Author

Phil McAlister

Phil is the founder of The Macro Meets Real Estate Newsletter, a refreshing and entertaining take on real estate investing and financial markets.

A Chicago-area native and real estate investor, Phil’s career has spanned investment banking, commercial lending, and real estate, with extensive transaction experience from multiple sides of a deal.

Experience

Working for a large national sponsor, Phil has been in charge of the underwriting, financial modeling, and valuation of over $6 billion in commercial real estate, including multifamily, medical office, self-storage, hospitality, and senior housing assets. Phil leads a team in evaluating commercial real estate deals nationwide and across multiple strategies including core, core-plus, and value-add, with an occasional ground-up development sprinkled in.

Phil is also involved in evaluating and negotiating multi-million dollar joint ventures with various strategic partners. In addition, Phil has been tasked with evaluating projects in Qualified Opportunity Zones, a new and exciting frontier in commercial real estate.

Phil’s passions include family, football, American history, and real estate investing, in that order. Phil resides in Naperville, Ill., with his wife Kristin and three (sometimes) perfect children, Anna, Ryan and Charlie.

Phil holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Elmhurst College.

Phil is the founder of The Macro Meets Real Estate Newsletter, a refreshing and entertaining take on real estate investing and financial markets.

Experience

Phil holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Elmhurst College.

Real Estate Trends 5 min read

Nov 17, 2020Nov 11, 2022 Phil McAlister

Midwestern Madness: November 2020 Markets of the Month

One of the most important things you can do as an investor is use your time effectively. If you can’t narrow down your strategy and pull the trigger, you may…

Economics 9 min read

Nov 14, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

Roadmap To Recovery: When Do the Lost Jobs Return?

Economists predict it may take until 2023 to recover all of the jobs lost to the COVID-19 recession and government response. Could it be true?

Commercial Real Estate Investing 4 min read

Nov 11, 2020Nov 06, 2023 Phil McAlister

Should You Invest In Senior Housing (And Is Now the Right Time)?

Investing in senior housing can be a great way to generate wealth in real estate, but there are some very important nuances to understand.

News & Trends 5 min read

Sep 29, 2020Nov 11, 2022 Phil McAlister

Do Hot Markets Affect Renter Demand? Case Study: Charlotte, NC

The residential rental market has been en fuego for the better part of the past decade—and it's important to understand how hot markets can affect renter demand.

News & Trends 5 min read

Aug 13, 2020Mar 16, 2021 Phil McAlister

Why Fears About Looming Inflation Are NOT Overblown (& a Heckuva Silver Lining for Buy and Hold Investors)

If you’re under 75, this is the weirdest economic situation of your life—with huge amounts of money creation by the Fed, massive deficits of the U.S. government, and extreme strain…

Real Estate Investing For Beginners 5 min read

Jun 12, 2020Mar 16, 2021 Phil McAlister

Sample Market Analysis: How I Decided to Invest in Phoenix

For real estate investors, it isn’t always profitable to invest where you live. For those considering purchasing property elsewhere, here’s a simple, data-driven process to identify growing, resilient real estate…

Multifamily Real Estate Investing 7 min read

May 25, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

2 Smart Ways to Make Money Investing in Real Estate in the Coming Recession

The coronavirus has impacted all aspects of our lives—including real estate. Find out which two investment strategies you should consider tapping into in the face of a looming downturn.

Economics 4 min read

May 06, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

How Will Coronavirus End? Predictions for 2020’s Economy

The end of 2020 is eight short months away. The ramifications of the coronavirus and the response from individuals and governments will have much longer impacts on the economy. How…

Economics 13 min read

Apr 18, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

4 Ways Coronavirus Is Rapidly Changing the Economy (& How to Navigate Rough Waters Ahead)

In a short period of time, we went from: there’s a virus overseas that seems pretty nasty to it’s coming here and we should cancel major events and take serious…

Politics & Policy 5 min read

Mar 30, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

Italy Suspends Mortgage Payments—What’s Going on in the U.S.?

In an attempt to blunt the economic effects of the coronavirus, the Italian government has suspended all mortgage payments. A similar program has emerged in the United States—but with some…

Economics 7 min read

Mar 20, 2020Jan 05, 2024 Phil McAlister

The State of the Economy Before & After Coronavirus—and How American Resolve Will Get Us Through

Amid a continual stream of updates regarding coronavirus, COVID-19, and a possible recession, what might this mean for investors, employees, and Americans in general? This article touches on where the…

News & Trends 4 min read

Mar 12, 2020Mar 16, 2021 Phil McAlister

Real Estate Investors: As Markets Roil, Keep Calm and Carry On

Increasing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) are disrupting financial markets, therefore spawning worry amongst those involved in the real estate industry. But I’m here to tell you: investors,…

Commercial Real Estate Investing 5 min read

Feb 06, 2020Mar 16, 2021 Phil McAlister

Rental Property Risks: Don’t Fall for These Shenanigans!

Investing in large multifamily deals comes with a unique set of risks. Sellers and brokers have a lot of tricks in their toolbox to get the highest price from the…