Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing

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 Honey and 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/