Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing

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 2005Matt 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/