The Hybrid Real Estate Professional The Cash-Flow Model That Replaces Your Income AND Makes an Impact
In this episode, I sit down with my friend Charlie Cameron — a military veteran, father of two, and one of the most respected voices in the residential assisted living (RAL) space. Charlie owns 8 assisted living homes (5 personally, 3 through a fund) and co-founded the RAL Room Mastermind, a fast-growing community of investors and operators building businesses that matter.
We talk about how Charlie went from the Air Force to apartments, then short-term rentals, and finally landed in assisted living — not just for the financial upside, but for the deep sense of purpose it brought to his life.
Charlie shares how the lease-to-operator model works, how he built a business that now replaces his W2 income, and how he and his partners started with one home and are now empowering others to do the same. We also dive into why residential assisted living has decades of tailwinds behind it and how you can get involved — even if you’re not ready to operate one yourself.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:06 Short-Term Rentals
06:23 Military Discipline in Real Estate
12:00 Creating the RAL Room
14:06 Residential Assisted Living
17:58 Short-Term Rentals to Assisted Living
26:44 Finding the Right Assisted Living Home
27:34 Licensing and Retrofitting Homes
28:12 Leasing and Commercial Agreements
29:01 Operator Partnerships and Responsibilities
31:40 Challenges with Licensing and Operators
34:24 Flexibility and Exit Strategies
42:01 Funding and Financial Strategies
47:27 Community and Support Systems