Why I Turned Down Seven-Figures & Built a 1.5B$ Real Estate Empire

Can nice guys really finish first in business?

My producer, and good friend, Dave Aizer slid into the host seat this week and grilled me about the one edge that never goes out of style: running a company with rock-solid ethics.I walk through how we grew YMP Real Estate from a single duplex to $1.5 billion in assets while raising 11 kids, why I’ve turned down seven-figure paydays that didn’t feel right, and how over-communicating lets me sleep soundly even on the craziest days.

💡In this conversation we cover:

✅ My North-Star rule: tie every deal to a bigger purpose so market chaos can’t rattle you

✅ The Triple Filter: honesty, competency, and time all must be green before I say “go”

✅ Contrarian real-estate moves: buy when rates scare everyone else, hold for 10 years, refinance tax-free

✅ Owning mistakes: why a fast apology (and writing the check) beats any lawyer letter

✅ Family-first scaling: turning reputation into compound interest for my kids, grandkids, and teamI also share the lessons my teenagers teach me, the fitness battle I’m still fighting, and why most of the real work is learning to stay humble.

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TOPICS:

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 2:00 – What business ethics means to Moshe
• 6:30 – A valuable lesson Moshe learned about ethics
• 8:30 – It pays to be patient
• 11:00 – Ethical business leaders Moshe admires
• 14:00 – Dealing with unethical people
• 17:00 – Find your North Star
• 21:00 – Vetting potential employees for integrity
• 24:00 – Telling children about business ethics
• 28:30 – Contracts between family members?
• 30:00 – Moshe’s thoughts on his legacy