The Real Estate Way to Wealth and Freedom

Financial freedom, passive income, abundance mentality, Cap Rates, ROI, and Rent/Value ratios are all terms we have discussed. They're terms that are thrown around in different real estate investing circles. But how often do we, as real estate investors, step back and ask ourselves why? Why do we concern ourselves with these terms and metrics? Real estate investing is a vehicle that can help you achieve many different goals. It's versatile, works across many different markets, and is easy to replicate. However, it's not the physical real estate that's so great. Rather, it's what real estate does for you. By now, we all now real estate investing can provide passive income, tax benefits, appreciation, and a hedge against inflation. Ultimately your investment is backed by a physical asset, which everyone on this planet needs - shelter! No matter what your goals are, I believe that real estate investing is one of the best vehicles to build a life you want. Everyone has the ability to use real estate to their advantage. The passive income can allow you to live a life where you want and how you want. This journey of real estate investing is one that everyone can start. There are just a few simple steps. Step 1: Educate yourself. I know, this isn't what you want to hear. It's not quick. But in today's age, it's quite easy. Read books, jump in some online forums, go to real estate meetups. There are so many great free resources available - books, podcasts, online communities, meetups, just to name a few. Step 2: Get around people who are doing what you want to do. Want to flip houses? Look up J. Scott, buy his books, and read his blogs. Want to own turnkey single family homes for passive income? Look up Keith Weinhold, listen to his podcast, subscribe to his newsletter, and read his articles. Want to buy apartments with other people's money? Look up Vinney Chopra, Michael Blank, Joe Fairless, or Reed Goossens. Watch what they're doing. Get around people who are doing what you want. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Evaluate who you spend time with. It's ok if your circle isn't exactly involved with what you're interested in. But it's a good sign they're at least interested in improving themselves, growing, and pushing you too. Step 3: Find your niche. Identify what you're good at. Maybe you're great with numbers and love analyzing deals. Or maybe you're a great networker and can raise money from other people. Maybe you love creating systems and procedures to build businesses. Whatever it is, figure out what you're good at and what you like. Then focus on that. Once you find your strengths, you can then look for ways to work on your weaknesses. You could partner with someone who compliments you well. Or you can develop the skills you are lacking. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will only help you know where and how to best spend your efforts. Step 4: Do your first deal - whether that's buying a small single family, wholesaling a deal to another investor, flipping a property, or investing with a syndication on a larger deal. Your first may not be the most impactful, but it will be the most important. It likely won't move the needle for you, but it will get you started. That's the biggest challenge for most people. Doing your first deal can be scary. There are countless limiting beliefs that will come into your mind. Don't worry, those are normal. If you're not doing something that makes your uncomfortable, then you're not doing enough. Step 5: Use your strengths in step 3 to do another deal. This one will be smoother than the last. Then do another deal. And another. And another. Each deal will get easier with experience. You'll hit different speed bumps and learn new things alo...

Have you ever thought about the word extraordinary?  By definition “ordinary – with no special or distinctive features; normal.” Then what does extraordinary mean – extra normal? Doesn’t really make sense, does it? But nothing about being extraordinary is normal. In fact, to become extraordinary, one must be not normal. But enough on that tangent. Let’s…

Kwame Christian Esq., M.A. is a business lawyer and he’s passionate about teaching business professionals like you how to negotiate and be more persuasive.  Kwame works with people to improve their persuasive communication skills and conflict resolution abilities. Improving these skills will lead to financial gain, career advancement, and increased confidence in difficult conversations. Kwame has…

Many people go their entire lives without even considering the possibility of building passive income, or much less achieving financial freedom. Lots of those people just assume they don't have the resources necessary to get started, whether that's time, money, experience, or some magic touch they think they need. In fact, time, money, nor experience are limiting factors. The truth is, none of these resources are more valuable than the one your already have - your mind! Yes, your mind is the most valuable resource you have and ever will have. The beauty is everyone has one. Some just use their minds to their fullest potential. These are the people who succeed in whatever they do. "Life has no limits except the ones you make." - Less Brown We're only bound by the limits of our mind. Solving problems, creating solutions, building systems, growing businesses, and designing a lifestyle are only accomplished in the confinements of your mind. The larger your mindset, the more you can accomplish. If your mindset is to just be comfortable with a steady paycheck and retire with a conservative lifestyle at 65, then that's what you'll accomplish. If you instead, expand your mind to achieve massive levels of success, you'll grow into that mindset and will achieve your wildest imaginations. People have a tendency to overestimate what they can accomplish in a year, and underestimate what they can accomplish in 10 years. Challenge yourself by always expanding your mindset. If you can imagine it, you can do it.

Kirk Chisholm is a Wealth Manager and Principal at Innovative Advisory Group. His roles at IAG are co-chair of the Investment Committee and Head of the Traditional Investment Risk Management Group. His background and areas of focus are portfolio management and investment analysis in both the traditional and alternative investment markets. Kirk has been providing wealth management services to individuals, executives, entrepreneurs, and their families, as well as businesses and organizations since 1999. Kirk is dedicated to developing lasting relationships with all of his clients. One of the benefits of working with Kirk is his patience and his ability to provide clear, easy to understand explanations of all financial options. Prior to integrating with Innovative Advisory Group in 2008, Kirk founded Stirling Global Advisors, LLC in 2005, a full-service private wealth management firm. Kirk has also held wealth management roles at both UBS PaineWebber and Smith Barney. Key Points Investing outside Wall Street Investing through your IRA Alternative asset classes - real estate, tax liens, raw land, and even livestock! How to unlock tax free income from retirement accounts Resources InnovativeWealth

Episode 80 piques my curiosity with the Pareto Principal, or the 80-20 rule. The Pareto Principal is based on the Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto. Pareto though his research, found a disproportionate ratio of inputs and outputs in different scenarios. Pareto first identified this unequal balance of inputs and outputs when looking at the land owned…

Kevin Bupp is a Florida-based Real Estate Investor and serial entrepreneur with over $40 million of real estate transactions. His extensive investment experience spans the gamut of apartment buildings, single-family homes, office buildings, raw land, condos, and his favorite and by far the most profitable, Mobile Home Parks. Kevin holds the keys to successful real estate investment. With over 16 years of experience, Kevin now educates investors to locate, acquire, and create “higher than average” returns from this widely misunderstood niche of Mobile Home Park Investing. He shares his expertise through the Mobile Home Academy and also as the host of The Investing for Cashflow Podcast. In addition to his Real Estate endeavors, Kevin is passionate about giving back and is the founder of several charitable organizations, including founded RunningforBrews.com, a social running club with more than 10,000 active members, and “72 Hours to Key West,” an annual 280 mile bike ride benefiting impoverished families during the holidays. Key Points Starting out learning from a mentor Why mobile home parks are a great niche The need for affordable housing throughout the country Mobile home parks - they aren't making any more of 'em! Buying mobile home parks with seller financing Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Learning. WIth the help of a mentor, Kevin was able to learn the ropes. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Health and fitness Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Credit Karma (phone app) What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? Meet and Grow Rich by Joe Vitale and Bill Hibbler If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Get involved in multifamily real estate as soon as possible. Resources The Mobile Home Park podcast Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow podcast www.KevinBupp.com Contact Kevin@KevinBupp.com

Being uncomfortable is…. well, uncomfortable. There are different types of discomfort, from the kind you feel when you’re being pulled to the top of a roller coaster with that impending drop to the bottom, to that feeling in your gut when you’re asking your boss for a raise and your palms are sweaty. Being uncomfortable…

Mark Ferguson’s purpose is to help as many people as he can become financially free through real estate. Mark Ferguson is a real estate agent, real estate investor, author and the creator of Investfourmore.com. Mark’s real estate team sells hundred of homes a year, he has flipped over 100 houses, owns 16 rental properties and has written five books. Investfourmore.com is a real estate blog with over 300,000 views a month, over 35,000 subscribers and a wealth of free information. Historically Mark averages: Over $30,000 profit on each flip he completes Over $8,000 a month income from his rental properties Over $600,000 gross commissions per year on his real estate team Over 200,000 unique visitors to InvestFourMore per month These returns and profits do not come from secret, unknown, get rich quick schemes. They come from knowing the fundamentals, knowing them better than anyone else, and execution. Mark has created coaching programs for real estate investors and real estate agents to show them how to make solid investments that will pay off over time. Mark also loves to teach business and time management as he is a proud father of 5 year old twins. With four extremely successful businesses he only works about 40 hours a week. He would work less, but he loves what he does. Key Points Expand your goals - success will follow Building a business to fund investments Focusing on the highest and best use of your time Setting goals and finding your reasons why Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Rental properties were difficult for Mark to break into. He first had to focus on the mindset, and then save for the down payment. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success? Mark listened to a lot of self help books, and set goals. Every night Mark reflects on his goals and look at the big picture. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? BiggerPockets Investability.com What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan The War of Art by Steven Pressfield If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Buy houses and make sure you get a good deal! Resources Invest Four More Podcast Invest Four More YouTube Channel Books by Mark Ferguson Build a Rental Property Empire by Mark Ferguson Fix and Flip Your Way to Financial Freedom by Mark Ferguson How to Change Your Mindset to Achieve Huge Success by Mark Ferguson Contact Mark@InvestFourMore.com

Real Estate Investing is a journey. Everyone goes through different experiences, along different paths. Any which way you take, it’s almost assuredly a road with twists and turns and dead ends. It’s never a straight and easy path. The list of hurdles a real estate investor faces includes finding good deals, financing deals, managing properties, managing tenants, maintenance/repairs, managing personal finances, book keeping, and maintaining good relationships, just to name a few. As a real estate investor, you'll stumble along your way to financial freedom (and beyond). You'll make mistakes. So long as you have a reason why, larger than yourself, you'll be motivated to not quitting and will eventually reach your goals. The same thing can be said about not just real estate investing, but any difficult journey in life - going to school, raising a family, starting a business, etc. That’s why it’s so important to have a reason that keeps you going – a reason why. It's my belief that personal financial gain is not a big enough reason why to keep you going. I say this because at some point, you'll have enough to provide a comfortable life for yourself. If that is the bar you set, then simply working a 9-5 job for someone else will do. The larger your reason why, the more motivated you'll be to achieve success, however you define it. Set goals higher than you think you can achieve. Couple those goals with reasons why larger than yourself. You'll surprise yourself with the levels of success you can and will achieve.

Marco Santarelli is an investor, author, and founder of Norada Real Estate Investments – a national real estate investment firm offering turnkey investment property in growth markets nationwide. Marco Santarelli is the host of the Passive Real Estate Investing podcast – the show where busy people like you learn how to build substantial passive income while creating wealth for the…

It's human nature to be on the look out for threats. Our early ancestors had to be aware of threats every day. This same caution has been passed down thousands of years. Only today, our threats are much different. While threats like predators stalking our villages, or entire populations being eradicated by the plague no longer exist, we still have our own threats in today's society, from litigation to financial loss and health. As real estate investors, we're aware of the risks associated. Litigation and financial loss are legitimate threats that happen all too often. We are aware of these risks, and therefore appropriately protect ourselves from them when possible. We carry insurance policies to protect against damages. We protect our assets with legal structures. We screen our tenants. All of these help protect our downside. “The first rule of investment is don’t lose money. And the second rule of investment is don’t forget the first rule. And that’s all the rules there are” - Warren Buffett Another way to protect your downside is by a supplemental insurance called a Home Warrant Policy or a Residential Services Agreement. A home warrant policy is an insurance policy carried by the homeowner, which covers standard appliances, HVAC systems, and plumbing. If one of these items breaks, you can be faced with a large repair bill or an even bigger replacement cost. A home warranty policy insures these items will remain in working condition, so long as the damage isn't from neglect or lack of maintenance in most cases. These polices typically range from $500-$650 per year and have a deductible of $75-$100. Many beginning investors will try to do things on the cheap, and some even forego a Home Warranty Policy. If your systems and property are relatively new, then it might not be as much of a risk to elect out of a home warranty policy. However, if your property or appliances are on the older end with deferred maintenance, then it might be wise to pay for a home warranty policy. In many cases the seller or seller's agent will pay for this home warranty policy for the first year. There is no one right way for everyone when considering insurance, asset protection strategies, and personal risks. Be mindful of protecting your downside, and look to increase your upside. With this principal in mind, you'll be more prepared to deal with the inevitable threats on your path to financial freedom and beyond.

Craig Cecilio is a principal in DiversyFund, Inc. and the founder and CEO of California Coastal Funding Group, Inc. He has worked in the real estate industry for nearly 20 years. Over the course of his career, he has participated in the development of over 1,000 single family residences in California as either a joint venture equity partner, lender or sponsor. Mr. Cecilio also owns a California-licensed real estate lending business for residential renovations and ground-up construction (residential and multi-family) in California coastal markets such as San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and San Francisco, a loan servicing business and a real estate crowdfunding website known as Diversyfund.com. Since 1997, Mr. Cecilio has financed nearly $1 billion of real estate assets, having raised over $100 million in debt or equity for real estate transactions in the last three years, and has developed and managed over $25 million of residential property (renovations and ground-up). Mr. Cecilio also manages a real estate bridge loan fund that pre-funds many of the transactions later sold the DiversyFund investor platform. Mr. Cecilio is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Key Points Crowdfunding, simply put, is real estate syndication leveraged with technology Who should invest in real estate through crowdfunds Using crowfunding opportunities to learn about real estate What you need to do to be SEC compliant Investing through crowdfunding vs. investing in real estate on your own Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? The typical hurdles of raising capital were the same for Craig as anyone else doing the same thing - developing the track record as a first time crowdfunding platform. Do youn have a personal habit that contributes to your success Craig is forward thinking and solution based. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Craig learns from the news and networks. Investopdia What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? The Laws of Success in Sixteen Lessons by Napoleon Hill If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Buy more real estate! Resources Diversy Fund

    Let’s talk about how we spend money. This isn’t some lecture about how you should forego that daily coffee and cut coupons so that one day you can retire. No one wants to hear that. But it is important to understand how you spend your money. Most people earn income from a job,…

Darren Weeks was an ordinary “working stiff” with a passion for investing. As a teenager, he began investing in penny stocks and mutual funds. He bought his first rental property as a student at the University of Alberta. But somewhere along the line, Darren started to blend in with the pack, to “go with the flow.” For several years, he did what everyone else was doing – working 9 to 5 to make ends meet and looking forward to the weekends. He worked in accounting and sales roles for a variety of organizations and never felt like he was getting the most out of life. Everything changed in 2001, when a friend recommended Darren read a book called “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. The book so perfectly articulated all of his beliefs about money and reignited the passion for investing he had in his youth. Shortly after reading the book, he made the life-altering decision to start Fast Track to Cash Flow, a company that would teach Canadians the principles laid out in the book, in addition to the lessons Darren had learned about money over the years. And the best part, all of Fast Track’s seminars would be free of charge! Fast forward to present time. Darren has amassed an investment portfolio consisting of over 5,000 rental properties across North America, tens of millions of dollars in energy interests and hundreds of acres of land. He is also the largest individual shareholder in the Port of Falmouth, the world’s largest cruise ship terminal, which is operated by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Key Points How to find capital investors Raising capital for other people's deals Networking with potential investors Don't mention a return to your investors, instead ask them what would make them happy Working for someone in return for experience Lightning Questions What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it? Darren lacked money and the rules around borrowing money. Darren was creative in his approach and bought almost a dozen properties without any money of his own. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success Darren practices gratitude daily and credits much of his productivity to the Hoffman Institute Do you have an online resource that you find valuable? Rich Dad Radio with Robert Kiyosaki Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish, along with his weekly newsletter email What book would you recommend to the listeners and why? The ABC's of Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroy Scaling Up by Verne Harnish If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be? Education. Darren recommends taking courses with money back guarantees. Take educational courses. Resources The Art of Raising Capital: for Entrepreneurs and Investors by Darren Weeks DarrenWeeks.com Black Rifle Coffee Company Canada