Join entrepreneur and investor John Paul Houston, who boasts a $3.5M lending portfolio and oversees a 100+ door real estate empire. He shares his incredible journey from backyard chickens to scaling multiple businesses, emphasizing the benefits of active investing and Real Estate Professional strategies. Discover why West Virginia is a treasure trove for high-yield multifamily deals, learn about innovative equity incentives for talent retention, and explore how private lending diversifies his investment approach—all while keeping tax bills low.
37:52
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Backyard Chickens To $100M Business
John Paul Houston turned a backyard chicken operation into a company now worth about $100 million.
He learned by doing, then sold his interest and reinvested proceeds into new ventures.
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Farming To Hard-Money Lending
After selling businesses, John Paul Houston began making hard-money loans to earn yields above bond returns.
He admits early deals taught him painful lessons but built his real estate knowledge.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use REP And Depreciation To Cut Taxes
Qualify as a Real Estate Professional and use accelerated depreciation to unlock significant tax savings on active real estate income.
Work closely with a tax advisor to navigate the complex REP and depreciation rules.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In this episode of the Tax Smart REI Podcast, Thomas and Ryan sit down with entrepreneur and investor John Paul Houston to unpack his journey from running a backyard chicken operation to building a $3.5M private lending portfolio and a 100+ door real estate empire — all while dramatically reducing his tax bill by qualifying as a Real Estate Professional.
Tune in to learn:
- How John went from semi-retirement to scaling multiple income-producing businesses
- Why he shifted from passive lending to active investing for greater returns and tax benefits
- The REP strategies and depreciation plays that helped him save big on taxes
- How he structures equity incentives to retain top talent and transfer ownership
- Why West Virginia is his secret weapon for finding 12-cap multifamily deals with minimal red tape
- The role private lending plays in his long-term diversification and estate planning
To become a client, request a consultation from Hall CPA, PLLC at go.therealestatecpa.com/3KSEev6
Get your FREE ticket to the 2025 Tax, Legal, and Wealth Summit:
www.taxandlegalsummit.com/registration
Subscribe to REI Daily & Enter to Win a FREE Strategy Call:
go.therealestatecpa.com/41JuQBX
The Tax Smart Real Estate Investors podcast is for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Information on the podcast may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. No reader, user, or listener of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal and tax advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney and tax advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this podcast or any of the links or resources contained or mentioned within the podcast show and show notes do not create a relationship between the reader, user, or listener and podcast hosts, contributors, or guests.
Tax Smart Real Estate Investors Podcast