Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing

Your attorney is a key player in helping you close on any real estate deal.

But the right commercial real estate attorney truly cares about you and your success. They are willing to educate you on aspects of the law you might not know and navigate problems that arise along the way. 

Kyle Swafford is the founder of Swafford Law, a commercial real estate law firm that represents clients in syndications, tax considerations for investors, join ventures and commercial lending.

Kyle has a wealth of experience in tax law, commercial real estate law and securities compliance, working as an International Tax Consultant at Deloitte prior to building his own firm.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, we’re sharing Kyle’s conversation with Garrett Lynch on real estate law at Deal Maker Live 2024.

Kyle explains what inspired his transition from tax law to real estate and how he streamlines the process of closing on a multifamily deal.

Listen in for Kyle’s insight on distress in the current commercial market and learn how a good attorney can help you avoid mistakes and get your next deal across the finish line!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session418/

To contact Kyle here are his details:

Is fear holding you back from investing in multifamily?

Even seasoned investors like us deal with fear. The difference is, we don’t let it stop us from moving forward. 

But how do you expand your comfort zone? How do you feel the fear and take action anyway?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett and I sit down to explain why now is the right time to invest in multifamily and ‘be greedy when others are fearful.’ 

We discuss how we pulled off a refinance on a variable rate property (in just 25 days!) and offer advice on how to never run out of leads for raising capital.

Listen in to understand why new investors don’t have to start with single family strategies and learn how to expand your comfort zone to achieve financial freedom with multifamily real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session417/

Are you looking to build a business but don’t want to start from scratch? What if you could learn a proven system and receive support from someone who’s done it themselves?

Then you might be interested in an RV rental management franchise, a business that monetizes the RV boom and helps entrepreneurs build wealth with WHEEL estate!

Garr Russell is Founder and CEO of Fireside RV Rental, the Airbnb of RVs. Since its inception in 2015, Fireside has grown into a franchise with 40 locations across the country and hundreds of RVs under management.

A born entrepreneur, Garr has started, scaled and sold several companies. His genius lies in understanding systems, marketing, and forging the way for others.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garr joins us to explain how renting out his own RV inspired him to build and scale Fireside.

Garr discusses how RV owners benefit from the Fireside business model and describes how franchisees learn his proven system and receive support from expert RV rental managers.

Listen in for Garr’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and learn how to launch, grow and manage a successful RV rental business with other people’s RVs—no prior experience required.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session416/

Good multifamily deals have been hard to find in recent years. And Alex Cartwright was struggling to compete with more experienced investors.

He was looking for a niche that would give him a unique advantage. That’s when he met a broker at a conference who suggested converting a hotel into apartments.

Alex thought it sounded like a pain in the you-know-what. But when he looked at the numbers, Alex realized that the problems were worth solving.

Today, Alex is Founder and Managing Partner at Vilicus Capital, a real estate investing firm that specializes in converting hotels into affordable multifamily housing. 

Alex is also Associate Professor of Economics at Ferris State University, where he teaches classes on managerial economics, economic growth and international business.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Alex joins us to explain what inspired his interest in real estate as a tenured professor making six figures.

Alex shares his twist on the traditional multifamily strategy, describing how he finds hotels that can be purchased cheaply in growing markets and converts them into workforce housing.

Listen in for insight into Alex’s first deal as lead GP of a hotel conversion and learn how to find your niche as an investor to achieve financial freedom with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session415/

Here at Nighthawk Equity, we haven’t done a multifamily deal in 18 months.

So, we were excited to find what looked like an ideal opportunity in Atlanta. And two months ago, we got the deal under contract.

But after spending $15,000 in the due diligence process, we ultimately decided to walk away.

What went wrong?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I sit down with my partners at Nighthawk, Drew Kniffin and Garrett Lynch, to debrief on the deal we didn’t do.

We explain what we liked about the deal, describing what made it a textbook value-add opportunity and how we planned to renovate the units and upgrade several amenities in the community.

Listen in for insight into the issues we discovered in the due diligence process and learn how to stick to your investment criteria and protect your investors by walking away from a bad deal!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session414/

You don’t know what you don’t know. And if you’re doing your very first multifamily acquisition, every little thing that comes up can seem insurmountable.

But if you have the support of a mentor, they can talk you through those obstacles, prevent rookie mistakes, and alleviate your concerns as an aspiring investor.

Jeremy Lemere is a successful investor and operator of multifamily, commercial, and self-storage facilities in Northeast Wisconsin. 

He is also a mentor with the Michael Blank program, and his investment portfolio of $15M is made up of personal investments, self-directed IRA funds, solo 401(k) funds and real estate syndications.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Jeremy joins guest host Marybeth Noonan to explain how being a student in our mentoring program helped him transition out of his W-2.

Jeremy describes how he stayed connected to our network through a mastermind and eventually joined the team as a mentor, sharing his strengths in understanding finance and capital markets.

Listen in for insight on playing in different asset classes for the best return and learn how a mentor can help you learn the business of being a real estate investor!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session413/

Do you feel stuck? Like you’re not making progress in life?

Until my early 30s, I drifted through life. It felt like unseen forces were holding me back. And then I had a breakthrough and started living an intentional life—filled with purpose and fulfillment.

What made the difference? What does it mean to live with intention? What disciplines helped me identify and pursue what really matters to me?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I’m sharing my five clarity practices for living an intentional life.

I discuss the My Perfect Day exercise that helped me start making mindful choices and walk you through my process for setting five-year, one-year and quarterly goals.

Listen in for insight on scheduling Monthly Clarity Days and Weekly Strategic Time to reflect on your progress and learn how a Daily Morning Routine can help you live a more purposeful, fulfilling life!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session412/

Would David Kamara have figured out how to invest in multifamily on his own?

Yes, but at a much slower pace.

Working with a mentor accelerated his success. And now, the student has become the teacher.

David is a seasoned investor and mentor with the Michael Blank program. With 15 years of experience in real estate, David owns 1,000-plus units across the Midwest, primarily in Michigan and Iowa.

David is also a successful management consultant and sought-after advisor to C-suite executives and private equity investors. And he is fluent in five languages!

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, David joins guest host Marybeth Noonan to share his early wins as a student in our mentoring program.

David describes a near-perfect deal he manages in Marquette, Michigan, and discusses how he problem-solved an unexpected situation where the property taxes on a pending deal tripled.

Listen in for insight on trusting your resourcefulness as an aspiring investor and learn how a mentor like David can fast track your success in multifamily investing.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session411/

Whether you're looking to close a business deal or just improve your everyday interactions, the art of negotiation is key to getting to a YES.

But what if you’re not a natural negotiator? 

How do you build a relationship with the person on the other side of the table? Or learn to navigate difficult conversations? 

On this episode of the Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett is back to explain how his experience selling Cutco knives helped him become an expert negotiator. 

He describes how he prepares for a negotiation, discussing what it means to command the relationship and how to respond when emotions run high.

Listen in for Garrett’s tips on gaining leverage in a negotiation and learn how to secure the negotiator’s edge in a legal dispute, contract negotiation or real estate deal.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session410/

Reading Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired me to build generational wealth. But the first few cashflow businesses I tried didn’t produce the passive income I expected.

So, if you’re thinking about starting your real estate career with fix-and-flips or even a SFH portfolio, know that neither strategy leads to financial freedom.

But can you really skip single family investing and jump right into apartments?

On this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing my journey to financial freedom with real estate, explaining why I tried to earn passive income with restaurants first—and why that strategy didn’t work.

I discuss why it’s impossible to scale a single-family portfolio to achieve financial freedom and describe the light bulb moment when I pivoted to multifamily investing.

Listen in for insight on getting into multifamily without money or experience and learn how to skip SFH investing and start building wealth with apartments!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session409/

Whether you’re already involved in multifamily syndications, or you’re interested in getting into the space in 2024, it’s crucial to understand the market outlook.

Through Nighthawk Equity, we own a 2,000-unit portfolio worth $350M. And we’re always on the lookout for new deals.

That means we have insight into what’s happening in the market and what’s likely to happen in 2024.

So, what are our predictions for the next 12 months of multifamily real estate? How can you leverage this information to survive and thrive as an investor in 2024?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I’m sharing my top three headlines for the multifamily market outlook in 2024.

I discuss what’s behind the ongoing operator distress in apartments and describe how the fundamentals of multifamily remain strong despite the challenges.

Listen in to understand how economic headwinds are easing and learn how to take advantage of the incredible buying opportunities coming in 2024!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session408/

You want financial freedom, but it feels out of reach.

Because you’re living paycheck to paycheck. And struggling to pay down consumer debt.

So, how do you get from where you are now to building generational wealth?

On this episode of the podcast, I’m walking you through the steps to achieving financial freedom in 2024.

I explain how to get your financial house in order first, challenging you to track your current spending and build emergency savings over time.

Listen in to understand why apartment investing is the key to financial freedom and learn how to create enough wealth to quit your job in the next six to 18 months!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session407/

Losing is never fun, but it’s often valuable.

In fact, Garrett Lynch contends that down moments force us to pick ourselves up and close the gap between who we are and who we want to be.

In addition to being my podcast cohost, Garrett Lynch serves as Director of Acquisitions and Managing Member of our investing firm,Nighthawk Equity.

And his story is full of setbacks. Setbacks that pushed him to grow and take the next step in becoming a successful real estate investor.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett goes solo to share his journey from troubled teen to millionaire multifamily entrepreneur.

Garrett explains how he developed his #1 skill set selling Cutco knives and describes how his experience as a VIP concierge at a nightclub led him to real estate.

Listen in to understand what Garrett learned from scaling a portfolio of class D properties and get his advice on finding happiness in the business of real estate investing.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session406/

It's a new year with exciting new possibilities. Which means many of us are setting goals for 2024.

But why is it that New Year's resolutions usually don't work? Why can't we seem to stick to them for more than a few weeks before we fall away?

And more importantly, what can we do about it?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I’m sharing the Living Fully Compass system I recommend to crush your goals in 2024.

I explain what causes most of us to fail to follow through on our goals and why it’s beneficial to share your vision with a small group of accountability partners.

Listen in for insight on eliminating deadlines when you can’t control all the variables and learn how to achieve your goals by committing to the activities that lead to the outcome you want—for as long it takes!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session405/

What are the three most recession-resistant asset classes in real estate?

Even in challenging economic times, multifamily, mobile home parks and self-storage perform quite well.

Sergio Altomare built a portfolio of small multifamily properties while working full-time in technology for the Federal Reserve.

But in 2018, Sergio was having a hard time getting deals to pencil. He anticipated a market correction and pivoted to self-storage.

Today, Sergio is Cofounder and CEO ofHearthfire Holdings, a real estate private equity and development firm that manages over $50M in self-storage assets.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Sergio joins Garrett and me to discuss the benefits of investing in self-storage.

Sergio describes the financing challenges he’s facing in his business right now and shares his outlook for the self-storage market moving into 2024.

Listen in for Sergio’s insight on using data to find deals and find out if self-storage is the right real estate investment for you!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session404/

Passive investors are fearful in the current market environment.

Many got burned by rising interest rates, and they’re skittish about putting more money into the real estate market right now.

But we know that there are big opportunities coming in 2024. And Warren Buffet encourages us to ‘be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.’

So, how do you position a deal to investors who may have lost money in multifamily? Can you still raise capital at scale—even when it’s not a popular time to invest?

Bronson Hill is CEO of Bronson Equity, where he has raised over $20M for real estate ventures and served as GP for a portfolio valued at more than $150M.

An advocate for helping others achieve financial freedom through passive investing, Bronson educates aspiring investors through his podcast and new book, Fire Yourself: Replace Your Working Income with Passive Income in 3 Years or Less.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Bronson joins Garrett and me to explain how he raises money at scale through his online marketing platform.

Bronson shares the inspiration behind his book, Fire Yourself, and discusses the common mistakes passive investors make.

Listen in for Bronson’s insight on vetting deals in new asset classes and learn how to position a multifamily deal to investors and raise money in a challenging market environment.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session403/

Financial freedom opens you up to live a life of significance.

To pursue passions that may or may not generate any revenue. To do volunteer work or support causes you believe in.

For me, that cause is Uganda Counseling and Support Services or UCSS, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life in remote communities of Uganda.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Drew Kniffin joins me to discuss our involvement with UCSS, describing how I met its founder, Dr. Ronald Kaluya, and what differentiates the organization from other nonprofits. 

Drew asks me why I trust Dr. Kaluya and his team, and I explain how UCSS measures the impact of donor dollars in the communities we serve.

Listen in to understand the vision for UCSS moving forward and learn how you can get involved by sponsoring a student or becoming a legacy partner in the ministry!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session402/

Most real estate investors being their journey while they’re working a W-2.

But many hesitate to step away from the perceived security of their regular job, even after they’ve replaced their living expenses.

Others achieve financial freedom, leave the rat race, and then feel lost because they don’t have a sense of purpose.

So, what is the best way to transition from a W-2 to full-time entrepreneurship?

In addition to being a distinguished psychiatrist and mother of four, Dr. Elaine Stageberg is Cofounder and CEO of Black Swan Real Estate.

Elaine is a sought-after national presenter and investment thought leader, and she owns and operates a multifamily portfolio of 1,300 units.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Elaine joins Garrett Lynch to share her transition from psychiatry and healthcare administration to full-time real estate investor.

Elaine offers advice on preparing to leave your W-2, challenging us to simultaneously work toward our objective freedom number and the more subjective inner freedom it takes to make the leap.

Listen in for Elaine’s insight on elevating yourself to the next level of success and learn how to connect with investors who are ahead of you on the journey to financial freedom with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session401/

What were the top AHA moments on Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing in 2023?

As the year comes to an end, it’s time for a highlight reel of our most inspiring moments on the podcast in the last 12 months.

On this Best of 2023 episode, we revisit our conversation with Faisal Ensuan and Dr. Sheri Fluellan on why real estate syndicators need the right coach and reflect on Joseph Kimbrough’s advice around building relationships with high-net-worth investors.

We look back at Marc Rutzen’s insight on using AI for asset management, Chris Pomerleau’s guidance on overcoming imposter syndrome and Nicole Gauthier’s suggestions for connecting with a real estate investing mentor.

We also share wisdom from Rachel Richards on the value of financial independence, Ross Hamilton on successfully pivoting a real estate company, and Jon Jasniak on land flipping with no friction.

Listen in for Matt King’s advice on choosing a peer group that will help you level up and get free coaching from our top guests on Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing in 2023!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session400/

There are risks associated with running short-term rentals, especially when your Airbnb units are in a multifamily building.

But Syed Lateef has found a way to scale a STR business in apartment buildings.

And the landlords don’t just ALLOW Syed to rent their units, they WELCOME it.

Syed stands out in the world of short-term rentals, currently managing a portfolio of 300 units with a dedicated team of 50-plus employees.

Syed’s business earns over $30,000 a day, allowing him to give back by providing clean water wells to communities in need.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Syed joins us to explain how he replaced his W-2 income with short-term rentals.

Syed discusses his rental arbitrage business model, describing what he does to mitigate the risks of renting multifamily units on Airbnb and how he helps landlords solve vacancy issues.

Listen in for insight into the risks of running a STR business and learn how Syed achieved financial freedom with Airbnbs in apartments.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session399/

I'm not really a big fan of flipping anything.

I flipped three dozen houses early in my real estate career. But couldn't figure out how to turn that into a financial freedom business.

That's why I switched to apartments. And I am convinced that apartments are the number one way to become financially free with real estate.

But Travis King found a way to earn passive income with land flipping.

How does that work?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Travis joins us to discuss how he finds and finances off-market vacant land deals.

Travis explains how he gets top dollar on land when he sells it, earning a nice return for investors and interest income for himself through seller financing.

Listen in for insight on raising outside money to land bigger deals and learn how long it takes to replace your W-2 income with land flipping!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session398/

Mark Khuri’s real estate business survived the crash of 2008.

And the lessons he learned through that experience can help us take advantage of similar circumstances in the current market.

But how do you find good deals in tough times? Can you reduce risk without reducing expected returns?

Mark is Cofounder of SMK Capital Management, a family-owned investment firm that focuses on providing diversified offerings and attractive returns via income-producing commercial real estate.

With 17 years of real estate investing experience, Mark has executed over $1 billion in deals in a variety of asset classes.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Mark joins us to discuss how he leveraged networking to make it through the Great Recession.

Mark describes his transition from sponsor and operator of a SFH portfolio to raising capital for mobile home parks, self-storage and large multifamily deals.

Listen in for insight around Mark’s process for vetting operators and learn what you should be looking for in a good deal right now!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session397/

Wherever you are in the process of building a company (real estate or otherwise), it’s important to consider your exit strategy.

Because even if you don’t plan on selling your business anytime soon, that pushes you to eliminate yourself from the day-to-day and move into what we call the owner’s box.

So, what does it look like to position your company to sell? And how do you benefit from building a business that runs without you?

Ross Hamilton is the former CEO of Connected Investor, the real estate technology platform he scaled and sold to Fortune 100 Company First American.

Today, he is planning a mountain biking trip to Peru and building Saving Homes, a nonprofit that is disrupting affordable housing.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Ross joins us to discuss how he positioned Connected Investor to sell and why First American was the right buyer at the right time.

Ross shares what he learned in ten years of scaling Connected Investor and walks us through his ‘lifeboat strategy’ for transitioning into the next chapter of your life.

Listen in to understand how Saving Homes is helping people leverage real estate to escape poverty and get Ross’ advice on architecting an exit strategy for your real estate investing business!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session396/

Is your corporate job making you miserable?

Are you tired of giving everything to your company for eight hours (or more) and being too exhausted to spend quality time with your family at the end of the day?

What if you could get rid of those golden handcuffs with real estate?

Brooke Ceballos-Pinero has not only achieved financial freedom through real estate, but she is also dedicated to empowering others on their path to prosperity.

After 20 years in corporate America, Brooke left her W-2 just two weeks ago and went all-in on herself, growing the Multifamily Momentum coaching program and Real Women in Real Estate book project.

On this episode of the podcast, Brooke describes her frustrations with corporate America and shares the game plan she used to leave her 9-to-5 for real estate.

Brooke discusses the societal messaging that keeps women from pursuing multifamily, explaining why she’s committed to inspiring people in marginalized communities to build wealth with real estate.

Listen in for Brooke’s advice on planning your own exit from the corporate world and get inspired to achieve financial freedom with real estate—no matter who you are or where you come from! 

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session395/

Robert Martinez has been a successful real estate investor for more than a decade. But he made headlines recently when MF1 Capital foreclosed on one of his Houston properties.

So, how did it happen? What factors contributed to Robert losing the first deal of his career?

Robert is the visionary syndicator behind Rockstar Capital, a multifamily investing firm with a portfolio of 21 apartment communities encompassing 3,762 rental units.

In 10 years, Robert has led the underwriting, acquisition and management of 30 multifamily properties, and he is the only two-time National Apartment Association Independent Rental Owner of the Year.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate, Robert describes the perfect storm that led to his first foreclosure, discussing how the Fed rate hikes impacted his business.

Robert explains why hiring a third-party management company for help backfired and shares what he did to try and save the deal—and why it didn’t work.

Listen in to understand how Robert benefited from being transparent with investors and learn what he is doing to regain their trust before he expands the Rockstar portfolio.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session394/

Former Marine Joseph Kimbrough was a successful wholesaler, but the work was a constant grind.

Joseph realized that to achieve financial freedom, what he needed was equity. And he was already comfortable pitching investors on big-ticket wholesale deals

So, Joseph started building a fund, raising capital from high-net-worth individuals and investing that money in multifamily deals run by the best operators in the business.

Today, Joseph is Founder and Fund Manager at Apex Real Estate Investments, a privately held equity investment company that invests in multifamily in the Southeast US.

To date, Joseph has built a portfolio of 592 doors worth $150M, and he is also a TEDx Speaker and esteemed member of the Forbes Real Estate Council.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate, Joseph shares his ‘dream team’ approach to investing with top syndicators and describes the challenges he faced raising capital early on.

Joseph explains what he learned in the Marines that applies to real estate and offers advice on connecting with high-net-worth investors—both in person and online.

Listen in to understand how Joseph is inspired by his trips to East Africa and learn how real estate can give YOU the location and time freedom to travel abroad!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session393/

Mario Rapaj has been in our mentoring program for nine months now, but he hasn’t closed his first deal.

And he’s frustrated.

So, what’s holding Mario back?

Is he doing the right activities? Does he have any limiting beliefs? What can he do to get unstuck and finally become a GP?

Mario is Founder of Tex-Alb Real Estate Investment Group, a syndication business headquartered in Dallas, Texas. He has an LP portfolio of 375 multifamily units and owns several single-family properties.

Mario is driven to improve the quality of life in the communities where he invests and help passive investors build generational wealth.

On this Business Boost coaching session, Mario shares his challenges in finding deals that fit his criteria and getting investors to commit in the current market.

I ask Mario what he’s doing to raise capital, offering advice around how to get more investor leads and connect with partners who specialize in raising money.

Listen in for insight on finding a mentor to support your investing journey and learn how to stay the course and take consistent daily action to achieve financial freedom with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session392/

Ed Hermsen’s first multifamily deal fell in his lap, and he got it done fast.

But because that initial success came somewhat easy, Ed hadn’t taken the time to work on his mindset.

He didn’t have a morning routine. He hadn’t practiced writing down his goals. And no one was holding him accountable to take the next steps.

That’s why it took Ed a full two years to buy his second apartment building!

Ed is a former mortgage banker turned full-time real estate investor with a portfolio of four multifamily properties and two RV parks.

He is also the creator of Campground Ventures, a YouTube channel designed to educate investors on the ins and outs of RV parks.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate, Ed explains why he’s the exception to the Law of the First Deal and describes what he did to get back into multifamily investing.

Ed opens up about why he’s self-funded all his deals so far, and we challenge him to overcome his fears around real estate syndications.

Listen in for Ed’s insight on the benefits of investing in RV parks and learn why you need MINDSET plus ACTION to grow your portfolio and achieve financial freedom with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session391/

Andrew Elio is a 22-year-old recent college graduate, but he already knows that he doesn’t want to work for someone else the rest of his life.

That’s what motivated him to join our Deal Maker Certification program a month ago. At the same time, he started working a full-time job.

How is Andrew juggling both responsibilities? What’s he struggling with? What progress has he made so far?

And what’s the most important thing Andrew can do to accelerate his success?

On this edition of Business Boost with Michael Blank, Andrew shares his anxiety around talking to brokers, and we discuss the role of practice in building confidence.

Andrew describes how he got into the habit of taking consistent action every day, and I discuss the benefits of networking with the Deal Maker Mastermind community.

Listen in as I address Andrew’s questions about what a loan covers (and what it doesn’t) and offer advice on finding an experienced mentor to fast-track his journey to financial freedom!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session390/

Sudhir Jarajapu took the first steps on his multifamily investing journey and invested in our mentoring program.

But then he got off track.

In fact, it took Sudhir nine months to work through the first 90 days of the program!

So, what got in the way? And what did Sudhir do to get back in the game?

Welcome to the first of our Business Boost with Michael Blank series on Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, where I do a live coaching session with a new syndicator!

On this episode of the podcast, Sudhir explains what inspired his interest in multifamily investing and why he chose to pursue mentoring with the Michael Blank organization.

Sudhir describes how he struggled to make time for the mentoring program at first and shares how both his mentor and his family eventually held him accountable to take action.

Listen in as I ask Sudhir what he needs support with right now, and we design an action plan to help him achieve financial freedom with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session389/

It took Chris Pomerleau four years to realize he didn’t have to replace toilets himself and another four years to realize he didn’t have to do his own books.

That’s when Chris went from simply doing deals to building a real estate business.

So, why does it take most investors so long to scale? And what can YOU do to achieve financial freedom much faster?

Chris is Cofounder of LeavenWealth Capital, a real estate investment firm out of Omaha, Nebraska, with 2,700 multifamily units totaling $211M in assets under management.

Chris also serves as Cofounder and VP of Investment Strategy at Rayven, a Reg A investment business committed to fighting climate change by way of net-zero apartment buildings.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Chris joins me to discuss how he got his start using the BRRRR method with SFHs—until he realized it wasn’t scalable.

Chris explains how he grew his real estate business, describing how he made the shift from borrowing money to raising equity and why having conversations with investors outside his circle was scary at first.

Listen in to understand Chris’ 50/50 approach to real estate partnerships and learn how to think about hiring not as an expense, but as an investment in your multifamily business!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session388/

Are you surrounding yourself with people who will get you to the next level?

Five years ago, a group of seasoned multifamily investors got together and established a Mastermind to support each other as we scale our real estate businesses.

And I’m proud to be part of that group with Matt Faircloth, who’s been in real estate full-time since 2005

Matt serves as Owner of DeRosa Group, a multifamily investing firm with a portfolio of 1,800-plus units and $150 million in assets under management.

Matt is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Raising Private Capital: Build Your Real Estate Investing Empire with Other People’s Money.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Matt and I discuss the opportunities we see coming in the multifamily market.

Matt describes the properties in his portfolio that are doing well versus the properties that are struggling, and we brainstorm strategies for dealing with rising insurance rates for multifamily.

Listen in as Matt shares his vision for scaling DeRosa Group and learn about the personal disciplines that contribute to his success!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session387/

Chad Schieler saw himself as the numbers guy, so he let partners handle the task of raising money for his first big real estate syndication.

But his team was short. At closing, they had $1M of a $1.4M raise, and Chad had to take out a bridge loan to cover the rest.

That experience inspired Chad to overcome his limiting beliefs around raising money and take his syndication business to the next level.

Today, he is Founder and Principal at Focused Capital, a multifamily firm that helps busy professionals generate passive income and create wealth through real estate investing.

After 17 years running a successful credit card processing service business, Chad became a full-time real estate investor. He is a GP on 139 units and LP on 900-plus!

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Chad explains what he struggled with early in his real estate career, describing his fears of asking for money and the flaw in his underwriting formula.

Chad discusses how investing in a mentor gave him the confidence to take on bigger multifamily deals and shares his approach to building a team as he scales.

Listen in for Chad’s advice on fast-tracking your path to financial freedom and learn how to overcome your limiting beliefs around raising capital and start sharing the opportunity to invest in real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session386/

Does your business feel like a black hole?

Are you feeding it all your time, energy and money? But it just keeps sucking away?

Too many business owners get to the end of their career and don’t have much to show for it, selling for next to nothing or simply letting the business fade away.

But what if you could leverage your business profits to build personal wealth?

Todd Polke is an international educator and trainer in the realm of wealth creation and building strategic investment portfolios.

Todd is dedicated to the mission of helping as many people as possible break free from the default and ‘live a life unlimited by income.’

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Todd explains the idea behind his Profits to Portfolio system and how it helps business owners grow their personal wealth.

Todd shares how Australia’s real estate market compares to the US, offering advice on how to navigate the current downturn and prepare to capitalize on opportunities coming down the pike.

Listen in for Todd’s insight on avoiding emotional investment decisions and learn how to leverage a diversified portfolio to build personal wealth—and a lasting legacy.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session385/

We all go through challenging life experiences, be it the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, or painful divorce.

And the last thing we need in those circumstances is to worry about money.

But what is the best way to build the kind of passive income you need to make it through tough times without stressing about finances?

Rachel Richards is the creator of Money Honey, a financial education platform that helps young women manage their money effectively and achieve financial freedom.

Rachel achieved her own financial independence at the age of 27 with a portfolio of 38 rental units, and she is the bestselling author of Money Honeyand Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Rachel explains how she and her then-husband leveraged real estate to reach a passive income goal of $10,000 a month in just three years.

Rachel shares her definition of financial independence and describes how it gave her the opportunity to escape to Italy and heal from a painful divorce.

Listen in for Rachel’s insight on rebuilding after a challenging life experience and learn how real estate can give you the financial independence to pursue what you love!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session384/

Asset management can be a real challenge for multifamily operators, especially if you’re managing properties from a distance.

If a site is not working, how do you figure out what’s wrong? Is it the staff? Are rents too high? Do you have too many work orders?

The good news is, new AI tools can give GPs transparency around what’s going on—helping us set pricing, manage expenses and optimize the performance of our real estate assets.

Marc Rutzen is Cofounder and CEO of HelloData.ai, a game-changing platform that is using data science to transform the world of proptech.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Marc joins us to explain why the HelloData team decided to take on asset management.

Marc discusses the weaknesses of traditional revenue management software, describing how HelloData leverages AI to address those problems.

Listen in for Marc’s insight on the potential dangers of AI and learn how HelloData can help you analyze numbers effectively, evaluate your operations and optimize your real estate portfolio!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session383/

A multifamily operator in Houston recently lost 3,200 units to foreclosure.

Is that a sign of calamity to come? Or can we learn from their mistakes and ask better questions before we invest in our next syndication?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I walk you through nine important questions to ask before you invest in your next multifamily syndication.

I explain why not-so-good operators (what I like to call NSGOs) are struggling in the current multifamily market and how to differentiate an NSGO from a capable one.

Listen in to understand why it’s a mistake to sit on the sidelines until the real estate market changes and learn how to find great deals right now for pennies on the dollar!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session382/

Caleb Johnson’s mother had just had surgery and was living off savings while she recovered.

But after three months, she wasn’t healed and had to make an impossible decision: Return to work in excruciating pain or prolong retirement by several years.

Inspired to help his mother financially and achieve financial freedom himself, Caleb started investing in real estate at the age of 18.

Today, he is the 25-year-old Founder of Red Sea Capital Group, and Caleb has a $9 million real estate portfolio of 117 units.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Caleb joins us to explain how he started his real estate journey with a house hack and then partnered to invest in bigger multifamily deals.

Caleb discusses why it was harder to raise money than he thought and challenges newbie investors to have an experienced partner verify our underwriting early on.

Listen in for Caleb’s insight on persevering through roadblocks and learn where to find partners with the capital and knowhow to help you get a deal done—regardless of your age!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session381/

So, you’ve got some money set aside to jumpstart your real estate career. What should you invest in?

An apartment building? Mobile home park? Something else?

The answer is no. Don't do any of those things. If you have money to invest, the first thing you should invest in YOURSELF.

John Manfredy has over 30 years of real estate experience as an architect where he was responsible for design, project management and construction supervision for projects budgeted over $500 million.

But when John was laid off during COVID, he transitioned to multifamily investing and development, and today, he serves as Principal at Manifest Multifamily Group.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, John joins us to explain how our mentoring program helped him transition from a W-2 to real estate quickly and avoid mistakes ‘with a lot of zeros behind them.’

John describes how he raised $1.7 million in three days, challenging us to share opportunities with potential investors months in advance and build a team with skills complementary to our own.

Listen in to understand the benefit of sticking with old deals and learn how John reached his real estate goals faster by investing in himself!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session380/

Scaling up a multifamily investing business starts with scaling up your capital raise.

And one key strategy for expanding your investor network is to get referrals from friends and family who already invest with you.

But how do you encourage your investors to talk about their experiences? How do you leverage referrals to build momentum in raising money for real estate deals?

Dan Reilly and Greg Danielson are Managing Partners at Measured Capital, a private equity firm that sponsors value-add multifamily investment projects.

Dan and Greg both walked away from lucrative careers for real estate, and since becoming partners in 2022, they have built a portfolio of 500-plus units.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Dan and Greg join us to explain how they overcame limiting beliefs around talking to brokers and scaling up quickly to build a successful multifamily business.

Dan and Greg discuss their decision to invest in Des Moines and Jacksonville, describing how they’re gaining traction in those markets and dealing with deal flow challenges.

Listen in for Dan and Greg’s approach to raising money from their network and get strategic advice on how to land referrals for investors from friends and family.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session379/

You say you want financial freedom. You want to build wealth and have money for extraordinary experiences.

But if you’re doing what everyone else does, if you’re trying to save your way to wealthy, you’re never going to get results.

So, what do you do if the path you’re on doesn’t lead to the outcomes you want?

PJ Ghadimi is a self-made millionaire who’s taken the world of entrepreneurship by storm. He transitioned out of a lucrative but limited career in banking to build several successful businesses, including Exotic Car Hacks and Watch Trading Academy.

Today, PJ is at the forefront of entrepreneurial education, helping aspiring business owners start their own venture and then grow to the next level of success.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, PJ joins us to share his journey from corporate finance to entrepreneurship and explain how he continues to scale his income exponentially.

PJ offers advice on reinventing yourself in order to level up, challenging you to get better at your craft every day and focus on the person you need to become to achieve your financial goals.

Listen in to understand the connection between financial freedom and fulfilling life experiences and get PJ’s practical tips for aligning your financial plan with what you say you want.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session378/

The recent foreclosure on 3,200 units in Houston has investors nervous about putting their money in multifamily.

But does that default mean we should all be sitting on the sidelines?

John Casmon argues that investing in apartments is a business, just like any other. And if we avoid the red flags in the Houston deal, we can (and should) continue business as usual.

John is Head of Acquisitions and Investor Relations at Casmon Capital Group, a multifamily investing firm committed to helping busy professionals achieve financial freedom.

John has invested in over $100 million worth of apartments, and he is passionate about consulting with active multifamily investors to help them start or grow their business.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, John joins us to discuss what mistakes the Houston operators made and how to protect yourself from a similar fate.

John explains how he got started with 2- to 4-unit multifamily properties and shares the breakthrough that gave him the confidence to raise money for bigger deals.

Listen in for John’s insight on overcoming low market sentiment and learn why you should still be analyzing deals and looking for opportunities in apartments right now!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session377/

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

But what if you don’t want the same life as your current sphere of influence? How do you connect with successful people who will help you level up?

Matt King is CEO of GoBundance, a high-level mastermind group for high-achieving men and women who choose to lead epic lives.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, we revisit Matt’s talk at Deal Maker Live 2023 on the importance of building a powerful sphere of influence.

Matt explains how to leverage the power of our subconscious mind, challenging us to create a five-year vision for our life and choose a peer group that holds us accountable to our goals.

Listen in for Matt’s insight on auditing your current sphere of influence and learn how to deliver value to the people you want in your tribe!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session376/

Who is better at raising capital, extroverts or introverts?

You might think extroverts have the advantage when it comes to raising money for real estate deals. But the truth is, introverts can be just as good at sourcing funds.

The secret is to embrace your unique personality and approach networking with investors in a way that leverages your strengths.

Mandy McAllister serves as Managing Member at Good Fortune Capital and CEO of GoBundance Women. Camilla Jeffs is Founder and CEO of Steady Stream Investments and Host of the Quiet Wealth podcast.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, we revisit Mandy and Camilla’s talk at Deal Maker Live 2023 around raising capital based on the strengths of your personality.

Mandy describes what makes her good at raising capital as an extrovert, and Camilla explains how being an introvert helps her build strong one-on-one relationships with LPs.

Listen in for Mandy and Camilla’s top ten tips for networking with investors and learn how to tailor these capital raising techniques to fit your distinct personality!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session375/

Those of us with analytical minds tend to be fairly risk averse.

But entrepreneurship requires that we move forward with incomplete information.

So, what can we do to overcome that fear of the unknown and get into our first real estate deal? How do we develop the confidence to figure things out as we go along?

Nicole Gauthier is Founder of Wicked Holdings, a real estate investment community focused on social change and community empowerment.

Nicole was an accountant in the oil and gas industry before transitioning to real estate, and she has a heart for helping busy professionals build generational wealth through multifamily syndications.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Nicole joins us to discuss how the mantra ‘progress over perfection’ helps her overcome the uncertainty of investing in real estate.

Nicole describes how her education and experience as an LP gave her the confidence to become a multifamily operator and explains how to develop transformational relationships with investors.

Listen in for Nicole’s advice on approaching a potential mentor and learn how to overcome analysis paralysis and take the calculated risks necessary to get into your first real estate deal!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session374/

What is the best real estate investing strategy for 2023?

Should you try wholesaling? Or invest in Airbnbs? How about fix-and-flips? Turnkey rentals? Or maybe a multifamily syndication?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett takes on the role of moderator, and we sit down with some big hitters in the industry to debate the pros and cons of each approach.

Kyle Stanley of The Fearless Investor explains why he likes short-term rentals and Hayato Hori of RocketOffr shares the benefits of wholesaling.

I describe the advantages of apartment building investing, Chris Clothier of REI Nation discusses why he prefers turnkeys, and Henry Washington of BiggerPockets explores the opportunities in fix-and-flips in 2023.

Listen in for insight on the risks and challenges associated with each kind of real estate investing and learn which strategy is the quickest path to financial freedom!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session373/

Are you interested in multifamily investing but overwhelmed by the prospect of buying an entire apartment building?

What if you could dip your toe in the water with accessory dwelling units or ADUs?

The ADU strategy involves either converting a SFH into multiple units or building standalone, detached units on a single family lot.

After several years of building ADUs for clients and friends, Derek Sherrell decided to leverage those skills into developing projects that would help him gain financial independence.

Two decades later, Derek is the real estate investor behind That ADU Guy. His platform teaches the strategy to help others earn passive income and address the affordable housing crisis at the same time.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Derek joins me to discuss the different categories of accessory dwelling units you might consider, convertible ADUs versus standalone, detached units.

Derek walks us through the process for getting permission to build accessory dwelling units, explaining why everyone should consider building an ADU at their primary residence and how to get financing for such a project.

Listen in for Derek’s insight on the profitability of building accessory dwelling units and find out if ADUs are the right steppingstone into YOUR multifamily investing career!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session372/

Most aspiring real estate investors struggle with fear.

But the ones who become successful GPs work through their fears with practice.

Mai Duong is Harvard-educated CPA with 25 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting.

She is also on the Executive Team at Sunbelt Equity Group, where she has amassed a portfolio of more than 192 multifamily units (and more closings to come).

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Mai joins me to explain what she learned as an LP that helped her become a successful active investor.

Mai describes how she dealt with fears around talking to brokers and raising capital with preparation, challenging us to practice underwriting lots of deals and asking questions in a ‘throwaway market.’

Listen in to understand how Mai’s team is finding deals right now and learn how to adjust your underwriting to overcome your fears and invest with confidence!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session371/

There are so many ways to invest in real estate. And when you’re first learning about the options, it can get overwhelming.

But the most successful investors niche down to a single strategy, perfect their processes and rinse, repeat to scale.

Kyle Stanley, for example, focuses on short-term rentals, and he has created systems in his business that allow him to work just one or two hours a week!

Kyle is the creator of The Fearless Investor, a platform that helps people learn about the real estate investing game.

He tried several investing strategies before niching down to Airbnb, and nine months in, he was grossing over $25,000 a month!

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Kyle joins Garrett to explain how the short-term rental arbitrage and cohosting models work for aspiring investors who don’t own property themselves.

Kyle shares the mission behind his brand, The Fearless Investor, and challenges aspiring investors to conquer our fears through action.

Listen in for Kyle’s advice on uncovering your real estate investing niche and find out if the short-term rental model is right for you!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session370/

How do you make money flipping land?

What are the pros and cons of investing in land deals as opposed to other kinds of real estate?

Jon Jasniak started flipping land in 2016 when he was 23 years’ old and working as an engineer. After 18 months of doing both, he quit his job to go into the land game full time.

In the last seven years, Jon has done 700 deals across 7,000 acres and built an eight-figure land business. And in early 2023, he bought an entire town in West Texas!

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Jon joins Garrett to explain how he buys land under value, leveraging seller financing or private money to get into deals.

Jon discusses how he reduces friction in his business by subdividing land and selling it to average people without a title company, marketing on sites like Facebook Marketplace and Lands of America.

Listen in for Jon’s experience buying Cornudas, Texas, and learn how he is adding value to the town and making money in the process!

 For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session369/

In multifamily real estate, we look for opportunities in a given market and then build relationships with the bankers, brokers, and boots on the ground we need to make a deal work.

But what if the business opportunity you identify is in Asia or Latin America? How do you overcome the language barrier and put together the team you need to build a successful company in a foreign country?

Cole Shepherd is Founder and Partner at Legacy Group, an alternative investment firm based in Colombia that focuses on high-quality LATAM businesses that produce outsized returns for investors.

He's an expert in emerging markets and understanding the capital movements of high-net-worth investors.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Cole joins Garrett to discuss his background in international business and what he learned from working in the ‘professional leagues of capitalism’ overseas.

Cole explains what inspired him to build Legacy Group in Medellin, describing how he started with real estate flips and expanded into commodities, growing Green Coffee Company into Colombia's largest coffee producer.

Listen in for insight on learning the language and culture the place you want to do business and find out how to invest in Green Coffee Company or one of Cole’s other innovative projects at Legacy Group!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session368/

Maxwell Nee was drinking an Old Fashioned at a swanky bar in Chicago when he came to appreciate the significant price difference between Macallan 18 and Macallan 12 whisky.

Because it had aged an additional six years, Macallan 18 cost 500% more!

That’s when the lightbulb went off. And Maxwell started looking into wine and whisky as an alternative investment.

Today, Maxwell is Managing Partner at OENO Wine and Whisky Fund, a recession-proof investment fund that leverages the intrinsic value creation in the maturity of fine wine and whisky to earn double-digit returns for investors.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Maxwell joins Garrett to explain what he looks for in a wine or whisky investment deal and how the assets are aged in a warehouse under the best conditions.

Maxwell shares his strategy for maximizing returns for OENO investors and describes the parallels between investing in wine and whisky and value-add real estate.

Listen in to understand the risks associated with wine and whisky as an alternative investment and find out if investing in Maxwell’s fund is right for you!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session367/

Historically, oil and gas operators only give investors the cashflow from wells and keep the land value for themselves.

But King Operating Corporation does things differently, structuring their deals very much like a multifamily syndication.

So, what are the benefits of investing in oil and gas with King Operating? Why is Nighthawk Equity partnering with King to raise money for an energy fund?

Eric Rice is Chief Growth Officer for King Operating, where he oversees investor communications and studies the macro-economic environment and its impact on energy.

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https://nighthawkequity.com/energy

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Eric joins Garrett Lynch and Drew Kniffin to explain how his team finds the right locations to drill and why they pick up deals that are overlooked by other operators.

Eric walks us through the tax benefits of investing in energy and describes why investing with King Operating is safer than other oil and gas investments.

Listen in for insight on the returns you might expect from investing in Eric’s fund and learn why NOW is the right time to put your money in an oil and gas portfolio like King Operating.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session366/

Are entrepreneurs born or made?

If you ask Chris Naugle, they are created. But to become a successful entrepreneur, you must be willing to take risks. And you can’t conform to someone else’s failed reality.

As a former pro snowboarder, Chris is good at leaping into the unknown. He applied that risk tolerance to business, building 19 companies in 29 years.

Today, Chris is known as America’s #1 Money Mentor. He runs The Money School, hosts Risky Builders on HGTV, and manages tens of millions of dollars in assets in financial services and real estate transactions.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Chris joins Garrett to explain how he became an entrepreneur at the age of 16 in spite of other people’s opinions.

Chris describes how he navigated challenging times, surviving the dotcom bust, the Great Recession and losing it all in 2014 when the banks said no to a loan and froze his lines of credit.

Listen in for insight into the infinite banking process that turned Chris’ life around and helped him build enough wealth to ‘be the bank’ and invest tens of millions in real estate deals!

 For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session365/

Smart investors diversify their portfolios.

And while multifamily real estate is our favorite asset class, we love learning about other alternatives to the stock market.

Artem Milinchuk suggests investing in farmland, an asset class that does well in times of inflation and appreciates over time.

Artem is Founder and Head of Strategy at FarmTogether, a platform that makes it easy for anyone to invest in farmland.

He has 14 years of finance experience in food, agriculture and farmland, serving as CFO at Full Harvest Technologies before building FarmTogether five years ago.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Artem joins Garrett to explain how FarmTogether syndicates capital online for farmland deals.

Artem discusses why farmland is a relatively safe long-term investment, who manages FarmTogether’s farms and what kind of return his investors can expect on row versus permanent crops.

Listen in for Artem’s insight on the tax benefits of investing in farmland and learn how to leverage the FarmTogether platform to diversify your portfolio with sustainable farmland.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session364/

Is your financial advisor really looking out for you?

Many investors question whether their FA has their best interests at heart. But seeking out alternative investments on your own can be scary, especially if the stock market is all you’ve ever known.

So, what can you do to learn more about alternative investments like self-storage, cryptocurrency, ATMs or real estate? And can you achieve financial freedom in just a few years as a passive investor?

Spencer Hilligoss is a former technology executive with a 13-year track record building high performing teams across five companies. He and his wife, Jennifer, achieved financial freedom through passive investing in multifamily and other alternative asset classes.

Today, Spencer serves as Cofounder and CEO of Madison Investing, a platform that helps busy professionals generate passive income through vetted real estate investments.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Spencer joins Garrett and me to explain how he educated himself around alternative investments like mobile home parks, data centers and multifamily syndications.

Spencer discusses the framework he and Jennifer created to make good investment decisions, describing what they look for in a deal and how they vet an operator.

Listen in for Spencer’s insight on breaking into a new asset class and find out where he sees opportunities for investors in 2023 and beyond!

 For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session363/

When I first started raising money for real estate syndications, I had lunch with a prospective investor who was interested but didn’t have the $50,000 minimum it took to get in on the deal.

But then I asked, ‘Do you have an IRA or anything?’ And it turned out he had $500,000 sitting in his retirement account. $500,000 he could use to buy real estate.

So, how do we educate potential investors about the opportunity to invest through a retirement account? What steps can passive investors take to shift money from a 401(k) or IRA into real estate?

Henry Yoshida, CFP, is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Dollar, a web platform that lets people invest tax advantaged retirement monies into private alternative investments.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Henry joins Garrett and me to explain what alternative investments you can and cannot invest in using 401(k) or IRA money.

Henry walks us through the process of moving retirement money into a self-directed account and describes the differences between traditional custodians and self-directed capable custodians like Rocket Dollar.

Listen in to understand the pros and cons of investing with an IRA versus cash and learn how Rocket Dollar accelerates the process of investing in stock market alternatives like multifamily syndications!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session362/

You have all the skills you need to become a successful multifamily investor. But without the right mindset, you’re unlikely to achieve financial freedom.

So, what can aspiring investors do to overcome the limiting beliefs and bad habits that are holding them back?

Faisal Ensaun has coached more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, CEOs, executives and athletes, guiding them to connect with their vision and potential.

Dr. Sheri Fluellen is a psychologist and coach who works exclusively with real estate investors, helping them maximize their life contribution through real estate investing.

Together, Faisal and Sheri are the creators of the Coaching Mastery Community, where they teach other coaches to develop their coaching ability and business practice.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Faisal and Sheri join Garrett and me to discuss the mindset issues that keep newbie investors stuck, describing how a lack of vision prevents us from achieving our goals.

Sheri offers advice on vetting a coach to find the right one for you, and Faisal explains why you need a someone who’s battled on their own path to success.

Listen in to understand how a coach’s support extends beyond real estate and learn how a high-performance coach can help YOU become a successful investor with an awesome life!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session361/

Most of us get into real estate investing because we want to quit our jobs. But Burnie Lund is different.

Though he’s already achieved financial freedom, Burnie has no intention of leaving his ministry work. In fact, he got into multifamily so he could give more to the missions he believes in.

Burnie is a pastor and multifamily real estate investor with a portfolio of 105 units. He focuses on the ‘common man’ as his target market, allowing people to invest as little as $5,000 in his deals.

Burnie is also a former mentoring student of ours and served as the subject of our deal analysis at Deal Maker Bootcamp 2023.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Burnie joins Garrett and me to explain how a desire to give back fueled his interest in real estate and why he invested in the support of a mentor early on.

Burnie discusses the role his faith plays in running his business and describes how he pitches passive investors by appealing to their sense of stewardship and desire to do good in the world.

Listen in to understand how relationships win real estate deals and get Burnie’s advice on committing and then taking consistent action every day to amplify your impact with real estate!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session360/

The name Grant Cardone is synonymous with scale. Each new venture he launches quickly grows 10X bigger than anyone else in the business.

So, what drives that desire to push the boundaries of what’s possible? How might you apply the same principles to scale your real estate syndication business?

Jarrod Glandt is President of Grant Cardone Enterprises, where he has served as Grant’s right-hand man for the last 12 years and helped grow company revenues from $2M in annual sales to well over nine figures.

Jarrod is also Cohost of Young Hustlers, a podcast that offers its millennial audience tips on sales, marketing, money and entrepreneurship.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Jarrod joins Garrett Lynch and me to give us a look under the hood at Grant Cardone Enterprises.

Jarrod discusses the benefit of building a brand before you raise capital for real estate deals and describes how to apply Cardone Capital’s marketing tactics to your syndication business.

Listen in for insight on creating a culture of accountability on your multifamily team and learn how to leverage what Jarrod calls ‘divine discontentment’ to do the next big thing in your business!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session359/

Words hide red flags in a real estate deal. But numbers are the source of truth.

So, what numbers should you be looking at when you evaluate a multifamily deal?

Jason Baik is Managing Principal at Compounding Capital Group and Founder of The Underwriting Lab, a platform that helps aspiring multifamily investors learn a data-driven approach to apartment investing.

An ex-VP of Data Science, Jason left his six-figure corporate career to become a full-time investor before he owned a single property! Two years later, he has built a portfolio of 350 apartment units and seven single family homes.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Jason joins me to explain how the data pointed him to real estate as the best vehicle for generational wealth and why he transitioned to multifamily investing early on.

Jason discusses how he connected with his business partner at Compounding Capital, describing what makes their partnership work and how they’re adjusting their underwriting right now.

Listen in for insight on how Jason used the Syndicated Deal Analyzer to launch his multifamily career and learn how understanding the numbers helps you analyze risk and make the right decisions for your investing journey!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session358/

When Dan Handford got into multifamily syndications in 2018, he raised $4M. By 2022, he had scaled his capital raise to $294M.

What’s his secret? How did Dan grow his investor database to nearly 1,700 and his portfolio to 4,000+ doors in just five years?

Dan is Managing Partner of PassiveInvesting.com, a real estate investing firm with $1.2B in assets under management based in the Carolinas.

Dan’s syndication company began with a focus on multifamily but has expanded include self-storage, carwashes and hotels.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Dan sits down with Garrett and me to explain how he worked his way up from passive investor to co-GP to lead syndicator.

Dan discusses how he finds new investors with an online authority platform and grows his team along with his real estate portfolio.

Listen in to understand why Dan is diversifying across asset classes and learn how to scale your capital raise, your team and your portfolio value in just a few short years!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session357/

When you’re raising capital for a real estate deal, it’s tempting to pitch potential investors right away.

But if you try to sell a high-net-worth individual before you’ve established trust, your chances of conversion are slim to none.

So, how do you make meaningful connections with HNWIs and build trust in a way that makes them want to invest with you?

Brad Blazar is the creator of Capital School, one of the fastest growing communities for entrepreneurs, business owners and CEOs learning to attract, raise and close high-net-worth investors.

Having raised well over $2 billion for his own businesses, Brad is a sought-after speaker on the subject of raising capital and author of Winning at the Capital Game: Using Other People’s Money to Build Wealth.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Brad joins me to explain what works in building relationships with high-net-worth individuals, walking us through the steps he takes to establish trust prior to a pitch.

Brad discusses how to stay in contact with potential investors while you’re waiting for a live deal and describes what he’s doing to raise capital in an uncertain economic environment.

Listen in for insight around raising private equity money for real estate deals and learn Brad’s genius strategies for connecting with potential investors—at traditional networking events or a nearby Starbucks!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session356/

As with most things, the economy goes through different seasons. And prior to the pandemic, it was red-hot summer in the real estate market.

COVID caused a quick Arctic freeze, but things warmed up again and multifamily prices peaked in March 2022.

Then we skipped fall and landed right in winter.

And while it’s hard to predict how long this season might last, there are things we can do to endure the cold and put ourselves in a position to thrive in the coming spring.

Drew Kniffin serves as Partner at Nighthawk Equity where he manages all aspects of our $300M portfolio, including acquisitions, asset management and raising capital.

Prior to joining Nighthawk, Drew enjoyed a successful career in corporate finance and grew a portfolio of 400 of his own residential units.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Drew sits down with Garrett and me to discuss the economic trends we’re monitoring closely at Nighthawk and how the team has adjusted to the changing multifamily market.

We explain how rising interest rates are squeezing your average operator and why we expect a flood of opportunities to buy in the next 12 to 18 months.

Listen in to understand why apartments are an excellent investment in an economic winter and get our multifamily market outlook for 2023!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session355/

Matthew Amabile had been out of college for a year. He was making decent money at his sales job, but not enough to afford his own place. And he was tired of sleeping on his cousin’s couch.

That’s when Matt started looking into real estate and analyzing deals. Three years later, he’s a 25-year-old millionaire. And he quit his 9-to-5 to travel the world.

So, what gave Matt the confidence to buy his first property? Or build trust with potential investors?

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Matt joins me to explain how he leveraged an FHA loan and a little resourcefulness to house hack his first four-unit building.

Matt describes how his view of networking has changed over time, discussing how he connected with a partner to buy his second and third deals.

Listen in for insight around the tool that gave Matt the confidence to talk to owners and investors and find out why you don’t need money or experience to be successful—as long as you know how to analyze deals!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session354/

Are you treating insurance like a commodity?

We made that same mistake early in our syndication journey. But now we look for the best combination of value and quality we can get.

Matthew Sutika is Chief Insurance Officer at Obie, a company working to provide a simple, affordable and transparent insurance experience for landlords and investors.

Matt is an award-winning entrepreneur and business owner in the multifamily and habitational insurance sector. He also invests in real estate and early-stage insurance and tech startups.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Matt joins me to explore the false beliefs investors have about insurance and explain what coverage decisions to look at with your insurance broker after close.

Matt offers advice on getting insurance costs right in your underwriting, sharing his list of GOTCHAS that drive up premiums for multifamily.

Listen in for Matt’s insight on managing rising insurance costs and find out if Obie Insurance is the right fit for you and your syndication business!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session353/

Did you know that there are many parallels between investing in oil and gas and real estate syndications?

Grant Norwood is CEO of Norwood Energy Corp, an oil and gas exploration company out of Southlake, Texas.

Grant’s specialty is recognizing opportunity hotspots in undiscovered areas of the country where his team can operate significantly below the costs of oil giants like Exxon or Chevron.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Grant joins Garrett to discuss the two kinds of deals Norwood Energy does, investing in new wells or distressed assets.

Grant shares what he does to find off-market deals on wells and walks us through the tax advantages of investing in oil and gas assets.

Listen in for Grant’s insight on financing oil and gas deals and learn the similarities between investing in energy and multifamily syndications.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session352/

Mindfulness matters. The more self-aware you become, the better your relationships and the more fulfillment you get out of life.

That’s why I take an entire week off at the end of every year, not to eat bonbons, but to reflect on the past 12 months, celebrate my wins and plan for the future.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I’m sharing my process for evaluating 2022 and looking ahead to 2023.

I discuss what we achieved at the Michael Blank Brands and Nighthawk Equity in 2022 and explain our goals for the coming year, challenging you to set aims in each of the same 7 areas of your personal and professional life.

Listen in for insight into the multifamily market outlook and get my advice for investors on where to look for opportunities in 2023!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session351/

Every week, we bring you conversations with elite investors and entrepreneurs, in hopes that you’ll learn from their experiences to accelerate your success.

On this Best of 2022 edition of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, we reflect on some of our favorite episodes and share the top insights from this year’s interviews with inspiring real estate entrepreneurs.

We revisit Dan Brisse’s story of transitioning from professional snowboarder to full-time real estate investor and Jilliene Helman’s mission to democratize real estate investing.

Lee Prosenjak inspires us to live our purpose, Veena Jetti explains how to raise capital at scale, and Sterling Griffin shares creative ways to add value to high-profile people as you build a network.

Listen in to understand how Alvin ‘Hope’ Johnson is innovating in affordable housing and learn to fast-track your success with advice from ten of our top guests of 2022!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session350/

There's a lot of pundits who say that entrepreneurship is about the hustle and grind. We’re supposed to work harder and harder and sacrifice our lives for the sake of the business.

But Mike Michalowicz argues that entrepreneurship is not about doing the job. It’s about creating jobs.

So, how do you remove yourself from the day-to-day operation of your business? Can you get to a point where your syndication firm runs itself?

Mike Michalowicz is a well-known keynote speaker and bestselling author on a mission to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty.

Mike has built four multimillion-dollar companies and exited two. But he has also launched ten failed businesses and lost his fortune twice.

And it is those struggles that inspired Mike to serve other entrepreneurs through books like Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making MachineandClockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Mike joins Garrett and me to discuss the premise of Profit First, describing how to prioritize profit by treating it like a business expense.

Mike challenges us to overcome superhero syndrome and take on the role of supervisionary in our business, building a team to handle the day-to-day while we think strategically about growing the company.

Listen in for Mike’s surprising advice on planning a four-week vacation that forces you to put systems in place and empower your people to run the business without you!

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session349/

How does a schoolteacher overcome her limiting beliefs to become a full-time syndicator?

For Julie Holly, community was key in helping her shift from anxious single-family landlord to self-assured multifamily GP.

Julie is Founder of Three Keys Investments, a multifamily firm committed to helping investors build passive income and legacy wealth. She also serves as Host of The Conscious Investor Podcast.

Julie began her career as a schoolteacher with a portfolio of single-family homes before transitioning to syndications. Today, she’s a passive investor in 300 doors, she's partnered in 68 units and GP for another 120.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Julie joins me to explain how Arnold Schwarzenegger launched her investing career and what she did to overcome the WHAT IF mindset that held her back early on.

Julie discusses why now is the right time to get into multifamily investing and describes how she is adjusting her underwriting to protect her LPs.

Listen in for Julie’s insight on building confidence through community and get inspired to invest in yourself as you take the next step in YOUR real estate investing journey! 

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session348/

Building a platform is an important part of raising money at scale. But you need more than a website to demonstrate your credibility with potential investors.

Becoming an author gives you authority. It allows you to share your investing thesis with many, many prospects and generate leads as well as referrals.

But what does the process of writing a book look like? And why would you publish yet another real estate book when there are already so many others on the market?

Chandler Bolt is Founder and CEO of Self-Publishing School, a platform that has helped 7,000 entrepreneurs publish books in the last 7 years.

Chandler also serves as host of the Self-Publishing School Podcast and author of six bestselling books. His latest release is called Published: The Proven Path from Blank Page to 100,000 Copies Sold.

On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Chandler joins Garrett and me to explain what writing a good book does for your business and how to use a book to build your email list.

Chandler walks us through the eight milestones in the process of writing a quality book and shares his best practices for finishing a rough draft in just 30 days!

Listen in for Chandler’s insight on having a successful book launch and learn how to write a bestseller that attracts potential investors to your real estate syndication business.

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session347/

As multifamily syndicators, we are focused on finding quality deals and raising money. But securing the financing you need can make or break a real estate deal and reaching out to your lender early in the process will save you a great deal of time—and keep you on track to close as planned. So, what do you need to know about multifamily financing?

John Brickson serves as Director at Old Capital, a Dallas firm that specializes in arranging financing for commercial real estate investors across the country. John’s team focuses on $1M to $30M loans on multifamily properties, and in 2017, Old Capital closed more than $750M in loans. John’s market insight and established lender and equity relationships afford his clients a tailored, best-in-class financing solution.

Today, John joins me to offer insight on interest rates in 2019. He explains the difference between working with directly with a lender versus using an intermediary and describes why it’s safer to invest in properties that qualify for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. John also shares advice around financing smaller deals and covers the pros and cons of taking out a bridge loan. Listen in to understand the most common mistakes investors make when it comes to financing multifamily deals and learn why you should get your lender involved early in the process!

John’s insight on interest rates

The difference between direct lenders and intermediaries

John’s take on the best properties for multifamily investors

John’s advice around financing smaller deals

The purpose of a bridge loan

The current terms for bridge loans

Banks:

When you hunt, the prey runs away. But when you fish, you simply put a lure in the water and let the fish come to you. Tim Bratz likens raising private money to fishing: You provide value through education and intentional conversation—and then wait for the investors to come to you.

Tim is the owner of CLE Turnkey, a real estate investment firm focused on apartment buildings, vacation rentals and other commercial properties in Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Texas. His current portfolio consists of 2K units with a value of over $100M. Tim also offers coaching and mentoring through Commercial Empire.

Today, Tim joins me to explain how working as a commercial broker sparked his interest in investing and share the story of buying his first property—with a credit card! He discusses his transition from flipping, wholesaling and single-family rentals to multifamily buy-and-holds as well as his mindset shift around hiring a team. Listen in to understand the current opportunity around raising capital for multifamily and learn Tim’s approach to luring passive investors rather than chasing them.

How Tim got interested in real estate investing

How Tim bought his first duplex on a credit card

Tim’s transition to multifamily buy-and-hold

Why raising capital is the best use of your time

Tim’s mindset shift around building a team

The activities Tim outsourced first

Tim’s first six-figure hires

The current opportunity around raising money

Why multifamily is the safest investment

Tim’s approach to potential passive investors

What investors are looking for

Tim on Facebook

CLE Turnkey

Commercial Empire

Invest with Michael

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

Michael’s Mentoring Program

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

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So, you’re on the phone with a real estate broker or a potential investor. Chances are, they’re Googling you to see if you’re the real deal. If they don’t find a website, it’s unlikely they’ll take you seriously. And if they find a poorly designed site, that’s even worse! A quality website affords you instant credibility as a syndicator. But is there an easy way to build a good one without investing a lot of time or money in the process?

Todd Heitner is the founder of Apartment Investor Pro and Done Deal Websites. He supports real estate investors in building professional-quality websites. Todd’s service includes beautiful design, well-written content and quick setup, giving you the credibility and systems you need to connect with brokers and investors at a fraction of the cost.

Today, Todd joins me to explain how a professional website affords syndicators instant credibility. He walks us through the features of a quality website, from domain name to design to content to maintenance. Listen in for Todd’s insight on the value of automation in building relationships with investors and learn how Apartment Investor Pro can help you set up a website in just one day!

How a website provides credibility

The elements of a quality website

The value of website automation

The features of Apartment Investor Pro

Apartment Investor Pro

WordPress

WP Engine

Fiverr

The Divi Builder

MailChimp

Constant Contact

AWeber

ActiveCampaign

Michael’s Mentoring Program

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

Who are you? Is your identity tied up in money? Another person? What you do for a living? If so, you are treading on dangerous ground, as these externalities can go away at any time. So, how do you define your WHY and create a culture in alignment with your core values? How do you awaken to your true purpose and potential? How do you live a life of significance and build a legacy you can be proud of?

Keith Elias is a former NFL running back who played for the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts from 1994 through 1999. He earned All-American honors playing college ball at Princeton, where he established school, conference, and national records. Today, he supports NFL players in making the transition to retirement, helping them awaken to their purpose and navigate life after football.

Keith joins me on the podcast today to share his experience as an NFL player and his realization that there was more to life than football. He discusses why people struggle with life transitions, describing the risk in tying your identity to external things and the significance of defining your WHY. Keith offers advice around defining your core values and then using them as a guide in the decision-making process. Listen in for Keith’s insight on building a legacy and learn how to live a life of significance—starting right now!

Keith’s experience as an NFL player

Keith’s realization around life beyond football

Why people struggle with life transitions

The importance of defining your WHY

Keith’s advice around defining your identity

Keith’s mission to awaken people to their truth

How to incorporate your values in everyday life

Keith’s insight on building a legacy

Email keithelias@verizon.net

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Real Estate Guys Create Your Future 2019 Goal Setting Retreat

The Financial Freedom Summit

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

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Is 2019 the year you finally get on the road to financial freedom with multifamily real estate? If that’s your goal, there are a few simple things you can do to totally crush it this year.

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing my top 3 tips for achieving success in 2019. I start with goal-setting, explaining how to get clear on what you want to achieve and narrow down your objectives to no more than 5 measurable aims with specified time frames.

I go on to discuss making time to work toward your goals, describing the strategies I use to batch like activities and schedule intentional blocks to advance my top priorities for that week. Listen in for insight on taking tiny action and learn how to track, recognize and celebrate the small WINS that put you on the road to financial freedom with multifamily real estate!

Tip #1—Get clear on your goals

Tip #2—Make time

Tip #3—Take tiny action

The value of a strong support system

Michael’s Mentorship Program

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

Google Keep

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

Apartment Investors Network Facebook Group

Michael on Facebook

Michael on Instagram

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

In a perfect world, we could syndicate a multifamily property and then sit back and wait for the checks to roll in. But in the real world, we must oversee the apartment buildings we’ve purchased and make sure they perform according to plan. What all is involved in asset management? What is the best way to communicate with investors? And how does your property manager’s competence impact the amount of work that falls to you?

Drew Kniffin is the President of Nighthawk Equity, a firm committed to helping real estate investors achieve financial freedom through practical education and high-quality multifamily investment opportunities. Drew became an ‘accidental landlord’ in 2008 when he was unable to sell his condo and rented it instead. But it wasn’t until 2015 that Drew shifted his focus to small apartment buildings. Eight months and three deals later, he was able to quit his job and pursue real estate full-time. Now, Drew helps manage a 1K-unit portfolio through Nighthawk, and he also serves as a mentor with The Michael Blank organization.

Today, Drew joins me to share his definition of asset management and explain the syndicator’s role in finding problems to solve during the acquisition process. He describes the significance of a good property manager, discussing how to gauge if a property manager is the right fit, what you should expect from a property manager, and how replace a property manager if necessary. Drew also covers reporting, offering insight around the level of detail to expect from your property manager as well as the key performance indicators a syndicator should monitor. Listen in for Drew’s advice on communicating with investors and learn what aspects of asset management can be outsourced as you scale!

Drew’s definition of asset management

What to look for in the acquisition process

How to find a good property manager

What makes for a great property manager

The reasonable expectations for a property manager

The fundamentals of reporting

How to determine if a property manager is not the right fit

The key performance indicators to monitor

Net occupancy Punch list items Actual vs. budget

How to keep a property manager honest

Drew’s advice on replacing a property manager

The fundamentals of investor relations

How to communicate with investors when things go wrong

The value in uniformity of reporting as you scale

How syndicators should spend their time

Raising money Finding deals Operations/systems

The asset management tasks that VAs can do

Nighthawk Equity

Drew at Michael Blank Mentorship

Drew Kniffin on ABI EP027

The Financial Freedom Summit

The Michael Blank Deal Desk

Google Sheets

Upwork

Jing

Loom

Invest with Michael

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Michael’s Live Training Webinars

Michael’s Coaching Program

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

If you follow the advice of a traditional financial planner, you are likely counting on a 401(k) and investments in the stock market to sustain you through retirement. Yet those vehicles are both subject to market volatility and assume that the tax rate will remain the same for the foreseeable future. Rebecca Walser is NOT your traditional financial advisor, and she has designed a better strategy for building long-term wealth—a strategy that includes investing in multifamily real estate.

Rebecca is a tax attorney, wealth strategist, Certified Financial Planner, and one of Investopedia’s 2018 Top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors. She has combined her expertise in law and finance to design a unique approach to building and sustaining wealth that conventional advisors won’t consider. Rebecca has been featured in Bloomberg Business, The Boston Globe, and The Miami Herald, among many other media outlets, and she is the author of the groundbreaking book, Wealth Unbroken: Growing Wealth Uninterrupted by Market Crashes, Taxes, and Even Death.

Today, Rebecca joins me to explain why the 401(k) is a big mistake (unless your employer matches funds) and share her insight around deferring taxes until retirement. She covers the best alternatives to the 401(k), the greatest threats to building wealth, and the non-traditional asset classes that aren’t subject to market volatility. Listen in for Rebecca’s take on why traditional financial advisors don’t recommend real estate investments and learn the three key takeaways from her bestseller, Wealth Unbroken.

What sets Rebecca apart from other financial advisors

Why Rebecca considers the 401(k) a big mistake

The danger in deferring taxes until retirement

Rebecca’s top alternatives to the 401(k)

The greatest threats to building wealth

Rebecca’s best strategies to avoid market volatility

Why traditional financial advisors avoid real estate

The key takeaways from Wealth Unbroken

Can’t afford lows of 100% market-based portfolio Convert 401(k) to Roth NOW while taxes ‘on sale’ Leverage non-traditional asset classes (non-negotiable #)

Walser Wealth

Wealth Unbroken: Growing Wealth Uninterrupted by Market Crashes, Taxes, and Even Death by Rebecca Walser

Patrick Donohoe on ABI EP128

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: A Financial Strategy to Reignite the American Dream by Patrick H. Donohoe

Invest with Michael

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Michael’s Live Training Webinars

Michael’s Coaching Program

Podcast Show Notes

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Let’s say you have a single-family rental that makes you $100 a month. What if you took advantage of a 1031 exchange to purchase a 5-unit building that generates a dramatically higher monthly income of $1K? When Michael Zuber realized the potential cashflow of multifamily investing and the lack of competition in the market for small apartment buildings, his mindset shifted. He went from seeing real estate as a smart place to keep his money to an opportunity to achieve financial independence.

Michael is a full-time real estate investor who specializes in 5- to 20-unit apartment buildings. After 15 years of real estate investing, Michael quit his W-2 job to start One Rental at a Time, a company focused on helping busy professionals begin their own journey to financial freedom. Michael’s goal is to help 1K people learn the fundamentals of real estate investing through his educational platform. He is also the author of the book, 15 Year Journey to Financial Freedom Via One Rental at a Time

Today, Michael joins me to explain how losing six figures in the stock market led him to real estate investing and describe his initial strategy to buy and hold several single-family homes. He discusses his realization around the cashflow potential of small multifamily properties, sharing how he leveraged the 1031 exchange to transition from eight to 80 units in 18 months—right before the crash in 2008. Michael also offers insight around his strategy during the crash, how he is preparing for the likely market correction, and how he might have accelerated his journey to financial freedom. Listen in to understand how Michael opened his mind to multifamily and learn how he can help you through his new platform, One Rental at a Time.

How Michael got into real estate

Michael’s initial real estate plan

How Michael financed his first deals

Michael’s transition to multifamily

The details of Michael’s first multifamily deal

Michael’s mindset shift

Michael’s strategy during the crash

Why Michael waited to quit his job

Michael’s One Rental at a Time YouTube Channel

How Michael could have accelerated the process

How Michael is preparing for the market correction

Michael’s advice for aspiring multifamily investors

One Rental at a Time on YouTube

15 Year Journey to Financial Freedom Via One Rental at a Time by Michael Zuber

Loopnet

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Michael’s Live Training Webinars

Michael’s Coaching Program

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

While syndication is the most popular way to raise money to fund a multifamily deal, it is not the only option. A resourceful real estate investor can leverage a number of other creative possibilities. Jake Stenziano and Gino Barbaro have built an impressive portfolio without syndicating a single deal, but now they are adding the strategy to their repertoire. What drove them to add ‘investor relations’ to their skill set? In what situation might a different approach, like owner financing, be appropriate? What are the pros and cons of syndication?

Jake and Gino are the co-founders of Jake & Gino, LLC, an educational platform that leverages their expertise in multifamily real estate to help others attain financial freedom by way of apartment building investing. A few short years ago, Jake and Gino were a pizza guy and a drug rep; today, they own 900-plus multifamily units. They share their creative approach on the Wheelbarrow Profits Podcast, and they are the co-authors of the Amazon bestseller, Wheelbarrow Profits: How to Create Passive Income, Build Wealth, and Take Control of Your Destiny Through Multifamily Real Estate Investing.

Today, Jake and Gino join me to explain how they were able to build a portfolio without syndication, discussing the benefits of using community bankers and partnering with high-net-worth individuals. They share the case study of a 281-unit owner-financing deal and describe how good broker relationships can reveal creative financing opportunities. Jake and Gino also address the differences between community bank and agency debt and the value in understanding the story behind every deal. Listen in for insight around why Jake and Gino are adding syndication to their list of options and learn the advantages—and the drawbacks—of syndicating a multifamily deal!

The advantage of using community bankers

How to address the down payment

Jake & Gino’s owner-financed 281-unit deal

The right conditions for owner financing

Why Jake & Gino are syndicating now

The disadvantages of syndication

The difference between community bank and agency debt

What surprised Jake & Gino about syndication

How Jake & Gino raised money so quickly

What’s next for Jake & Gino

Jake & Gino’s Website

Wheelbarrow Profits Podcast

Jake & Gino on Facebook

Jake & Gino on Instagram

Email gino@jakeandgino.com

Wheelbarrow Profits: How to Create Passive Income, Build Wealth, and Take Control of Your Destiny Through Multifamily Real Estate Investing by Jake Stenziano and Gino Barbaro

Gino on Apartment Building Investing EP052

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Michael’s Live Training Webinars

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

Partner with Michael

“When you chase money, money runs. When you’re focused on mission, you attract money.”

To reach the highest levels of success in real estate, it’s important to have your mind—and heart—in the right place. If your WHY is about more than just you, if your mission has meaning, business will come to you. So, what’s driving you?

Kent Clothier is the founder and CEO of Real Estate Worldwide, a real estate software and education platform that offers aspiring investors a curriculum of proven systems and technology as well as national data on real estate cash buyers and private lenders. A serial entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, he also owns and operates the multimillion-dollar brands Real Market Experts, 1-800-SELL-NOW FREE, Find Cash Buyers NOW and Find Private Lenders NOW.

Today, Kent joins me to explain how his definition of success has shifted from a focus on money to a focus on impact. He offers insight on designing a meaningful mission and going all-in to reach your goals—without sacrificing your quality of life. Kent describes how he has created a life of balance, sharing the massive lessons learned from losing everything after 13 years of running his first business. Listen in for Kent’s advice on becoming a student of scale and learn the value of people, processes and technology in building a fulfilling real estate business that complements your personal life!

Kent’s background in real estate

How Kent’s definition of success has changed

What inspired Kent to focus on mission

Kent’s insight on the necessity of going all-in

Kent’s take on the difference between failure and success

How Kent connects with his WHY every day

How Kent creates a life of balance

Kent’s massive lesson around balance

Kent’s advice around scaling your business

Kent’s Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Kent’s Website

Kent on Facebook

Kent on Instagram

Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It … and Why the Rest Don’t by Verne Harnish

Damion Lupo on Apartment Building Investing EP079

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Live Training Webinars

Podcast Show Notes

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Once upon a time, Michael Beeman was struggling. He had a blended family of seven kids, and his corporate salary of $60K was not making ends meet. Michael started a side business splitting firewood, and he was bringing in an additional $15K—but he wanted to do more than just survive. Michael wanted his family to thrive. So, he started listening to multifamily podcasts and real estate audiobooks while he was cutting and delivering firewood.

By May of 2017, Michael had saved up $12K. His best friend and his mom contributed $20K each, and with $52K, he started looking for his first deal. Today, Michael has a 64-unit portfolio, and he is about to close on a 61-unit deal. The best part? Michael recently put in his two weeks’ notice so that he can pursue real estate investing full-time.

On this episode of Apartment Building Investing, Michael sits down with me to share the details of his current 61-unit deal, discussing the value of building broker relationships for introductions to pocket listings. He explains how he began his investing career just 18 months ago and his plans to quit his corporate job at the end of the year. Michael describes how enthusiasm for multifamily investing along with creativity and perseverance helped him find his first deal and overcome the challenges he’s faced along the way. Listen in for insight on building a real estate team with the right talents and attitude and learn how Michael’s ‘never quit’ philosophy took him from splitting firewood to get by to full-time real estate investor in under two years!

Michael’s current 61-unit deal

Michael’s real estate journey

How Michael found his first deal

Michael’s insight on the value of creativity

Michael’s setback in hiring the wrong contractor

How Michael built a talented team

How Michael overcame obstacles

Michael’s take on quitting his corporate job

Michael on LinkedIn

Michael on Facebook

Email michaelbeeman@beemanandsons.com

Call (217) 508-8185

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

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So, you want to scale your multifamily business. What are your options? One strategy involves leading your own real estate investing meetup. But how do you get a significant number of people to attend that first meeting? Are there hacks to help you become popular FAST? And how do you follow up with the group when the time comes to raise money for a new opportunity?

Adam Adams is a syndicator with BlueSpruce Holdings, a multifamily real estate investment firm focused on purchasing apartment buildings in emerging markets. He repositioned his first apartment community as a property manager in 2007 and went on to purchase his first multifamily property the same year. Adam has managed a number of single-family fix and flips, and today, he holds 100-plus multifamily rental doors. He is also the host of the Creative Real Estate Podcast and the organizer of Colorado’s most active real estate meetup group.

Today, Adam joins me to discuss the recession’s impact on his multifamily career and his return to real estate in 2015. Adam walks us through his transition from single family remote fix and flips to apartment buildings, offering advice to aspiring multifamily investors around aligning with an experienced operator and ‘wearing one hat.’ Listen in for insight on the benefits of leading your own real estate meetup group and learn how Adam has leveraged meetups to raise $4.4M and become a community leader in the space!

Adam’s background in real estate

The recession’s impact on Adam

Adam’s return to real estate investing

Why Adam transitioned to multifamily

Adam’s path to multifamily

The major surprises of syndication

Adam’s approach to building credibility

Adam’s advice for aspiring multifamily investors

Why Adam created a real estate meetup

How Adam has benefitted from the meetup

Adam’s hacks for creating a successful meetup

The format of Adam’s meetup

Adam’s follow-up mechanism for raising money

Adam’s insight on scaling your business

Real Blue Spruce

The Creative Real Estate Podcast

Denver Apartment Network

Real Estate Lunch Club

Text MEETUP to 555 888

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Constant Contact

Trello

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

The Michael Blank Deal Desk

Invest with Michael

Podcast Show Notes

Do you struggle to remember names at networking events? Do you rely on notes when introducing a speaker or giving a presentation? Do you invest in conferences—and promptly forget what you learned? It’s not that you have a ‘bad memory.’ You simply haven’t learned the simple techniques that would allow you to improve your recall, enhance your relationships, and ultimately grow your business!

Ron White is one of the top authorities on memory in the world. He won the USA Memory Championship in 2009 and 2010, and his YouTube Channel, Brain Athlete Ron White, is number 1 among memory experts. Ron speaks to audiences of all sizes all over the world, from Singapore to Ireland to Zimbabwe. He has appeared on Good Morning America, Martha Stewart Living Radio, and the Dr. Oz Show, among many other media outlets.

Today, Ron joins me to explain how he became the two-time National Memory Champion, memorizing a deck of cards and a 167-digit number in record time! He describes the Afghanistan Memory Wall event in which he honors the 2,300 service men and women who died in the war and offers insight around the benefits of a good memory in improving your business and your life. Listen in for Ron’s advice on improving your recall and learn his system of visualization to quickly memorize a list of words!

How Ron became the two-time National Memory Champion

Ron’s Afghanistan Memory Wall event

The benefits of a good memory

Ron’s advice around improving your memory

Ron’s system for memorization

Ron’s Free PDF

Ron’s Website

Ron on YouTube

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Review the Podcast on iTunes

When you know, you know.

Once Kyle Collins fell in love with multifamily as an asset class, he didn’t waste any time. In 9 months, he went from zero to 112 units and quit his job to pursue real estate investing full time.

Kyle is the Principal at Beechwood Holdings, a multifamily acquisition firm focused on stabilized, income-producing properties. Prior to founding Beechwood, he served as a sales rep for Martech Medical and the Director of Business Development for his family’s business, Five Rivers Conservation Group. Kyle earned a bachelor’s in finance from Georgia Southern and an MBA from Emory University.

Today, Kyle sits down with me to discuss his transition to full-time real estate investor, sharing the challenges he faced finding deals early on. He explains how to build a network of brokers and potential investors as well as what questions to ask to be taken seriously. Kyle also offers advice on leveraging an experienced property manager, raising capital and investing in your own deal. Listen in for insight around setting realistic expectations and learn how to divide your time among raising money, prospecting deals and running the operations of your portfolio!

Kyle’s background and education

Kyle’s transition to real estate

The challenges Kyle faced early on

Kyle’s advice around building a network

Kyle’s advice on being taken seriously

The questions to ask when you see a property

How Kyle leveraged his property management firm

Kyle’s guidance around raising capital

The importance of being excited about a deal

How to reconcile desire with prudence

Kyle’s first 112-unit deal

The value of a quality property manager

What’s next for Kyle

Kyle’s insight on the level of effort necessary

Kyle’s top tips for aspiring multifamily investors

Beechwood Holdings

Email kcollins@beechwoodholdings.com

Kyle on LinkedIn

LoopNet

Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Apartments.com

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

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If you ask people at the end of their lives to reflect on their regrets, no one ever mentions money or work. Instead, their focus tends toward the relationships they neglected. So, when Ken McElroy realized he only had one shot at having a great rapport with his kids, he got serious about designing a life of balance that allows him to grow a successful real estate business AND be fully present with his family. 

Ken has 20-plus years of experience in real estate investment analysis, property management, acquisitions and property development. Ken serves as an advisor to Robert Kiyosaki of The Rich Dad Company, and he is the author of the bestselling books The ABCs of Real Estate Investing, The ABCs of Property Management, and The Sleeping Giant. An advocate for entrepreneurs and real estate investors, Ken makes regular media appearances and speaks at top industry events all over the world. He is also the host of Entrepreneur magazine’s Real Estate Radio program.

Today, Ken joins me to share his insight around work-life balance, explaining why he takes time away to work ON the business and connect with his family. He describes how his definition of success has changed over time and how the decision to prioritize relationships translates to his business. Listen in to understand Ken’s take on limiting beliefs and learn how he approaches life with a commitment to being self-aware and fully present.

Why Ken spends 3 months in Idaho every summer

Ken’s insight on work-life balance

Ken’s transition from employment to entrepreneurship

Ken’s goals around financial freedom

How Ken’s definition of success has changed over time

Ken’s decision to focus on family and relationships

How Ken’s shift in priorities translates to his business

Why Ken sees BE as the most important aspect of Be-Do-Have

Ken’s take on limiting beliefs

How to work through limiting beliefs

What gets Ken out of bed in the morning

Ken’s view of spirituality

Ken’s Website

Win a Signed Copy of Ken’s Book

The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss by Ken McElroy

Books by Ken McElroy

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Awareness by Anthony DeMello

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

Warriors Heart

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

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“When you pay somebody that’s been where you want to go, you’re buying WISDOM without the WAIT.”

If you want to succeed as a multifamily real estate investor, your best bet is to take advantage of free resources for a basic education and then find someone you know, like and trust who is willing to mentor you—even if you have to pay for their time.

Larry Goins is a veteran real estate investor with 20-plus years of experience in the space. He travels the US speaking at conventions and expos, sharing his strategies for buying a dozen properties every month—without leaving his office! Larry is also the president of both Investors Rehab and The Goins Group, and he hosts the popular real estate podcasts BRAG Radio and Brain Pick-A-Pro. Larry is committed to holding true to his moral integrity in his business and personal life.

Today, Larry sits down with me to offer advice for aspiring investors around finding a mentor and ‘accelerating the splat’ when necessary. He shares his favorite real estate strategies and explains how he has systematized his business around seller financing and lease option models. Listen in to understand what motivates Larry to continued success in real estate and learn how he pays it forward by putting people and principles BEFORE profits!

How Larry got his start in real estate

Larry’s favorite real estate strategies

How Larry has systematized his business

Larry’s advice for aspiring investors

Larry’s concept of accelerating the splat

What motivates Larry to success in real estate

How Larry puts people and principles before profit

What gets Larry out of bed in the morning

Larry’s Website

BRAG Radio Show

Brain Pick-A-Pro Podcast

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

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If you’re early in your career as a multifamily syndicator, a qualified team is essential in overcoming your lack of experience to go after larger, more lucrative deals. But how do you attract and align your interests with those prospective team members? And once you’ve established a track record of your own, how do you stay in front of your investors and continue to scale your money raising efforts?

Joe Fairless is Managing Partner with Ashcroft Capital, a national multifamily investment firm focused on major metropolitan areas. Joe has been investing in real estate since 2008, and to date, he controls more than $400M of real estate in the Houston and DFW regions. Joe is also the host of the popular daily podcast, Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever, and the author of several books on real estate investing, including the newly released Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book.

Today, Joe joins me to discuss his impetus for writing the Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book and explain his belief in the Law of Reciprocity. He shares several of the advanced aspects of syndication outlined in the new book, including 4 ways to align interests with team members and pursue larger deals early on—in a safe way. Listen in for Joe’s insight on multifamily as a partnership business and learn his intentional system for staying top-of-mind with investors, adding value in a variety of ways on a regular basis!

Why Joe wrote the Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book

Joe’s 4 ways to gain credibility through aligned interests

Attract qualified team member (i.e.: property manager) Give team member equity stake of 5-30% Team members bring equity to deal Team members bring own money + investors

Joe’s insight on real estate as a partnership business

Joe’s approach to staying top-of-mind with investors

Joe’s Website

Best Ever Show

Ashcroft Capital

Email info@joefairless.com

Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book by Joe Fairless and Theo Hicks

The Tim Ferriss Show

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss

Carlos Vaz at CONTI

Best Ever Conference

Kathy Fettke at Real Wealth Network

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

Are you still skeptical of the idea that you can build a real estate business using other people’s money? Or, maybe you don’t think that your network has access to the kind of capital you would need for a multifamily investment. Matt Faircloth argues that you simply don’t know where to look, and he is living proof that with the right approach, you can develop a robust real estate portfolio by raising private capital.

Matt is the co-founder of The DeRosa Group, a real estate investment firm headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey. Matt and his wife, Liz, have been investing in real estate since 2004, and they have vast experience with single family, multifamily, office and retail properties. Matt’s firm has completed more than $30M in real estate transactions involving private capital, and he is the author of Raising Private Capital: Building Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People’s Money.

Today, Matt joins me to share his journey from house hacker to full-time real estate investor. He offers insight around taking capital from friends and family, educating your network on where to find the money to invest, and aligning with a seasoned partner. Listen in to understand the three different investment opportunities Matt offers through DeRosa Group and learn his transparent, jargon-free approach to raising capital.

Matt’s introduction to real estate

Matt’s transition to full-time real estate investor

Why it took Matt several years to find his niche

Matt’s shift to raising money from investors

Matt’s insight on taking money from friends and family

How to overcome a lack of track record

Matt’s advice for aspiring investors looking to partner

The three investment options Matt offers

Single family fix and flips (short-term capital) Turnkeys (100% ownership) Multifamily syndication for passive investors

The argument for real estate investment over other asset classes

Matt’s approach to raising capital

Where to find money in your own network

Matt’s three tiers of raising capital

Local contacts Referrals, networking groups National voice as thought leader

DeRosa Group

DeRosa Group on Facebook

DeRosa Group on YouTube

Matt on Bigger Pockets

Raising Private Capital: Building Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People’s Money by Matt Faircloth

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money—That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

CASHFLOW Board Game

Deal Maker LIVE

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What could possibly go wrong? If you are the proud owner of a multifamily property, the answers range from minor falls to catastrophic weather events. How can you mitigate the risk and reduce your total number of claims? And what kind of multifamily insurance coverage do you need to manage the circumstances outside your control?

Bryan Shimeall is the Vice President of Multifamily Risk Advisors, a division of Tanner, Ballew and Maloof formed to leverage the firm’s 20-plus years of experience handling insurance for the multifamily industry. Bryan is dedicated to delivering customized solutions that mitigate risk for apartment building investors, and he is an expert in the realm of risk assessment and exposure to loss.

Today, Bryan sits down with me to share his definition of and approach to risk assessment. He discusses the most common gaps in multifamily coverage, the most common property and liability claims, and the best strategies for mitigating risk. Bryan also explains when to pursue a master policy and the fundamentals of catastrophic coverage. Listen in for insight on the benefits of working with a risk management consultant and learn what to look for in a multifamily insurance policy!

The role of Multifamily Risk Advisors

Bryan’s definition of risk assessment

Bryan’s approach to risk assessment

The most common gaps in coverage

How operators can manage risk

The most common claims

The disadvantages of the ‘trailing 12 premium’

The benefits of working with a risk management consultant

How Multifamily Risk Advisors can assist during the acquisition phase

When to pursue a master policy

The fundamentals of catastrophic coverage

The most common mistake among investors

Multifamily Risk Advisors

Email bshimeall@multifamilyra.com

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Review the Podcast on iTunes

As an aspiring real estate investor, you possess a spirit of independence as well as a desire for financial freedom. What if you could take that self-determination to the next level and essentially become your own bank? Patrick Donohoe is on a mission to teach you how to take control of your money with the Perpetual Wealth Strategy, taking advantage of a particular kind of life insurance policy to facilitate real estate investment, secure retirement funds, and build a legacy that you can pass on to your children.

Patrick is the president and CEO of Paradigm Life, a financial services firm committed to changing the way their clients look at life and wealth. The Paradigm team supports thousands of individuals and businesses in creating income for life and leaving a meaningful legacy. Patrick is a sought-after speaker in the realm of wealth management and investment, and he serves as the host of The Wealth Standard podcast. He is also the author of Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: A Financial Strategy to Reignite the American Dream.

Today, Patrick joins me to share the benefits of the Perpetual Wealth Strategy and explain how it serves as the foundation for fulfilling the true American Dream. He offers insight around how a specifically-designed whole life insurance policy works, why its interest rate is so much higher than a savings account, and how the policy gives you a line of credit to borrow against for investment purposes. Listen in for Patrick’s advice around leveraging the Perpetual Wealth Strategy to generate passive income, pass on a legacy, and take control of your wealth—the way the rich do!

How Patrick came to start his business

Patrick’s definition of the American Dream

The benefits of the Perpetual Wealth Strategy

The concept of liquid wealth

Who this type of policy is for

The interest associated with a Perpetual Wealth policy

The power of the Perpetual Wealth policy credit line

How Patrick uses his own policy

How a Perpetual Wealth policy serves as a passive income generator

Paradigm Life

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: A Financial Strategy to Reignite the American Dream by Patrick H. Donohoe

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Website

Review the Podcast on iTunes

Real estate was a big winner in the tax reform bill passed in December 2017. So, how exactly do the new laws impact us as passive multifamily investors and syndicators? And how can we take advantage of the new regulations and use the available incentives to reduce the amount of money we owe the government?

Tom Wheelwright, CPA is the CEO of WealthAbility, a community of CPAs dedicated to reducing taxes and creating wealth for their clients. As a Rich Dad Advisor for Robert Kiyosaki, Tom is a well-known keynote speaker in the realm of wealth building and tax strategy. He is a regular contributor to publications including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine and Inman News, and Tom is the author of Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes.

Today, Tom joins me to explain how to shift the way you think about taxes, viewing the law as a roadmap to reducing how much you pay. He discusses the new laws around bonus depreciation, describing how both passive investors and syndicators benefit from the revised guidelines. Tom also shares the regulations around the 20% deduction and the changes in Section 179 that impact residential and commercial real estate investors. Listen in for insight around qualifying for the status of real estate professional and learn how to significantly reduce your taxes as a multifamily investor!

How Tom came to start his own network of CPA firms

How to shift the way you think about taxes

The new laws around bonus depreciation

How the new tax laws affect passive investors

How the new tax laws may impact syndicators

The changes around the 20% deduction

The changes to Section 179

How to qualify for the status of real estate professional

The tax benefits of being a real estate professional

WealthAbility

The WealthAbility Show

Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes, Second Edition by Tom Wheelwright, CPA

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

If the extent of your financial education involved learning how to be a good employee, trading your time for money, then you’re probably beginning to realize that you simply can’t save yourself into wealth. But how do the multimillionaires and billionaires among us grow their assets? What strategies do they implement to generate passive income—from multiple sources? Brian Fouts has identified the shared patterns among high-net-worth individuals, what he calls the 5 Pillars of Elevated Wealth, and he is on a mission to share this information with you and me.

Brian is the co-owner and CEO of The Elevation Group, an online membership platform that seeks to teach the world how to invest like the rich. Brian and his brother Jake are passionate about empowering people to create and grow wealth by way of financial literacy, and The Elevation Group affords access to a network of true expert advisors who can support you in implementing the investment strategies of the wealthiest among us.

Today, Brian sits down with me to share the 5 Pillars of Elevated Wealth. He explains how to generate supplemental income through a side hustle and put that money to work for you. Brian addresses the importance of safeguarding the money you have through entity protections and tax incentives. Finally, he describes how to acquire assets that generate passive income and why it’s smart to pursue multiple sources of revenue. Listen in for Brian’s advice around keeping your money in a life insurance vehicle and learn how The Elevation Group can help you build wealth by way of portfolio and passive income!

How Brian got involved with EVG

The 1st Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Do something different

The 2nd Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Take the money off the table

The 3rd Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Protect what you have

The 4th Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Acquire assets to earn passive income

The 5th Pillar of Elevated Wealth: Pursue multiple sources of income

The benefits of The Elevation Group platform

The advantages of keeping your money in a life insurance vehicle

Brian’s insight around the 3 sources of income

The Elevation Group

Email brian@theelevationgroup.com

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

What is the quickest route to financial freedom through real estate? Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Go directly to… Multifamily. But how do you overcome a lack of experience and capital to accelerate the timeline and jump straight into apartment building investing?

Josh Eitingon is the founder and manager of JAE Property Group, a real estate investment company specializing in 50- to 150-unit value-add multifamily properties outside the New York metro area. With the guidance of a coach, Josh made his first multifamily investment in 2012, and now he is up to eight deals. He began his real estate career while working as a software developer, eventually joining a Long Island investment group where he led the acquisitions team in securing $100M in real estate. Today, Josh is a full-time investor in his own right.

Josh joins me to discuss the early investment in a coach that facilitated his shortcut to multifamily. He addresses how he overcame a lack of experience to do his first 20-unit deal and the personal guarantee he made investors to raise $200K for the renovation. Josh explains what he loves most about multifamily investing, describing the challenge of finding a formula to optimize each new property. Listen in for Josh’s advice around investing in your own deals, choosing the right location, and scaling up a multifamily business.

How Josh got started in real estate

Why Josh invested in a coach

Why Josh went straight to multifamily

How Josh overcame a lack of experience and money

How Josh overcame his reluctance to do the first deal

The factors for success on Josh’s first deal

How Josh raised $200K for the deal

The additional risk of raising money in debt

How Josh’s first multifamily deal played out

Josh’s subsequent multifamily investments

What’s next for Josh

What Josh loves about the business

The challenges of scaling a multifamily business

Josh’s advice for aspiring multifamily investors

Josh’s AHA moment around location

Josh’s top mistakes

JAE Property Group

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

Michael’s Website

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

‘The cost of my self-education was six figures in mistakes and seven [or] eight figures in lost opportunity.’

If you have a poverty mindset, investing money in a mentor or spending more for a qualified contractor seems like a burden. But if you have an abundance mentality, it becomes obvious that spending a little more up front for coaching and devoting your time to the activities that will grow your multifamily business result in higher revenue long-term.

Jack Petrick is the owner of Petrick Property Group, a real estate firm that specializes in multifamily acquisitions and improvements. He spent 15 years working as a firefighter in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville, Ohio, before leaving to pursue real estate full-time.  Jack’s team focuses on on- and off-market multifamily assets, and to date, he has 100-plus rental units in Ohio and Florida.

Today, Jack joins me to discuss his initial experience as a self-taught custom home builder. He shares the major shift that took him from a poverty mindset to an abundance mentality and describes how he would use his time differently if he could go back to those early days. Jack explains the importance of mentoring and masterminds, the concept of forced appreciation, and the decision to hire an assistant that doubled his revenue. Listen in to understand what inspired Jack’s shift to multifamily investing and learn how to follow in his footsteps—by way of a laser focus on raising capital, finding deals and improving processes.

Jack’s introduction to real estate

Jack’s major mindset shift

How Jack would use his time differently

What stopped Jack from leaving his job sooner

How Jack got clear on what’s important

Jack’s insight around mindset

Jack’s transition to multifamily

The concept of forced appreciation

Jack’s first multifamily deal

The value of hiring an assistant

What’s next for Jack

Petrick Property Group

Jack on Facebook

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

Syndicated Deal Analyzer

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Apartment Buildings with Private Money

The Michael Blank Coaching Program

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

Michael’s Website

Michael on YouTube

Podcast Show Notes

Review the Podcast on iTunes

The vast majority of us get into multifamily investing because we are hungry for time freedom. We want the flexibility to spend time with our families or travel or go to the gym in the middle of the day if we so choose. But many of us lose sight of that original goal in the pursuit of financial freedom. Our focus on earning money translates to doing ALL of the work ourselves, and before long, we are caught in an unsustainable cycle—doing tasks like bookkeeping and writing investor reports that undervalue our time and pull us away from the work only we can do: finding deals and raising money. So, how do we calculate the value of our time and make informed decisions about what to delegate? How do we hit the reset button and return our focus to the time wealth that inspired us to pursue apartment building investing in the first place?

Mark Dolfini is the founder of Landlord Coach, a mentoring program and business course for landlords and property managers. He is also the author of The Time-Wealthy Investor, Your Real Estate Roadmap to Owning More, Working Less, and Creating the Life You Want. Mark is on a mission to help multifamily investors realize the value of their time and design an intentional business that affords them both financial freedom and time wealth.

Today, Mark joins me to discuss his early interest in the idea of owning real estate and his gradual accumulation of 92 rental properties. He shares the mistakes he made in trying to do all the work himself that led to his Jerry Maguire moment in 2008 when he lost $4.5M overnight and ended up in the hospital with double pneumonia. Mark describes the mindset shift that helped him transition from self-employed to business owner and the VIP System he designed to create a sustainable real estate venture. Listen in for Mark’s insight on the concepts of life output and time wealth—and learn how to determine what your time is worth and delegate accordingly!

Marks’s early interest in real estate

How Mark accumulated 92 rental properties

Mark’s Jerry Maguire moment in 2008

How Mark transitioned from self-employed to business owner

Mark’s VIP system

The concept of life output

How to determine the value of your time

Landlord Coach

Landlord Coach on Facebook

Mark on LinkedIn

The Time-Wealthy Investor: Your Real Estate Roadmap to Owning More, Working Less, and Creating the Life You Want by Mark B. Dolfini

The Judge: A Landlord’s Tale by Mark Dolfini

Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate—Even Without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

Michael’s Website

Michael on YouTube

Podcast Show Notes

There are five key phases in the multifamily investing process, and the property manager you hire plays a key role in nearly every stage. So, what should you look for in a property management company? And what KPIs can you use to assess the property manager’s performance?

Bryan Chavis is a thought-leader in the realm of multifamily property management and the bestselling author of Buy It, Rent It, Profit and The Landlord Entrepreneur. He is also the founder of The Landlord Property Management Academy, an online platform for real estate professionals and property management certification. Bryan was named one of the top 40 up-and-coming entrepreneurs under 40 by the Gulf Coast Business Review, and he is a sought-after speaker and consultant for some of the largest housing authorities in the US.

Today, Bryan sits down with me to share his journey, discussing the obstacles he has overcome and his unique approach to ‘embracing adversity.’ He walks us through the five phases of multifamily investment, discussing the current challenges around the acquisitions process and the fundamentals of the implementation stage. Bryan explains what to look for in a property management company and the Key Performance Indicators he reviews on a monthly basis. Listen in for Bryan’s insight on finding a property manager who is proactive and learn to relish the journey as a multifamily investor!

Bryan’s introduction to real estate

Bryan’s key takeaways as a property manager

What inspired Bryan to branch out on his own

The adversity Bryan had to overcome

Bryan’s approach to ‘embracing adversity’

Bryan’s 5 phases of a multifamily investment

Acquisitions Implementation Stabilization Growth Exit strategy

The current challenges around acquisitions

Bryan’s view of the implementation phase

How to avoid mistakes during the acquisitions process

What to look for in a property management company

The difference between a proactive and reactive property manager

Bryan’s approach to overseeing a property manager

Bryan’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Bryan’s current mission

Buy It Rent It Profit

Landlord Academy

Multifamily Facebook Group

Bryan on Facebook

Bryan on Twitter

Call 1-800-535-2476

Buy It, Rent It, Profit: Make Money as a Landlord in ANY Real Estate Market by Bryan M. Chavis

The Landlord Entrepreneur: Double Your Profits with Real Estate Property Management by Bryan M. Chavis

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Michael’s Products

The Ultimate Guide to Apartment Building Investing

Michael’s Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Michael’s Deal Maker Mastermind

Financial Freedom Summit

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Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Coaching Program

Partner with Michael

Invest with Michael

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

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You don’t necessarily need an enormous multifamily portfolio to achieve financial freedom. It is possible to start small and replace your income with modest holdings of just 20 units!

Aaron Howell is a small multifamily investor with Black Lick Holdings, a real estate firm based in Crozet, Virginia. With a portfolio of 22 rental units, Aaron has replaced his income as a pharmacist and now works part-time because he WANTS to, not because he HAS to.

Today, Aaron joins me to share his accidental introduction to real estate and when he was finally inspired to develop a strategic plan. He describes the light bulb moment when he realized the income potential of a duplex versus a single-family property and how he fostered the confidence to pursue multifamily despite a lack of experience. Aaron walks us through his first several deals, explaining how he financed the most recent 6-unit through a partnership. Listen in for Aaron’s insight around building in daily habits to stay motivated and learn how he achieved financial freedom with a small portfolio!

Aaron’s introduction to real estate

Aaron’s start in single family

What inspired Aaron to develop a strategic plan

Why Aaron was confident in small multifamily investments

How Aaron financed his first multifamily deals

Aaron’s take on partnerships vs. syndication

Aaron’s transition to working part-time

Aaron’s real estate plans for the future

Aaron’s insight around financial freedom

Aaron’s advice for aspiring multifamily investors

How Aaron stays motivated

Aaron on BiggerPockets

Email ahowell7@hotmail.com

Michael on the Joe Fairless Podcast

BiggerPockets

Redfin

Zillow

Habit List

Michael’s Products

The Ultimate Guide to Apartment Building Investing

Michael’s Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Michael’s Deal Maker Mastermind

Financial Freedom Summit

Deal Desk

Deal Maker LIVE

Michael’s Coaching Program

Partner with Michael

Invest with Michael

Free eBook: The Secret to Raising Money to Buy Your First Apartment Building

Review the Podcast on iTunes