transforming an ugly listing in a prime location into two strong units in one of the most in-demand rental pockets in the city.

Ryan’s story isn’t flashy or headline-grabbing — and that’s exactly why it’s valuable. Over roughly six years, they built a modest, thoughtful portfolio without letting it take over their lives. This episode is a grounded look at what steady real estate investing can actually look like: incremental moves, manageable risk, improving asset quality over time, and using tools like the 1031 exchange strategically. If you’re looking to diversify into rental holdings but don’t want them to consume you, this conversation lays out a realistic path forward.