MB407: How to Create Wealth in 2024 — With Michael Blank

Your attorney is a key player in helping you close on any real estate deal.But the right commercial real estate attorney truly cares about you and your success. They are willing to educate you on aspects of the law you might not know and navigate problems that arise along the way. Kyle Swafford is the founder of Swafford Law, a commercial real estate law firm that represents clients in syndications, tax considerations for investors, join ventures and commercial lending.Kyle has a wealth of experience in tax law, commercial real estate law and securities compliance, working as an International Tax Consultant at Deloitte prior to building his own firm.On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, we’re sharing Kyle’s conversation with Garrett Lynch on real estate law at Deal Maker Live 2024.Kyle explains what inspired his transition from tax law to real estate and how he streamlines the process of closing on a multifamily deal.Listen in for Kyle’s insight on distress in the current commercial market and learn how a good attorney can help you avoid mistakes and get your next deal across the finish line!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session418/To contact Kyle here are his details:Website: www.swaffordlawllc.comEmail: [email protected]: 404-532-9531

Is fear holding you back from investing in multifamily?Even seasoned investors like us deal with fear. The difference is, we don’t let it stop us from moving forward. But how do you expand your comfort zone? How do you feel the fear and take action anyway?On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett and I sit down to explain why now is the right time to invest in multifamily and ‘be greedy when others are fearful.’ We discuss how we pulled off a refinance on a variable rate property (in just 25 days!) and offer advice on how to never run out of leads for raising capital.Listen in to understand why new investors don’t have to start with single family strategies and learn how to expand your comfort zone to achieve financial freedom with multifamily real estate!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session417/

Are you looking to build a business but don’t want to start from scratch? What if you could learn a proven system and receive support from someone who’s done it themselves?Then you might be interested in an RV rental management franchise, a business that monetizes the RV boom and helps entrepreneurs build wealth with WHEEL estate!Garr Russell is Founder and CEO of Fireside RV Rental, the Airbnb of RVs. Since its inception in 2015, Fireside has grown into a franchise with 40 locations across the country and hundreds of RVs under management.A born entrepreneur, Garr has started, scaled and sold several companies. His genius lies in understanding systems, marketing, and forging the way for others.On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garr joins us to explain how renting out his own RV inspired him to build and scale Fireside.Garr discusses how RV owners benefit from the Fireside business model and describes how franchisees learn his proven system and receive support from expert RV rental managers.Listen in for Garr’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and learn how to launch, grow and manage a successful RV rental business with other people’s RVs—no prior experience required.For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session416/

Good multifamily deals have been hard to find in recent years. And Alex Cartwright was struggling to compete with more experienced investors.He was looking for a niche that would give him a unique advantage. That’s when he met a broker at a conference who suggested converting a hotel into apartments.Alex thought it sounded like a pain in the you-know-what. But when he looked at the numbers, Alex realized that the problems were worth solving.Today, Alex is Founder and Managing Partner at Vilicus Capital, a real estate investing firm that specializes in converting hotels into affordable multifamily housing. Alex is also Associate Professor of Economics at Ferris State University, where he teaches classes on managerial economics, economic growth and international business.On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Alex joins us to explain what inspired his interest in real estate as a tenured professor making six figures.Alex shares his twist on the traditional multifamily strategy, describing how he finds hotels that can be purchased cheaply in growing markets and converts them into workforce housing.Listen in for insight into Alex’s first deal as lead GP of a hotel conversion and learn how to find your niche as an investor to achieve financial freedom with real estate!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session415/

Here at Nighthawk Equity, we haven’t done a multifamily deal in 18 months.So, we were excited to find what looked like an ideal opportunity in Atlanta. And two months ago, we got the deal under contract.But after spending $15,000 in the due diligence process, we ultimately decided to walk away.What went wrong?On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I sit down with my partners at Nighthawk, Drew Kniffin and Garrett Lynch, to debrief on the deal we didn’t do.We explain what we liked about the deal, describing what made it a textbook value-add opportunity and how we planned to renovate the units and upgrade several amenities in the community.Listen in for insight into the issues we discovered in the due diligence process and learn how to stick to your investment criteria and protect your investors by walking away from a bad deal!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session414/

You don’t know what you don’t know. And if you’re doing your very first multifamily acquisition, every little thing that comes up can seem insurmountable.But if you have the support of a mentor, they can talk you through those obstacles, prevent rookie mistakes, and alleviate your concerns as an aspiring investor.Jeremy Lemere is a successful investor and operator of multifamily, commercial, and self-storage facilities in Northeast Wisconsin. He is also a mentor with the Michael Blank program, and his investment portfolio of $15M is made up of personal investments, self-directed IRA funds, solo 401(k) funds and real estate syndications.On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Jeremy joins guest host Marybeth Noonan to explain how being a student in our mentoring program helped him transition out of his W-2.Jeremy describes how he stayed connected to our network through a mastermind and eventually joined the team as a mentor, sharing his strengths in understanding finance and capital markets.Listen in for insight on playing in different asset classes for the best return and learn how a mentor can help you learn the business of being a real estate investor!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session413/

Do you feel stuck? Like you’re not making progress in life?Until my early 30s, I drifted through life. It felt like unseen forces were holding me back. And then I had a breakthrough and started living an intentional life—filled with purpose and fulfillment.What made the difference? What does it mean to live with intention? What disciplines helped me identify and pursue what really matters to me?On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, I’m sharing my five clarity practices for living an intentional life.I discuss the My Perfect Day exercise that helped me start making mindful choices and walk you through my process for setting five-year, one-year and quarterly goals.Listen in for insight on scheduling Monthly Clarity Days and Weekly Strategic Time to reflect on your progress and learn how a Daily Morning Routine can help you live a more purposeful, fulfilling life!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session412/

Would David Kamara have figured out how to invest in multifamily on his own?Yes, but at a much slower pace.Working with a mentor accelerated his success. And now, the student has become the teacher.David is a seasoned investor and mentor with the Michael Blank program. With 15 years of experience in real estate, David owns 1,000-plus units across the Midwest, primarily in Michigan and Iowa.David is also a successful management consultant and sought-after advisor to C-suite executives and private equity investors. And he is fluent in five languages!On this episode of Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, David joins guest host Marybeth Noonan to share his early wins as a student in our mentoring program.David describes a near-perfect deal he manages in Marquette, Michigan, and discusses how he problem-solved an unexpected situation where the property taxes on a pending deal tripled.Listen in for insight on trusting your resourcefulness as an aspiring investor and learn how a mentor like David can fast track your success in multifamily investing.For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session411/

Whether you're looking to close a business deal or just improve your everyday interactions, the art of negotiation is key to getting to a YES.But what if you’re not a natural negotiator? How do you build a relationship with the person on the other side of the table? Or learn to navigate difficult conversations? On this episode of the Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Garrett is back to explain how his experience selling Cutco knives helped him become an expert negotiator. He describes how he prepares for a negotiation, discussing what it means to command the relationship and how to respond when emotions run high.Listen in for Garrett’s tips on gaining leverage in a negotiation and learn how to secure the negotiator’s edge in a legal dispute, contract negotiation or real estate deal.For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session410/

Reading Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired me to build generational wealth. But the first few cashflow businesses I tried didn’t produce the passive income I expected.So, if you’re thinking about starting your real estate career with fix-and-flips or even a SFH portfolio, know that neither strategy leads to financial freedom.But can you really skip single family investing and jump right into apartments?On this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing my journey to financial freedom with real estate, explaining why I tried to earn passive income with restaurants first—and why that strategy didn’t work.I discuss why it’s impossible to scale a single-family portfolio to achieve financial freedom and describe the light bulb moment when I pivoted to multifamily investing.Listen in for insight on getting into multifamily without money or experience and learn how to skip SFH investing and start building wealth with apartments!For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session409/