The Real Estate Investing Club

Gabe Petersen

Real estate pros share their stories on how they got started investing in real estate and then grew from their first deal to a portfolio of cash-flowing properties. In each episode you'll learn the strategies our guests used to create generational wealth for themselves and their families, and the steps you can take to do the same in your own back yard. Our goal at The Real Estate Investing Club is to teach you the fastest ways to start and grow your real estate investing career in today's market - from multifamily, to self-storage, to mobile home parks, to mix-use industrial, you'll hear it all! Our guests share their career peaks and valleys and the best advice, greatest stories, and favorite tips they learned along the way. Want to create wealth for yourself using the vehicle of real estate? Getting mentorship is the fastest way to success. Get an REI mentor and check out our REI course at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com.

  1. 16h ago

    How to Profit From the Next Real Estate Downturn with Omar

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen MULTIFAMILY REAL ESTATE INVESTING What happens when experienced multifamily investors step into a difficult real estate market? In this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club, I sit down with Omar Khan of Boardwalk Wealth to unpack the strategies, lessons, and principles behind successfully investing in multifamily real estate through changing market conditions. 🏢📈 Omar brings extensive experience across multifamily acquisitions, operations, capital markets, and real estate investing. His firm has bought and sold thousands of units, including distressed multifamily assets, giving us plenty to discuss when it comes to underwriting deals, managing properties, raising capital, and identifying opportunity when other investors are pulling back. One of the biggest themes of this conversation is that successful real estate investing isn't necessarily about finding some secret strategy that nobody else knows. It is often about avoiding major mistakes, maintaining emotional discipline, following proven processes, and staying focused on the long-term game. 🧠💰 UNDERWRITING, DISTRESSED ASSETS & MARKET OPPORTUNITY We talk about what happens when aggressive underwriting meets higher interest rates and changing market conditions. Many multifamily investors have found themselves under pressure because projected rent growth, returns, or property performance didn't materialize as expected. Omar explains why disciplined underwriting matters and why investors should be extremely careful about relying on aggressive broker projections or chasing exceptionally high projected IRRs. In real estate, protecting yourself from bad assumptions can be just as important as finding a great deal. We also discuss the potential opportunity created by distressed real estate. Multifamily isn't the only sector seeing pressure. Omar points to opportunities across self-storage, hospitality, industrial, retail, and other asset classes. When the market becomes more difficult, motivated sellers and overleveraged owners can create opportunities for disciplined operators. 🔑🏢 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & REAL ESTATE OPERATIONS A great acquisition can quickly become a bad investment if the operations aren't managed properly. We dive deep into property management, operational processes, technology, employee compensation, accountability, and why consistency matters when building a real estate company. Omar explains how Boardwalk Wealth approaches processes and why following established systems is critical. We also discuss the importance of paying competitive compensation, treating employees with respect, and creating an organization where people have a reason to stay and perform at a high level. CAPITAL RAISING & REAL ESTATE SYNDICATION For many real estate investors, raising capital is one of the biggest barriers to scaling. Once an investor has deployed their own capital, the next challenge is learning how to attract outside investors and build trust. Omar shares how his background in investment banking and portfolio management helped him develop a professional network, but we also make an important point: you don't need an investment banking background to raise capital or become a successful real estate investor. The real lesson is to start building relationships before you actually need the money. Face-to-face conversations, networking, genuine relationships, and consistently demonstrating your credibility can become powerful advantages when it is eventually time to raise capital for a deal. 🤝💵 REAL ESTATE INVESTING IS A LONG GAME We also talk about the importance of getting started instead of waiting for the perfect deal. Omar reflects on opportunities he wishes he had taken earlier, while I share my own experience buying my first duplex and how getting that first deal done can create momentum. If financial freedom through real estate investing is your goal, the lesson is simple: learn, take action, build relationships, and keep moving forward. You don't need to know everything before you begin. Your first deal can become the foundation for the next one, and eventually the next one after that. 🚀 AI & REAL ESTATE OPERATIONS AI is also changing the way real estate companies operate. Omar explains how his team had already standardized data, workflows, and automation before the recent AI boom, allowing them to use AI to dramatically accelerate tasks that previously took days. We discuss how AI can help real estate investors process information, combine data from different systems, automate workflows, and improve operational efficiency. For modern real estate operators, learning how to use technology effectively may become an increasingly important competitive advantage. 🤖📊 THE BIGGER LESSON FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTORS This conversation is ultimately about discipline. Whether you're investing in multifamily properties, raising capital, managing a portfolio, underwriting acquisitions, or looking for distressed real estate opportunities, the fundamentals still matter. Don't chase shiny objects. Don't blindly trust aggressive projections. Build relationships before you need them. Develop strong operating systems. Treat your people well. Stay disciplined when markets become uncertain. And when other investors become fearful, keep your eyes open for opportunity. If you're interested in multifamily investing, real estate syndication, capital raising, distressed real estate, property management, real estate underwriting, AI for real estate, or building toward financial freedom through real estate, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply to your own investing journey. 🎯 Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omark1/ Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstateSyndication #FinancialFreedom #RealEstate Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  2. 5d ago

    Stop Chasing Home Runs: Your Real Path to Freedom with Samir Patel

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen  🏡 REAL ESTATE INVESTING LESSONS FOR FINANCIAL FREEDOM  Welcome back to The Real Estate Investing Club! I'm Gabe Petersen, and in this episode I sit down with Samir Patel, a hard money lender and veteran real estate investor with experience in hotels, self-storage, multifamily, and single-family properties. If you want practical real estate investing advice on how to build wealth and reach financial freedom without learning every lesson the painful way, this conversation is for you. 💰  🏨 BUYING A MOTEL AT 21 WITH AN SBA LOAN  Samir shares how Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired him to buy a 72-room motel for $1.5 million while he was still a West Point cadet. He explains how an SBA loan, a mentor who co-signed the personal guarantee, and a smart investment thesis near the Great Lakes Naval Training Center made it possible. We break down what he learned from the credit cycle, a bank loan workout, employee issues, and why commercial real estate is ultimately a finance game built on debt service and stress testing. 📉  🤝 HARD MONEY LENDING AND PRIVATE LENDING STRATEGY  Samir explains how buying one deal opens the door to many more, and how his path led from distressed notes and private lending to running a hard money lending firm with 1,500 real estate investor borrowers across 30 states. We talk about why mastering one asset class matters, why a DSCR focus and a bigger down payment can protect your cash flow, and why building an investor base early can save your project when capital calls hit. 🔑  ⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES REAL ESTATE INVESTORS MAKE  As a lender, Samir sees what goes wrong on flips and rentals. He covers partnership alignment, why 50-50 splits can stall decisions, how to plan for capital calls, and why trying to hit a home run on your first flip is a trap. We also talk about my own early flipping lessons and why simply making a move and breaking even beats waiting for the perfect deal. 🔨  📋 UNDERWRITING AND DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLISTS  Borrowing a guru's checklist can backfire. Samir and I discuss why your underwriting checklist must reflect your own capital, risk tolerance, and experience, and why it should keep growing with every mistake you make. We also cover zoning and entitlement risk, and how an overlooked variance process added 18 months to one of his deals. 🧠  📚 BOOKS, EDUCATION, AND ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF  Samir recommends Influence by Robert Cialdini for raising capital and communicating with investors, plus the Georgia State Masters of Commercial Real Estate program, where he now teaches real estate entrepreneurship. We also talk about why formal education can help you reflect on your experience, and what he would tell his younger self if he could start over. 🎓  🌎 BEST SOUTHEAST MARKETS AND AI FOR INVESTORS  Samir shares why population growth and job growth drive demand in the Southeast, including the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, and why Florida and Phoenix feel too volatile for him. He also reveals how he trains AI to challenge his underwriting by acting as his harshest critic. His two-word core values for every investor: courage and cash flow. 🚀  Subscribe for weekly real estate investing interviews, and drop your biggest investing question in the comments below. 👇  #RealEstateInvesting #HardMoneyLending #FinancialFreedom #RealEstateInvestor #PassiveIncome  Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-patel-atlanta/  Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen  Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  3. Sep 29

    Stop Buying Junk: Build Your Way to Financial Freedom with Dusten Hendrickson

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen 🏗️ REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SECRETS FOR BUILDING WEALTH Ever wonder why so many real estate investors keep buying other people's problems? In this episode of the Real Estate Investing Club podcast, I sit down with Dusten Hendrickson of Mailbox Money, a vertically integrated workforce housing developer, to talk about ground-up multifamily development and why building new can be a smarter path to financial freedom than buying existing properties. 💰 🏡 FROM DUPLEXES TO MULTIFAMILY SYNDICATION Dusten started in 2003 when his mom wanted a duplex and building one turned out cheaper than buying. From there he built single-family homes, flipped houses, bought apartments, and developed a 30-unit property before discovering the multifamily syndication model and raising private capital. When interest rates climbed, he pivoted into ground-up development of 100-plus unit projects. 📈 ⚠️ ENTITLEMENT RISK AND ZONING IN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT We break down where the real risk lives in real estate development. Dusten explains why entitlements matter most, why you should never demolish buildings before rezoning is approved, and why you should never close on land until it is fully zoned and titled. Protect your leverage, plan for underground surprises, and understand how government changes can affect your pro forma. 🔍 🏢 THE COPY AND PASTE WORKFLOW FOR APARTMENT BUILDINGS Dusten builds boutique workforce housing in phases, one 14-unit building at a time. Each building opens in succession, which speeds up lease-up, siloes construction delays, helps banks and investors see income sooner, and lowers stress for property managers. We also cover why staying under 16 units can avoid an elevator, and why renters choose with emotion instead of logic. 🔑 🪟 SMART APARTMENT DESIGN THAT LOWERS COSTS Learn how floor-to-ceiling windows with eight-foot ceilings can earn the same rent as nine-foot ceilings while costing less to build, heat, cool, and maintain. 🌇 📍 FINDING LAND AND LOCATION LESSONS Land is where every development starts. Dusten shares how he partners with local experts, builds relationships with landowners in growth corridors, and why warm introductions beat cold outreach. He also shares the farmland deal that cost him $300K and why location always wins. 🎯 🚀 ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA AND LESSONS FOR INVESTORS Dusten names Rochester, Minnesota as his top market, pointing to the Mayo Clinic expansion. He also shares two books worth reading and the lesson about scaling instead of chasing every deal. 📚 🧠 QUICK QUESTION ROUND: BOOKS, ADVICE, AND DEAL SOURCING In our rapid-fire round, Dusten recommends Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, explains why networking at real estate conferences matters more than waiting for a mentor, and shares how to generate land leads through trusted local introductions. We also talk about shiny object syndrome, and why picking one asset class and one strategy is how you build real expertise. 🧱 Whether you invest in multifamily, apartments, single-family homes, or new construction, this episode delivers practical real estate investing strategies you can use today, from apartment development and land acquisition to lease-up, due diligence, and choosing the right market. Hit subscribe for more conversations on passive income, multifamily syndication, and building long-term wealth. 🙌 #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #RealEstateDevelopment #WorkforceHousing #FinancialFreedom Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dusten-hendrickson/ Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  4. Sep 24

    Why Angel Almost Quit Real Estate (Then Got Rich) with Angel Williams

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen 🏠 REAL ESTATE INVESTING LESSONS FROM A MULTIFAMILY PROBLEM CHILD On this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club, I sit down with Angel Williams, a seasoned real estate investor who has built a portfolio spanning residential single family homes, small multifamily properties, large multifamily apartment complexes, oil and gas, vineyards, and mobile home parks. If you're serious about real estate investing and want to learn how to build passive income and reach financial freedom, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons you won't want to miss. 💰 📈 HOW ANGEL WILLIAMS BUILT HER REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO Angel and her husband bought their first single family rental back in 2003, and they never looked back. Coming from two very different family backgrounds, they both learned the same lesson: real estate investing works no matter where you start. We talk about why buy and hold real estate investing is still one of the most powerful wealth building strategies available today, and why so many successful investors never sell their first rental property. 🚩 THE "PROBLEM CHILD" MULTIFAMILY DEAL EVERY INVESTOR SHOULD STUDY Every real estate investor has that one deal that keeps them up at night. For Angel, it's an 88-unit Class C apartment complex that dropped from 90% occupancy all the way down to the high 50s. We dig deep into what went wrong, from mismatched property management to a maintenance team battling addiction issues, and why getting your property management company aligned with your tenant demographic can make or break your multifamily investing strategy. This is a masterclass in property management for apartment investors. 🔧 CAPEX, TURNAROUNDS, AND WHY YOU NEED CASH RESERVES We talk candidly about capital calls, CapEx budgeting, and why Angel and her husband chose to inject their own capital rather than force a cap call on their investors. Her advice on plumbing reserves alone could save you tens of thousands of dollars on your next value-add multifamily deal. If you're evaluating apartment syndications or considering raising capital for real estate, this section is required listening. 🏡 WHY SMALL MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY RENTALS STILL WIN After years in large multifamily, Angel explains why she and her husband still love single family homes and small multifamily rentals for consistent cash flow and simplicity. We compare the complexity of managing a 100-unit apartment complex to a duplex or single family rental, and why more doors doesn't always mean more freedom in real estate investing. 🤖 USING AI TO SCALE YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS Angel shares how her husband built an AI email triage system that cut her inbox from 100 emails a day down to just the four that actually matter, a simple but powerful example of using artificial intelligence to save time as a real estate investor. We also talk about relationship building, finding off-market deals, and why nothing beats an in-person connection when it comes to sourcing real estate deals. 🎯 QUICK QUESTION ROUND: BOOKS, METROS, AND HER BEST DEAL EVER We close out with Angel's favorite books for real estate investors, the one piece of advice she'd give her younger self, the metro she's most excited about investing in right now, and the story behind her favorite deal, a small portfolio of cash-flowing houses that returned every dollar of her investment at closing. Whether you're just getting started in real estate investing or you're scaling into multifamily and looking for real, unfiltered lessons on property management, CapEx planning, and building long term passive income, this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club has something for you. 🚀 Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-williams-re/ Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #PropertyManagement #PassiveIncome #FinancialFreedom Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  5. Sep 22

    Only 10 Houses Stand Between You and Financial Freedom with Peter Skaggs

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen 🏡 MEET PETER SKAGGS: A REAL ESTATE INVESTING JOURNEY THAT STARTED WITH ONE MENTOR In this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club, host Gabe Petersen sits down with Peter Skaggs of Investor Lighthouse to unpack a real estate investing career spanning single family rentals, multifamily apartments, commercial buildings, and short-term rentals. Peter shares how watching his uncle buy a rental gave him the confidence to buy his own home just five doors away, proving the fastest way to start investing in real estate is to find a mentor and copy what already works. 🔑 💰 SURVIVING THE 2008 CRASH AND DOUBLING HIS MONEY WITH FIXED FINANCING Peter bought his first rental property in early 2007, right before the housing market crashed. He walks through losing his mortgage industry job, selling his primary residence, and moving his family into that same investment property to survive. Because he had a 30 year fixed mortgage, Peter waited out the downturn and eventually sold that property for nearly double what he paid, a case study in why fixed rate financing is one of the most underrated real estate investing strategies. 📉📈 🏢 SINGLE FAMILY VS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE: WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU Peter and Gabe break down why single family rentals are often more forgiving than commercial real estate. Peter explains how a bad single family purchase can fix itself with time and appreciation, while a bad commercial deal can wipe out investor capital entirely. They also cover DSCR loans and why single family homes have a much larger buying pool than apartments or commercial buildings, making them easier to exit. 🏘️ 📈 THE PATH TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM: WHY YOU ONLY NEED 10 TO 20 RENTAL PROPERTIES One of the biggest myths in real estate investing is that you need a massive portfolio to achieve financial freedom. Peter breaks down why 10 to 20 single family rental properties, combined with appreciation, cash flow, and principal pay down, can realistically replace a full-time income within 10 years or less, a must-hear for busy professionals building passive income. 💵 🌎 THE BEST REAL ESTATE MARKETS TO INVEST IN RIGHT NOW Peter shares his favorite metro areas for single family investing, including new construction opportunities in Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas, plus why he likes the broader Southeast for long-term rental property investing, complete with real numbers on prices, rents, and cash flow. 🗺️ 🤖 HOW AI IS CHANGING REAL ESTATE INVESTING AND UNDERWRITING Peter and Gabe share how artificial intelligence has transformed their businesses, from evaluating new markets faster to dramatically cutting underwriting time, a quick-fire look at how real estate investors are using AI tools to analyze deals. 🤖⚡ 📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS AND A LESSON FROM A DEAL GONE SIDEWAYS Peter recommends Think and Grow Rich and Retire in 10 Years or Less by Robert Allen and Ryan D. Lee, then opens up about an apartment deal that got stuck when the market shifted and cap rates climbed. He shares the lesson learned about partners, patience, and why fixed financing saved the deal from disaster, then explains how listeners can use his free single family deal analyzer tool at Investor Lighthouse. 📖 #RealEstateInvesting #PassiveIncome #FinancialFreedom #SingleFamilyRentals #RealEstateInvestor Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterskaggsofficial Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  6. Sep 17

    The Underwriting Mistake That's Killing Your Deals with Jason Williams

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen  🏗️ MEET JASON WILLIAMS OF IRONCLAD UNDERWRITING  In this episode I sit down with Jason Williams, Ph.D., founder of Ironclad Underwriting, to talk multifamily investing, mobile home park development, and the underwriting process that separates profitable deals from money pits. Jason specializes in small and large multifamily acquisitions, ground up mobile home community development, and oil and gas investing, and he shares how disciplined underwriting protects your capital in every real estate investment strategy. 🏘️  🔧 FROM CHEMICAL ENGINEER TO FULL TIME MULTIFAMILY INVESTOR  Jason started managing rental properties as a teenager, bought his first investment property in grad school, and spent years working as a chemical engineer while investing in single family real estate on the side. He explains how repeatedly refinancing that property using the BRRRR method, buy rehab rent refinance repeat, let him pull out tax free equity again and again to fund new deals, eventually replacing his W-2 income by 2022. It is one of the clearest breakdowns of the refinance strategy you will hear on any real estate podcast. 💰  📊 BUILDING A BETTER MULTIFAMILY UNDERWRITING MODEL  Underwriting is the foundation of every good real estate deal, and Jason built the Ironclad model after growing frustrated with every spreadsheet on the market. He walks through how his web app uses AI to pull and cross reference data from offering memorandums, T12 financials, and rent rolls, flagging discrepancies automatically so investors never overpay for an income property. If you are serious about real estate underwriting or apartment investing, this segment is a must listen. 🧮  🏡 DEVELOPING A MOBILE HOME PARK NEAR WACO TEXAS  Jason and his team are developing a mobile home community just outside Waco, and he gets candid about the zoning delays, pre annexation headaches, and engineering costs that come with ground up manufactured housing development. This is essential listening for anyone exploring mobile home park investing or land development as a real estate investment strategy. 🚧  🛢️ DIVERSIFYING WITH OIL AND GAS INVESTMENTS  Beyond multifamily, Jason invests as a limited partner in oil and gas deals across West Texas, East Texas, and Montana, using mineral rights and syndications to diversify his passive income streams. We break down how oil and gas investing compares to real estate syndications for investors chasing multiple income streams and long term financial freedom. ⛽  🤝 FINDING DEALS, RAISING CAPITAL, AND USING AI  Jason reveals how most of his multifamily deal flow now comes directly from brokers once you close your first large acquisition, why under raising reserves cost him a quarter million dollars out of pocket, and how he built an AI superagent that automates weekly financial reporting across his entire property management portfolio. This is a masterclass in real estate deal sourcing, capital raising, and using artificial intelligence to run a real estate investing business more efficiently. 🤖  💡 FINAL ADVICE FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTORS  Jason closes with advice every aspiring investor needs, including why you should never take investing advice from people not doing what you want to do, the power of the who not how mindset, and why getting your first deal done matters more than waiting for the perfect deal. If you want to build wealth through multifamily real estate, mobile home park development, or smarter underwriting, this episode is packed with actionable insight. 🚀  #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #Underwriting #PassiveIncome #FinancialFreedom  Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonwilliamsphd/  Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  7. Sep 15

    The Deal-Killing Red Flag That Unlocks Financial Freedom with Jeff Emalaba

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen 🚩 What if the biggest threat to your real estate portfolio isn't the market, it's a deal you never should have signed? This week on The Real Estate Investing Club, Gabe Petersen sits down with Jeff Emalaba, a 25-year risk mitigation expert turned multifamily and commercial retail investor, and founder of the AI platform Invest Fusion. Jeff exposes the due diligence mistakes that quietly drain buyers of thousands, and the red flags most investors never learn to spot until it's too late. If you care about real estate investing, financial freedom, or building wealth the smart way, this episode is required listening. 🏠💰 WHO IS JEFF EMALABA Jeff spent years analyzing financial markets on CNBC Africa before discovering real estate. With a background in risk mitigation, he brought a numbers-first mindset into multifamily and commercial retail investing, and that edge eventually led him to build Invest Fusion, an AI-powered platform designed to uncover hidden risk before buyers ever sign a purchase agreement. 📊 THE $11,175 DUE DILIGENCE DISASTER Jeff walks through the North Carolina duplex deal that changed everything. After paying a non-refundable due diligence fee, earnest money, inspection, and appraisal, he lost over eleven thousand dollars when an inspector uncovered foundation issues, structural damage, and undisclosed electrical problems. The seller refused a refund, and the property quietly reappeared on Zillow weeks later. It's a cautionary tale every real estate investor needs before their next walkthrough. ⚠️ WHY 40,000 REAL ESTATE DEALS COLLAPSE EVERY MONTH Jeff cites data showing tens of thousands of deals fall apart nationwide each month, often because buyers lack the tools to spot red flags before going under contract. Gabe and Jeff debate whether the real problem is bad deals or bad due diligence, and unpack how investors can protect their capital. 📉 EARNEST MONEY VS NON-REFUNDABLE FEES One of the most valuable lessons in the episode. Gabe breaks down why earnest money should remain one hundred percent refundable during your due diligence period, how to structure a contract that protects your funds, and why non-refundable fees can be a warning sign in real estate negotiations. 🔑 COMMERCIAL RETAIL INVESTING AND THE TENANT RED FLAG Jeff and Gabe dig into commercial retail strategy, including why multi-tenant properties often beat single-tenant deals, and why a tenant occupying more than twenty percent of your square footage can be a hidden risk, regardless of whether it's a national brand or a government lease. A must-listen for anyone exploring commercial real estate investing. 🏢 BIG ISSUES, BIGGER OPPORTUNITIES Jeff reframes distressed properties as opportunity rather than danger, explaining how vanilla fixes like painting, flooring, and landscaping create some of the biggest returns in real estate investing, while true structural red flags are what smart investors learn to walk away from. 💡 RAPID FIRE AND FINAL TAKEAWAYS Jeff shares his favorite books for life and real estate, the advice he'd give his younger self starting out in investing, the metro he's most excited about right now, and how he uses AI to surface discounted real estate deals in sixty seconds instead of driving hours to a property that isn't worth it. 🎯 #RealEstateInvesting #DueDiligence #CommercialRealEstate #FinancialFreedom #MultifamilyInvesting Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGwoS81OZ8/DvFvFPg0Ceg7Q5Yf6rLTrA/edit?utm_content=DAGwoS81OZ8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

  8. Sep 10

    40 Flips a Year: His System for Real Estate Freedom with Richard Helppie Schmieder

    Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen  🏠 REAL ESTATE INVESTING CLUB: HOUSE FLIPPING WITH RICHARD HELPPIE  On this episode of The Real Estate Investing Club, I sit down with Richard Helppie, a native Texan who went from working full time at a gas station to running a house flipping business completing 40 flips a year. If you are a real estate investor curious about how to scale a flipping business, this conversation is packed with actionable real estate investing strategies you can use today. 🔑  FROM HOUSE HACKING TO 40 FLIPS A YEAR  Richard's real estate investing journey started with house hacking before the term even existed, buying his first property and renting out extra rooms to cover his mortgage. That single house hack gave him the confidence to leave his job and go all in on real estate. We talk about the leap of faith every real estate investor faces, how he found his business partner at a poker game, and why he treats that real estate partnership like a second marriage built on trust, communication, and working through conflict. 🤝  SCALING A HOUSE FLIPPING BUSINESS WITH SYSTEMS AND PEOPLE  Richard breaks down exactly how his flipping business grew from 12 acquisitions a few years ago to 32 deals this year, with a goal of 100 profitable flips coming up. We dig into the two key hires every growing flipping business needs, a project manager and an acquisition manager, and how performance based bonuses tied to budget and timeline keep everyone aligned with company goals. This is a masterclass in real estate business systems, contractor management, and building a team that scales. 📈  FINDING OFF MARKET AND ON MARKET REAL ESTATE DEALS  Most real estate investors assume flippers only buy off market, but Richard shares why roughly 40 percent of his deals come straight from the MLS and how working directly with listing agents gives his team credibility and a real edge when negotiating with sellers. 🏡  USING AI IN REAL ESTATE INVESTING  Richard also built his own AI powered real estate software called Bird Dog Woof, an app that scans MLS listings and photos to surface hidden fixer upper opportunities investors would otherwise scroll right past. We also cover how he uses AI tools to review QuickBooks data, catch overpayments to contractors, and save tens of thousands of dollars a year. If you are interested in AI for real estate investing, PropTech, or real estate software, this segment is for you. 🤖  TEXAS REAL ESTATE MARKET AND INVESTING LESSONS LEARNED  Richard shares why Collin County and the northern Dallas Fort Worth area remain one of the most exciting metro markets for real estate investors right now, thanks to explosive corporate and population growth. We also talk about a painful early lesson on paying contractors before a job is complete, a mistake every house flipper needs to avoid. 💡  This episode is loaded with real estate investing tips, house flipping strategies, and lessons on building wealth through real estate for investors at every level, whether you are doing your first house hack or scaling toward your next 40 flips a year. 🚀  Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: richardhelppieschmieder@gmail.com  Want to learn more about the REI Club Podcast, how to invest with Gabe at Kaizen, or join our community of active real estate investors on Skool? Visit the podcast website at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com or click here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen  #RealEstateInvesting #HouseFlipping #RealEstateInvestor #PassiveIncome #FinancialFreedom  Send us Fan Mail Join the Online Community here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersen. Support the show

4.9
out of 5
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Real estate pros share their stories on how they got started investing in real estate and then grew from their first deal to a portfolio of cash-flowing properties. In each episode you'll learn the strategies our guests used to create generational wealth for themselves and their families, and the steps you can take to do the same in your own back yard. Our goal at The Real Estate Investing Club is to teach you the fastest ways to start and grow your real estate investing career in today's market - from multifamily, to self-storage, to mobile home parks, to mix-use industrial, you'll hear it all! Our guests share their career peaks and valleys and the best advice, greatest stories, and favorite tips they learned along the way. Want to create wealth for yourself using the vehicle of real estate? Getting mentorship is the fastest way to success. Get an REI mentor and check out our REI course at https://www.therealestateinvestingclub.com.

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