The Invest Clearly Podcast

Terra Padgett, a commercial insurance broker and founder of PowerPool Fund, shares her grounded approach to real estate investing. She reveals the framework she uses to manage a portfolio of over a dozen deals, moving from active single-family rentals to passive syndications. Terra offers a transparent look at her "post-call litmus test" for vetting sponsors, the power of using an investment club to build confidence, and why understanding your personal risk tolerance is the true key to success.Follow Terra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrapadgett/Timestamps00:00 Intro01:31 The 5-to-9 Investor02:04 Accumulation Mode Portfolio03:42 Diversification Strategy04:01 Investing in Luxury Car Garages05:37 Why She Prefers Funds10:21 The Operator "Litmus Test"18:26 Life Stage & Risk Tolerance21:14 Spotting "Return of Capital"25:06 Power of an Investment Club27:50 The "Slow Path" to WealthFind top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com. Show Sponsor: ScaleIRReady to scale your investor relations and capital raising effectiveness? Visit ScaleIR.com to learn more and book your strategy call today.

In this episode of the Invest Clearly podcast, host Pat sits down with Chris Reece, founder of MJ REIT, to explore how his decades of experience in institutional asset management led him to the cannabis real estate space. Chris breaks down MJ REIT’s unique, low-leverage strategy, their approach to risk, and how they’ve maintained over 33 months of consistent returns.  He also shares why transparency and education—not hype—are key to building investor trust, and why cannabis real estate offers a compelling, often overlooked opportunity for portfolio diversification.00:00 – Intro & Chris’s Background 00:19 – Starting MJ REIT & Goals 01:05 – Cannabis Investment Strategy 02:52 – Investor Mindset & Market 07:42 – Team & Investor Relations 11:33 – Building Trust & Transparency 21:55 – Scaling MJ REIT 25:41 – Final Thoughts & ConnectFollow Chris:  Find top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com. Show Sponsor: ScaleIRReady to scale your investor relations and capital raising effectiveness? Visit ScaleIR.com to learn more and book your strategy call today.

In this episode, Justin Colvin, insurance entrepreneur and seasoned LP shares how he built a passive income portfolio across real estate, oil & gas, and private credit. From his first $15K investments to losing capital in a failed fund, Justin opens up about the hard lessons, red flags, and winning strategies he's learned along the way. If you're a passive investor looking to avoid bad deals and double down on what works in 2025, this episode is a must-listen.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro: Meet Justin 01:21 – First Passive Deal (During COVID) 01:50 – Why He Loves Oil & Gas 03:35 – Real Estate: Pros & Cons 04:56 – Senior Living & Private Credit 08:07 – His Due Diligence Approach 12:26 – Advice for New LPs 14:24 – Ask Hard Questions 14:28 – Trusting vs. Skeptical Investors 15:01 – Sponsor Red Flags 15:42 – Lessons From Losses 17:27 – Overconfidence Kills 18:08 – Bad Deals Happen 22:09 – Private Credit = Steady Cash 24:28 – The Coaching Problem 26:01 – Final Thoughts + ConnectFollow Justin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincolvin/ Find top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com. Show Sponsor: ScaleIRReady to scale your investor relations and capital raising effectiveness? Visit ScaleIR.com to learn more and book your strategy call today.

TJ Burns, founder of Burns Capital and ex-Amazon engineer, joins the Invest Clearly Podcast to break down the real challenges of raising capital and building long-term LP trust.He shares why he left fund-of-funds behind, how he uses Discord and transparency reports to keep LPs in the loop, and how AI is reshaping underwriting and investor ops.📌 Topics Covered:​LPs left in the dark: why it’s so common​Building an LP-only Discord community​What AI can do for investor ops in 2025​Why he's walking away from fund-of-funds​The dark side of urgency-driven capital raisingChapters:00:00 – Intro00:51 – Guest: TJ Burns (Burns Capital)01:56 – Amazon → Real estate shift02:47 – Hard lessons as an LP05:26 – Fixing trust + communication gaps14:07 – Tech + Discord = GP edge17:01 – Why TJ ditched fund-to-funds22:08 – AI’s impact on real estate25:03 – Final take + where to find TJFollow TJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thburns42/🎧 Subscribe for weekly interviews with LPs, GPs, and capital allocators redefining how private real estate investing is done. 🧠 Learn more: https://www.investclearly.com 💼 Claim your GP profile: https://www.investclearly.com/profiles

Brian Davis, former landlord turned full-time LP and co-founder of SparkRental’s Co-Investing Club  talks about what really matters when evaluating passive real estate deals.Brian shares the mistakes that made him quit landlording for good, the red flags he watches for in sponsors, and why great property management can save a sinking deal. He also pulls back the curtain on how Spark’s 300+ members vet deals together and why dollar cost averaging isn't just for stocks — it's a powerful mindset for real estate investing, too.This episode is packed with insights about passive investing, deal screening, operator due diligence, and why “conservative underwriting” is often just marketing fluff.Follow Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/g-brian-davis/ Find top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com. Show Sponsor: ScaleIRReady to scale your investor relations and capital raising effectiveness? Visit ScaleIR.com to learn more and book your strategy call today.

Leyla Kunimoto shares her insights on the current real estate investment climate, focusing on trends in deal flow, cash flow, and how to quickly underwrite deals. She discusses her approach to evaluating investment opportunities, the role of AI in streamlining analysis, and the significance of building trust with sponsors. Leyla also highlights the need for caution in preferred equity deals and emphasizes the importance of investor education and knowledge sharing in the real estate investment space.Chapters:00:00 Introduction 02:47 Leyla's Investment Philosophy03:23 Conservative Underwriting and Market Trends05:13 Evaluating Cash Flow Across Asset Classes08:26 Importance of a Wide Funnel15:05 Using AI for Deal Screening22:11 Evaluating Sponsors and Preferred Equity27:05 Final ThoughtsFollow Leyla- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lkunimoto/Find top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com. 

In this conversation, Will Matheson discusses the operations and philosophy of Matheson Capital, a multifamily investment firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. He highlights their focus on transparency, investor trust, and the importance of communication in building relationships with investors. Matheson shares insights on their investment strategy, fee structure, and the challenges of passive investing, while also addressing how they attract new investors and plan to scale their operations in the future.Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:18 Matheson Capital's Beginnings03:42 Transparency and Communication07:14 Challenges and Lessons Learned11:56 Future Plans and Scaling13:55 Fee Structure and Fund Considerations16:28 Attracting New Investors19:33 Skepticism Towards Coaching Programs22:22 Passive Investing 26:42 Value of Verified Investor Reviews34:46 Challenges in the RE MarketFollow Will: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wlmatheson/Find top-reviewed sponsors on investclearly.com If you’ve invested in a private real estate deal, help others by sharing your experience and leaving a reviewAre you a sponsor and want to appear in a future episode? Claim your profile today at investclearly.com.