Mastering Real Estate Maura McGraw

This video features Maura McGraw, a full-time real estate investor since 2018, sharing her challenging journey of starting and running a property management company alongside her business partners, Danny Gonzalez and Aziz Shannara.

After purchasing a 42 property portfolio in Birmingham, Alabama and unsatisfied with existing property management services, they decided to establish their own company, Freedom Ventures Property Management.

Maura discusses the hurdles and steep learning curve they faced, from legal setup, office establishment to managing over 600 units in three years, and the importance of followership, scaling growth wisely, and focusing on core businesses without overextending.

Maura shares personal insights on how this experience taught her valuable lessons on leadership, growth, and the importance of maintaining a balanced life outside of business ventures.

 

00:00 Introduction to Property Management Challenges

00:39 Welcome to the Mastering Real Estate Podcast

01:23 The Journey Begins: Starting a Property Management Company

03:11 The Rollercoaster of Running a Property Management Business

07:31 Learning the Hard Way: Growth and Scaling Challenges

11:19 A Personal Pivot: Refocusing on Core Values

15:53 Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

 

Episode Resources: 


Slideshow Link

 

Check out our Master Class and learn how to start or scale your real estate investing career the right way

 

We also have an AWESOME newsletter that you can subscribe to here

 

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Bigger Pockets

In episode 21 of the Mastering Real Estate Podcast, host Maura McGraw reviews Amanda Hahn and Matthew McFarland's book, 'Advanced Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor.' This episode builds on the fundamentals introduced in their first book, focusing on more sophisticated methods for minimizing tax liabilities and maximizing profits within the real estate domain. Maura discusses the importance of understanding tax strategies for real estate professionals, emphasizing how many are likely to miss out on savings due to a lack of knowledge. The book covers various topics, including tax planning, accelerated depreciation, benefits for real estate professionals, 1031 exchanges, retirement account savings, and more. It emphasizes proactive tax strategies, including the importance of biannual meetings with CPAs. The episode highlights key strategies such as cost segregation, comparing flips and BRRR strategy, and the advantages of 1031 exchanges. Maura encourages all real estate and tax professionals to read the book, rating it an 8 out of 10, for its comprehensive guide to optimizing tax returns through well-informed investment strategies.

 

Episode Resources: 


Slideshow Link

 

Check out our Master Class and learn how to start or scale your real estate investing career the right way

 

We also have an AWESOME newsletter that you can subscribe to here

 

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Deal Details


Addresses: 43 Houses throughout Birmingham...
Type: Mostly all tenant-occupied rentals
Average Year Built: 1966
Average SF: 1,607
Average Mix: 3 / 1.5
Year: Summer 2019
Timeline: 2 months
Purchase Price: $2.52M

Down Payment = $630,000 (20%)
2 x 1031 Exchanged Flips = $130,000
Raised $500K from private investors

Strategy:

Flip & sell 31 properties to investors through RP Capital = $1.6M

Payback investors & bank

Keep 11 properties = $500K ($5,500 Monthly Cashflow)

Split between Danny & Duratus



Key Takeaways:


You can partner on a deal without having a long-term partnership
Logistics and project management are key skills for a flipper
Never give up–there’s always a solution out there  

Episode Resources: 


Slideshow Link

 

Check out our Master Class and learn how to start or scale your real estate investing career the right way

 

We also have an AWESOME newsletter that you can subscribe to here

 

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In this episode, I interview David Richter, the CEO of Simple CFO Solutions and author of the book “Profit First for Real Estate Investing.” We discuss his real estate journey, book writing, and his current passion–helping small business owners optimize their financial management. This episode is a GOLD MINE for real estate investors and business owners.

 

Follow David Richter: 


@richterscale91
Profit First for Real Estate Investing - a MUST READ!
Simple CFO Solutions

 

Leave a comment on our YouTube video and be entered to win a signed copy of David’s book!

 

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Deal Details


Addresses: 46 Houses throughout Birmingham...

Ultimately cut down to 43

Type: Mostly all tenant-occupied rentals
Average Year Built: 1966
Average SF: 1,607
Average Mix: 3 / 1.5
Year: Summer 2019
Timeline: 2 months
Purchase Price: $2.52M

Down Payment = $630,000 (20%)
2 x 1031 Exchanged Flips = $130,000
Raised $500K from private investors


Portfolio Deals


Single-family (SF) portfolio deals are a less competitive niche in the real estate space because most investors focus on SF houses or apartment complexes
This can be a good way to scale your portfolio quickly
You must find a bank willing to put together an unconventional loan product to fund these deals

 

Key Takeaways:


Single-family portfolio deals are a great secret niche
Emotions matter just as much as the numbers in negotiations
Fake it ‘till you make it 

Episode Resources: 


Slideshow Link

 

Check out our Master Class and learn how to start or scale your real estate investing career the right way

 

We also have an AWESOME newsletter that you can subscribe to here

 

Follow Duratus: 


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Bigger Pockets

"The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investors" is a comprehensive guide written by experts in real estate taxation. It offers valuable insights and strategies for real estate investors to optimize their tax planning and maximize profitability.  Covering a range of topics such as entity structuring, expense maximization, and income offset strategies, the book equips readers with practical techniques to reduce tax burdens and increase wealth accumulation.

 

Key Concepts:


Entity Structuring: The importance of selecting the right legal entity for real estate investments to maximize tax benefits and protect assets.
Expense Maximization: Strategies for maximizing deductions and expense write-offs related to real estate investments, including depreciation, repairs, maintenance, and operating expenses.
Income Offset Strategies: Techniques for offsetting rental income with expenses, losses, and other deductions to reduce taxable income.
Retirement Investing: Exploring tax-advantaged retirement accounts such as Self-Directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s for investing in real estate and leveraging tax benefits for retirement savings.
Long-Term Investment Strategies: Guidance on long-term hold strategies for residential and multi-family real estate investments, focusing on building wealth over time while minimizing tax implications.
Tax Planning for High Net-Worth Individuals: Specialized tax strategies tailored for high net-worth individuals investing in real estate, including estate planning, asset protection, and wealth preservation.
Legal Compliance and Risk Management: Ensuring compliance with tax laws and regulations while effectively managing risks associated with real estate investments.

 

Key Takeaways and Action Steps 


Track your tax deductible expenses - make sure you are tracking mileage, depreciation, and other expenses like your home office, travel, and meals and entertainment so that you can get a lot of tax deductions 

Overall Book Rating: 6 / 10


The authors clearly tried to make this book not dry by including lots of stories about each concept
Concepts were clearly explained and relatively easy to understand
Could have used more details about selecting a good CPA as a real estate investor
Sometimes a few too many stories

 

Episode Resources: 


Slideshow

 

Check out our Master Class and learn how to start or scale your real estate investing career the right way.

 

We also have an AWESOME newsletter that you can subscribe to here. 

 

Follow Duratus: 


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Bigger Pockets