Sept. 15, 2026

Losing $50K to Winning Big: Craig Eppler on Private Lending, Rental Portfolios, and Launching a Debt Fund

Losing $50K to Winning Big: Craig Eppler on Private Lending, Rental Portfolios, and Launching a Debt Fund
Losing $50K to Winning Big: Craig Eppler on Private Lending, Rental Portfolios, and Launching a Debt Fund
From Adversity to Abundance Podcast
Losing $50K to Winning Big: Craig Eppler on Private Lending, Rental Portfolios, and Launching a Debt Fund

In this episode of From Adversity to Abundance, host Jamie Bateman sits down with Craig Eppler, founder and CEO of Eppler Capital Funds, for a conversation that is equal parts practical and inspiring. Craig comes from a rare background — having worked his way up from analyst to Chief Investment Officer at a financial advisory firm, with a stint at Vanguard along the way. That front-row seat to the world of alternative investing eventually led him to launch his own private debt fund, which has crossed the $10 million mark in just three and a half years. On top of that, Craig has quietly built a rental portfolio of 59 doors across Pennsylvania — all while running a fund that provides investors with consistent monthly income.

But this episode isn't just a highlight reel. Craig opens up about a $50,000 loss on a second lien deal that went to zero a painful but important lesson about property valuation, position risk, and the danger of trusting social proof over due diligence. Whether you're a passive investor, an aspiring fund manager, or a rental property owner, this episode delivers hard-earned wisdom and a refreshingly honest look at what building a private debt fund really takes.

Guest Introduction: Craig Eppler

Craig Eppler is the founder and CEO of Eppler Capital Funds, a Philadelphia-area private debt fund that crossed $10 million in capital under management after launching in March 2023. With a background as a derivatives trader at Vanguard and later as Chief Investment Officer at an investment advisory firm, Craig brings institutional-level thinking to private credit investing.

Episode Highlights:

  • From Vanguard to Private Debt Fund: Craig shares how his background in institutional finance, managing alternative investments for high-net-worth clients, gave him the blueprint — and the conviction — to launch his own fund and serve investors seeking consistent monthly income.
  • The $50,000 Loss: Craig breaks down a second lien deal in Texas that went to zero — a pastor-investor with attractive yield and trusted social proof that ultimately couldn't hold up under scrutiny of the actual property value.
  • Building a $10M Fund in 3.5 Years: From personal outreach and chamber events to email newsletters and podcasts, Craig walks through exactly how he grew his investor base to 50 people and crossed the $10 million milestone.
  • 59 Doors and a Debt Fund: Craig explains why he never abandoned his rental portfolio even as his fund took off — and why holding both equity and debt positions creates a more balanced and resilient investing strategy.

Key Takeaways:

  • If you've been investing long enough, you're going to lose money on a deal — what matters is what you learn and how you adjust your criteria going forward.
  • Second lien lending carries real risk; understanding property value and lien position isn't optional — it's the foundation of protecting investor capital.
  • Raising capital is harder than it looks, even with an institutional background — relationships, consistency, and showing up are what actually move the needle.

Connect with Craig Eppler:

Website: eplercapital.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ceppler

Are you an accredited passive investor?

Learn more about the Integrity Income Fund:

labradorlending.com/investors/passive-investors

Purchase The From Adversity to Abundance Book: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGTWJY1D?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

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Website: adversity2abundance.com

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Connect with Jamie:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamie-bateman-5359a811

Twitter: twitter.com/batemanjames

WEBVTT

00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:05.040
Speaker 0: Today, we sit down with Craig Epler of Epler Capital Funds.

00:00:05.600 --> 00:00:09.600
Speaker 0: Craig has a pretty relatable story,

00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:12.205
Speaker 0: and

00:00:12.205 --> 00:00:16.205
Speaker 0: he's really grown in the last several years in real estate investing.

00:00:17.325 --> 00:00:21.325
Speaker 0: Interestingly, he comes from a financial services background.

00:00:21.325 --> 00:00:25.325
Speaker 0: He worked at Vanguard and then another financial firm.

00:00:25.970 --> 00:00:29.970
Speaker 0: Started out as an analyst, moved up the ranks,

00:00:30.210 --> 00:00:34.210
Speaker 0: and got exposed to alternative investing, you know, private market

00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:38.605
Speaker 0: investments outside of stocks and bonds,

00:00:38.605 --> 00:00:42.605
Speaker 0: and has really moved over to focus on on that side

00:00:42.605 --> 00:00:43.405
Speaker 0: of things.

00:00:43.405 --> 00:00:47.405
Speaker 0: He runs a private credit fund, a private debt fund where they,

00:00:47.965 --> 00:00:51.965
Speaker 0: take on investor capital providing consistent monthly income,

00:00:52.170 --> 00:00:53.930
Speaker 0: and he

00:00:53.930 --> 00:00:57.930
Speaker 0: invests inside of his fund, in different, into different

00:00:58.010 --> 00:01:02.010
Speaker 0: businesses, including real estate, HVAC companies, etcetera.

00:01:02.295 --> 00:01:06.295
Speaker 0: We we dive into a deal where he lost where, fifty thousand dollars,

00:01:06.935 --> 00:01:10.935
Speaker 0: and, we talk about the lessons he's learned from that.

00:01:12.535 --> 00:01:16.535
Speaker 0: And we provide lessons for you so that you don't make

00:01:16.720 --> 00:01:18.880
Speaker 0: that a similar mistake.

00:01:18.880 --> 00:01:22.880
Speaker 0: Craig also owns, I believe it's fifty nine rental properties at this point,

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Speaker 0: almost sixty rentals, which is really impressive

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Speaker 0: given the amount of time he's dedicated to this.

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Speaker 0: His fund has reached the ten million dollar mark as well

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Speaker 0: and has only been in operation for about three and a half years.

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Speaker 0: So I think you're gonna get a lot of practical value and some inspiration

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Speaker 0: from this this episode.

00:01:44.810 --> 00:01:47.930
Speaker 0: I hope you enjoy this episode with Craig Epler.

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Speaker 0: Thanks for tuning in.

00:01:49.610 --> 00:01:53.610
Speaker 1: From adversity to abundance, hosted by entrepreneur and

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Speaker 1: seasoned real estate investor, Jamie Bateman, is the ultimate guide

00:01:57.690 --> 00:02:01.690
Speaker 1: for active and passive investors seeking clarity, mental fitness,

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Speaker 1: and the confidence to make inspired decisions in the world of real estate.

00:02:06.035 --> 00:02:10.035
Speaker 1: With a decade plus of investing experience across various niches and

00:02:10.195 --> 00:02:14.195
Speaker 1: a background as a combat veteran, former army officer, and

00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:18.280
Speaker 1: multimillion dollar mortgage note company owner, Jamie brings a wealth

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Speaker 1: of knowledge and inspiring stories to each episode.

00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:25.800
Speaker 1: Through weekly episodes featuring insightful interviews with industry leaders

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Speaker 1: and solo explorations of mindset and strategy, listeners

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Speaker 1: will uncover actionable advice and tips to overcome challenges

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Speaker 1: and build lasting financial success.

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Speaker 1: Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, from adversity

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Speaker 1: to abundance is your road map to turning obstacles into opportunities

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Speaker 1: and achieving financial freedom.

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Speaker 0: Welcome everybody to another episode of the from adversity to abundance podcast.

00:02:54.925 --> 00:02:56.685
Speaker 0: I am your host, Jamie Bateman.

00:02:56.685 --> 00:02:59.485
Speaker 0: And today, we have with us Craig Epler.

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Speaker 0: Craig is the founder and CEO of Epler Capital Funds.

00:03:03.405 --> 00:03:04.765
Speaker 0: Craig, thanks for joining us.

00:03:04.765 --> 00:03:06.660
Speaker 0: How are you doing today?

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Speaker 2: I'm doing well, Jamie.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for having me.

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Speaker 2: I appreciate it.

00:03:09.060 --> 00:03:09.540
Speaker 0: Absolutely.

00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:13.140
Speaker 0: It's gonna be a fun and practical conversation, and we're gonna learn a little

00:03:13.140 --> 00:03:16.260
Speaker 0: bit about some, through,

00:03:16.260 --> 00:03:19.700
Speaker 0: learn about what you've learned through some adversity,

00:03:19.700 --> 00:03:23.700
Speaker 0: over the years and talk about, your current fund and

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Speaker 0: what you have going on today.

00:03:24.695 --> 00:03:28.295
Speaker 0: I know you have a good amount of experience in the financial world as

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Speaker 0: as well as, you've got a a lot of rental properties,

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Speaker 0: and then you manage a debt fund, we're gonna get more into.

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Speaker 0: But for the listener who may be unfamiliar with you, I know you're in

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Speaker 0: the Philadelphia area.

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Speaker 0: Tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you're up

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Speaker 0: to today and some of the abundance that you're living in right now.

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Speaker 2: For sure.

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Speaker 2: Again, thanks again, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 2: Today, I currently own a rental portfolio of

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Speaker 2: fifty nine units to be exact,

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Speaker 2: across, Central Pennsylvania and some in the local Philadelphia market

00:04:04.570 --> 00:04:05.290
Speaker 2: here.

00:04:05.290 --> 00:04:08.250
Speaker 2: And my main job is running a private debt fund.

00:04:08.250 --> 00:04:10.650
Speaker 2: We just crossed over the ten million dollar mark as of the end of

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Speaker 2: the month.

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Speaker 2: So that's a big milestone for us after starting three years ago.

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Speaker 2: Along with that debt fund, we have some other side projects that include a

00:04:18.585 --> 00:04:21.705
Speaker 2: medical office space, some different land deals.

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Speaker 2: But but my main job right now is finding good deals to lend

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Speaker 2: money to, and obviously raising that capital to find those deals.

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Speaker 0: That's awesome.

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Speaker 0: Yeah.

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Speaker 0: That's a that's a lot.

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Speaker 0: That's really good.

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Speaker 0: There's a lot I I would love to dive into.

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Speaker 0: It sounds like you've recently added to your rental portfolio.

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Speaker 0: I know your primary focus is your debt fund.

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Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:04:43.280 --> 00:04:47.280
Speaker 0: But, let's we'll we'll we'll just that'll be a little teaser, but, let's

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Speaker 0: jump back into your backstory.

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Speaker 0: I know,

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Speaker 0: not everything not every deal you've you've done has been amazing,

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Speaker 0: and I think if you're in in the real real estate investing space long

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Speaker 0: enough, you're gonna lose some money on a deal.

00:05:01.995 --> 00:05:03.835
Speaker 0: So I don't think you're alone in that.

00:05:03.835 --> 00:05:05.360
Speaker 0: But

00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:08.400
Speaker 0: before we get to that, I think you you used to work in the

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Speaker 0: financial sector.

00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:13.120
Speaker 0: Talk to us about your background and and kind of, you know, maybe getting

00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:16.945
Speaker 0: out of college, how things went from there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:05:17.265 --> 00:05:20.865
Speaker 2: I think I think your point about if you've been investing long enough, you're

00:05:20.865 --> 00:05:21.665
Speaker 2: about to lose money.

00:05:21.665 --> 00:05:23.585
Speaker 2: So I think if you can get that out of the way and and

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Speaker 2: kinda get your mindset right there, then that's that's more helpful.

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Speaker 2: It still doesn't help when it actually happens.

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Speaker 2: It still it still hurts.

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Speaker 2: But, yeah, I think I think that's super important.

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Speaker 2: And, honestly, if someone came to me and said, hey.

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Speaker 2: I have this awesome fun and I've never lost money.

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Speaker 2: I would question whether

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Speaker 0: Sure.

00:05:38.080 --> 00:05:40.320
Speaker 2: Whether they've learned anything, during during the career.

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Speaker 2: But, anyway,

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Speaker 2: yeah.

00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:46.240
Speaker 2: So I I went to your college, small school out in central Pennsylvania, did

00:05:46.325 --> 00:05:49.685
Speaker 2: cross country and track there, which frankly, I think helped a lot in terms

00:05:49.685 --> 00:05:51.285
Speaker 2: of discipline and investing and Yeah.

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Speaker 2: The two are very closely correlated, I think.

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Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:05:54.965 --> 00:05:56.085
Speaker 2: But I got a job offer.

00:05:56.085 --> 00:05:57.365
Speaker 2: I did a bunch of interest in college.

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Speaker 2: I had no idea what I want to do.

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Speaker 2: Mhmm.

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Speaker 2: But my final internship was at Vanguard, the large asset management

00:06:03.430 --> 00:06:06.150
Speaker 2: company in in the Atlanta Philly suburbs.

00:06:06.150 --> 00:06:07.830
Speaker 2: I was a derivatives trader there.

00:06:07.830 --> 00:06:10.745
Speaker 2: So I so I worked there for about two years.

00:06:10.745 --> 00:06:14.745
Speaker 2: Being a trader at a large company, like, that sounds super sexy.

00:06:14.745 --> 00:06:15.065
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:06:15.065 --> 00:06:18.745
Speaker 2: But in in reality, after the first few weeks of moving a lot of

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Speaker 2: money around, you you realize that it was a very kind of simple strategy

00:06:22.665 --> 00:06:23.625
Speaker 2: because, I mean, it's a great firm.

00:06:23.625 --> 00:06:25.305
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna talk crap on Vanguard.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: But they, you know, they you know, what what we were doing was very

00:06:28.830 --> 00:06:32.190
Speaker 2: much matched in the, index since there wasn't a lot of strategy involved with

00:06:32.190 --> 00:06:32.990
Speaker 2: what my job was.

00:06:32.990 --> 00:06:33.470
Speaker 2: So Mhmm.

00:06:33.470 --> 00:06:36.270
Speaker 2: I really wanted to get more on the strategy side and kinda understand how

00:06:36.270 --> 00:06:38.430
Speaker 2: the how the larger investment world works.

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Speaker 2: So I moved over to a investment advisory firm also in the, like, in

00:06:42.485 --> 00:06:43.845
Speaker 2: Philadelphia area.

00:06:43.845 --> 00:06:46.485
Speaker 2: And I said the Philadelphia area because I was living in downtown Philly and

00:06:46.485 --> 00:06:47.205
Speaker 2: coming out to Malvern.

00:06:47.205 --> 00:06:50.885
Speaker 2: I knew anyone who's, kinda local to my area knows that that's not far

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Speaker 2: mileage wise, but during rush hour traffic, it takes about an hour, to get

00:06:54.565 --> 00:06:56.600
Speaker 2: out there, which is pretty brutal.

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Speaker 2: So during that time, I started listening to a bunch of real estate podcasts

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:06:59.960 --> 00:07:01.320
Speaker 2: Investing podcasts.

00:07:01.320 --> 00:07:04.360
Speaker 2: And, I'm sure we can all go back to the, like, bigger pockets days

00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:07.240
Speaker 2: and and a lot of, inspiration came from that.

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Speaker 2: So Yeah.

00:07:09.125 --> 00:07:10.405
Speaker 0: I just had a similar thing.

00:07:10.405 --> 00:07:12.005
Speaker 0: I I I can totally relate to that.

00:07:12.005 --> 00:07:15.925
Speaker 0: I did a similar thing at an hour forty five minutes to an hour

00:07:15.925 --> 00:07:19.925
Speaker 0: and fifteen minute drive each way for years, and that's what I

00:07:19.925 --> 00:07:20.245
Speaker 0: did.

00:07:20.245 --> 00:07:24.245
Speaker 0: So, eventually, I started listening to podcasts, mostly BiggerPockets at the time,

00:07:24.325 --> 00:07:28.220
Speaker 0: and just started my mindset and got a lot more active in real estate

00:07:28.220 --> 00:07:28.700
Speaker 0: investing.

00:07:28.700 --> 00:07:30.380
Speaker 0: So totally Exactly.

00:07:30.380 --> 00:07:31.580
Speaker 0: Totally empathize with that.

00:07:31.580 --> 00:07:33.260
Speaker 0: So, alright.

00:07:33.260 --> 00:07:35.740
Speaker 0: So what happened during that period for you?

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:07:35.900 --> 00:07:36.860
Speaker 2: So I listen to these podcasts.

00:07:36.860 --> 00:07:37.580
Speaker 2: I was like, you know what?

00:07:37.580 --> 00:07:40.300
Speaker 2: These guys I mean, these guys know what they're doing, but they don't seem

00:07:40.300 --> 00:07:42.835
Speaker 2: like brain surgeons to figure this stuff out.

00:07:42.835 --> 00:07:43.075
Speaker 2: You know?

00:07:43.075 --> 00:07:45.315
Speaker 2: Like, I can figure this out.

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Speaker 2: Right.

00:07:45.715 --> 00:07:49.715
Speaker 2: So my so my first step was I was tired of my commute.

00:07:49.795 --> 00:07:51.475
Speaker 2: I had just gotten this racist new job.

00:07:51.475 --> 00:07:52.595
Speaker 2: I was kinda feeling myself.

00:07:52.595 --> 00:07:53.475
Speaker 2: I was a younger guy.

00:07:53.475 --> 00:07:55.730
Speaker 2: So I bought a house,

00:07:55.730 --> 00:07:57.250
Speaker 2: with the intent to live right next to where I work.

00:07:57.250 --> 00:08:00.290
Speaker 2: So I bought a house in Malvern, which is right down the street.

00:08:00.290 --> 00:08:01.330
Speaker 2: And right away, I was like, wow.

00:08:01.330 --> 00:08:03.730
Speaker 2: This mortgage is considerably more at the time.

00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:04.930
Speaker 2: I'm not most is in case in more of them.

00:08:04.930 --> 00:08:07.090
Speaker 2: This mortgage is way more than my rent was when I was in downtown

00:08:07.090 --> 00:08:08.130
Speaker 2: Philly.

00:08:08.130 --> 00:08:10.485
Speaker 2: So I was like, you know, I have a three bedroom townhouse.

00:08:10.485 --> 00:08:12.165
Speaker 2: Why don't I rent these other two bedrooms out?

00:08:12.165 --> 00:08:14.005
Speaker 2: So I did that.

00:08:14.005 --> 00:08:18.005
Speaker 2: At the time, my mortgage, I believe, was twenty one hundred including HOA.

00:08:18.805 --> 00:08:22.805
Speaker 2: And I rented each of the rooms out for, eight hundred bucks each,

00:08:23.285 --> 00:08:24.200
Speaker 2: all in.

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Speaker 2: So I know it's not a true house hack, but I was living on

00:08:28.280 --> 00:08:31.640
Speaker 2: five hundred bucks a month, which was a great way to stack cash.

00:08:31.640 --> 00:08:35.640
Speaker 2: That was kinda my first entree into, real estate.

00:08:36.385 --> 00:08:39.105
Speaker 2: Then from there, I kinda I I kinda get the courage to buy my

00:08:39.105 --> 00:08:42.545
Speaker 2: first rental, out in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

00:08:42.545 --> 00:08:46.305
Speaker 2: First, like, three months, everything that digger on or everything that could go wrong

00:08:46.305 --> 00:08:47.585
Speaker 2: digger on with that one.

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Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:08:48.560 --> 00:08:51.840
Speaker 2: Looking back, it's kinda comical, the stuff that I stressed over then versus now.

00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:53.360
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.240
Speaker 2: Kinda lick my wounds and then start buying more real so I did that

00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:59.600
Speaker 2: in twenty in twenty nineteen and didn't buy any more real estate for another

00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:02.415
Speaker 2: couple years where I really kinda load put it up at that point.

00:09:02.415 --> 00:09:03.055
Speaker 2: So I'll stop there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:09:03.375 --> 00:09:04.335
Speaker 2: I know there was a lot of information.

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Speaker 0: It's funny because I I, also in our my first, like I I had

00:09:08.015 --> 00:09:09.615
Speaker 0: a rental in twenty ten.

00:09:09.615 --> 00:09:12.175
Speaker 0: It was a condo, but that one was super passive.

00:09:12.175 --> 00:09:15.935
Speaker 0: But after I decided to get really active a lot more active in the

00:09:15.935 --> 00:09:19.935
Speaker 0: real estate investing space, Our first tenant was

00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:20.760
Speaker 0: terrible.

00:09:20.760 --> 00:09:22.280
Speaker 0: She was an attorney.

00:09:22.280 --> 00:09:25.320
Speaker 0: She never really moved in, and she started threatening to sue us.

00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:26.520
Speaker 0: She was threatening to sue.

00:09:26.520 --> 00:09:27.560
Speaker 0: She lawyered up.

00:09:27.560 --> 00:09:31.320
Speaker 0: She made up all these claims that there were airborne contaminants and all this

00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:33.175
Speaker 0: stuff, which was not true at all.

00:09:33.175 --> 00:09:37.175
Speaker 0: This was in a nice area of, Lock Raven Village up in Baltimore

00:09:37.255 --> 00:09:37.495
Speaker 0: County.

00:09:37.495 --> 00:09:41.495
Speaker 0: But, anyway, it was I was so stressed, so

00:09:41.735 --> 00:09:43.015
Speaker 0: scared, so stressed.

00:09:43.015 --> 00:09:45.540
Speaker 0: And now I don't I don't think that would phase me.

00:09:45.540 --> 00:09:46.260
Speaker 0: I'd be like, okay.

00:09:46.260 --> 00:09:46.660
Speaker 0: Whatever.

00:09:46.660 --> 00:09:48.180
Speaker 0: And, you know, just move on.

00:09:48.180 --> 00:09:50.740
Speaker 0: But, anyway, it's funny you say that because we yeah.

00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:53.060
Speaker 0: We had a lot of things go wrong with that, and it it it

00:09:53.060 --> 00:09:54.180
Speaker 0: was very stressful.

00:09:54.180 --> 00:09:57.860
Speaker 0: But, it's not to say it wasn't real and I shouldn't take it seriously.

00:09:57.860 --> 00:10:01.395
Speaker 0: But once you've once you've been through some things, it's like, okay.

00:10:01.395 --> 00:10:02.675
Speaker 0: It's just par for the course

00:10:02.675 --> 00:10:03.235
Speaker 2: of the office.

00:10:03.235 --> 00:10:03.635
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:10:03.635 --> 00:10:05.235
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:10:05.235 --> 00:10:09.235
Speaker 0: So so I guess at that time, how many rentals

00:10:09.235 --> 00:10:10.595
Speaker 0: did you say you had?

00:10:10.595 --> 00:10:11.555
Speaker 0: That was just your first

00:10:11.555 --> 00:10:12.595
Speaker 2: So this is twenty nineteen.

00:10:12.595 --> 00:10:13.795
Speaker 2: I I just had the first one.

00:10:13.795 --> 00:10:14.195
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:10:14.195 --> 00:10:17.640
Speaker 2: So so for the first three months, the tenant moved out.

00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:19.800
Speaker 2: It was during the winter, so it was tough to refill.

00:10:19.800 --> 00:10:20.840
Speaker 2: I had to do a turn.

00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:23.320
Speaker 2: And like this at the time, it's all out of my, like, w two

00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:23.640
Speaker 2: income.

00:10:23.640 --> 00:10:25.720
Speaker 2: So I was like, these are, like, real real hits.

00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:26.120
Speaker 0: I didn't have

00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:27.880
Speaker 2: a huge cash reserve at the time.

00:10:27.880 --> 00:10:28.360
Speaker 2: Right.

00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:32.015
Speaker 2: So I was really feel this, you know, paying two mortgages and all the

00:10:32.015 --> 00:10:32.895
Speaker 2: other things that go on.

00:10:32.895 --> 00:10:36.175
Speaker 2: So licked my wounds a little bit there.

00:10:36.175 --> 00:10:40.015
Speaker 2: And then I don't know what what spurred the next moment, but,

00:10:40.015 --> 00:10:41.295
Speaker 2: I decided, you know what?

00:10:41.295 --> 00:10:44.470
Speaker 2: I kinda got interested in leverage and and and how that works.

00:10:44.470 --> 00:10:47.670
Speaker 2: So at the at the time, like, my, property in Malvern had gone up

00:10:47.670 --> 00:10:50.790
Speaker 2: in value, I found a local credit union that was able to give me

00:10:50.790 --> 00:10:54.310
Speaker 2: a line of credit or a HELOC on that house for one hundred percent

00:10:54.310 --> 00:10:56.710
Speaker 2: of the value, which I don't think you can find anymore, but at the

00:10:56.710 --> 00:10:58.605
Speaker 2: time, they were doing it.

00:10:58.605 --> 00:11:02.285
Speaker 2: Also, I probably wouldn't even advise my old self to do this, but I

00:11:02.285 --> 00:11:02.685
Speaker 2: No.

00:11:02.685 --> 00:11:06.525
Speaker 2: Kinda levered to the max, and I bought using that, HELOC, I bought another

00:11:06.525 --> 00:11:10.125
Speaker 2: sixteen units all with creative financing.

00:11:10.125 --> 00:11:13.645
Speaker 2: And then from there, I was at a a family function.

00:11:13.645 --> 00:11:15.460
Speaker 2: My dad was telling one of his friends, like, hey.

00:11:15.460 --> 00:11:16.660
Speaker 2: Craig's doing some real estate stuff.

00:11:16.660 --> 00:11:17.380
Speaker 2: It's kinda cool.

00:11:17.380 --> 00:11:19.940
Speaker 2: And the guy's like and this is the time when rates were, like, were,

00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:20.420
Speaker 2: like, zero.

00:11:20.420 --> 00:11:21.620
Speaker 2: You couldn't get yield anywhere.

00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:23.540
Speaker 2: My guy's like, I I got some cash in the round.

00:11:23.540 --> 00:11:24.660
Speaker 2: Like, do you wanna invest?

00:11:24.660 --> 00:11:26.420
Speaker 2: I was like, sure.

00:11:26.420 --> 00:11:30.420
Speaker 2: So his loan then spurred another thirty two unit

00:11:30.475 --> 00:11:33.115
Speaker 2: purchase, which brought me up to,

00:11:33.115 --> 00:11:33.915
Speaker 2: forty eight doors.

00:11:33.915 --> 00:11:36.955
Speaker 2: I sold a few and then just recently bought, sixteen.

00:11:36.955 --> 00:11:37.835
Speaker 2: So Wow.

00:11:37.835 --> 00:11:39.195
Speaker 2: I know it's a fast version, but

00:11:39.195 --> 00:11:39.515
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:11:39.515 --> 00:11:41.670
Speaker 0: But and so how leverage to get here.

00:11:41.670 --> 00:11:41.910
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:11:41.910 --> 00:11:43.910
Speaker 0: How many properties,

00:11:43.910 --> 00:11:45.990
Speaker 0: in total do you own right now?

00:11:45.990 --> 00:11:47.990
Speaker 2: I have fifty nine doors now.

00:11:47.990 --> 00:11:48.470
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:11:48.470 --> 00:11:51.510
Speaker 0: And it's, but several

00:11:51.510 --> 00:11:54.975
Speaker 0: are small to mid multifamily

00:11:54.975 --> 00:11:55.615
Speaker 0: properties?

00:11:55.615 --> 00:11:57.135
Speaker 2: Almost all of them are single family.

00:11:57.135 --> 00:11:58.895
Speaker 2: I have some small multifamily.

00:11:58.895 --> 00:11:59.295
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:11:59.295 --> 00:12:00.495
Speaker 2: And then yeah.

00:12:00.495 --> 00:12:01.135
Speaker 2: So that's

00:12:01.135 --> 00:12:03.215
Speaker 0: like, sixteen doors was not one property.

00:12:03.215 --> 00:12:04.895
Speaker 0: That was single family.

00:12:04.895 --> 00:12:07.860
Speaker 2: Sixteen doors was

00:12:07.860 --> 00:12:09.220
Speaker 2: twelve parcels.

00:12:09.220 --> 00:12:10.660
Speaker 0: Okay.

00:12:10.660 --> 00:12:11.140
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:12:11.140 --> 00:12:13.140
Speaker 0: So But, yeah, there's a quadrant.

00:12:13.140 --> 00:12:13.460
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:12:13.460 --> 00:12:14.820
Speaker 0: And how are you buying those?

00:12:14.820 --> 00:12:17.300
Speaker 0: How were you finding the deals to you have a guy who wants to

00:12:17.300 --> 00:12:18.020
Speaker 0: invest with you.

00:12:18.020 --> 00:12:21.540
Speaker 0: So you got the capital problem solved, but how are you finding the the

00:12:21.540 --> 00:12:23.380
Speaker 0: properties?

00:12:23.380 --> 00:12:26.415
Speaker 2: So I bought those forty eight doors all in twenty twenty and twenty twenty

00:12:26.415 --> 00:12:27.615
Speaker 2: one.

00:12:27.615 --> 00:12:29.615
Speaker 2: A lot of people were scared because of COVID.

00:12:29.615 --> 00:12:29.935
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:12:29.935 --> 00:12:32.975
Speaker 2: But in my head, I'm like, rates are next to nothing.

00:12:32.975 --> 00:12:33.295
Speaker 0: Right.

00:12:33.295 --> 00:12:36.335
Speaker 2: And stuff was sitting on the market that that that time for a little

00:12:36.335 --> 00:12:37.855
Speaker 2: bit a little bit longer.

00:12:37.855 --> 00:12:39.510
Speaker 2: At least the stuff that I was looking at.

00:12:39.510 --> 00:12:39.830
Speaker 2: Right.

00:12:39.830 --> 00:12:43.830
Speaker 2: So I frankly went on the MLS and lowballed a bunch of different

00:12:43.910 --> 00:12:44.390
Speaker 2: people.

00:12:44.390 --> 00:12:46.390
Speaker 2: I found all of it on on the on the on the MLS.

00:12:46.390 --> 00:12:48.150
Speaker 2: I was either mislabeled.

00:12:48.150 --> 00:12:50.950
Speaker 2: Like, for example, I bought a three unit portfolio.

00:12:50.950 --> 00:12:53.255
Speaker 2: That's three, single families.

00:12:53.255 --> 00:12:56.295
Speaker 2: They had it listed as a single family, but for but for at the

00:12:56.295 --> 00:12:58.455
Speaker 2: time, this I know it sounds crazy, but it was it was listed at

00:12:58.455 --> 00:13:02.455
Speaker 2: the time for one seventy five for three buildings or for

00:13:02.535 --> 00:13:04.295
Speaker 2: three townhouses.

00:13:04.295 --> 00:13:07.520
Speaker 2: But in that in that area back then, that was, like, really expensive for

00:13:07.520 --> 00:13:08.880
Speaker 2: one, you know, for one of them.

00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:09.120
Speaker 0: Right.

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.200
Speaker 2: So I, like, looked at it and just, like, just, like, I read the

00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:14.000
Speaker 2: description and offered less.

00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:17.200
Speaker 2: I mean, it it sounds like so like, kinda like kinda like stupid simple,

00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.155
Speaker 2: but but that was really the strategy.

00:13:20.155 --> 00:13:20.715
Speaker 0: That's awesome.

00:13:20.715 --> 00:13:21.515
Speaker 0: So alright.

00:13:21.515 --> 00:13:22.955
Speaker 0: So I know you've okay.

00:13:22.955 --> 00:13:26.955
Speaker 0: So just the rental portfolio itself, what does that look like

00:13:27.035 --> 00:13:31.035
Speaker 0: if you're willing to share from maybe a cash flow standpoint today?

00:13:32.330 --> 00:13:32.650
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:13:32.650 --> 00:13:35.610
Speaker 2: So at the time, like, that that was that was, I thought, my key

00:13:35.610 --> 00:13:37.690
Speaker 2: to kinda getting out of the corporate world.

00:13:37.690 --> 00:13:39.050
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:13:39.050 --> 00:13:42.330
Speaker 2: But the cash flow, these are these are c class rentals.

00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:42.570
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:13:42.570 --> 00:13:46.570
Speaker 2: They had more ebbs and flows than, than than other

00:13:46.585 --> 00:13:47.385
Speaker 2: types of real estate.

00:13:47.385 --> 00:13:48.185
Speaker 2: So Mhmm.

00:13:48.185 --> 00:13:51.305
Speaker 2: I never act have actually taken a distribution from that.

00:13:51.305 --> 00:13:52.025
Speaker 0: Okay.

00:13:52.025 --> 00:13:52.505
Speaker 0: Gotcha.

00:13:52.505 --> 00:13:56.185
Speaker 2: Right now, my fifty nine doors, it's it's a little bit influx right now

00:13:56.185 --> 00:13:57.545
Speaker 2: because I just did a, like, refinance.

00:13:57.545 --> 00:14:01.545
Speaker 2: But I guess at a very high level, these properties have appreciated

00:14:01.850 --> 00:14:03.850
Speaker 2: way more than they've ever cash flowed.

00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:06.170
Speaker 2: So I was able to pull out a a a good chunk of cash

00:14:06.170 --> 00:14:06.890
Speaker 2: here Yeah.

00:14:06.890 --> 00:14:08.330
Speaker 2: Recently.

00:14:08.330 --> 00:14:08.730
Speaker 2: Nice.

00:14:08.730 --> 00:14:11.290
Speaker 2: And and the cash flow kinda pays for it in a little bit, but

00:14:11.290 --> 00:14:12.010
Speaker 2: it's not Right.

00:14:12.010 --> 00:14:14.205
Speaker 2: It's honestly not enough to to live off of

00:14:14.205 --> 00:14:15.005
Speaker 0: or something like that.

00:14:15.005 --> 00:14:15.485
Speaker 0: Right?

00:14:15.485 --> 00:14:15.805
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:14:15.805 --> 00:14:19.805
Speaker 0: I mean, I I like your approach in the in for several reasons.

00:14:19.805 --> 00:14:23.245
Speaker 0: I mean, one, you're willing to take action, obviously, and when other people are

00:14:23.245 --> 00:14:26.900
Speaker 0: scared, you know, takes take action.

00:14:26.900 --> 00:14:29.700
Speaker 0: And two, I you know, I'm I'm a mortgage note investor.

00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:31.460
Speaker 0: I have a a debt fund like you do.

00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:32.740
Speaker 0: I have a mortgage note fund.

00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:36.340
Speaker 0: It's it may be slightly more narrowly focused as far as the the assets

00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:40.340
Speaker 0: that we buy, and I wanna get into how you got into that, obviously.

00:14:42.085 --> 00:14:46.085
Speaker 0: But I don't pretend like the debt side is is just

00:14:46.245 --> 00:14:48.565
Speaker 0: hands down better than the equity side.

00:14:48.565 --> 00:14:48.885
Speaker 0: You know?

00:14:48.885 --> 00:14:52.885
Speaker 0: So, like, I've sold one or two rentals, but I generally

00:14:52.965 --> 00:14:55.950
Speaker 0: wanna hold them, because they do appreciate.

00:14:55.950 --> 00:14:59.710
Speaker 0: Whereas if you I know you originate loans, you you lend.

00:14:59.710 --> 00:15:02.270
Speaker 0: We buy notes at a discount, typically.

00:15:02.270 --> 00:15:05.790
Speaker 0: But either way, when you're holding a note, you know, that the value of

00:15:05.790 --> 00:15:07.230
Speaker 0: that note does not go up.

00:15:07.230 --> 00:15:08.910
Speaker 0: It doesn't appreciate, really.

00:15:08.910 --> 00:15:12.625
Speaker 0: So, I mean, there there are some factors that could drive the value of

00:15:12.625 --> 00:15:15.105
Speaker 0: a note to go up, but it's very minimal.

00:15:15.105 --> 00:15:19.105
Speaker 0: Whereas real estate in the long haul will appreciate, you know, over time.

00:15:19.985 --> 00:15:20.865
Speaker 2: Right.

00:15:20.865 --> 00:15:24.385
Speaker 0: And so and there obviously are tax benefits to holding real estate that you

00:15:24.385 --> 00:15:25.425
Speaker 0: don't get on the debt side.

00:15:25.425 --> 00:15:28.650
Speaker 0: And so I just it's you know, there are there are different approaches.

00:15:28.650 --> 00:15:29.850
Speaker 0: There are different asset classes.

00:15:29.850 --> 00:15:32.010
Speaker 0: There are different strategies.

00:15:32.010 --> 00:15:34.490
Speaker 0: They each have pros and cons.

00:15:34.490 --> 00:15:37.290
Speaker 0: And but I like the the fact that you it doesn't sound like you've

00:15:37.290 --> 00:15:40.495
Speaker 0: sold all your rentals and got into, you know, the debt side, you know,

00:15:40.495 --> 00:15:43.935
Speaker 0: whereas I I think a lot of people, especially in my space, a lot

00:15:43.935 --> 00:15:47.935
Speaker 0: of the gurus will talk about rentals are terrible and, you know,

00:15:48.575 --> 00:15:51.695
Speaker 0: you don't want to deal with tenants' toilets and trash and, you know, look

00:15:51.695 --> 00:15:52.495
Speaker 0: at the look.

00:15:52.495 --> 00:15:56.495
Speaker 0: Your property is appreciated so much that your, you know, return on

00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:59.460
Speaker 0: equity is negligible at this point, and that may be true, and you should

00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:01.780
Speaker 0: look at that.

00:16:01.780 --> 00:16:05.780
Speaker 0: But that doesn't mean you need to just one eighty abandon ship

00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:07.700
Speaker 0: and, you know, pivot entirely.

00:16:07.700 --> 00:16:10.435
Speaker 0: So I like that you're you're you've you did the rental thing, and you're

00:16:10.435 --> 00:16:11.955
Speaker 0: still continuing to grow that side.

00:16:11.955 --> 00:16:15.235
Speaker 0: But then you've also transitioned over, and you have your fund that you've just

00:16:15.235 --> 00:16:18.435
Speaker 0: crossed ten million dollars of capital under management.

00:16:18.435 --> 00:16:19.955
Speaker 0: So,

00:16:19.955 --> 00:16:22.995
Speaker 0: obviously, talk about, you know, what with the the debt side, and how did

00:16:22.995 --> 00:16:26.995
Speaker 0: you get interested in that side, and and what what was your first,

00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:29.800
Speaker 0: exposure to lending?

00:16:29.800 --> 00:16:30.120
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:34.120
Speaker 2: So so I guess I guess, like, to kind of go more to

00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:35.960
Speaker 2: the background of, like, why I started the fund.

00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.685
Speaker 2: So I was at a investment advisory firm.

00:16:38.685 --> 00:16:40.765
Speaker 2: I was in the guy that you talked to when you go in to

00:16:40.765 --> 00:16:43.645
Speaker 2: kind of put, like, pitch you, like, your sixty forty portfolio.

00:16:43.645 --> 00:16:45.965
Speaker 2: I was the guy behind the scene that did all the trading investing.

00:16:45.965 --> 00:16:48.285
Speaker 2: So I started as an analyst there and moved my way after the by

00:16:48.285 --> 00:16:52.285
Speaker 2: the time I left, I was the co chief, the chief,

00:16:52.690 --> 00:16:53.730
Speaker 2: investment officer.

00:16:53.730 --> 00:16:55.010
Speaker 2: So I kinda moved up the ranks there.

00:16:55.010 --> 00:16:58.370
Speaker 2: And as I got more tenured there, I I I I honestly pushed to

00:16:58.370 --> 00:16:59.650
Speaker 2: have more, like, alternatives in.

00:16:59.650 --> 00:17:03.650
Speaker 2: And I consider alternatives anything from private debt, real estate, infrastructure,

00:17:04.130 --> 00:17:08.130
Speaker 2: private equity, things that aren't stocks or bonds, which at the time a lot

00:17:08.305 --> 00:17:11.025
Speaker 2: of those clients didn't really have access to or didn't really know about.

00:17:11.025 --> 00:17:11.985
Speaker 2: They knew, hey.

00:17:11.985 --> 00:17:13.985
Speaker 2: I'm gonna put forty percent of my portfolio in bonds.

00:17:13.985 --> 00:17:15.745
Speaker 2: I'm gonna put sixty percent in stocks.

00:17:15.745 --> 00:17:17.265
Speaker 2: And over the course of the long term, it'll go up.

00:17:17.265 --> 00:17:18.890
Speaker 2: And I still think that's true.

00:17:18.890 --> 00:17:19.090
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:17:19.050 --> 00:17:21.050
Speaker 2: But I also think it comes with a different type of risk than it

00:17:21.050 --> 00:17:22.570
Speaker 2: did maybe twenty years ago.

00:17:22.570 --> 00:17:23.690
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:17:23.690 --> 00:17:27.610
Speaker 2: So I pushed to about twenty five percent of our whole book was in

00:17:27.610 --> 00:17:29.130
Speaker 2: these,

00:17:29.130 --> 00:17:30.170
Speaker 2: these, alternatives.

00:17:30.170 --> 00:17:34.170
Speaker 2: And, honestly, I think they performed a lot better, and had a lower risk

00:17:34.255 --> 00:17:37.055
Speaker 2: characteristics than, like, the, public market.

00:17:37.055 --> 00:17:37.615
Speaker 2: So Right.

00:17:37.615 --> 00:17:38.095
Speaker 2: Right.

00:17:38.095 --> 00:17:39.935
Speaker 2: I guess I guess I guess I can fast forward.

00:17:39.935 --> 00:17:43.295
Speaker 2: That firm that I was with got bought up by a privately backed group,

00:17:43.295 --> 00:17:45.950
Speaker 2: and and we went from a firm of twenty people to a firm of

00:17:45.950 --> 00:17:46.910
Speaker 2: two thousand people.

00:17:46.910 --> 00:17:48.030
Speaker 0: Wow.

00:17:48.030 --> 00:17:49.630
Speaker 2: And the field changed a little bit.

00:17:49.630 --> 00:17:52.990
Speaker 2: I wasn't able to invest as creatively as I as I was before.

00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:53.630
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:17:53.630 --> 00:17:55.790
Speaker 2: And I was kind of at the at the point where I'm like, hey.

00:17:55.790 --> 00:17:56.750
Speaker 2: I've I've always had these dreams.

00:17:56.750 --> 00:17:58.590
Speaker 2: I've start I've start I've started my own fund.

00:17:58.590 --> 00:17:58.990
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:17:58.990 --> 00:18:02.455
Speaker 2: I think I think I think this is the time to do it.

00:18:02.455 --> 00:18:05.415
Speaker 2: And and also they also our, like, founders had sold, so there wasn't a

00:18:05.415 --> 00:18:09.175
Speaker 2: lot of equity to be had either, which in my opinion in, like, corporate

00:18:09.175 --> 00:18:11.415
Speaker 2: America is a big kind of wealth generator.

00:18:11.415 --> 00:18:13.495
Speaker 2: If you wanna stay in your w two, if you can get stock options,

00:18:13.495 --> 00:18:14.375
Speaker 2: things like that, like, that's

00:18:14.375 --> 00:18:14.575
Speaker 0: Right.

00:18:14.535 --> 00:18:14.775
Speaker 0: Right.

00:18:14.775 --> 00:18:15.790
Speaker 2: Really good way to do it.

00:18:15.790 --> 00:18:16.030
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:18:16.030 --> 00:18:18.430
Speaker 2: And that really wasn't as much on the on the table anymore.

00:18:18.430 --> 00:18:20.910
Speaker 2: And I kinda thought back to my client base there is, like, look.

00:18:20.910 --> 00:18:24.910
Speaker 2: The average client that we had was sixty years old with a net worth

00:18:24.910 --> 00:18:26.830
Speaker 2: of two to ten million bucks.

00:18:26.830 --> 00:18:27.230
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:18:27.230 --> 00:18:30.885
Speaker 2: Didn't really have a lot of knowledge about investing like we do, but really

00:18:30.885 --> 00:18:34.885
Speaker 2: love the aspect of having a consistent income stream just like they did

00:18:34.965 --> 00:18:35.925
Speaker 2: when they when they were working.

00:18:35.925 --> 00:18:39.925
Speaker 2: So I'm like, if I could create a a a product for them

00:18:40.725 --> 00:18:43.925
Speaker 2: that pay them every every single month that had a reasonable level of of

00:18:43.925 --> 00:18:46.780
Speaker 2: returns, like, similar to the stock market long term, I think that might be

00:18:46.780 --> 00:18:48.300
Speaker 2: something that they would find of interest.

00:18:48.300 --> 00:18:48.860
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:18:48.860 --> 00:18:50.380
Speaker 2: And at the time, I was looking in different deals.

00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:52.540
Speaker 2: I was doing real estate stuff, and I was also investing in some other

00:18:52.540 --> 00:18:55.740
Speaker 2: deals as well, which which I'll I'll I'll get in here too, which I'm

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:59.740
Speaker 2: like you know, the terms you can get are really advantageous from a

00:18:59.785 --> 00:19:00.345
Speaker 2: risk perspective.

00:19:00.345 --> 00:19:02.505
Speaker 2: Like, a lot of stuff has to go wrong for us not to get

00:19:02.505 --> 00:19:03.305
Speaker 2: paid back.

00:19:03.305 --> 00:19:04.105
Speaker 2: Right.

00:19:04.105 --> 00:19:06.985
Speaker 2: So that was kind of the that was kind of the origin of the

00:19:06.985 --> 00:19:07.225
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:19:07.225 --> 00:19:09.785
Speaker 2: And and I launched that in in March of twenty three.

00:19:09.785 --> 00:19:10.265
Speaker 2: So

00:19:10.265 --> 00:19:10.760
Speaker 0: Okay.

00:19:10.760 --> 00:19:11.000
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:14.120
Speaker 0: And I love the fact that I I was actually just, talking about this

00:19:14.120 --> 00:19:18.120
Speaker 0: on a different different podcast a little bit ago earlier today, but

00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:21.720
Speaker 0: it is like we in the mortgage note space, we get people from we

00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.520
Speaker 0: get engineers.

00:19:22.520 --> 00:19:25.375
Speaker 0: We get people from commercial, you know, construction.

00:19:25.375 --> 00:19:29.375
Speaker 0: We get people from we get just if they wanna start

00:19:29.535 --> 00:19:32.175
Speaker 0: becoming an investor because they you don't have to launch a fund.

00:19:32.175 --> 00:19:34.415
Speaker 0: You can buy a mortgage note and become an investor.

00:19:34.415 --> 00:19:34.895
Speaker 0: Sure.

00:19:34.895 --> 00:19:38.130
Speaker 0: But, you know, we get people from the mortgage space.

00:19:38.130 --> 00:19:39.810
Speaker 0: We get people from real estate investing.

00:19:39.810 --> 00:19:43.330
Speaker 0: We get people from, you know, all over.

00:19:43.330 --> 00:19:47.330
Speaker 0: And so you you brought, you know, a good chunk of

00:19:47.330 --> 00:19:51.330
Speaker 0: knowledge from residential real estate investing as well as the financial

00:19:51.975 --> 00:19:55.975
Speaker 0: markets, which, I mean, yeah, you you were mostly, for a good

00:19:55.975 --> 00:19:59.975
Speaker 0: bit, focused on the public markets, but you obviously went into the private market

00:20:00.135 --> 00:20:00.455
Speaker 0: space.

00:20:00.455 --> 00:20:04.455
Speaker 0: And, I mean, that that is valuable for sure for sure, especially

00:20:04.770 --> 00:20:07.570
Speaker 0: I always like to say that when you're running a note fund or a

00:20:07.570 --> 00:20:10.370
Speaker 0: private debt fund, it's really comes down to three things.

00:20:10.370 --> 00:20:12.690
Speaker 0: One is finding the deals.

00:20:12.690 --> 00:20:13.250
Speaker 0: You know?

00:20:13.250 --> 00:20:15.570
Speaker 0: Two is finding the capital, the investors.

00:20:15.570 --> 00:20:15.810
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:20:15.810 --> 00:20:19.570
Speaker 0: And three is managing those two, which is managing the deals of the capital.

00:20:19.570 --> 00:20:22.185
Speaker 0: That's how we break it down with three legs of the stool.

00:20:22.185 --> 00:20:26.185
Speaker 0: And, you know, you understood really

00:20:26.345 --> 00:20:28.665
Speaker 0: a a good bit of all of that, so it makes sense to me

00:20:28.665 --> 00:20:32.585
Speaker 0: that that you would from a knowledge standpoint, you were ready to go to

00:20:32.585 --> 00:20:34.050
Speaker 0: to launch a fund.

00:20:34.050 --> 00:20:37.410
Speaker 0: That said, people might be listening to this or watching this and saying, like,

00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:41.410
Speaker 0: so everything went smoothly through Craig's background.

00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:43.090
Speaker 0: He's never had any challenges.

00:20:43.090 --> 00:20:46.210
Speaker 0: This was he just got a job and got promoted and then started a

00:20:46.210 --> 00:20:48.205
Speaker 0: fund, and it was ten million dollars.

00:20:48.205 --> 00:20:50.845
Speaker 0: Super easy.

00:20:50.845 --> 00:20:51.725
Speaker 0: I wish.

00:20:51.725 --> 00:20:52.445
Speaker 0: I don't think so.

00:20:52.445 --> 00:20:52.685
Speaker 0: Right?

00:20:52.685 --> 00:20:54.845
Speaker 0: I I know it comes with a lot of stress, a lot of headaches,

00:20:54.845 --> 00:20:56.685
Speaker 0: a lot of work.

00:20:56.685 --> 00:20:59.725
Speaker 0: We don't have to focus on, you know, your day to day, but talk

00:20:59.725 --> 00:21:03.725
Speaker 0: to us about a deal that didn't go so well for you personally.

00:21:05.050 --> 00:21:05.370
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:21:05.370 --> 00:21:09.370
Speaker 2: So so I guess for me I mean, like, like we said at at

00:21:09.450 --> 00:21:12.330
Speaker 2: at, like, kind of the top of the hour here is is if you've

00:21:12.330 --> 00:21:15.610
Speaker 2: been investing long enough in enough different deals, there's gonna be something that doesn't

00:21:15.610 --> 00:21:17.395
Speaker 2: work out in your favor.

00:21:17.395 --> 00:21:19.315
Speaker 2: I'll give a a quick story here.

00:21:19.315 --> 00:21:21.315
Speaker 2: This is prior to the fund.

00:21:21.315 --> 00:21:25.315
Speaker 2: So, you know, four four or five years ago, I was introduced

00:21:25.395 --> 00:21:28.755
Speaker 2: to someone down in Texas,

00:21:28.755 --> 00:21:30.595
Speaker 2: and it was an investor.

00:21:30.595 --> 00:21:33.200
Speaker 2: It had come to me from a

00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:33.840
Speaker 2: investor friend.

00:21:33.840 --> 00:21:34.400
Speaker 2: He said, hey.

00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:35.680
Speaker 2: This guy needs some money.

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:38.871
Speaker 2: Would would you be interested in, you know, lo lo lo lo lo lo

00:21:38.871 --> 00:21:40.560
Speaker 2: lo lo loaning him some money on his portfolio.

00:21:40.560 --> 00:21:42.480
Speaker 2: He needs to do some repairs, whatever.

00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.120
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:21:43.120 --> 00:21:47.120
Speaker 2: The the yield was pretty attractive, and I trusted that

00:21:47.120 --> 00:21:50.325
Speaker 2: if it came from this guy that this other guy was kind of pre

00:21:50.325 --> 00:21:50.885
Speaker 2: vetted.

00:21:50.885 --> 00:21:51.845
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:21:51.845 --> 00:21:55.765
Speaker 2: Also to add add, like, icing on the cake is is the guy that

00:21:55.765 --> 00:21:59.045
Speaker 2: I had that the guy that I was going to lend money to was

00:21:59.045 --> 00:22:00.805
Speaker 2: also a pastor at a church down there.

00:22:00.805 --> 00:22:02.325
Speaker 2: So for me, the social proof was there.

00:22:02.325 --> 00:22:06.040
Speaker 2: Like, you know, like, if after really not gonna pay me back.

00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:06.520
Speaker 2: Right.

00:22:06.520 --> 00:22:06.720
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:09.640
Speaker 0: So you had double it's like you knew that you you trusted the person

00:22:09.640 --> 00:22:10.840
Speaker 0: who approached you about this.

00:22:10.840 --> 00:22:14.600
Speaker 0: And then although you didn't know the person you were lending money to, he

00:22:14.600 --> 00:22:15.320
Speaker 0: was a pastor.

00:22:15.320 --> 00:22:19.320
Speaker 0: And so there's multiple reasons why this was attractive, and the yield was

00:22:19.385 --> 00:22:20.825
Speaker 0: attractive as well.

00:22:20.825 --> 00:22:23.225
Speaker 2: A pastor and a, experienced real estate investor.

00:22:23.225 --> 00:22:25.625
Speaker 2: He had done many deals before, so it wasn't like this was his first

00:22:25.625 --> 00:22:26.345
Speaker 2: time doing this.

00:22:26.345 --> 00:22:26.665
Speaker 0: Right.

00:22:26.665 --> 00:22:26.905
Speaker 0: Right.

00:22:26.905 --> 00:22:29.785
Speaker 2: Because pastor and real estate investor usually don't go in

00:22:29.785 --> 00:22:32.390
Speaker 0: the That's true.

00:22:32.390 --> 00:22:36.390
Speaker 2: But but, anyway, so so I lent him fifty thousand dollars, eighteen percent

00:22:36.550 --> 00:22:39.190
Speaker 2: note, interest only, which is a pretty attractive note.

00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:39.750
Speaker 2: Right?

00:22:39.750 --> 00:22:40.870
Speaker 2: Right.

00:22:40.870 --> 00:22:43.830
Speaker 2: But the but but what got me into trouble here was it was a

00:22:43.830 --> 00:22:44.950
Speaker 2: second position loan.

00:22:44.950 --> 00:22:46.795
Speaker 0: K.

00:22:46.795 --> 00:22:48.315
Speaker 2: He he had claimed he's like, hey.

00:22:48.315 --> 00:22:50.635
Speaker 2: I've I've a first position loan with the bank.

00:22:50.635 --> 00:22:54.475
Speaker 2: It's for about seven hundred thousand dollars, but this portfolio is easily, quote, unquote,

00:22:54.475 --> 00:22:57.195
Speaker 2: easily worth one point two, one point five all day.

00:22:57.195 --> 00:22:57.835
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:22:57.835 --> 00:23:01.835
Speaker 2: Well, when the no interest payment stopped getting paid, which is, like,

00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:03.120
Speaker 2: month four Mhmm.

00:23:03.120 --> 00:23:07.120
Speaker 2: I quickly realized that this property was was not worth anywhere

00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.560
Speaker 2: near.

00:23:08.560 --> 00:23:08.880
Speaker 2: Wow.

00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:10.640
Speaker 2: What what I I went I went I went to the I went to

00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:11.120
Speaker 2: the what

00:23:11.120 --> 00:23:15.120
Speaker 0: was the term of the the note originally that that you provided?

00:23:15.255 --> 00:23:17.415
Speaker 2: Twelve months, interest only.

00:23:17.415 --> 00:23:17.975
Speaker 2: K.

00:23:17.975 --> 00:23:19.415
Speaker 2: And his whole plan was just to flip it.

00:23:19.415 --> 00:23:19.615
Speaker 2: Right?

00:23:19.495 --> 00:23:21.175
Speaker 2: He was gonna he was he was gonna, sell

00:23:21.175 --> 00:23:21.655
Speaker 0: it.

00:23:21.655 --> 00:23:22.135
Speaker 0: Gotcha.

00:23:22.135 --> 00:23:24.295
Speaker 2: So I didn't get that either twelve months or yeah.

00:23:24.295 --> 00:23:24.615
Speaker 2: Good.

00:23:24.615 --> 00:23:28.615
Speaker 0: Was this your first, first deal or as far as lending

00:23:28.695 --> 00:23:30.350
Speaker 0: yourself?

00:23:30.350 --> 00:23:32.270
Speaker 2: First second lien deal.

00:23:32.270 --> 00:23:36.030
Speaker 2: I had I had lent on a personally position before, and it went went

00:23:36.030 --> 00:23:36.350
Speaker 2: fine.

00:23:36.350 --> 00:23:37.950
Speaker 2: But I reached for yield.

00:23:37.950 --> 00:23:38.190
Speaker 2: Right.

00:23:38.190 --> 00:23:40.110
Speaker 2: But I I had lent at, like, twelve percent.

00:23:40.110 --> 00:23:41.070
Speaker 2: But eighteen hey.

00:23:41.070 --> 00:23:42.510
Speaker 2: I mean, eighteen thousand twelve.

00:23:42.510 --> 00:23:42.830
Speaker 2: Right?

00:23:42.830 --> 00:23:44.825
Speaker 2: Absolutely.

00:23:44.825 --> 00:23:46.985
Speaker 0: One point five times as good.

00:23:46.985 --> 00:23:47.625
Speaker 0: Exactly.

00:23:47.625 --> 00:23:49.785
Speaker 0: So so okay.

00:23:49.785 --> 00:23:52.985
Speaker 0: And and, you know, I've bought a bunch of and especially recently, we bought

00:23:52.985 --> 00:23:55.945
Speaker 0: a bunch of second liens.

00:23:55.945 --> 00:23:57.400
Speaker 0: And they they are different.

00:23:57.400 --> 00:24:01.400
Speaker 0: And, you know, they're it's just we're not gonna get into all the

00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:02.120
Speaker 0: details on that.

00:24:02.120 --> 00:24:03.800
Speaker 0: But,

00:24:03.800 --> 00:24:07.560
Speaker 0: you know, from a note buying standpoint, you've gotta be a bit more patient.

00:24:07.560 --> 00:24:10.920
Speaker 0: They're more a little bit more borrower centric.

00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:14.285
Speaker 0: They can be as far as trying to, you're not you're not as close

00:24:14.285 --> 00:24:16.845
Speaker 0: to the property, you know, in first lien position.

00:24:16.845 --> 00:24:19.565
Speaker 0: But that property value is still critical.

00:24:19.565 --> 00:24:20.525
Speaker 0: I mean, it's it's

00:24:20.525 --> 00:24:21.005
Speaker 2: Oh my god.

00:24:21.005 --> 00:24:21.205
Speaker 2: I

00:24:21.165 --> 00:24:25.165
Speaker 0: mean, I I I say just across the board, the biggest way to lose

00:24:25.245 --> 00:24:29.245
Speaker 0: money in lending or note buying doesn't matter is misunderstanding

00:24:29.830 --> 00:24:33.830
Speaker 0: the property value or miss or not putting enough time or effort

00:24:33.990 --> 00:24:35.830
Speaker 0: into assessing that property value.

00:24:35.830 --> 00:24:39.830
Speaker 0: You can never know for sure how much it's actually worth until the property

00:24:39.910 --> 00:24:40.390
Speaker 0: is sold.

00:24:40.390 --> 00:24:43.675
Speaker 0: The market will tell you what it's what it's actually worth.

00:24:43.675 --> 00:24:47.675
Speaker 0: But that's how you lose money in this business is is not

00:24:47.675 --> 00:24:49.675
Speaker 0: is is under you know?

00:24:49.675 --> 00:24:53.675
Speaker 0: Lending money to somebody you don't know, obviously, or you haven't vetted, but also

00:24:53.915 --> 00:24:55.590
Speaker 0: misunderstanding the property value.

00:24:55.590 --> 00:24:56.870
Speaker 0: And I'm not here to lecture you.

00:24:56.870 --> 00:24:59.510
Speaker 0: I'm talking about from personal experience myself.

00:24:59.510 --> 00:24:59.830
Speaker 0: Okay.

00:24:59.830 --> 00:25:00.390
Speaker 0: You know?

00:25:00.390 --> 00:25:04.390
Speaker 0: And we're trying to educate the the listener.

00:25:04.790 --> 00:25:08.790
Speaker 0: And so I'm I'm assuming there wasn't much, you know,

00:25:08.955 --> 00:25:12.395
Speaker 0: effort put in or or research put in on the property value initially.

00:25:12.395 --> 00:25:14.955
Speaker 0: Is that fair to say?

00:25:14.955 --> 00:25:15.835
Speaker 2: That's fair to say.

00:25:15.835 --> 00:25:16.075
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:25:16.075 --> 00:25:17.675
Speaker 2: I mean, I mean, you can do a little bit of research, but I

00:25:17.675 --> 00:25:18.795
Speaker 2: didn't know the neighborhood.

00:25:18.795 --> 00:25:19.275
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:25:19.275 --> 00:25:21.430
Speaker 2: These were more rural properties.

00:25:21.430 --> 00:25:23.590
Speaker 2: I mean, not to get into the details, but it wasn't even worth anywhere.

00:25:23.590 --> 00:25:25.110
Speaker 2: You had a big headlint on it.

00:25:25.110 --> 00:25:27.750
Speaker 2: So I actually had like, this guy just stopped paying.

00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:29.910
Speaker 2: I actually worked with the bank to set up ownership.

00:25:29.910 --> 00:25:33.475
Speaker 2: And after looking in and talking with a local real estate agent down there

00:25:33.475 --> 00:25:36.755
Speaker 2: I deemed it was just better to let the fifty go because the amount

00:25:36.755 --> 00:25:39.475
Speaker 2: of money I would have to invest to make it even worth the bank

00:25:39.475 --> 00:25:39.955
Speaker 2: note.

00:25:39.955 --> 00:25:40.275
Speaker 2: Right.

00:25:40.275 --> 00:25:42.515
Speaker 2: It was it was just doing bad money at the deal.

00:25:42.515 --> 00:25:42.835
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:25:42.835 --> 00:25:44.355
Speaker 2: So, Got it.

00:25:44.355 --> 00:25:47.875
Speaker 2: That was a deal that went to zero and definitely was a painful moment

00:25:47.875 --> 00:25:48.515
Speaker 2: for sure.

00:25:48.515 --> 00:25:49.420
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:49.660
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:25:49.660 --> 00:25:52.700
Speaker 0: So you've already touched on it, but what would you what did you learn

00:25:52.700 --> 00:25:56.700
Speaker 0: from that that you've applied to your investing in the future?

00:25:57.180 --> 00:25:57.500
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:25:57.500 --> 00:26:01.500
Speaker 2: So so to be honest, in our fund, we don't provide any loans for

00:26:01.925 --> 00:26:03.525
Speaker 2: a, like, a second lien position anymore.

00:26:03.525 --> 00:26:03.725
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:26:03.685 --> 00:26:07.125
Speaker 2: So all of our notes are backed by some sort of hard asset that

00:26:07.125 --> 00:26:08.645
Speaker 2: has a first lien position on it.

00:26:08.645 --> 00:26:09.285
Speaker 0: Makes sense.

00:26:09.285 --> 00:26:11.285
Speaker 2: That's a, like, nonnegotiable now for us.

00:26:11.285 --> 00:26:11.525
Speaker 0: Right.

00:26:11.525 --> 00:26:15.525
Speaker 0: I mean, I know some hard money lenders, private, you know, debt funds, people

00:26:15.690 --> 00:26:17.770
Speaker 0: who do the lending,

00:26:17.770 --> 00:26:21.690
Speaker 0: will have that rule, but then maybe they'll they might entertain a second position

00:26:21.690 --> 00:26:23.210
Speaker 0: if they already own the first.

00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:26.170
Speaker 0: You know, maybe maybe they're doing a first and a second, something like that.

00:26:26.170 --> 00:26:26.490
Speaker 0: Right.

00:26:26.490 --> 00:26:30.490
Speaker 0: Because then you have control and visibility over the entire, you know, both both

00:26:30.815 --> 00:26:31.375
Speaker 0: the liens.

00:26:31.375 --> 00:26:32.175
Speaker 2: That's

00:26:32.175 --> 00:26:33.855
Speaker 0: right.

00:26:33.855 --> 00:26:34.735
Speaker 0: But, no.

00:26:34.735 --> 00:26:38.735
Speaker 0: It's definitely I've I've been in the mortgage note space for

00:26:38.815 --> 00:26:42.815
Speaker 0: eight years, and we really didn't we didn't buy our first

00:26:43.050 --> 00:26:44.570
Speaker 0: second mortgage until this year.

00:26:44.570 --> 00:26:48.170
Speaker 0: So it wasn't something I was just jumping into.

00:26:48.170 --> 00:26:48.650
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:26:48.650 --> 00:26:52.570
Speaker 0: And I've only bought from, you know, from people who I know, like, and

00:26:52.570 --> 00:26:56.570
Speaker 0: trust and who are very experienced investors.

00:26:56.715 --> 00:26:58.155
Speaker 0: Doesn't mean there's not risk there.

00:26:58.155 --> 00:27:00.075
Speaker 0: To be clear, there's always risk.

00:27:00.075 --> 00:27:04.075
Speaker 0: And there is, I would say, more risk with seconds than first, and

00:27:04.075 --> 00:27:05.515
Speaker 0: that's why the yields are higher.

00:27:05.515 --> 00:27:07.835
Speaker 2: The risk and how much equity there is in the property.

00:27:07.835 --> 00:27:10.400
Speaker 2: If you if you don't understand what you're buying, I'm not saying it's a

00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:11.040
Speaker 2: bad investment.

00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:11.840
Speaker 2: It's just a higher risk.

00:27:11.840 --> 00:27:14.000
Speaker 2: And if if you understand what the risk is and if and if you

00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:16.960
Speaker 2: can get compensated for that risk, then it might be a good investment.

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:17.760
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:27:17.760 --> 00:27:20.640
Speaker 0: So let's get a a little bit personal, if you will.

00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:23.600
Speaker 0: What was your, you know, your family situation at that time?

00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:27.025
Speaker 0: Did the fifty k affect you personally?

00:27:27.025 --> 00:27:30.705
Speaker 0: You know, how did things how did it go go for you personally after

00:27:30.705 --> 00:27:32.305
Speaker 0: that?

00:27:32.305 --> 00:27:32.505
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:27:32.465 --> 00:27:34.865
Speaker 2: So to be honest with you, I was at a point where the fifty

00:27:34.865 --> 00:27:37.265
Speaker 2: k, it didn't change my life at all Gotcha.

00:27:37.265 --> 00:27:37.905
Speaker 2: Which is good.

00:27:37.905 --> 00:27:40.990
Speaker 2: I I I wouldn't have let him the money if that was the case.

00:27:40.990 --> 00:27:42.750
Speaker 2: Smart.

00:27:42.750 --> 00:27:46.750
Speaker 2: I, I mean, I just learned this from over time, like, kind of,

00:27:47.150 --> 00:27:50.270
Speaker 2: constructing portfolios, but I was never gonna put more than five to ten percent

00:27:50.270 --> 00:27:52.190
Speaker 2: of my net worth into into one asset.

00:27:52.190 --> 00:27:53.375
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:27:53.375 --> 00:27:54.335
Speaker 0: So Makes sense.

00:27:54.335 --> 00:27:57.615
Speaker 2: It hurt, but, yeah, it didn't it it didn't hurt my relationship with my

00:27:57.615 --> 00:27:57.815
Speaker 2: wife.

00:27:57.775 --> 00:28:00.975
Speaker 2: It didn't hurt it didn't hurt anything like that, which which is that was

00:28:00.975 --> 00:28:01.455
Speaker 2: good.

00:28:01.455 --> 00:28:01.855
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:28:01.855 --> 00:28:02.055
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:28:02.015 --> 00:28:04.175
Speaker 2: That is good.

00:28:04.175 --> 00:28:07.215
Speaker 0: And, again, I and we don't want to make these mistakes.

00:28:07.215 --> 00:28:10.850
Speaker 0: Like, you know, obviously, we're not we're not looking, you know, with my show,

00:28:10.850 --> 00:28:13.050
Speaker 0: we from adversity to abundance.

00:28:13.050 --> 00:28:16.490
Speaker 0: I joke with people that I'm always looking I'm so super excited when they

00:28:16.490 --> 00:28:19.370
Speaker 0: have adversity because there's some content for my show.

00:28:19.370 --> 00:28:20.265
Speaker 0: You know?

00:28:20.265 --> 00:28:22.905
Speaker 0: Obviously, I'm not happy that you lost fifty k.

00:28:22.905 --> 00:28:25.625
Speaker 0: I'm I'm not happy when that anybody has to go through adversity.

00:28:25.625 --> 00:28:27.225
Speaker 0: But,

00:28:27.225 --> 00:28:30.985
Speaker 0: you know, but the reality is it happens, and and you can learn from

00:28:30.985 --> 00:28:31.185
Speaker 0: it.

00:28:31.065 --> 00:28:35.040
Speaker 0: And I think you're a better investor now because of because you made some

00:28:35.040 --> 00:28:35.520
Speaker 0: mistakes

00:28:35.520 --> 00:28:35.720
Speaker 2: with

00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:36.000
Speaker 0: that deal.

00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:40.000
Speaker 0: So what it so you you don't do second lien,

00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:44.240
Speaker 0: lending at this point, and I'm assuming that you do a pretty

00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:48.320
Speaker 0: credit pretty decent check on the property value as well and the borrower.

00:28:48.320 --> 00:28:48.865
Speaker 0: Is that pretty

00:28:48.865 --> 00:28:49.745
Speaker 2: Oh, a thousand percent.

00:28:49.745 --> 00:28:53.345
Speaker 2: I mean, a very small percentage of our fund is in real estate, but

00:28:53.345 --> 00:28:56.065
Speaker 2: to your point, the only real estate deals we do in the fund are

00:28:56.065 --> 00:29:00.065
Speaker 2: with people that I could honestly drive the property or I know incredibly

00:29:00.065 --> 00:29:02.145
Speaker 2: well, like, close close connections.

00:29:02.145 --> 00:29:02.345
Speaker 2: Right.

00:29:02.305 --> 00:29:05.020
Speaker 2: Even then, I'm getting a position on it.

00:29:05.020 --> 00:29:07.820
Speaker 2: I'll I'm gonna start I'll start a little, like, a tidbit as I was

00:29:07.820 --> 00:29:08.700
Speaker 2: going through that

00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:09.100
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:29:09.100 --> 00:29:12.620
Speaker 2: Fifty dollars loss is is I had a mentor at the time, which I

00:29:12.620 --> 00:29:16.220
Speaker 2: don't think he knew that he was a he was my, like, mentor, but

00:29:16.220 --> 00:29:16.780
Speaker 2: but he's Yeah.

00:29:16.780 --> 00:29:17.020
Speaker 0: Told I

00:29:17.020 --> 00:29:19.340
Speaker 2: told me this, and I honestly still hold this to this day when I

00:29:19.340 --> 00:29:20.835
Speaker 2: look at deals with the fund.

00:29:20.835 --> 00:29:24.115
Speaker 2: As he said, he's like like, going into deals that I do, he's like

00:29:24.115 --> 00:29:28.115
Speaker 2: he's like, you have to make it more painful for them not

00:29:28.115 --> 00:29:31.315
Speaker 2: to pay you back than if they were just kinda execute on your, like,

00:29:31.315 --> 00:29:33.290
Speaker 2: debt payment, which sounds harsh.

00:29:33.290 --> 00:29:35.690
Speaker 2: But, really, what he meant by that is, like, the term should be written

00:29:35.690 --> 00:29:38.170
Speaker 2: in in, like, in such a way that if they stop paying you, you

00:29:38.170 --> 00:29:40.410
Speaker 2: would actually end up better.

00:29:40.410 --> 00:29:40.730
Speaker 2: Right?

00:29:40.730 --> 00:29:41.050
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:29:41.050 --> 00:29:42.490
Speaker 2: So for for example, if

00:29:42.490 --> 00:29:42.690
Speaker 0: you have

00:29:42.650 --> 00:29:43.930
Speaker 2: if you have an example.

00:29:43.930 --> 00:29:46.655
Speaker 2: If you have a, two hundred thousand dollar property.

00:29:46.655 --> 00:29:47.455
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:29:47.455 --> 00:29:51.375
Speaker 2: And and you loan them, like, one hundred thousand dollars and they stop paying,

00:29:51.375 --> 00:29:55.135
Speaker 2: you then take ownership of of that that that that the actual property.

00:29:55.135 --> 00:29:55.615
Speaker 2: You Right.

00:29:55.615 --> 00:29:59.015
Speaker 2: Then own it to a you then own a, like, do you then own

00:29:59.015 --> 00:30:01.070
Speaker 2: a, like, do you then own a, like, two a a two hundred thousand

00:30:01.070 --> 00:30:01.950
Speaker 2: dollar asset, which

00:30:01.950 --> 00:30:02.150
Speaker 0: Right.

00:30:02.110 --> 00:30:02.310
Speaker 0: Is

00:30:02.270 --> 00:30:04.830
Speaker 2: not obviously way better than having eight hundred thousand dollar note.

00:30:04.830 --> 00:30:05.950
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:30:05.950 --> 00:30:08.830
Speaker 2: It's a super simple example, but, like, you know, I think that's what he

00:30:08.830 --> 00:30:11.390
Speaker 2: was talking about, and it it's still like, every time I I kinda look

00:30:11.390 --> 00:30:14.435
Speaker 2: at a deal now and look at the terms, I'm like, is this painful

00:30:14.435 --> 00:30:14.995
Speaker 2: enough for them?

00:30:14.995 --> 00:30:17.795
Speaker 2: Again, sounds super harsh, but, you know, these these are people's money that I

00:30:17.795 --> 00:30:19.795
Speaker 2: have access to and that I Right.

00:30:19.795 --> 00:30:21.475
Speaker 2: Actually treat treat that very seriously.

00:30:21.475 --> 00:30:21.955
Speaker 2: So Yeah.

00:30:21.955 --> 00:30:22.595
Speaker 0: For sure.

00:30:22.595 --> 00:30:26.515
Speaker 0: And and, yeah, I mean, the truth is, like, in especially in the on

00:30:26.515 --> 00:30:29.820
Speaker 0: the commercial side or, you know, it's business.

00:30:29.820 --> 00:30:33.340
Speaker 0: I mean, it's it's, you're not trying to take you're not trying to foreclose

00:30:33.340 --> 00:30:34.220
Speaker 0: or get a deed in lieu.

00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:34.620
Speaker 0: That's not your

00:30:34.620 --> 00:30:35.100
Speaker 2: goal.

00:30:35.100 --> 00:30:35.820
Speaker 2: To.

00:30:35.820 --> 00:30:36.380
Speaker 0: Right.

00:30:36.380 --> 00:30:39.660
Speaker 0: But, I mean, you will if you have to, and that's the point of

00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:40.700
Speaker 0: having collateral.

00:30:40.700 --> 00:30:41.020
Speaker 0: Right?

00:30:41.020 --> 00:30:42.300
Speaker 0: So Mhmm.

00:30:42.300 --> 00:30:45.675
Speaker 0: And like you said, you've got

00:30:45.675 --> 00:30:49.675
Speaker 0: you've got people's capital that, you know, people have entrusted you with, and

00:30:49.755 --> 00:30:51.755
Speaker 0: you need to be a good steward of of that.

00:30:51.755 --> 00:30:53.195
Speaker 0: So that comes first.

00:30:53.195 --> 00:30:56.820
Speaker 0: I mean, with our our fund, the Integrity Income Fund, that's that's first is

00:30:56.820 --> 00:30:59.460
Speaker 0: our protection of our investor capital.

00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:00.180
Speaker 0: Right.

00:31:00.180 --> 00:31:04.020
Speaker 0: Everything else is secondary, and I'm not just I'm not just saying that.

00:31:04.020 --> 00:31:04.500
Speaker 0: Right.

00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:06.660
Speaker 0: I take it very seriously.

00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:09.860
Speaker 0: So talk to us about how you created the fund, and and we don't

00:31:09.860 --> 00:31:13.715
Speaker 0: have too much more time, but talk to us about, you know, what what

00:31:13.715 --> 00:31:17.715
Speaker 0: you buy in the fund, what an investor can expect if they, you

00:31:17.715 --> 00:31:21.715
Speaker 0: know, reach out to you, regarding your fund.

00:31:21.715 --> 00:31:21.955
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:31:21.955 --> 00:31:24.595
Speaker 2: So so so I started this in March of twenty three.

00:31:24.595 --> 00:31:28.030
Speaker 2: We offer our investors a fixed rate return of of eight to ten percent

00:31:28.030 --> 00:31:30.270
Speaker 2: depending on how much money they put in.

00:31:30.270 --> 00:31:32.270
Speaker 2: That payment starts day one.

00:31:32.270 --> 00:31:34.990
Speaker 2: So if they put their money in today, they get paid the next month

00:31:34.990 --> 00:31:36.590
Speaker 2: and every month thereafter.

00:31:36.590 --> 00:31:38.590
Speaker 2: The investor gets to customize the term.

00:31:38.590 --> 00:31:41.975
Speaker 2: So so we do anything from three to seven years.

00:31:41.975 --> 00:31:45.975
Speaker 2: The investor can choose anything they want in between that.

00:31:45.975 --> 00:31:49.975
Speaker 2: And on the back end, we're investing in old school cash cow businesses.

00:31:49.975 --> 00:31:52.375
Speaker 2: So this can be HVAC.

00:31:52.375 --> 00:31:53.815
Speaker 2: We have some oil and gas in there.

00:31:53.815 --> 00:31:55.655
Speaker 2: We have some insurance companies.

00:31:55.655 --> 00:31:57.530
Speaker 2: We have

00:31:57.530 --> 00:31:58.090
Speaker 2: franchises.

00:31:58.090 --> 00:32:00.250
Speaker 2: We have an ecommerce brand.

00:32:00.250 --> 00:32:04.250
Speaker 2: So things that I can tie hard assets to, again, as a kinda

00:32:04.330 --> 00:32:05.770
Speaker 2: asset backed loan.

00:32:05.770 --> 00:32:09.290
Speaker 2: And what I'm really liking to do now is do a debt plus a

00:32:09.290 --> 00:32:10.815
Speaker 2: little bit of the, upside.

00:32:10.815 --> 00:32:13.455
Speaker 2: So I'll lend someone a little bit lower rate and go a little bit

00:32:13.455 --> 00:32:17.455
Speaker 2: more upside on the back end via a profitability kicker.

00:32:17.455 --> 00:32:17.855
Speaker 0: Mhmm.

00:32:17.855 --> 00:32:19.295
Speaker 2: I think that's better for both.

00:32:19.295 --> 00:32:22.575
Speaker 2: They get a little bit lower debt, so it kinda lowers, like, their cash

00:32:22.575 --> 00:32:22.815
Speaker 2: burn.

00:32:22.815 --> 00:32:24.815
Speaker 2: They can go out there and get other debt if they need to, or

00:32:24.815 --> 00:32:26.480
Speaker 2: they can kind of restructure things.

00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:28.551
Speaker 0: And just to be clear to look for outside.

00:32:28.551 --> 00:32:32.160
Speaker 0: I think it was clear, but just to be even more clear, you're talking

00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:35.200
Speaker 0: about debt and equity for the the operator of that business.

00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:39.200
Speaker 0: You're not talking about an equity position for your passive investor in your Exactly.

00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:40.035
Speaker 2: A thousand percent.

00:32:40.035 --> 00:32:40.755
Speaker 2: I'm sorry.

00:32:40.755 --> 00:32:44.035
Speaker 0: Mix rate of return, eight to ten percent for the passive investor.

00:32:44.035 --> 00:32:48.035
Speaker 0: But for these businesses that you're investing in, real estate that you're investing in,

00:32:49.555 --> 00:32:52.995
Speaker 0: you you've started to do more of a little bit of an equity split

00:32:52.995 --> 00:32:56.410
Speaker 0: where the fund gets an equity position in that So not

00:32:56.410 --> 00:32:57.130
Speaker 2: an equity position.

00:32:57.130 --> 00:32:59.690
Speaker 2: It's a profitability kick, I don't know.

00:32:59.690 --> 00:33:00.170
Speaker 2: Kicker.

00:33:00.170 --> 00:33:00.650
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:33:00.650 --> 00:33:01.450
Speaker 2: Alright.

00:33:01.450 --> 00:33:05.450
Speaker 0: But some of the upside depend depending on the business's performance,

00:33:06.730 --> 00:33:08.970
Speaker 0: versus just a fixed note.

00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:09.530
Speaker 0: Right?

00:33:09.530 --> 00:33:10.170
Speaker 0: Exactly.

00:33:10.170 --> 00:33:10.975
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:33:10.975 --> 00:33:13.455
Speaker 2: So so we have the we have the core fund there, and that's and

00:33:13.455 --> 00:33:16.575
Speaker 2: that's and that's and that's really driven all the all the all the all

00:33:16.575 --> 00:33:17.055
Speaker 2: the growth.

00:33:17.055 --> 00:33:18.335
Speaker 2: But we do have, like, these side deals.

00:33:18.335 --> 00:33:20.255
Speaker 2: I I I call also.

00:33:20.255 --> 00:33:23.455
Speaker 2: So right now, we're raising money for a, like, a medical office space, which

00:33:23.455 --> 00:33:25.740
Speaker 2: will probably be filled by the time this airs.

00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:28.700
Speaker 2: But just to give a little taste, and then we have, some land deals

00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:30.780
Speaker 2: that are going on right now also where we Okay.

00:33:30.780 --> 00:33:33.900
Speaker 2: Partner with the group that that honestly flips land.

00:33:33.900 --> 00:33:34.460
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:33:34.460 --> 00:33:34.700
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:38.700
Speaker 2: That that that that return is higher, but it's also riskier

00:33:38.715 --> 00:33:42.715
Speaker 2: because your capital is tied to one deal versus a pool of of different

00:33:43.035 --> 00:33:44.155
Speaker 2: investments.

00:33:44.155 --> 00:33:44.635
Speaker 2: And land

00:33:44.635 --> 00:33:47.675
Speaker 0: land comes with its own landmine, so to speak, but it comes with its

00:33:47.675 --> 00:33:48.875
Speaker 0: own That's for sure.

00:33:48.875 --> 00:33:52.875
Speaker 0: It's tough to evaluate land, you know, or or value land,

00:33:53.290 --> 00:33:55.290
Speaker 0: as far as the property value.

00:33:55.290 --> 00:33:55.850
Speaker 0: Right.

00:33:55.850 --> 00:33:59.530
Speaker 0: You know, compared to, you know, comps on a on a residential, you know,

00:33:59.530 --> 00:34:01.130
Speaker 0: townhouse, that's fairly easy.

00:34:01.130 --> 00:34:04.650
Speaker 0: There's a pretty small range of the what the property value is gonna be.

00:34:04.650 --> 00:34:04.890
Speaker 0: Right?

00:34:04.890 --> 00:34:06.490
Speaker 0: Whereas land can be Right.

00:34:06.490 --> 00:34:06.730
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:34:06.730 --> 00:34:08.515
Speaker 0: A little bit of a different beast.

00:34:08.515 --> 00:34:12.515
Speaker 0: But, there are also are, you know, benefits to it as

00:34:12.515 --> 00:34:13.715
Speaker 0: well.

00:34:13.715 --> 00:34:17.395
Speaker 0: So those side deals are those are attached to your fund, or are those

00:34:17.395 --> 00:34:19.075
Speaker 0: completely separate from your fund?

00:34:19.075 --> 00:34:19.275
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:34:19.235 --> 00:34:20.355
Speaker 2: Those are completely separate.

00:34:20.355 --> 00:34:20.835
Speaker 2: Gotcha.

00:34:20.835 --> 00:34:22.115
Speaker 2: They they all roll into the fund.

00:34:22.115 --> 00:34:25.780
Speaker 2: It's under the same different I mean, legally, not to go into the jargon,

00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:26.020
Speaker 2: but Yeah.

00:34:26.020 --> 00:34:27.700
Speaker 2: Different set up for each each of the deals.

00:34:27.700 --> 00:34:28.500
Speaker 2: So Okay.

00:34:28.500 --> 00:34:29.220
Speaker 0: Got it.

00:34:29.220 --> 00:34:32.500
Speaker 0: And you just crossed ten million dollars in capital under management.

00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:36.180
Speaker 0: How did you do that in the last three years, basically?

00:34:36.180 --> 00:34:37.220
Speaker 0: A little over three years.

00:34:37.220 --> 00:34:38.535
Speaker 0: I mean, that that's pretty impressive.

00:34:38.535 --> 00:34:40.215
Speaker 0: How'd you do that?

00:34:40.215 --> 00:34:42.775
Speaker 2: So a lot of it is just getting out there and talking to people

00:34:42.775 --> 00:34:43.815
Speaker 2: and networking.

00:34:43.815 --> 00:34:46.215
Speaker 2: I thought it was gonna be way easier.

00:34:46.215 --> 00:34:48.935
Speaker 2: Because if you think about my career, right, I started at Vanguard, and Vanguard

00:34:48.935 --> 00:34:51.815
Speaker 2: manages something like eight trillion dollars today or something insane.

00:34:51.815 --> 00:34:52.055
Speaker 2: Right?

00:34:52.055 --> 00:34:52.800
Speaker 2: So So So

00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:54.080
Speaker 0: ten million is a joke.

00:34:54.080 --> 00:34:56.480
Speaker 0: Right?

00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:57.520
Speaker 2: I wasn't raising that money.

00:34:57.520 --> 00:35:00.400
Speaker 2: But, anyway, so then I went down to the, advisory shop, and we were

00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:03.280
Speaker 2: managing one point five billion, still way more than ten million.

00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:03.520
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:35:03.520 --> 00:35:06.240
Speaker 2: So I thought in my head, I would be able to leave that group

00:35:06.240 --> 00:35:08.515
Speaker 2: and raise this money super easy.

00:35:08.515 --> 00:35:12.515
Speaker 2: It's a different kind of raise just because we're one individual asset

00:35:12.595 --> 00:35:15.235
Speaker 2: while an adviser looks over the whole portfolio.

00:35:15.235 --> 00:35:17.155
Speaker 2: So it is a slightly different thing.

00:35:17.155 --> 00:35:17.715
Speaker 2: Sure.

00:35:17.715 --> 00:35:19.635
Speaker 2: But but, honestly, how I was able to do it is just getting out

00:35:19.635 --> 00:35:20.355
Speaker 2: there talking to people.

00:35:20.355 --> 00:35:22.380
Speaker 2: I've tried a bunch of different marketing techniques.

00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:22.700
Speaker 0: Mhmm.

00:35:22.700 --> 00:35:24.780
Speaker 2: Some have worked, some haven't.

00:35:24.780 --> 00:35:28.780
Speaker 2: But I found, frankly, what what works best is just, you know,

00:35:28.780 --> 00:35:30.780
Speaker 2: getting out there, talking to people.

00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:34.060
Speaker 2: And I'm finally to the point now, three and a half years in where

00:35:34.060 --> 00:35:36.775
Speaker 2: my clients are starting to refer other people.

00:35:36.775 --> 00:35:37.575
Speaker 0: That's true.

00:35:37.575 --> 00:35:39.815
Speaker 2: It takes a little bit of time to get there, obviously.

00:35:39.815 --> 00:35:41.335
Speaker 2: But once the ball is rolling

00:35:41.335 --> 00:35:42.375
Speaker 0: No.

00:35:42.375 --> 00:35:43.815
Speaker 0: And we've seen the most this year.

00:35:43.815 --> 00:35:44.215
Speaker 2: Sorry.

00:35:44.215 --> 00:35:44.615
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:35:44.615 --> 00:35:44.855
Speaker 0: No.

00:35:44.855 --> 00:35:48.855
Speaker 0: I'm just curious because, you know, they're like I said, there's we we don't

00:35:49.015 --> 00:35:52.220
Speaker 0: have much time, but it's a critical piece if you're gonna run a fund

00:35:52.220 --> 00:35:55.900
Speaker 0: or any kind of if you're gonna scale any kind of investment business, you're

00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:59.900
Speaker 0: gonna want access to other people's capital to put that to work to scale

00:35:59.980 --> 00:36:03.095
Speaker 0: your business, whether it's a fund or not.

00:36:03.095 --> 00:36:05.975
Speaker 0: Getting getting out there talking to people, you're just going to the grocery store

00:36:05.975 --> 00:36:06.855
Speaker 0: and approaching people?

00:36:06.855 --> 00:36:10.855
Speaker 0: Or, you know, like, specifically, what do you mean by that?

00:36:11.415 --> 00:36:15.415
Speaker 2: So I I I was going to a lot of, like,

00:36:15.530 --> 00:36:17.130
Speaker 2: like, real estate networking events.

00:36:17.130 --> 00:36:17.770
Speaker 2: I Yep.

00:36:17.770 --> 00:36:20.250
Speaker 2: Started a an email newsletter.

00:36:20.250 --> 00:36:22.250
Speaker 2: I would go to, like, chamber events.

00:36:22.250 --> 00:36:22.650
Speaker 0: Mhmm.

00:36:22.650 --> 00:36:26.650
Speaker 2: I literally went through every person I'd ever talked to, my old firm,

00:36:26.650 --> 00:36:29.575
Speaker 2: which is a lot of people, and just, like like, email them personally.

00:36:29.575 --> 00:36:29.895
Speaker 2: Like, hey.

00:36:29.895 --> 00:36:30.695
Speaker 2: I started this.

00:36:30.695 --> 00:36:33.335
Speaker 2: Like, would you be interested in having a conversation or just sitting out for

00:36:33.335 --> 00:36:33.975
Speaker 2: coffee?

00:36:33.975 --> 00:36:34.935
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:36:34.935 --> 00:36:36.455
Speaker 2: Or anyone who might be interested.

00:36:36.455 --> 00:36:37.095
Speaker 2: And, like Right.

00:36:37.095 --> 00:36:40.420
Speaker 2: After enough times like that, I mean Yeah.

00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:41.260
Speaker 2: You just Gotcha.

00:36:41.260 --> 00:36:43.420
Speaker 2: If you just keep it in the work and, like, you get lucky sometimes.

00:36:43.420 --> 00:36:43.620
Speaker 2: Right.

00:36:43.580 --> 00:36:44.300
Speaker 2: Right?

00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:47.020
Speaker 0: And then second part, I'm glad I remembered that I said there were two

00:36:47.020 --> 00:36:47.260
Speaker 0: parts.

00:36:47.260 --> 00:36:51.260
Speaker 0: But, how intentional are you about asking your current investors

00:36:51.660 --> 00:36:55.660
Speaker 0: for referrals, or does it kinda just happen naturally?

00:36:56.325 --> 00:36:58.485
Speaker 2: I should be more, intentional.

00:36:58.485 --> 00:37:00.565
Speaker 2: So I just went for the first time.

00:37:00.565 --> 00:37:02.805
Speaker 2: I needed to raise some more money for this.

00:37:02.805 --> 00:37:05.525
Speaker 2: I'm at a go off the space, and I just called everyone on my

00:37:05.525 --> 00:37:06.485
Speaker 2: on my on my list.

00:37:06.485 --> 00:37:09.740
Speaker 2: Right now, we have, fifty investors.

00:37:09.740 --> 00:37:10.620
Speaker 2: I just went down the list.

00:37:10.620 --> 00:37:12.220
Speaker 2: It took me a day, and I just called everyone.

00:37:12.220 --> 00:37:14.860
Speaker 2: Some people picked up, some people didn't or call me back.

00:37:14.860 --> 00:37:17.900
Speaker 2: But just by doing that, that was able to raise some money.

00:37:17.900 --> 00:37:18.540
Speaker 2: So K.

00:37:18.540 --> 00:37:21.775
Speaker 2: I don't have a regular cadence where I'm talking to them on the phone,

00:37:21.775 --> 00:37:24.815
Speaker 2: but they do my, like, a they do my kind of fun updates to

00:37:24.815 --> 00:37:28.255
Speaker 2: get the, like, the get the, like, like, a like, a weekly newsletter.

00:37:28.255 --> 00:37:29.855
Speaker 2: I'm on podcast like this every so often.

00:37:29.855 --> 00:37:30.575
Speaker 2: So I do Yeah.

00:37:30.575 --> 00:37:33.055
Speaker 2: Try to get content out there and make sure that I'm visible.

00:37:33.055 --> 00:37:34.575
Speaker 2: I'm not hiding in my little office here.

00:37:34.575 --> 00:37:35.670
Speaker 2: Right.

00:37:35.670 --> 00:37:39.270
Speaker 0: And speaking of that, what do you have a team, or is it just

00:37:39.270 --> 00:37:40.870
Speaker 0: you?

00:37:40.870 --> 00:37:41.190
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:37:41.190 --> 00:37:42.710
Speaker 2: So right now, it's myself.

00:37:42.710 --> 00:37:45.030
Speaker 2: I have four guys working for me.

00:37:45.030 --> 00:37:49.030
Speaker 2: They do a kinda combination of deal flow plus sales.

00:37:49.075 --> 00:37:51.875
Speaker 2: And I have three interns, that do kind of a sales tax for me

00:37:51.875 --> 00:37:52.275
Speaker 2: as well.

00:37:52.275 --> 00:37:52.475
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:37:52.435 --> 00:37:53.475
Speaker 0: You mentioned that to me before.

00:37:53.475 --> 00:37:55.395
Speaker 0: I think that's genius.

00:37:55.395 --> 00:37:56.675
Speaker 0: I wish we had more time here.

00:37:56.675 --> 00:37:58.275
Speaker 2: They're they're awesome, honestly.

00:37:58.275 --> 00:37:58.515
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:37:58.515 --> 00:38:01.715
Speaker 0: I mean, I I guess it's a you know, going in, it's not a

00:38:01.715 --> 00:38:04.035
Speaker 0: long term commitment, but I guess it could turn into one.

00:38:04.035 --> 00:38:05.450
Speaker 0: Right?

00:38:05.450 --> 00:38:05.690
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:38:05.690 --> 00:38:07.290
Speaker 2: They they they are they kinda on the onset?

00:38:07.290 --> 00:38:08.570
Speaker 2: This is not a long term commitment.

00:38:08.570 --> 00:38:10.250
Speaker 2: This is usually three months.

00:38:10.250 --> 00:38:12.730
Speaker 2: If if it's a little bit longer, it could turn into six months.

00:38:12.730 --> 00:38:13.850
Speaker 0: Mhmm.

00:38:13.850 --> 00:38:14.090
Speaker 0: Right.

00:38:14.090 --> 00:38:14.330
Speaker 0: But I

00:38:14.330 --> 00:38:16.810
Speaker 2: have kinda SOPs written out for all of them right now, so it's a

00:38:16.810 --> 00:38:17.690
Speaker 2: very easy plug and play.

00:38:17.690 --> 00:38:21.585
Speaker 2: And I don't have them doing crazy detailed work that's going to affect the

00:38:21.585 --> 00:38:23.585
Speaker 2: business, but it is stuff that I need to get done.

00:38:23.585 --> 00:38:25.345
Speaker 2: I'm not doing them fluff work.

00:38:25.345 --> 00:38:25.905
Speaker 0: Sure.

00:38:25.905 --> 00:38:26.545
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:38:26.545 --> 00:38:27.665
Speaker 0: We're almost out of time.

00:38:27.665 --> 00:38:29.745
Speaker 0: I've got some rapid fire questions for you.

00:38:29.745 --> 00:38:30.625
Speaker 0: You ready?

00:38:30.625 --> 00:38:31.265
Speaker 2: Let's do it.

00:38:31.265 --> 00:38:32.065
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:38:32.065 --> 00:38:36.065
Speaker 0: How has financial abundance made your life better?

00:38:36.910 --> 00:38:40.830
Speaker 2: How has financial abundance made my life better?

00:38:40.830 --> 00:38:43.870
Speaker 2: I was able to buy a bigger house than my wife.

00:38:43.870 --> 00:38:47.870
Speaker 2: I had bigger plans for my daughter who's now fifteen months old to, send

00:38:47.870 --> 00:38:51.870
Speaker 2: her to kind of the best schools that I can afford in the area.

00:38:52.095 --> 00:38:53.535
Speaker 2: We've taken awesome trips.

00:38:53.535 --> 00:38:56.015
Speaker 2: I mean, I'll think of those are kinda my top area.

00:38:56.015 --> 00:39:00.015
Speaker 0: What's a book or two that you could recommend for our listener?

00:39:00.095 --> 00:39:04.095
Speaker 2: Book or two.

00:39:04.510 --> 00:39:05.470
Speaker 2: I'm reading a book right now.

00:39:05.470 --> 00:39:08.510
Speaker 2: It's not real estate related, but it's good kind of mindset book.

00:39:08.510 --> 00:39:08.990
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:39:08.990 --> 00:39:11.630
Speaker 2: It's called the twelve hour walk by Colin O'Brady, I think it is.

00:39:11.630 --> 00:39:12.190
Speaker 2: I'm not sure if

00:39:12.190 --> 00:39:12.830
Speaker 0: you've heard of that.

00:39:12.830 --> 00:39:13.150
Speaker 0: No.

00:39:13.150 --> 00:39:13.790
Speaker 0: I'm super

00:39:13.790 --> 00:39:17.295
Speaker 2: I'm inspirational about a guy who set the world record.

00:39:17.295 --> 00:39:21.295
Speaker 2: He's the first one to walk across Antarctica with that

00:39:21.375 --> 00:39:23.135
Speaker 2: without any help.

00:39:23.135 --> 00:39:26.975
Speaker 2: So he's like he's like like, I'm dredging with this with this massive thing.

00:39:26.975 --> 00:39:27.855
Speaker 2: Anyway Yeah.

00:39:27.855 --> 00:39:28.095
Speaker 2: That's a

00:39:28.095 --> 00:39:28.820
Speaker 0: good thing.

00:39:28.820 --> 00:39:29.140
Speaker 0: Okay.

00:39:29.140 --> 00:39:32.660
Speaker 2: I'm gonna look at my bookshelf right now.

00:39:32.660 --> 00:39:34.980
Speaker 2: What's another good one that that I can recommend?

00:39:34.980 --> 00:39:36.020
Speaker 2: Well, I'll stick with that one.

00:39:36.020 --> 00:39:37.380
Speaker 2: I don't wanna just come up with something.

00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:40.980
Speaker 0: How about if you were given ten million dollars tomorrow, no strings attached, what

00:39:40.980 --> 00:39:43.895
Speaker 0: would you do with it?

00:39:43.895 --> 00:39:46.615
Speaker 2: Ten million dollars, no strings attached?

00:39:46.615 --> 00:39:48.535
Speaker 2: I would invest it.

00:39:48.535 --> 00:39:49.975
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:39:49.975 --> 00:39:53.975
Speaker 2: I would invest it well, first, I I would take my time investing it.

00:39:53.975 --> 00:39:56.055
Speaker 2: I found a lot of people, once they get cash, they put it to

00:39:56.055 --> 00:39:58.160
Speaker 2: work too fast, including myself in the past.

00:39:58.160 --> 00:39:58.880
Speaker 0: That's that's smart.

00:39:58.880 --> 00:39:59.760
Speaker 2: So Yeah.

00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:02.720
Speaker 2: I would either put it in a treasury bond just to kinda hold it

00:40:02.720 --> 00:40:05.840
Speaker 2: for a little bit and make sure I make the right decisions, or just

00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:08.400
Speaker 2: put it in the, S and P and then take out a line of

00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:11.225
Speaker 2: credit to invest off of off of the off of that line.

00:40:11.225 --> 00:40:12.345
Speaker 0: So you can do that.

00:40:12.345 --> 00:40:14.265
Speaker 0: What is there a max?

00:40:14.265 --> 00:40:16.345
Speaker 0: Is it fifty percent, or how does that work?

00:40:16.345 --> 00:40:17.145
Speaker 0: A line of credit on It

00:40:17.145 --> 00:40:18.185
Speaker 2: depends what asset you're in.

00:40:18.185 --> 00:40:20.745
Speaker 2: But if you're in the S and P five hundred, you can usually depending

00:40:20.745 --> 00:40:23.785
Speaker 2: on your, brokerage, you can usually leverage about seventy percent of that.

00:40:23.785 --> 00:40:25.945
Speaker 2: So if you have ten million bucks, you can write a check to yourself

00:40:25.945 --> 00:40:27.090
Speaker 2: for seven million.

00:40:27.090 --> 00:40:28.850
Speaker 2: You have to pay interest on that, obviously.

00:40:28.850 --> 00:40:29.090
Speaker 0: Right.

00:40:29.090 --> 00:40:31.970
Speaker 0: And you just go to your brokerage to do that?

00:40:31.970 --> 00:40:32.290
Speaker 0: Or

00:40:32.290 --> 00:40:32.530
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:40:32.530 --> 00:40:34.530
Speaker 2: So Schwab or Fidelity or really anyone.

00:40:34.530 --> 00:40:36.850
Speaker 0: They're the ones that issue the line of credit.

00:40:36.850 --> 00:40:37.050
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:40:37.010 --> 00:40:39.570
Speaker 2: You you deposit the money, and then they have a direct line.

00:40:39.570 --> 00:40:40.450
Speaker 2: You call and say, hey.

00:40:40.450 --> 00:40:43.065
Speaker 2: I wanna open up a pledged asset line.

00:40:43.065 --> 00:40:43.945
Speaker 2: And then they say, okay.

00:40:43.945 --> 00:40:44.985
Speaker 2: We I I know it

00:40:44.985 --> 00:40:47.225
Speaker 0: I knew it existed, but I've just never entertained that.

00:40:47.225 --> 00:40:47.425
Speaker 0: So

00:40:47.385 --> 00:40:48.185
Speaker 2: It's the HELOC.

00:40:48.185 --> 00:40:48.385
Speaker 2: Right?

00:40:48.345 --> 00:40:50.665
Speaker 2: If you think about the same thing, you're just leveraging an asset.

00:40:50.665 --> 00:40:50.985
Speaker 2: Right?

00:40:50.985 --> 00:40:52.905
Speaker 0: Fair.

00:40:52.905 --> 00:40:53.625
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:40:53.625 --> 00:40:56.905
Speaker 0: What's one piece of advice you would give to someone starting out in real

00:40:56.905 --> 00:40:59.020
Speaker 0: estate investing?

00:40:59.020 --> 00:40:59.260
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:40:59.260 --> 00:41:01.100
Speaker 2: And we talked about this a little bit prior to the call, but I

00:41:01.100 --> 00:41:05.100
Speaker 2: think I think the biggest hack that used to be super popular on BiggerPockets

00:41:05.580 --> 00:41:08.060
Speaker 2: and all the other shows, which I haven't heard much since, maybe I'm just

00:41:08.060 --> 00:41:09.020
Speaker 2: not listening to these podcasts.

00:41:09.020 --> 00:41:12.775
Speaker 2: But if I could if I could house hack again, I think that's the

00:41:12.775 --> 00:41:13.495
Speaker 2: biggest unlock.

00:41:13.495 --> 00:41:17.495
Speaker 2: If you're if you're someone who's younger, single, once again, real estate

00:41:17.495 --> 00:41:20.375
Speaker 2: and doesn't have a lot a, like, a super high paying job, I would

00:41:20.375 --> 00:41:24.375
Speaker 2: try to find a piece of real estate that's moderately priced,

00:41:24.375 --> 00:41:28.375
Speaker 2: put down three to five percent, and rent the other two

00:41:28.420 --> 00:41:28.660
Speaker 2: rooms.

00:41:28.660 --> 00:41:30.820
Speaker 2: You can still make it I mean, it might not be one for one

00:41:30.820 --> 00:41:32.820
Speaker 2: where you don't we can live for free, but at least give you the

00:41:32.820 --> 00:41:36.740
Speaker 2: freedom to use the money you make to put into other things or stack

00:41:36.740 --> 00:41:38.260
Speaker 2: cash for your next real estate property or

00:41:38.260 --> 00:41:39.620
Speaker 0: what what what whatever

00:41:39.620 --> 00:41:40.580
Speaker 2: you're kind of saving for.

00:41:40.580 --> 00:41:42.285
Speaker 0: I couldn't agree more.

00:41:42.285 --> 00:41:43.165
Speaker 2: To you again.

00:41:43.165 --> 00:41:45.885
Speaker 0: I think it's really smart.

00:41:45.885 --> 00:41:47.485
Speaker 0: And I do think you were house hacking.

00:41:47.485 --> 00:41:49.805
Speaker 0: I mean, I don't know what the technical definition is.

00:41:49.805 --> 00:41:53.805
Speaker 0: I know Brandon Turner used to take credit for for that term, but I

00:41:53.965 --> 00:41:55.760
Speaker 0: it's been done for years.

00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:56.880
Speaker 0: And I you know?

00:41:56.880 --> 00:41:57.200
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:41:57.200 --> 00:41:57.920
Speaker 0: Just because you

00:41:57.920 --> 00:41:59.680
Speaker 2: were breaking no expertise.

00:41:59.680 --> 00:42:00.240
Speaker 0: What's that?

00:42:00.240 --> 00:42:00.640
Speaker 0: Yeah.

00:42:00.640 --> 00:42:01.120
Speaker 2: Right.

00:42:01.120 --> 00:42:02.480
Speaker 2: It also requires no expertise.

00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:03.840
Speaker 2: Like, it's not like a flip where, like, hey.

00:42:03.840 --> 00:42:04.960
Speaker 2: Should know the right contractor.

00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:06.720
Speaker 2: You should know a little bit about how this works.

00:42:06.720 --> 00:42:07.200
Speaker 0: Right.

00:42:07.200 --> 00:42:09.835
Speaker 2: All you need to do is know how to buy the house and then

00:42:09.835 --> 00:42:10.875
Speaker 2: find people Yeah.

00:42:10.875 --> 00:42:12.635
Speaker 2: And obviously vet them properly.

00:42:12.635 --> 00:42:14.875
Speaker 2: But you can just get your buddies moving.

00:42:14.875 --> 00:42:16.075
Speaker 0: Absolutely.

00:42:16.075 --> 00:42:16.635
Speaker 0: Alright, Craig.

00:42:16.635 --> 00:42:18.155
Speaker 0: Two more questions.

00:42:18.155 --> 00:42:22.155
Speaker 0: First one is, what's one question that I have not asked you that you

00:42:22.315 --> 00:42:24.200
Speaker 0: wish I had?

00:42:24.200 --> 00:42:25.080
Speaker 2: Oh, boy.

00:42:25.080 --> 00:42:26.120
Speaker 2: Put me on the spot on that one.

00:42:26.120 --> 00:42:29.800
Speaker 2: That was that's that's a tough one.

00:42:29.800 --> 00:42:33.560
Speaker 0: That's what you're, that's what a lot of, investors

00:42:33.560 --> 00:42:34.680
Speaker 2: Plans for the future.

00:42:34.680 --> 00:42:35.320
Speaker 0: Like to ask.

00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:36.440
Speaker 0: Plans for the future.

00:42:36.440 --> 00:42:36.920
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:40.920
Speaker 0: Well, I thought about asking where things gonna go in the market, but,

00:42:41.195 --> 00:42:41.435
Speaker 0: yeah.

00:42:41.435 --> 00:42:43.995
Speaker 0: So what are your plans for with the fund or anything else in the

00:42:43.995 --> 00:42:46.235
Speaker 0: future?

00:42:46.235 --> 00:42:46.475
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:42:46.475 --> 00:42:48.795
Speaker 2: So I don't I guess, for for me, for the fund for the future,

00:42:48.795 --> 00:42:51.930
Speaker 2: I don't see this being a billion dollar strategy.

00:42:51.930 --> 00:42:52.490
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:42:52.490 --> 00:42:55.050
Speaker 2: My goal is to get this to about two hundred million dollars, to be

00:42:55.050 --> 00:42:55.450
Speaker 2: honest with you.

00:42:55.450 --> 00:42:58.170
Speaker 2: I think I think we can do that over the next

00:42:58.170 --> 00:42:59.370
Speaker 2: five to ten years.

00:42:59.370 --> 00:43:01.130
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:43:01.130 --> 00:43:03.690
Speaker 2: And and I think I think at that point, like, I can make the

00:43:03.690 --> 00:43:07.115
Speaker 2: decision then to to hire more analysts and make this a really big thing

00:43:07.115 --> 00:43:07.835
Speaker 2: or or Mhmm.

00:43:07.835 --> 00:43:11.035
Speaker 2: I think we can scale it with how we are currently structured up to

00:43:11.035 --> 00:43:14.955
Speaker 2: about a hundred before we before we start hiring real personnel.

00:43:14.955 --> 00:43:15.355
Speaker 2: Mhmm.

00:43:15.355 --> 00:43:17.595
Speaker 2: So that's kind of the vision for the fund.

00:43:17.595 --> 00:43:18.540
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:43:18.540 --> 00:43:18.780
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:43:18.780 --> 00:43:18.980
Speaker 2: So

00:43:18.940 --> 00:43:21.100
Speaker 0: you're just getting started, sounds like.

00:43:21.100 --> 00:43:21.660
Speaker 2: That's right.

00:43:21.660 --> 00:43:22.620
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:43:22.620 --> 00:43:22.860
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:43:22.860 --> 00:43:26.060
Speaker 0: So, technically, I already I asked two, but here's the third.

00:43:26.060 --> 00:43:29.420
Speaker 0: Where can our our listeners find you online?

00:43:29.420 --> 00:43:29.620
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:43:29.580 --> 00:43:30.460
Speaker 2: So I'm on LinkedIn.

00:43:30.460 --> 00:43:32.935
Speaker 2: You can find me there at Craig Epler.

00:43:32.935 --> 00:43:36.615
Speaker 2: Our website is Epler Capital dot com.

00:43:36.615 --> 00:43:39.575
Speaker 2: And I would say those are the two, two best ways.

00:43:39.575 --> 00:43:42.215
Speaker 2: I'm not very much on Twitter or anything like that, but I'm on Instagram

00:43:42.215 --> 00:43:45.495
Speaker 2: and and and Facebook, but you'll find all that stuff on LinkedIn also.

00:43:45.495 --> 00:43:46.520
Speaker 2: Perfect.

00:43:46.520 --> 00:43:46.720
Speaker 0: Alright.

00:43:46.680 --> 00:43:48.360
Speaker 0: We'll put all that in the show notes as well.

00:43:48.360 --> 00:43:49.160
Speaker 0: So Awesome.

00:43:49.160 --> 00:43:53.000
Speaker 0: Craig Guffler, thanks so much for having or for spending your time with us

00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:54.440
Speaker 0: and for sharing your story.

00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:58.440
Speaker 0: And, it's pretty cool what you've been able to accomplish, and it sounds

00:43:58.440 --> 00:44:01.385
Speaker 0: like you're, you know, you'd like I said, you're just getting started.

00:44:01.385 --> 00:44:03.945
Speaker 0: So appreciate the time, Craig.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:44:04.185 --> 00:44:04.865
Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Jimmy.

00:44:04.865 --> 00:44:05.785
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.

00:44:05.785 --> 00:44:07.065
Speaker 0: And thank you to the listener.

00:44:07.065 --> 00:44:11.065
Speaker 0: Thanks for spending your most valuable resource with us, and that is your time.

00:44:11.145 --> 00:44:12.105
Speaker 0: Thanks, everyone.

00:44:12.105 --> 00:44:16.105
Speaker 0: Take care.

00:44:18.760 --> 00:44:21.960
Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us on From Adversity to Abundance.

00:44:21.960 --> 00:44:25.960
Speaker 1: We hope today's episode has equipped you with valuable insights and practical advice

00:44:26.280 --> 00:44:28.725
Speaker 1: to elevate your real estate journey.

00:44:28.725 --> 00:44:32.725
Speaker 1: For more inspiring stories and resources, visit us at w w w

00:44:32.965 --> 00:44:35.765
Speaker 1: dot adversity to abundance dot com.

00:44:35.765 --> 00:44:39.445
Speaker 1: If this episode has inspired you, please share it with a friend who could

00:44:39.445 --> 00:44:41.780
Speaker 1: also benefit from our conversation.

00:44:41.780 --> 00:44:44.740
Speaker 1: Together, let's turn adversity into abundance.

00:44:44.740 --> 00:44:46.740
Speaker 1: Until next time, keep building your mental fitness and your real estate empire.

Craig Eppler Profile Photo

Founder and CEO

Craig Eppler is the founder and CEO of Eppler Capital Funds, a private credit and alternative investment manager. He began his career at Vanguard as a Derivatives Analyst, later becoming a Senior Portfolio Manager at Wealth Enhancement Group. Craig has personally invested in more than 40 rental properties and several private companies. He now runs a fund focused on promissory notes that include jet fuel infrastructure, insurance reserves, subscription box companies, plus real estate.