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Meta scraps AI Muse Image feature that scraped Instagram accounts, following CAA backlash


Meta has disabled a Muse Image feature that let users generate AI images by referencing public Instagram accounts.

The company confirmed the feature was “no longer available” on Friday (July 10), following criticism from talent agency CAA and performers’ union SAG-AFTRA.

The feature, part of Meta AI and built by Meta Superintelligence Labs, let any user @-mention a public Instagram account and generate new images, or “remixes,” referencing that account’s content.

It applied automatically to public Instagram accounts belonging to users aged 18 and over, with private accounts and those of under-18s excluded.

Public Instagram account holders had to ‘opt out’ to be excluded, rather than ‘opt in’ to express consent.

“Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference,” a Meta spokesperson said.

“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way.

“We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available,” the Meta spokesperson added.

“We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.”

Meta spokesperson

The decision resonates across music, where CAA represents recording artists including Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, and The Weeknd.

Under the opt-out design, the public Instagram account of any such adult artist could be referenced by other users to generate AI images unless the artist switched the feature off.

CAA called on Meta to overhaul the tool in a statement last Wednesday (July 8).

The firm’s statement read: “No one’s name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent. True innovation puts creators first: respecting their rights, protecting their livelihoods, and giving them real control, not handing it over to platforms.

“We have raised our concerns with Meta on behalf of our clients, voicing our disapproval and perspective on the need for a more responsible approach. We call on Meta to make protection the default on Muse Image, not the exception, and enable individuals to opt-in if they want to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation.”

“CAA believes in the power of new technology, but not at the cost of individuals’ rights or livelihoods.”

CAA Statement RE: Muse Image

CAA continued: “Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used, with consent and the ability to set their own terms. This means letting creators impose restrictions, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized endorsements or exploitation. Responsible AI requires clear disclosures and swift removal of unauthorized content.

“There must be easy ways to spot, track, and take down misuse, and it should be clear when something is AI-generated. CAA believes in the power of new technology, but not at the cost of individuals’ rights or livelihoods. The future of creativity depends on respecting the ownership and autonomy of those who make it possible.”

After Meta‘s reversal, CAA welcomed the decision.

“We commend Meta for its swift decision to remove the Muse Image feature,” CAA said.

“Putting individual rights and consent at the forefront is essential to building responsible technology. We look forward to ongoing conversations to ensure creators stay protected as technology evolves,” the CAA statement added.

Meta had initially defended the feature after CAA‘s first statement.

SAG-AFTRA escalated the pressure on Meta on Thursday (July 9), telling members to opt out of the tool.

Meta now lets anyone use your Instagram photos in AI images without your consent,” SAG-AFTRA wrote in a social media post.

SAG-AFTRA recommends that #SagAftraMembers (and all Instagram users) opt-OUT of Meta‘s new AI image generation tool, Muse Image. Take action to protect your likeness.”

SAG-AFTRA welcomed the reversal once the feature was pulled.

“With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise,” SAG-AFTRA said. “We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.”

CAA has placed itself at the center of the entertainment industry’s response to AI-generated likenesses.

The agency was the first partner to test YouTube‘s AI likeness-detection tools, in December 2024.

CAA has also built its own archive of client likenesses.

The agency launched the CAA vault with AI firm Veritone in 2024, a facility that scans clients’ faces, bodies, movements, and voices to create digital doubles.

Participating talent can store and monetize their likeness through the CAA vault, the companies said.

CAA charges clients a fee to take part, though the agency has not disclosed the amount.

“This is giving the ability to start setting precedents for what consent-based use of AI looks like,” CAA’s Head of Strategic Development Alexandra Shannon said.

Musicians have also moved to protect their likenesses as AI tools have spread, with Taylor Swift applying to register her voice and likeness as US federal trademarks in April, according to MBW.

Congress is weighing the NO FAKES Act, which would create a federal right over a person’s voice and visual likeness, as MBW has reported.

The Muse Image episode echoes OpenAI‘s Sora video app, which launched with an opt-out approach to copyright before OpenAI changed course and later shut the feature down, according to Variety.Music Business Worldwide

SIBM Pune MBA Fees Structure 2025-2027 Symbiosis Institute of Business Management #MBAAdmission #MBA



Thinking about pursuing an MBA at SIBM Pune? In this video, we provide a complete breakdown of the fee structure for the 2025-2027 batch at the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. Learn about the tuition fees, hostel charges, and other expenses you need to plan for. We also share key details about the admission process, eligibility criteria, and what makes SIBM Pune one of the top MBA colleges in India. Watch now to get all the information you need for your MBA journey!

#SIBMPune #MBAAdmission #SymbiosisInstitute #MBAFees2025 #MBAIndia #TopMBAColleges #BusinessManagement #MBAJourney #SIBMFees #SymbiosisMBA

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One Free Coffee Every Week (Panera, Dollop Coffee)


Update 7/13/26: Still ongoing for some people. Hat tip to reader Tina. 

Update 4/14/26: Has been extended, not sure on new end date.

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • AT&T customers can get a free coffee every week from March 2 – April 5, 2026 from either Panera Bread or Dollop Coffee. 

The Fine Print

  • Valid from 2 March 2026 12:00am CST to 5 April 2026 11:59pm CST

Our Verdict

Hard to argue with this price, free is free. 

Hat tip to DDG

Trump takes a page from Iran’s Hormuz playbook, leveraging the chokepoint to generate revenue



The U.S.-Israel war on Iran transformed the Strait of Hormuz from a waterway where global shipping enjoyed free navigation to a virtual combat zone where safe passage depends on military might.

Iran used missiles and drones to close off the strait at the start of the war, while demanding that anyone seeking to cross must obtain permission and pay a toll to transit along an approved corridor near the Iranian coastline.

Since the ceasefire, the regime has used its weapons and the threat of continued salvos to enforce its claim over the strait and prevent ships from trying to use an alternate route that hugs the Omani coast.

The U.S. had previously demanded that Iran fully restore free navigation without tolls and defended the Omani corridor from Iranian attacks, with the Navy also guiding commercial ships along the way. Then, the U.S. didn’t charge anything for its services.

But President Donald Trump wants to change that, announcing on Monday that the U.S. will reimpose a naval blockade on Iran and demand reimbursement on all other cargo shipped through the waterway.

Just as Iran is uniquely positioned to close the strait, only the U.S. military has the ability to carve out a lane that bypasses the Islamic republic’s. In fact, U.S. forces have helped more than 800 commercial vessels and 400 million barrels of crude oil transit the strait since early May, according to Central Command.

Now Trump is leveraging this influence over a slice of Hormuz.

“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” Trump said on social media, adding that “the process and formation” of his plan will begin immediately.

Oil prices jumped 6% on the news, following a violent weekend of skirmishes in the Persian Gulf as both sides attempted to assert control over the strait.

With neither the U.S. nor Iran willing to back off, hopes for fully restoring free navigation have dimmed, and mediators are now looking to simply split the difference.

Oman reportedly drafted a proposal to manage traffic in the strait through two separately controlled routes: the southern corridor through Omani territorial waters and the northern corridor through Iranian waters.

Still, the U.S. has not stopped every Iranian projectile aimed at commercial ships sailing through the route it is defending—and has failed to deter Iran from launching more.

As a result, traffic through the Omani channel has almost disappeared, while the use of Iran’s corridor as well as “dark” routes has increased.

That means some ships may still be using the Omani route, but must do so with their transponders turned off and typically under cover of night to avoid Iranian detection.

Add to that Trump’s plan for a 20% levy on cargo. The threat of Iranian attacks already made crossing the strait a dicey proposition, even with U.S. protection and guidance. Now with the added burden of Trump’s toll, ships must perform a new cost-benefit analysis.

While the U.S. insists that strait is open and Iran insists it’s closed, commercial fleets and insurance companies will ultimately determine the reality.

He Bought 58 Rental Units in Just 4 Years by Solving Other Landlords’ Problems


When the Great Recession hit, Andy Gil lost his business. Suddenly, he was forced to start over. But the fear of losing everything again was the driving force behind what would come next.

Andy got serious, raising his young kids in an 800-square-foot house, driving 10-year-old cars, and funneling every spare dollar into savings so he could start buying rental properties. These were the types of sacrifices the average investor probably wouldn’t make, but they became the catalyst for scaling to 58 rental units in just four years!

What’s more, Andy has never had the benefit of 3% mortgage rates. He got into real estate investing at the tail end of 2022, meaning he’s been able to grow his large, cash-flowing real estate portfolio in a tough housing market with high interest rates—all while using very little of his own money.

Today, he manages his own rentals and other people’s properties, deploying a unique investing strategy that has even helped him acquire a 30-unit property. In this episode, he’s sharing exactly what that strategy is (and how YOU can implement it), what he’s learned in over 20 years of contracting experience, and how to use AI to gain an edge in today’s market.

Dave:
When the Great Recession hit, Andy Gill’s business went under. The future he thought he’d created disappeared overnight and the fear of being in that position ever again became his new obsession. So he grinded, he hustled, he faced major setbacks along the way. And in 2022, he got serious about real estate investing. While most people around him upgraded their lifestyles, Andy took extreme measures. He downsized his house, he drove old used cars and he pinched pennies so he could funnel every extra dollar he had toward buying rental properties. Most investors aren’t making these types of sacrifices, but for Andy, it was a temporary trade-off for a more secure financial future and it is already paying off. In just four years, he’s scaled to 58 rental units and counting, and he’s done it all in today’s high interest rate environment without a super high paying job. In many ways, Andy is just the average investor, but he also knows his superpower.
He uses his creativity to cut through the noise, to spot opportunities that fly under most buyers’ radar, and he solves problems for hesitant sellers. Today, he’s even going to pull back the curtain on a genius strategy you’ve probably never heard of, but it’s one that helped him take down a 30 unit property with very little of his own money.
What’s up friends? I’m Dave Meyer, chief investment officer at BiggerPockets. Today in the show we have Andy Gill, an investor in Connecticut who was previously on episode 803 back in August of 2023. And he’s also been one of our most popular speakers at BPCon the last few years. So excited he’s going to be back on the show and hear what he’s been up to. Let’s bring him on. Andy, welcome back to the BiggerPockets Podcast. So good to have you here, man.

Andy:
Thank you. I’m always flattered to be asked and always pinch myself a little bit that I get these opportunities.

Dave:
Well, it’s always great to have you here, Andy. This should be a lot of fun. You have been on the show before, but for people who haven’t heard your previous episodes or didn’t attend your wildly popular session at BP Con last year, tell us just a little bit about yourself, where you are in the country and what you do in real estate.

Andy:
So my name’s Andy Gill. I am on the East Coast in Connecticut, directly between Boston and New York. And we own and operate a portfolio of about 58 apartments currently, all within about 30 minutes of our house. So I’m also a contractor and we’re building new homes, new renovations. I’ve been doing that for basically my whole adult career, so 25 years, but I didn’t start buying real estate. I didn’t understand that owning the asset was the goal until about five years ago. So we’ve been in about four years.

Dave:
Oh, wow. Okay. So you were just doing contractor work for other people, homeowners, real estate investors, I assume, for 20 years. What clicked? What happened that made you realize now is the time for me to start trying to hold onto these assets?

Andy:
I had a really bad business experience that I learned a ton from that taught me that I didn’t understand finance and I didn’t understand a P&L. I didn’t understand any of that. And so I had to get smart. And then I had another opportunity, another mentor and learned how to manage. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And so being able to project costs and walk it in. And after I kind of developed those skills and people skills, I realized that owning the asset, not just improving it was the path. So we started looking for flips and that didn’t work out. And our first purchase was 12 condos here in Connecticut.

Dave:
So you just went for it.

Andy:
Went for it. I got a partner to go fifty fifty. And yeah, my contracting career, being able to do rinse repeat work, 12 identical condos spoke to me so I could understand. And once I understood one, I understood them all. And regarding the tenants, understanding how rent would move, what the improvements would be, all that stuff, I was comfortable with that. So we jumped in the deep end.

Dave:
What does your portfolio look like now?

Andy:
So we have 58 apartments in various different structures. Amazing. Some we own ourselves, some we own them single partners. And we got into a 12 family with two other partners and they’re all spread. We go as high as Putnam area in Connecticut and low as about Norwich in New London County. And so we manage all of those but 12.

Dave:
That’s a lot. That’s scaling quickly, 58. How did you finance it? Sounds like with partners, but did you have money saved up from contracting?

Andy:
I grew up pretty with limited means and early in my marriage we didn’t have a lot. And my son has cystic fibrosis, which is heavy financial implications. And so it took us a while and I took a real hard hit with that business loss during the Great Recession. So it took a while and we learned to live below our means. And then slowly we realized that we were starting to save. And so we stayed minimal and we drove used cars and we moved to a smaller home and then we had a little bit of cash and we were able to get in with a partner and learned commercial financing. And so that was originally how we went in. We got a commercial loan with a five-year arm and it was a value add. And we created quite a bit of equity in that just by coming in, stabilizing the property.
And then we were able to move some of the equity into other deals. But along the way, once you prove you can do the thing, so if you stay singularly focused on what you’re great at, then people will loan to you. Most of all the financing we do now or most of the loans we get now are private. And so we’ll talk about this deal that we have taken down over the last 18 months and will continue. So like a three-year plan is privately financed.

Dave:
We’re going to turn our attention and talk about this awesome, very cool, unique deal that Andy is doing that I’m very eager to hear about. But I just want to ask you a little bit about that financial sacrifice you made. You said you downgraded, you lived below your means. How did that impact your ability to be a real estate investor? And how do you look back on it now? Was it a big sacrifice? It sounds like it was worth it, right?

Andy:
Yes, it certainly was worth it. At the time, I think it was more out of fear at the time. I was afraid of debt. And now debt being good versus bad and how you define that is different for everyone, but I really just wanted to… I didn’t want to owe anyone anything. And so living below our means was freedom for us. So I didn’t want to have to work to pay for a car that other people viewed as us being well off.That didn’t mean anything to me. Good. So we downsized the house and I raised my two kids in an 800 square foot house. It was still 850 square foot house. And we’re still here now. And so was it a sacrifice? I mean, I guess, but it was how I felt safe at that time. And then I realized that we were growing a net worth with equity and savings.
And then when it was appropriate, then we shifted that into investments. So yeah, I think that living below your means, I think understanding what your overhead is and everyone should look at their personal as overhead and being able to clear that. And I don’t mean everyone, not everyone has the ability to do that, but if you do have the ability to live below your means, you should.

Dave:
You mentor a lot of people, right? You talk to a lot of real estate investors. Do you find a lot of people are willing to do this to sort of reduce their lifestyle even if it’s just temporary to pursue real estate?

Andy:
I don’t think everyone sees the value from a social media high level, okay, this is the life. You buy these things, people pay rent and you make money, lots of money, but it’s not passive. So when you start talking about what it actually takes and the amount of grind and the different steps, so to get through acquisition is a marathon. And then you start and then you meet your tenants and then you have to figure out how to screen tenants and collect rent and do maintenance and what value add you should do and how do you do all this stuff. So there’s a ton of education with it, but a lot of people do not follow through or they don’t see the value in it. I think you really have to want it. And I think that you have to dig in and put some of your wants and desires in the parking lot for later.

Dave:
Yeah. I think that is true. It can become passive, but it can’t be passive upfront. If that’s what you want, you either have to be already really rich and so you can go and be a lender or go invest in syndications or something, or you should just invest in the stock market. It’s very difficult to say, I simultaneously want an avenue, a path to accelerate my financial situation that’s better than every other option out there, like real estate, I believe it is, but I also don’t want to do anything.That is a really hard thing to ask for unless you are fortunate and are already really wealthy. And I just think not everyone has to downsize their house or drive a used car, but you got to find something that you’re willing to give up to pursue it. It’s not free. You have to put something into it.
And I’ve found a lot of younger people are willing to do what you’re talking about. When I started, I was 22. I lived in my friend’s grandma’s basement for three years. I didn’t even think twice about it. It was fine. I was like, “Yeah, whatever. It’s a bed.”
But I do think doing it at the age you’re at when you had kids is something that I hear of less. How long ago was that?

Andy:
We’re in our fifth year now. Fifth year. Yeah. Yeah. We started, I’ll be 49 this year, so I was 44 when we bought our… I mean, we’d done flips earlier. I’d been a contractor a long time, but the first buy and hold, I was 44.

Dave:
Wow. And so five years later, I would assume with what you’re telling me, financial situation trajectories completely changed by making those sacrifices about your lifestyle, but also putting in a lot of work and just sticking with it.

Andy:
Yeah. I didn’t have a 401k. We were just paying for trying to pay mortgage, keep food on the table. And so I knew I had to do something. And so we went for it. I didn’t know I was going to get in when it was still going up. Interest rates were already spiking and I didn’t think it was going to be like this, but I had a belief in myself. I got good at something and I identified the specific metrics that I needed to monitor and watch and it’s gone well. And now when we buy things, we have a good plan and we go to execute it, but if it doesn’t go as well, we know when to let it go.

Dave:
Well, awesome. Good for you, man. I love hearing your story. It’s super inspiring and relatable. It’s something that really everyone can do and just happy for you and all the success you’ve had. Thank

Andy:
You, man. But

Dave:
You haven’t stopped, obviously. And you told me you’re doing a really cool, interesting deal that’s going to really expand your portfolio. And I want to dig into that, but we got to take a quick break. We’ll be right back. Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Podcast. I’m here with investor Andy Gill. Before the break, we talked a little bit about Andy’s background and how he got to where he is today with a sizable portfolio in Connecticut. But Andy, last time you were on the show, you said, I think you told us that you were ready to do something new, but you didn’t know exactly what it was going to be. Now you know what it is, right? So tell us about it.

Andy:
Yeah. So I had an idea. I figured that if I could take under management of properties that I didn’t yet own in older landlords that I knew would be selling that were a bit frustrated, I’d be already controlling the property and be able to be in the first position to make an offer and acquire that property. So I sent out a bunch of mailers that I designed with AI and they were really cool. And it basically said, “Being a landlord sucks, you should sell to me. ” Something along those lines. I don’t remember. It was like cartoons and stuff. And I hit one of my longtime friends and builders that I didn’t know owned properties or I forgot that owned a bunch of apartments. So we talked and I was like, well, he’s like, “My wife is all over me. She wants me to sell.
She wants to travel more, blah, blah, blah.” And I’ve been working with this guy for 20 years. Fast-forward a year and then he’s like, “I think I’m ready to start talking to you about that. ” And so we kind of curated this deal where he didn’t want to pay the capital gains and he wanted to be careful about the depreciation of capture, but he bought a long time ago, so it was pretty minimal. And so I created a proposal where we would transfer properties to me staged over time and he would hold a note and we’d put a small amount down. But I wanted to manage them upfront right away so I could see under the hood and get comfortable just because we had limited capital to take on something this big without partners. So we started doing that and it took a while, took a year to put all together and it was a phased acquisition where we bought some, managed others, and then over time transferred the rest of those into our ownership, into our portfolio.
So we’re about halfway through that now and plans of transferring the remainder in the coming 12 months, I guess.

Dave:
This very cool. All right. We got to talk about this and dig into this. So first and foremost, your thought was if I basically become a property manager for other landlords, I assume you can make some money in it, but you weren’t really doing it for that. You were doing it for deal flow. As those landlords potentially want to sell and offload, they’re going to come to you first and you’ll have early access. I love that strategy. Did someone tell you to do that or did you just think of that on your own?

Andy:
No, that was me. That was my thought process.

Dave:
Wow, it’s genius.

Andy:
Thank you. Yeah. Don’t tell anyone about it, all right?

Dave:
Yes.

Andy:
Tens

Dave:
Of thousands of people are about to hear that idea and copy you.

Andy:
It is. I mean, but it really comes down to would these people hold financing for others? Well, you need to develop the skills so that they would. And so yes, they will if you prove yourself, if you add value. So I take care of problems and I let that be known. And it has become more safe to transfer it to me than anything else as time has gone on.

Dave:
I love that strategy. It makes so much sense. So tell me about the mailers because a lot of people send mailers. I as a landlord get all of them all the time from wholesalers, from people who want to buy my properties. What were you saying that was different than just a normal mailer that goes out?

Andy:
You want to be relatable and approachable in the real world as well as in the perceived world. So I designed a cartoon character of myself and what I do. So I use all the images of… I wear flannels. I’m a very tactile hands-on person. I do my own lawn mowing and snow removal as much as I can. I have to hire a lot of it out, but I’m very hands-on. So I wanted to relay that in who I am and what I do. And it worked. It was like a flannel and a tool belt and a dog and a pickup truck. And it basically said, I’m a landlord too. It sucks. It sucks. You’re probably done anymore.

Dave:
I get it.

Andy:
Yeah. People call you and it must be annoying. Must suck. You should sell to me. So something like –

Dave:
Do you actually think being a landlord sucks?

Andy:
No, I love it. I actually

Dave:
Love it. I don’t either. I don’t think it sucks. All these things are like, “Oh, be a landlord sticks, do passive.” I’m like, “Really?” There are annoying parts, but there’s annoying part of every job. No, I know. I love it. Yeah. Okay. But you’re selling it, so I get it. And especially too, if you’re hitting someone who’s been a landlord for 30 years, maybe they’re over it. And that I could see. And you’re fresh, man. You’re five years in. So yeah, you’re ready to go. I got fresh legs. Yeah.

Andy:
Yeah. Yeah. 49-year-old fresh legs, but yeah.

Dave:
Super fresh. Yeah.

Andy:
And it worked. I got a bunch of calls. I actually got a bunch of calls on that one mailer. I think we sent out like 600 mailers or something like that. And I got 100 calls about it. Wow.

Dave:
What? That’s very cool. I just want to say too, because you’re a big AI user and we’re going to talk about that in a little bit. But I just like that you used AI to be unique in an individual. Because I think if you just go on and use AI and use the template, like you said, that anyone else uses, you’re not standing out. It’s no different than just hiring another company to do it, but you sat down and though about, who am I? How can I showcase myself? And then you use AI to do the execution. That to me, I assume you attribute the success of that mailing campaign and the response rate you got to just by doing something a little bit different.

Andy:
I did a follow-up to that too with a handwritten squasi handwritten letter and it said being a landlord stinks. And I got scratch and sniff snickers of dead fish. And I put them in…

Dave:
It’s the most New England thing I’ve ever heard.

Andy:
Yeah, I did. I bought them on Amazon. It was like scratch and sniff stickers. Yeah.

Dave:
Okay. All right. So anyway, your friend, this guy you know, he calls you. How big is his portfolio? 30

Andy:
Units. 30 units. Nice. It’s a mixed spread. Yeah, it’s spread out over seven properties.

Dave:
Okay. And close in your target area. He’s been doing this for a while, it sounds like his wife wants to travel, but he doesn’t want to sell it today, right? And it sounds like you didn’t want to buy it today.

Andy:
I mean, I would’ve had to bring in partners so I didn’t have the cash to take this whole down all at once without giving up significant equity, which would’ve been fine too, but he didn’t want that.

Dave:
And so what’s the structure? Let’s walk through it. You figured out a way you take over management, that was the first step?

Andy:
Yep. So it was two contracts. So the first would be the management contract for duration of time. The second contract would be for the purchase and sales. Yeah.

Dave:
Did you agree on prices for the sale upfront or was it just kind of like a right of first refusal where if he decided to go sell, you had the first shot at buying it and making

Andy:
It off? Yeah. So the first one we did the appraisals and it went based on that. The remaining ones were with prices to be agreed upon at current market. We actually just agreed on a per unit price because we’re like, “Let’s stop paying for apraisals.” So

Dave:
You just basically said, “You have 30 units, I’m going to pay you. I’m going to make up a number, $100,000 a unit and we’re not going to go and get eight appraisals right now.”

Andy:
Right. Because then you’re like, “It’s fine. You win some, you lose some, but some are three bed, some are two beds, some are in better areas than others. But if you’re taking the whole thing, it made sense.

Dave:
Well, I imagine a big part of the appeal of this to the seller is simplicity. He doesn’t want to spend half of his days right now with appraisers and title agencies and make it simple. And so how far are you into this deal structure?

Andy:
We’re about halfway. Yeah.

Dave:
So you’ve been managing the properties for how long?

Andy:
Coming up on a year now. Managing the property. Yep. It’ll be a year soon and we’ve transferred three of the seven properties

Dave:
And

Andy:
We’re working towards the remainder. Yeah.

Dave:
Awesome. That is so cool. And how are you feeling about the structure? Is it working well for you?

Andy:
It works really well in that for management, it works really well because I’m already in control of the property completely. I already know the tenants. I already know what the problems are. So good. I’m already collecting rent. So essentially I basically just go into rent ready and move it from his account to mine.

Dave:
And do you think the seller’s happy with the arrangement too?

Andy:
Oh, he loves it. He loves it.

Dave:
Yeah.

Andy:
So he’s a builder also. And so now we’re talking about going into development because as he wants to retire, he wants to stay involved and doesn’t actually want to retire. He wants to work less. So we’re talking about developing other rental properties. There’s a thing called an 830G here, affordable housing. And so he’s getting into that developments where we can essentially disregard the zoning regulations and increase density. So he’s into that. So we’re working on some developments that we would partner on also. So we get along really, really well. He’s an awesome guy.

Dave:
That’s so great. Did you follow up with other investors who responded to your mailer? Or once you found this, was that sufficient?

Andy:
I did. There were some in, but they all were just like every other that you get a call from a postcard. So some of them, hey, maybe later, whatever. And so I was keeping a spreadsheet, but then once we got into this, I was like, this is all I can… I’ve bitten more than I can chew right now, so we need to stagger this. I basically stopped. I don’t chase down any deals. I get phone calls on them a lot. Yeah. Oh, good for you. Stuff that if you singularly focus on being good at something, you will get referrals and things will come your way as you develop and grow.

Dave:
That is such good advice and so true. You don’t have to be good at everything in real estate, but if you can be good at one thing and people can count on you for that one thing, it’s going to help your career. Well, congrats, Andy. It’s super cool. I love the approach that you’re taking here. Something I would try to emulate. Maybe not doing the property management, but buying a portfolio. I love the idea. And as you said, Andy is good at this. You mentioned that you manage your properties with RentReady. If you are a BiggerPockets Pro member, you can get a discount on RentReady. It’s an incredible deal. It basically pays for the BiggerPockets Pro membership. If you want to check that out, go to biggerpockets.com/perks. All right, Andy, I want to turn more towards just some advice because I know you mentor a lot of people and help a lot of people with real estate.
I want to hear the advice that you’re giving people to navigate the unique market that we’re in right now. But we got to take one quick break. We’ll be right back. Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Podcast. I am here with investor Andy Gill. We’ve heard a little bit about his background and story and about the very cool, unique deal structure you came up with to really supercharge your portfolio building. You mentioned, and you and I have talked about this, but you help a lot of people build their real estate investing careers. What are some of the things you’re seeing people struggle with? And maybe what’s some of the advice that you’re giving to help people move forward with financial freedom through real estate?

Andy:
The advice I’m giving currently is to be persistent. You have to make a lot of offers. My son is actively trying to buy his first property. Oh, nice.He moved into one of his… He’s 20 years old. He’s got pre-approved for an FHA loan. He’s doing great. And when I watched him make his first offer, you’re emotionally tied to it. So he wanted to get that deal because we picked it apart and it’s not going to be that deal. It’s probably not going to be that deal. It’s probably going to be the 15th or the 20th or the 30th deal that you… And so kind of scan them at a higher level and be persistent and make lower offers. Underwrite without the price in mind with what works for you for cashflow.

Dave:
It’s just about sticking with it right now.

Andy:
It’s

Dave:
Just good. I saw Michael Zuber from One Rental at a time, his community. He was saying that this is the era for low ballers. I like that. And it’s not like you’re necessarily trying to screw people over, but you’re just showing them what you’re willing to pay. And someone will agree to that. At some point the sides will align and there will be mutual benefit, but it’s not going to be everyone. So you just really need to be patient with it. Do you find that’s hard for new investors to accept?

Andy:
Yes, I do. So it’s two part. Be persistent, but also believe in your own abilities to figure things out. So your first deal doesn’t have to be a home run. It just has to get you on base. So if I know that when I get into a deal, if you miscalculate something, if some conditions are discovered afterwards, you’re going to fight through it. And you have to be able to believe in your abilities to get yourself out of jams. So don’t hide behind like, “Oh, well, I need to have X amount of cash flow in order to do this. ” Figure out what would you pay? What would you buy it for? And then find the mean of that and just do it. Get on, get enough, get around people that will validate that, get in the right rooms and then go for it, create a network and swing the bat.

Dave:
That makes sense to me. You said cashflow. Are there any other minimum thresholds that you feel a deal needs to hit these days?

Andy:
For these multifamilies that we’re buying, we have cashflow. We’re already looking for… I mean, cash on cash is… I want to get my money back as fast as possible. I also want to be able to… I want to buy in a place that gets 3% organic appreciation historically. I’m not looking for a place that’s going to just parking money, but that’s not going to grow.

Dave:
I know, but that’s not asking. 3% is pretty normal. So you’re not saying I need to be in Austin in 2020. Yeah, it’s just, I

Andy:
Get it. But when there’s no deals, the deals that are available are typically in the area that you can buy areas that sit flat. Yeah,

Dave:
That’s fair.

Andy:
So stay out of that.

Dave:
And then what about condition of property? Because New England, there’s a lot of old stuff around there. So are there any things you won’t touch or what kind of properties do you look for?

Andy:
It’s funny you say this because the things that are acceptable to me and the things that I see other investors being like, “Oh, I’m afraid of that. ” I mean, I don’t like knob and tube wiring. I want to do that. I like to get a good roof on the place. I want to know structural problems. We have a lot of stone foundations here. I mean, you get out in our basements in New England and you’re like, “Someone was killed here for sure.” Then like, oh, there’s weird stuff. So there’s limited amount of things. I mean, if you look at bad roof structural problems, et cetera, knob and tube wiring, things that cost a ton of money to… I also like sewer laterals. We have old infrastructure here. So there’s your electrical service, your sewer and water. You want to make sure you get that inspected all the way out to the street.
That’s a very, very expensive find later. So there’s a short list of things that I say, stay away from this, stay away from that, or at least get it resolved when you’re in contract.

Dave:
Okay. But would you give that advice for people who might not have your background in construction and contracting? Do you think for people who don’t have that background, you would change the criteria of what to buy?

Andy:
No, I wouldn’t. I mean, like you said, we started this. This is not passive income. If you’re going to come in, you’re going to have to work. And so you’re going to get calls on Saturdays and Sundays and there’s problems that are going to happen. Someone else is not going to come in and buy something better than me at a price better than I can buy and not have the problems that I have. So you’re going to have to figure it out. You’re going to have to go through the renovations, you’re going to have to go through the heavier CapEx problems. You’re going to have to figure it out if you want to be in this game.

Dave:
It’s good advice, man. I like that. Figure it out. You can. That’s being an entrepreneur. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you can figure it out. You

Andy:
Absolutely

Dave:
Can. Thousands of people have done it. That’s literally the whole point of BiggerPockets too. You run into a problem you can’t solve, go on the BiggerPockets forums, ask a question. Someone will help you. Come to BPCon and you can meet people who can help you. That’s the whole value of having a network. I mean, look at Andy. Having a network landed him this sweet deal with 30… It’s just like you can absolutely do this. Speaking of BPCon, Andy, you had a wildly popular session on using AI with real estate last year. And I understand you’re coming back this year and doing more on AI.

Andy:
Yeah.

Dave:
I think it’s super fascinating because I’ll be honest, I use AI a decent amount, not that much for real estate investing. So tell me what you’re talking about at BPCon and what investors might learn.

Andy:
Well, last year I documented how I use AI, so the different frameworks and how I use it. It was an incredible opportunity. I’m incredibly grateful for it. I never thought I’d speak on a stage with so many people. There was

Dave:
Like 800 people there.

Andy:
Yeah. It was crazy.

Dave:
Andy went viral at the conference basically.

Andy:
Thank you. Yeah, it was pretty cool. It was an experience I’ll always remember. And so this year I was asked to host a AI focused networking session. So the networking sessions at BP Conner, if you haven’t gone to BPCon, it’s absolutely incredible. This will be my third year speaking, I think my fifth show and I won’t miss it. I love the networking stuff and I like how every year it gets more focused on networking. So I’m going to be doing a 20-minute talk on AI and how I use it, but this time focused on other people talking to other people about how they use it. I want it to be of value in the last two years. I really spend quite a bit of time making sure that I want it to be digested really well and people don’t walk away with being like, wow, that was incredible value.
And I beat the hell out of myself to get there. I was super late last year in submitting it. I’m like, “It’s not ready. It’s not ready.”

Dave:
I do the same thing. I’ve always It’s like tinkering till the last

Andy:
Day

Dave:
Of my speech. But yeah, it was super popular, one of the highest rated sessions that we’ve ever had. And yeah, I love the idea that you’re obviously sharing what you do, but AI is so new. It’s interesting always to hear what other people are doing with it. No one has the one right answer right now
And people are super creative about it and I’m super excited to come to this and hear how other people are using it because even just in regular life, I sometimes hear how people are using AI to automate tasks or things they do in their day. I’m like, I never would’ve thought of that. So that will be a lot of fun. If you want to grab your ticket, go to biggerpockets.com/conference. Join me and Andy, Henry and thousands of other investors learning and sharing with one another. As Andy said, it’s a can’t miss event. I look forward to it every year. Super excited for this one in Orlando, October 2nd to 4th. Well, Andy, thanks for joining us again, man. Always enjoy talking to you, learning from you. Congrats on all your success, cool deals that you’re up to. We really appreciate your time.

Andy:
Thanks, Dave. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.

Dave:
If people want to connect with you outside of BPCon, where can they do that?

Andy:
I am primarily on Instagram. I’m not on the other platforms. Coach Andy Gill, G-I-L A – N-D-Y-G-I-L. And I try to answer all my DMs and I’m an idiot on there and post all kinds of surgery things.

Dave:
No, I like your content. It’s fun. Well, check him out there, Andy, there on Instagram and at BPCon. That’s our show for today. Thank you all so much for watching this episode of the BiggerPockets podcast. We’ll see you all next time.

 

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Landmark housing law takes effect without Trump’s signature


What the law means for brokers

Mortgage professionals will feel the law’s effects across more than 40 provisions.

Among the most prominent: corporations already owning 350 or more single-family homes are now barred from acquiring additional properties, a provision designed to reduce competition between institutional capital and owner-occupant buyers.

The law also removes the permanent chassis requirement for manufactured homes — a change housing policy experts say could reduce per-unit construction costs by $5,000 to $10,000, opening access to more affordable housing types in rural and underserved markets.

The affordability math

The numbers behind the legislation underscore why Congress moved at all. The median price of an existing US home hit $440,600 in June, up 1.8% year over year from $432,700, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

A household needs roughly $117,000 annually to afford an average home on the market, according to real estate brokerage Redfin, yet US Census Bureau data shows median household income falls nearly $30,000 short of that threshold.

U.S. and Japanese Companies Struggle with Different Parts of AI Adoption—and Offer Different Lessons for Making It Work


In the global story of AI adoption, the United States appears to be the clear leader. Meanwhile, Japan, once a global powerhouse of technological innovation, appears to lag. The numbers seem to confirm it: recent research from McKinsey found that 88% of U.S. companies use AI in at least one business function, while comparable research from the Yano Research Institute last spring found just 26% of Japanese companies said the same. According to the Stanford AI Index 2025, the U.S. ranked first globally in private AI investment in 2024; Japan ranked 14.



Casio WS1600H Digital Watch on Sale for $22.44 on Amazon


Casio WS1600H Digital Watch on Sale for $22.44

This article contains Amazon affiliate links.

Amazon has the Casio WS1600H Series Men’s Digital Watch on sale for $22.44, down from its regular price of $39.95. 

The retro-inspired sports watch features a 100-meter water resistance, 10-year battery life, LED backlight, 29-world time zones, countdown timer, stopwatch, daily alarms, and auto calendar.

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Guru’s Wrap-up

If you’re looking for an affordable everyday digital watch, it’s hard to go wrong with Casio. At $22.44, this offers a lot of functionality for the price, including excellent battery life and water resistance.

 

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this article. Using links on the site for Amazon purchases is the best way you can support the site as you normally can’t earn cash back for these purchases. But, you should still check shopping portals such as Rakuten, TopCashback, RebatesMe, ShopBack and others for possible cashback. Your support is always greatly appreciated!

What Is An IPO? Should You Invest Or Not?



Pranjal Kamra answers your question right here!

Business Insider India is back with season 2 of Money Insider!

Here we bring together the country’s leading ‘Fin-fluencers’, who are heralding a new beginning in the world of financial literacy.

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Why Texas Pacific Land Corporation Rallied Over 50% in the First Half of 2026


Shares of Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL +1.80%) rallied 52.4% in the first half of 2026, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Texas Pacific owns a large land portfolio and oil and gas royalty interests in West Texas, a center for both U.S. oil and gas development, as well as the AI data center build-out. Therefore, the first half of 2026 provided a somewhat ideal environment for the company to thrive.

Today’s Change

(1.80%) $7.05

Current Price

$397.82

War with Iran and the agentic AI boom spell growth for Texas Pacific

One of the big factors in Texas Pacific’s first half story was, obviously, the war in Iran and the subsequent rise in oil and gas prices. TPL’s portfolio of 882,000 surface acres and 224,000 NRA (net royalty acres) near the Permian Basin positions it to benefit from higher prices. Higher oil and gas prices not only spur oil and gas companies to explore, lease, and drill on more land, but they also increase TPL’s royalties, given that most royalties are based on a percentage of sales, and therefore rise along with prices.

Not only that, but West Texas is also becoming a prime location for AI data centers, thanks to its cheap land, lower regulatory burden, and access to abundant energy. AI data centers also require a lot of water, and TPL is also a major water producer, owning not only the groundwater on its land but also a water treatment facility in the state as well.

These capabilities led to a large AI data center partnership with Bolt, an AI data center start-up helmed by former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt. Bolt has ambitions to build 10 gigawatts of AI computing data centers in Texas. TPL invested $50 million in Bolt in December, and under the terms of the deal, may take even more of a stake in in Bolt in exchange for its surface acres, while also receiving a right of first refusal to provide Bolt with power and water to its future data centers. Although TPL’s direct $50 million investment in Bolt occurred in late December, more details about the deal emerged during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in February.

After a February surge, Texas Pacific’s stock took a bit of a downturn in March and April as oil prices fell from their highs, as a tentative ceasefire was agreed to on April 7. Furthermore, the stock came under renewed pressure following the unexpected death of the CEO of Horizon Kinetics Holdings (HKHC +2.60%), which is Texas Pacific’s largest shareholder. The unexpected death triggered a sell-off, as investors pondered whether Horizon would sell its stake should new management seek to wind down the company’s holdings.

However, there was more good news toward the end of June for TPL, when the company announced a deal with Chevron (CVX +1.35%), which is building a power generation plant on TPL land to support a customer’s data center in Reeves County, Texas. TPL will supply land and brackish water for the project.

Pipeline and oil and gas holding tanks.

Image source: Getty Images.

Texas Pacific is well-positioned for the AI boom, but priced accordingly

Texas Pacific is in a very fortunate position, owning a massive amount of land and oil and gas royalty rights in an oil and gas-rich region, which is also becoming “ground zero” for the AI data center build-out.

After the first half run, TPL shares look a bit expensive at 55 times trailing earnings and roughly 38 times this year’s earnings estimates; however, keep in mind that, as a royalty company, Texas Pacific is relatively asset-light, with strong growth prospects thanks to the continued AI-related development of West Texas. As such, it’s a strong addition to any stock portfolio aiming to capitalize on the AI boom and U.S. energy security.