Gib Irons

Helping Accredited Investors Passively Invest in Real Estate | Founder @ Irons Equity | Father & husband (and surfer & fisherman, but my wife told me to write that last.)

In 2007, I started my law firm in Greenville, NC.

In 2019, I had a breakthrough.

Being an attorney is taxing.

It's stressful. It's intense. It's a ton of work.

It's all of that — and it's non-stop.

(If you're an attorney, you're nodding your head right now.)

A lot of attorneys work until they die. Not because they want to — but because they don't have an exit plan. 

My breakthrough came when I met a real estate investor during the Big Rock Blue Marlin fishing tournament in 2019.

He started telling me all about his strategy.

- How he invests in real estate.
- How it's saved him 6 figures in taxes. 
- How he built 6 figures in passive cash flow.

I walked off that boat committed to real estate investing.

14 months later, I owned 14 properties.

Today, my mission is simple:

I want to help other high-earners (not just attorneys) experience the same benefits I've seen from real estate investing.

Yes, not paying as much in taxes is incredible.
Yes, the portfolio diversification is great.
Yes, the return potential is wonderful.

But you know the best thing?

Real estate gives you and your family more options for your lives.

And what could be better than that?

Visit ironsequity.com or send me a DM to learn more.

Chief Executive Officer

Gib Irons is an attorney, entrepreneur and real estate investor.  He is the founder and CEO at Irons Equity and oversees operations, acquisitions, investor relations and asset management.  Gib is a resident of Greenville, North Carolina.

Gib owns 14 single family condominiums, a commercial building, and a short-term rental (STR) property in Sevierville, Tennessee near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg named “Smoky Mountain Masterpiece.” 

Gib is a passive investor in a 660-unit portfolio in Arlington, Texas, a 344-unit apartment building in Dallas, Texas, and a 295-unit property in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

In addition to Gib’s real estate investing experience, Gib is the owner and managing partner of Irons & Irons, PA, a multi-million dollar law firm based in North Carolina and established in 2007.

Gib and his wife, Kate have 3 children, Anna-Gibson (9), Miles (7) and Malene (4).  Gib is an avid surfer and fisherman and loves offshore fishing for tuna, dolphin and wahoo.

$400K salary. 70-hour weeks...Golden handcuffs.

3 years ago I was 100% dependent on my W2.

Today, passive income covers a meaningful portion of my expenses.

Here's the path nobody teaches:

→ Year 1 — first syndication investment, $100K in
→ Year 2 — quarterly distributions start flowing, reinvest everything
→ Year 3 — passive income replaces enough that working becomes a choice

I didn't quit my career. 

I made it optional.

The golden handcuffs aren't golden. 

They're just handcuffs with a good salary.

I don't help people quit their jobs. I help them build enough passive income that working becomes a choice.

I write about tax-advantaged investing for high earners weekly. 

Follow me Gib Irons to learn more.

I bought $5,000 of American Bitcoin stock at $2.20 per share.

Before you scroll away, hear me out:

I've been watching where Donald Trump puts his money. 

So far, his family is stacking in four areas:

1. World Liberty Financial (WLFI) - They're building a decentralized bank with their USD1 stablecoin, the fastest growing stablecoin in the market

2. American Bitcoin Corp - Eric and Don Jr. bought a massive Bitcoin mining facility and are mining at scale.

3. Bitcoin holdings - Trump is stacking BTC.

4. XRP and the digital asset ecosystem - They're positioning before the regulatory changes hit.

The stock I bought was down 50% because early private placement investors unlocked their shares and took profits.

While everyone panicked, I saw an opportunity and grabbed it.

Here's my thesis:

These guys have more information than we do.

They're making moves before policy shifts.

They're positioning for the next 5 years while everyone else is still arguing about whether crypto is real.

When people in power make financial moves, they're not gambling.

They have insight we don't.

Copy-trading isn't a bad strategy when you're copying people who have access to the playbook.

Would you rather fight against them or follow their plays?

--

This is not financial advice, just curious what people think. Every investment has risk.

Most high earners have one paycheck.

One source. 
One point of failure.

Take that away and everything collapses.

I was that person.
$400K/year.
Completely dependent on one company.

Every. 
Single. 
Year.

Here's what nobody tells you about a high salary:

→ Severance runs out fast
→ A layoff ignores your title
→ One income source is one risk
→ Your lifestyle needs that check
→ Higher salary means a harder fall

The wealthiest people I know don't earn the most.
They earn from the most sources.

Real estate was my second paycheck.
Then my third.

Not to replace my income overnight.
But to build something that doesn't disappear because someone in a boardroom made a decision about headcount.

One paycheck is a job.
Two paychecks is a plan.
Three is the beginning of freedom.

Earning $300K+ on a single source?
Time to rethink the structure.

I break down strategies like this every week in my newsletter. 

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eFyK8fep

$200K/year and you feel broke.
$300K/year and you still feel broke.
$400K/year and somehow you're still broke.

The problem was never your income.

I know attorneys billing $500/hour who can't take a month off.

Surgeons earning $700K who work every holiday.

Business owners clearing $1M who haven't had a vacation in 3 years.

High income is not high wealth.
High income is high dependency.

Here's the difference:

→ Income stops when you stop
→ Wealth pays you whether you show up or not
→ Income is what your boss decides you're worth
→ Wealth is what your assets produce on autopilot

Every dollar you earn from a paycheck costs you an hour of your life.

Every dollar you earn from an asset works for you. 

The wealthiest people I know don't have the highest salaries.
They have the most income streams that don't require their presence.

Your salary is not your net worth.
Your cash flow is.

Stop chasing raises.
Start building income that doesn't need you.

I break down strategies like this every week in my newsletter. 

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eFyK8fep

I got a DM last week from an attorney making $380K.

He said: "I work 70 hours a week and have nothing to show for it."

Not nothing.

He had a nice house. 
2x cars. 
$200K in a brokerage account. 
401K he maxes every year.

But he also had:

$14K/month mortgage.
$4K/month in car payments.
$2,800/month in student loans.
$160K+ annual tax bill.

He wasn't broke. He was trapped.

High income. High overhead. No exit plan.

That's the attorney trap.

You earn enough to build a lifestyle you can never walk away from.

→ The income looks great on paper
→ But every dollar is spoken for before it lands
→ The only way to keep it going is to bill more hours
→ So you work harder to maintain a life you never enjoy

I told him what I tell every attorney who calls me:

You don't have an income problem.
You have a dependency problem.

Your entire life runs on one engine — billable hours.
If that engine stops, everything stops.

The fix isn't earning more.
It's building income that doesn't require your time.

Passive real estate does that.

That's not a pitch. That's math.

The goal isn't replacing your law career.
It's making sure it's a choice — not a requirement.

DM me "passive" and I'll share the framework.

My law firm has made $10,000,000+ over the years. 

But here's what that actually means:

It signifies I've put in the work.

→ 17+ years practicing law
→ Thousands of hours in court
→ Hundreds of clients represented
→ High-stakes cases in high net worth divorce and personal injury litigation

But here's the part nobody tells you about accolades like this:

They don't make you happy, give you time back, or fix the burnout.

I worked my ass off to build a law firm that earns that kind of recognition. 

Multi-million dollar operation. Three office locations. Five attorneys on the team.

And for years, I thought that was the goal:

- Build the best firm.
- Get recognized.
- Make more money.
- Rinse and repeat.

Then I realized I was building a prison, not a business.

I was working 60-80 hour weeks. Missing my kids' activities. Chained to my calendar.

The recognition felt hollow when I was too exhausted to enjoy it.

That's when real estate changed everything for me.

Because passive income gave me something Law never could: Options.

→ The option to take a Tuesday off
→ The option to coach my daughter's soccer team
→ The option to say no to cases that don't excite me

I'm still proud of my Super Lawyers rating.

It represents the blood, sweat, and tears that went into building my practice.

But the real win is building a life where professional success doesn't come at the cost of everything else.

Recognition is great. Freedom is better.

Would you rather have professional achievements or your time back?

-

If you're interested in investing in real estate to reclaim your time, follow me Gib Irons and reach out to connect.

$400K/year and I couldn't walk away.

That's not wealth. 
That's a trap.

Nice title.
Corner office.
Company car.
Six figures hitting my account every two weeks.

And I was terrified to leave.

Because everything I built depended on that one paycheck.
The mortgage.
The private school.
The vacations.
The lifestyle.

All of it required me to show up Monday.
Every Monday.
Forever.

That's what golden handcuffs actually look like:

→ High income you can't replace
→ A lifestyle that demands every dollar
→ No assets generating cash without you
→ Fear disguised as a comfortable salary
→ Freedom that's always "a few years away"

I didn't break the handcuffs by quitting.
I broke them by building something on the side.

One investment.
Then another.
Then cash flow that didn't need my time.

The salary didn't change.
But my dependence on it did.

If your high income feels more like a chain than a choice?
That's not a career.
That's a cage with good catering.

Are you tired of living like this?

I help HNW investors passively invest in real estate to build generational wealth. 

Send me a DM and let's discuss your goals.

My wife asked me a question 4 years ago that I couldn't answer.

"If you lost your job tomorrow, how long could we survive?"

I did the math.
3 months. Maybe 4.

$400K/year.
Nice house.
Two kids in private school.
And 3 months of runway.

That's not wealth.
That's a high-income house of cards.

I didn't sleep that night.

Not because I thought I'd get fired.
Because I realized everything I built depended on one thing.

Me showing up.
Every single day.
No exceptions.

That conversation changed my life.

→ I started buying real estate 
→ I stopped measuring wealth by salary 
→ I built income streams that didn't require my time
→ I focused on cash flow instead of net worth on paper

My wife doesn't ask that question anymore.

Not because I have a better answer.
Because the answer doesn't matter.

Working became a choice. 

Not a requirement.

DM me "passive" to connect and discuss your goals. Happy to answer your questions and educate on the topic.

3 years ago I was 100% dependent on my W2.

Every bill.
Every mortgage payment.
Every dollar my family spent came from one source — my salary.

If I stopped working Friday, by Monday everything falls apart.

That's not wealth. That's a paycheck with extra zeros.

I didn't have an income problem.
I had a single point of failure.

So I made one change.

I took $100K and invested in my first syndication instead of dumping it into my brokerage account.

I didn't quit my job.
I didn't become a full-time investor.
I didn't blow up my lifestyle.

I just built a second engine.

Now my W2 runs my life. But it doesn't have to.

The passive income grows every year.
At some point the two lines cross — and work becomes optional.

That's the real goal.

Not quitting.
Not retiring early.
Just knowing you could if you wanted to.

Most people wait until they're exhausted to start.

The best time to build passive income is while your W2 is still strong.

Don't wait until you're burned out.
Build the exit while you have the energy and the capital.

If you're in the same position I was - send me a DM and let's discuss your goals.

Your CPA is costing you $50K/year in taxes you don't need to pay.

Not because they're bad. 

Because they're using outdated tools.

Here's what traditional advice gets you:

→ Max your 401K — saves ~$25K
→ Standard deductions — saves a little more
→ That's it. That's the whole playbook.

Here's what real estate gets you:

→ Cost segregation + bonus depreciation — $50K+ in year one
→ K-1 benefits your CPA never mentioned

In year one.

Real estate is the tax code's favorite asset class. 

Your CPA just hasn't figured that out yet.

DM me 'tax' and I'll show you how real estate eliminates your W2 tax burden.

*Always consult a tax professional before making any tax decisions.

Being a divorce attorney taught me a $1,000,000 lesson about wealth most people never learn:

I've represented high net worth clients for 17 years.

Doctors.
Executives.
Business owners.
People making $500K-$2M+ per year.

And here's what I see in almost every case:

High income. 
Zero equity. 
No exit plan.

They've been making great money for decades.

Working 80-hour weeks. Sacrificing time with their families. Climbing the ladder.

Then one day, their marriage falls apart. And we sit down to divide assets.

And there's... nothing.
→ No rental properties
→ No passive income streams
→ No investments outside their 401(k)
→ Just a big house, expensive cars, and a lifestyle they can't afford to maintain on one income

It's like they willingly slapped on golden handcuffs.

It's why this job breaks my heart sometimes.

Because I'm watching people who did everything "right" realize they have no options.

They can't retire.
They can't scale back.
They can't leave a bad situation because they're trapped by their own lifestyle.

The cases I enjoy most are the ones where there's actually something to divide. Where one or both spouses:

→ Invested in real estate
→ Built businesses with equity
→ Created passive income that doesn't require them to show up every day

Those people have options. They can rebuild. They have leverage.

That's why I'm so passionate about passive investing. Because I've seen what happens when you don't have it.

I've watched brilliant, hardworking people realize too late that income isn't wealth.

Real estate didn't just change my finances. It changed what I tell every high-earning professional I meet:

Build equity, not just income.

Create options while you still have a paycheck.

Because one day, you might need those options more than you ever imagined.

What would happen to your lifestyle if your income stopped tomorrow?

-

P.S - If you're a high-income earner and would like to know how you can invest passively in real estate, DM me 'OPTIONS'.

Every quarter, distributions hit my investors' accounts.

Not projections. 
Not models. 
Real dollars.

Here's what passive income actually looks like:

→ Quarterly distributions deposited directly
→ 7-10% annual cash-on-cash target
→ Depreciation offsetting your W2 income
→ Tax advantages that compound every year
→ Transparency — every investor sees the math

Most syndicators sell you a dream.

We send you a check.

Distributions, not promises. 

Earning passive income is a lot easier than people think. 

That's the difference between marketing and a track record.

Follow Gib Irons to learn more about building tax-advantaged passive income.

Medical office buildings collected 94% of rent during COVID.

Traditional offices? 60%.

Here's what most investors miss about medical real estate.

Everyone chases multifamily. 

But medical office buildings have something multifamily doesn't:

Tenant stickiness that borders on permanent.
Think about it.

A dentist invests $300,000-$1,000,000 customizing their suite—specialized HVAC, radiation shielding for imaging, custom plumbing, built-in cabinetry.

Once they move in, they stay for decades.

Our portfolio proves it:
✅ 10-15 year lease terms (vs. 12 months in multifamily)
✅ Built-in 2% annual rent escalations
✅ Triple net leases (tenants pay everything)

The kicker?

By 2034, seniors will outnumber children in the U.S.

That's not a trend. That's a demographic tsunami driving healthcare demand.

But they won't skip their root canal or their annual physical.

Healthcare is non-optional.

I break down strategies like this every week in my newsletter. 

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eFyK8fep

Your financial advisor told you to max your 401K and wait 30 years.

That's not a wealth plan.
That's a prayer.

I've talked to hundreds of high-income earners.

Attorneys making $400K.
Surgeons making $600K.
Business owners clearing $1M.

Most of them have the same net worth as someone making $150K.

Here's why:

→ They earn more but spend more
→ They save into capped vehicles that grow slowly
→ They own zero assets that produce monthly income
→ They have no cash flow outside their paycheck

They're one layoff away from a financial crisis at any income level.

The wealth gap isn't about how much you earn.
It's about how much works for you while you sleep.

A $400K salary with no passive income is just an expensive job.
A $150K salary with passive income is freedom.

The math doesn't care about your title.
It cares about your cash flow.

Stop saving harder.
Start owning assets that pay you.

I break down strategies like this every week in my newsletter. 

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eFyK8fep

Medical tenants sign 10-year leases.
Apartment tenants sign 12-month ones.

One keeps you up at night.
The other lets you sleep.

Most investors don't understand why medical real estate is different.

Here's the breakdown:

→ NNN = tenants pay it all
→ Lease terms run 10-15 years
→ Built-in rent bumps over time
→ 95%+ occupancy across the sector
→ Health systems and doctors as tenants

No midnight maintenance calls.
No revolving door of tenants.
No hoping this month's rent comes in.

Compare that to a 200-unit apartment.
Turnover every year.
Repairs every week.
Tenant disputes every month.

Medical real estate isn't sexy.
Nobody's making TikToks about NNN leases.

But when your tenant is a healthcare system on a 12-year lease paying all operating expenses?

That's a different kind of investment.

Follow me - Gib Irons to learn more about building passive wealth.

I used to think $400K/year made you wealthy.

Then I saw how much the IRS takes. 

That changed everything.

$400K gross.
$160K to the IRS.
$48K to state taxes.
$30K to retirement accounts.
$60K mortgage.
$24K cars and insurance.

You're "rich" on paper and left with $78K to actually live on. That's a $400K earner saving less than someone making $120K with a paid-off house.

The golden handcuffs aren't golden. 

They're just handcuffs with a good salary.

Most people see $400K and think freedom. 

I saw $400K and realized I was on a treadmill. A nice treadmill with a good view. 

But still a treadmill.

I didn't escape by working harder. I escaped by changing where my income came from.

→ Quarterly distributions replace W2 dollars 
→ Working becomes a choice — not a requirement

The goal isn't quitting your job. 

The goal is making sure you don't have to keep it.

That's the difference between earning a living and building wealth. One requires your time every single day. The other works while you sleep.

If you're making $300K+ and feel like you're not getting ahead — you're not crazy. The system isn't designed for you to build wealth through a W2.

Are you interested about leveraging passive real estate?

Send me a DM.

Always consult a tax professional.

Houston. 376 units. 

Seller's forced to move fast. The loan matures in April.

We got a $2.5M discount because of our relationship with the seller.

The numbers:
Current occupancy: 94.4%
In-place rent: $1,510/unit
Pro forma rent: $1,518/unit (minimal rent growth needed)

Houston fundamentals:
172,000 new jobs projected (2025-2029)
496,000+ people moving to Houston by 2029

This checks every box I look for:

-> Proven operator with skin in the game and actual exits

-> Conservative leverage (65% LTV, not 80%+ bridge debt)

-> Strong location fundamentals (jobs + population + limited supply)

-> Clear value-add thesis without heroic rent assumptions

The seller already put $1M+ into renovations: black appliances, granite countertops, vinyl plank flooring, full-size washer/dryer sets.

Heavy lifting is already done. 

7-year Freddie Mac debt. 5 years interest-only at 5.30%.

I don't invest with operators who can't show actual exits.

Funding deadline: February 25th. $100K minimum. Accredited investors.

Monthly distributions via ACH by the 20th. K-1s by March 15.

DM me 'passive' to learn about our next investment opportunity.

--

*This is a 506c - accredited investors only. DM if you aren't sure if you are accredited or not.

You made $400K last year and paid $160K in taxes.

Your CPA probably hasn't mentioned this.

I saved $250K in taxes my first year using real estate w/ Real Estate Professional Designation.

Here's what actually can work:

✅ Cost segregation → accelerates depreciation into year 1 

✅ Real Estate Professional Designation → unlocks passive losses against W2 income (my wife Kate qualified and it changed everything) 

✅ 1031 exchanges → defer capital gains indefinitely 

✅ Strategic charitable giving and energy investments → reduce your AGI directly

Your 401K shelters $23,500. The right real estate strategy shelters multiples of that.

Most high earners overpay because nobody explains the difference between passive and active tax strategies.

Now you know.

DM me "TAX" and I'll walk you through exactly how we structured it.

*I'm not a CPA. Always consult your tax professional before implementing any strategy.

Your job hands you a W-2 every year.

One page. 
One number. 
One tax bill.

Real estate investors get a K-1.
It changes how the IRS sees your money.

Here's what a K-1 from a syndication shows:

→ K-1 shows your depreciation
→ Cost seg moves deductions forward
→ Some distributions are tax-deferred
→ Passive losses offset passive income

Here's the part most people miss:

Passive losses from syndications generally cannot offset your W2 income.

They apply against passive income only.

The tax code treats them differently under Section 469.

This isn't about paying zero taxes.

It's about understanding what the tax code makes available to real estate investors.

Stuff W2-only earners never see on their return.

Always consult a tax professional before making decisions based on tax strategy.
Every situation is different.

Follow me - Gib Irons to learn more about building passive wealth.

I didn't build passive income to quit.
I built it so work became a choice.

That distinction matters.
More than people realize.

3 years ago, if I missed a paycheck?
Everything fell apart.

Mortgage.
Car payment.
Kids' school.
All of it.

Then quarterly cash flow from real estate started covering bills.

Bills I used to stress about.

Then more bills.

Then enough that losing one income source wouldn't break us.

The pressure is different now.
Not gone. But different.

Here's what changes when passive income covers even part of your expenses:

→ You take smarter risks
→ You sleep better at night
→ You negotiate from strength
→ Desperation leaves every decision
→ You think in decades not pay periods

I still work. Hard. Every day.

But on what I want.
With who I want.
On my timeline.

That's not retirement.
That's freedom.
And it started with one investment.

I break down strategies like this every week in my newsletter. 

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eFyK8fep

Senior Construction Project Manager @ VareCo

My company is Investor Acquisitions. 

In short, I help real estate executives attract LP investors. 

What I've found is the best operators in real estate often neglect marketing. 

Marketing is important enough to wish you were better but not important enough to take it on on your own. 

Put another way: If operations fall apart? 
You don't have a business to market. 
If marketing falls apart? 
You've survived this long without it. 

However, there's a catch 22 to this approach to marketing. 

The modern real estate sponsor, broker & lender needs marketing. 

They need to be known. 

Social media expedites 2 key aspects of deal making: 
1. Building awareness of you. 
2. Building trust in you. 

My business is taking the hard work of figuring social media out off your hands, & replacing it with all the benefits. 
1. Being trusted and known at scale. 
2. Generating quality leads. 
3. Raising capital/closing deals. 

The fun stuff that comes from being known. 

Whether you're the CEO, an executive team, or a broker, our team at Investor Acquisitions can level up your brand & content on LinkedIn. 

Our business is telling your story.

If this resonates with you, DM "Intro" to schedule an introduction call.

Cole Baker

Rondale Moore passed away today. 
We attended Purdue at the same time. 
The most electric player I've witnessed live. 

My favorite memory ever in college involved Rondale Moore. 

It was October 20, 2018, Purdue University was 3-3 and facing off against the undefeated number 2 team in the country, Ohio State University. 

It was the 4th quarter of the game. 

Terry McLaurin had just scored a touchdown to bring Ohio State within 2 scores with 4:40 to go in the game.  

For context, Purdue isn't that good at football. 
So when we have a lead?
I never really expect Purdue to keep that lead. 

But on 3&7, on the Ohio State 43 yard line, 
Rondale Moore made one of the most spectacular plays I've ever seen in my life. 
Breaking 2 tackles & spinning out of another for a touchdown. 
To all but seal the game for Purdue. 
Absolutely electric. 

I've never experienced the feeling of pure elation quite like I felt that night with Purdue vs. Ohio State. 

& Rondale was a huge part of that night. 

Rondale, you're an inspiration to me. 

Thank you for giving us your all. 

I pray for your family & friends. 
I pray for your soul. 
May God bless you, Rondale Moore.

I help real estate executives attract investors & build their brands | Trusted by 50 Firms | DM “Intro” to schedule a meeting with Investor Acquisitions

I did some door-knocking today. Did 13 doors. 

Here was the script I came up with in the car: 

"Hello my name is Cole Baker, I buy industrial buildings like this one, who can I speak with about submitting an offer to buy the property?"

Most conversations lasted less than a minute. 

Here were the results: 
• 1 firm no. 
• 3 properties didn't answer the door. 
• 3 phone numbers of owners.  
• 1 "come back tomorrow, the owner just left."  
• 5 "here's who to talk with but I don't have contact info." 

I even got a tour of one of the properties from an employee. 

My favorite interaction though was with an owner. 
Larry. 

Larry wasn't looking to sell, but here's what I asked him: 
"Are you looking to buy other buildings?" 

Larry perked up, & emphatically said "yes."

I got his number & will follow up. 

Day 1 in the books. 

About 2.5 hours of walking the streets of Denver. 
About half of that was hyping myself up to do the first knock. 
Then the second. 
But after about 5 I was getting excited about it. 

Means nearly nothing doing it 1 day, but figured I'd share. 
Looking forward to Day 2.

I spoke with an investor who replaced his $450,000/year tech job with a $50,000,000 real estate portfolio. 

Here's how he did it: 

1) He didn't want to rely on a boss

• There was not "accelerating" retirement. 
• He had to put in the time.
• This unsettled him pretty early on. 
• He had the stock options. 
• So he diversified. 

2) He didn't start small. 

• His first deal was a $1,000,000+ 8-unit deal. 
• He took the knowledge from conversations. 
• He took the knowledge from podcasts. 
• He took the knowledge from books. 
• Then...
• He implemented a value-add plan. 
• He remodeled the interior. 
• He updated the exterior. 
• He raised rents. 
• & refinanced. 

He still owns the asset today. 

Builds up the appreciation. 

Collects the cash flow. 

& the best part? 

No longer works a 9-5. 

P.S. What's the first thing you'd do when you achieve financial freedom?

Warren Buffett bought 49% of Berkshire Hathaway for approximately $8.3 million. 

60 years later…

The company is worth $998 Billion. 

Warren Buffett credits most of his early success to a mentor. 

Benjamin Graham. 

Buffett summed up Graham’s influence in 3 ways: 

1. Graham taught Buffett compassion for shareholders.
2. Graham taught Buffett the importance of generosity.
3. Graham taught Buffett the intricacies of investing.

Buffett credits Graham having been his greatest teacher. 

The greatest investor of our generation credits a mentor as the greatest influence for his success. 

Don’t overthink it. 

Find a mentor.

P.S. Tag your mentor in the comments below! Show 'em some love!

It took 1 year posting on LinkedIn to raise my first $1. 
It took 9 years before I started a profitable business. 
It took 24 years to find the woman I'd marry. 

All the good things we want take time & patience. 

Give yourself the grace to take that time.

I asked a lender (who has originated $23,000,000,000 worth of commercial real estate loans) 3 red flags to avoid in a general partner.

Here's what he said:

𝟭) 𝘼 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧 (𝙂𝙋) 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡.

- In his opinion, a GP must provide capital in the deal.
- It’s this simple: If a GP has no capital in the deal,
- They don’t have your best interest in mind.

𝟮) 𝘼 𝙂𝙋 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

- You don’t want to hear what they promise.
- You want to hear what they’ve done.
- If they haven’t done very much, &
- They promise great returns?
- Run.

𝟯) 𝘼 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝟱+ 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨

- In his opinion, teams shouldn’t exceed 3 GPs.
- When there are too many partners on a team,
- He questions the team’s ability to manage.

There’s no need to take on unnecessary risk.

Dismiss all GPs with these red flags.

P.S. What would you add to the list?

Dave Ramsey was a millionaire by the age of 27.
He owned $4,000,000+ in real estate in 1987. 
The next year? In 1988? He went bankrupt... 
He didn't stay there long though. 
Now? 
His company grosses $300,000,000 a year. 

Here's 2 lessons I've learned studying Dave Ramsey: 

1) Don't let your failures define you. 

• When Dave was bankrupt? He had a wife & kid too. 
• He had $0. No income. & a family to provide for. 
• BUT...
• He didn't let his failure define his story. 
• He got back to work. 

LESSON: 

To be great at anything, you will fail. Many times. 
If you want to build financial freedom?
If you want to build a business? 
Learn to fail. 

2) Sell what you believe in. 

• Dave is controversial for one main reason: 
• He hates debt. 
• A belief formed by the impact of the bankruptcy. 
• It also formed a passion for financial literacy. 
• More specifically, teaching others about it. 
• This passion?
•  It's the foundation of his business. 
• (A $300m per year business)

LESSON: 

Starting a business is really hard. 
But if you want to make it easier?
Believe in what you're selling. 

P.S. Which lesson sticks out most to you? 
P.S.S. What are your thoughts on Dave?

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I spoke to an operator who replaced his finance job income with income from a $3,000,000 real estate portfolio. 

Here's how he replaced his W-2 income: 

1) He was fed up with his current role. 

- He had invested in 8-units prior to his discontent. 
- But the discontent motivated him to step up. 
- & the motivation led to 3+ more deals. 

2) He was willing to take lots of risk. 

- At one point, he had $250,000+ in CC debt. 
- Between labor & material costs for projects. 
- He went ALL in building his portfolio. 

SIDE NOTE: 

This was back in 2019, 2020, 2021 where interest rates were low. He had 3-4 credit cards giving him 0% interest for an entire 12 months! WILD!

3) He leveraged the BRRRR method. 

- At the time, he wasn't utilizing any mentors. 
- Just podcasts, books and good ole action. 
- After each renovation, he'd refinance. 
- & redeploy the capital. 

I wouldn't recommend taking on that kind of credit card debt. 

But one thing was very clear speaking with him: 

He would do anything to make it happen. 

P.S. To what lengths would you go for financial freedom?

I knocked on 10 more doors today. 
Yesterday, it took 2.5 hours to do 13 doors. 
Today, it took me an hour & 15 minutes to do 10.  

Here were the "objective" results from today: 
• 2 firm "no's" from building owners who's own businesses were in the building.
• 2 businesses who rent, but who's key people in the know weren't around.
• 2 phone numbers of business owners who know the building owner.
• 4 properties no one was at I'll circle back to.

Here were the "subjective" results from today: 
• I noticed a measured improvement around the anxiety I felt yesterday about door knocking. 
• I was genuinely excited about the opportunity to meet people. 
• For the first time in a long time, 
• I noticed myself counting the small wins rather than focusing on losses or rather than focusing on the ultimate win I didn't have. 
• It's day 2, there's plenty of challenges to come. 
• But I'm feeling good about knowing that I am doing the work I need to do. 
• Which is also new to me. 

Day 2 in the books. Looking forward to Day 3.

I spoke to a GP who’s acquired $300,000,000 of CRE.
The last 10 years, 
He’s acquired every deal below 30% LTV. 
Here’s why:

In his career, the GP has acquired over 100 properties. 
During the GFC, 10 of his deals lost money. 

Here’s the exact reasoning he gave why:

- 9/10 of the assets were not his usual niche asset-type.
- 9/10 of the assets were not his usual business plan.  
- 3/10 of the assets were not his typical market. 

In other words:

- He tried to do deals he wasn’t familiar with.
- At the exact wrong time in the market.
- with investor capital. 
- He & his investors paid for that. 

LESSON:

- This goes for both limited partners and GPs. 
- Invest in assets & business plans you know. 
- Jon Gray of Blackstone put it this way: 
- “You don’t outsized returns without taking risk.”
- “But we take risk we understand.”
- Debt will amplify that risk. 

P.S. Did this lesson resonate with you? 
If so, comment below why it do! ⬇️

I spoke to an investor who owns a ~$250,000 SFR. 

The catch?

He & his wife are JV's with family members. 
He & his wife want to sell the SFR. 
Family wants to keep it. 

The way the deal is structured, they can't just sell the property...

They're stuck. 

This is a major downside to the JV structure. 

Here's 3 tips to avoid this in future deals: 

1) Identify the long term plan for each JV member. 
2) Have your attorney draft clear exit provisions.
3) Create an exit plan aligned w/ expectations. 

BONUS: 

4) Don't ever do deals with family???

Will this guarantee you avoid issue?
No. 
But it will provide options.

Curious to hear your experiences with JVs. 

Have you experienced something similar?

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦; 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

$400,000,000 in transaction volume as a broker. 
30,000+ followers on LinkedIn. 
0 leads. 

A (now) client approached me with a question: 
• "Can you improve my LinkedIn results?"
• "I get 15K impressions each week."
• "I post content every single day."
• "I already have a following."
• "But I don't get leads." 
• "What do I do?"

In the last few weeks alone, this same client set 35 meetings from 100K+ impressions. 

Only 12 weeks into working together. 

Even cooler? 

As a broker, he has 10,000's of people seeing the deals he's selling each week. 

(Talk about a competitive advantage for his clients selling a deal)

Here's the exact post schedule we use for his content: 

M: Deal Breakdown Post
T : Asset-Type Education Post
W: Promotional Post for an Active Deal
T : Famous Person Post
F : Personal Post/Deal Breakdown
S: Weekly Update Post
S: Personal Post. 

P.S. Was this helpful? Comment below with what was most helpful.

I asked an accountant (who managed the books for a sponsor with $200,000,000 in AUM) the best way an LP can identify a quality sponsor. 

What he told me actually blew me away: 

1) Ask the GP what % of their income from their investment firm is from acquisition fees. 

• If the GP answers over 50%, do not invest. 
• This GP is too reliant on acquiring real estate for their income.  
• & it's an indication they don't have sound operations. 
• You want the asset management fees, promotes, & other income to far out way compensation from acquisition fees. 

2) Ask the GP what their payroll is. 

• If the GP doesn't know the answer, run. 
• You track what you care about. 
• If they don't know their overhead cost, 
• & don't know the cost of their labor. 
• They don't care about the deal. 

3) Ask the GP what % of asset management fees they collect across their portfolio. 

• When an investment is in distress, the first bit of compensation to be turned off is the asset management fees. 
• If a sponsor owns 20 properties, & is collecting asset management fees from 95% of them? 
• That's a great indication the deals are being run well. 

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on these questions. 

P.S. I help limited partners place equity into real estate. 

If you're a limited partner & this resonated, let's talk.

I asked an investor (who owns $10,000,000 worth of mobile home parks) why they chose the asset class. 

Here's what she had to say: 

• Depreciation.
• A low basis.
• Cash flow.

1) depreciation

• The value of traditional real estate is in the structure. 
• With residential real estate, 
• The depreciation schedule is 27.5 years. 
• Within commercial real estate, 
• The depreciation schedule is 39 years. 
• For mobile home parks, it's a totally different asset. 
• Almost none of the value is in its structures. 
• Rather much of the value is in roads, utility lines, clubhouses, lighting, fencing, electrical, pads. 
• All items that have "shorter" lives in the eyes of the law. 

2) A low basis. 

• Everything is better when you buy at a low basis. 
• You have flexibility through market downturns.
• You have lower breakeven occupancy.
• Debt is cheaper.

3) Cash flow. 

• Especially if you structure the site in the correct manor. 
• Think renting the pad sites. 
• Rather than the mobile homes themselves. 
• Cash flow is what creates freedom. 
• & many investors want that. 

P.S. What's your opinion on invest in MHPs? 
I'm much more curious after the conversation with this operator.

Matt Shumer generated 81,000,000 impressions from a single piece of content. 

He gained 200,000 followers on Twitter in 4 days. 

He was interviewed by top news programs. 

& no doubt…

Generated interest is his startup. 

All from 1 piece of content. 
 
TL;DR

Create content.

I spoke to an investor with $120,000,000 in AUM. 
He raised $2,400,000 in equity this month alone. 
Is the "slump" over?

I've heard a lot of chatter about a lack of capital.
I've heard a lot of chatter about down markets.
I've heard a lot of chatter about a recession.

Yet, plenty of people out there are doing deals.

3 trends I'm seeing in CRE right now:  

1. Cash flow is king for accredited investors.

• I'm seeing more deals get funded with 1 focus. 
• Not value-add. Not development.
• Cash flow.

2. Development is king for family offices.

• The conversations I have with capital allocators. 
• RIAs, family offices, etc. 
• A lot of them are focused on developments. 
• I feel like this is contrary to the news. 
• Are you seeing the same thing? 

3. First time investors want to operate. 

• I've heard this a lot from experienced operators. 
• But I'm starting to experience it for myself now. 
• People who haven't invested in CRE before? 
• They want to buy, buy, buy. 

Curious to hear what's going on in your market? 

What trends seem to be bucking the news?

or what trends seem to be sticking?

I spoke with an analyst at an institutional firm managing $93,750,000,000 worth of assets about how they underwrite deals. 

At the analyst level, they focus on a single metric. 

Not the annualized return. 
Not the equity multiple. 
Not the IRR
Cash-on-cash returns. 

9%+ in year one. That's the benchmark. 

I've spoken with retail investors. 
I've spoken with family offices. 
I've spoken with developers. 
I've spoken with operators. 

It's clear to me that more & more investors right now want consistent cash flow over the other performance metrics. 

Curious to hear your thoughts on this sentiment of the market.

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