In this case study interview episode, Jeff sits down with Steven, who recently closed on the purchase of a great off-market duplex with incredible Seller Financing terms! Steven tells the story of how the lead was generated, how the negotiations went and ultimately how the final deal came together. Steven is a client of The DEALS Workshop, a group coaching program that mentors rental real estate investors through every step of the process of finding, negotiating and closing on an off-market rent...
Apr 19, 2023•31 min
As real estate investors, we often talk about the differences between the different types of loans we can get to buy our properties. But one thing we don’t often do is look beyond the loans themselves, and consider the lenders of those loans and their psychology. There are huge differences in the psychology between seller financing lenders and other types of traditional or private money lenders. In this episode, Jeff breaks down three key differences in the psychological dynamics of seller finan...
Apr 14, 2023•20 min
Is taking a relationship-based approach to working with off-market Sellers just a strategy to feel good and know we are being thoughtful? No, it’s also a hugely important strategy for negotiating BETTER deals for ourselves (and giving our Sellers better outcomes). In this episode, Jeff interviews long-time successful real estate investor Gabriel Hamel, who has built an incredible portfolio using the power of relationship to buy a wide range of properties with Seller Financing. In this conversati...
Apr 05, 2023•49 min
Have you ever felt discouraged in your effort to build a cash-flowing rental portfolio? Probably so—most of us have. Perhaps you feel like the cash flowing properties are just too hard to find; or maybe you feel that today’s prices and interest rates just don’t pencil out. If you’ve ever felt that way, this episode will give you a new way to look at things. In this episode, Jeff shares a powerful analogy that he developed to help his coaching clients. This analogy will help you reframe your appr...
Mar 23, 2023•13 min
Many mainstream real estate investors have a mentality of “I don’t care where my leads come from as long as the numbers make sense.” But we Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs see it very differently—we care greatly where the leads come from, for one important reason: we don’t just buy properties, we buy Opportunities. And that means we have to have lead sources that let us see and evaluate the whole Opportunity, not just the property. In this episode, Jeff explains the difference between a pro...
Mar 15, 2023•18 min
One of the most common questions we ask—and hear from our peers often—in our real estate investing community is, “is this a deal?!” And while it’s natural to get out our calculators and start answering that question through math and deal analysis, it’s important that we step back and evaluate this question from a different, higher-level perspective, as well. In this episode, Jeff introduces a different and more strategic question to ask to ask ourselves when evaluating a deal: “where would I be ...
Mar 02, 2023•36 min
Unlock your ability to buy investment real estate without banks or real estate agents! In this episode, Jeff shares the recording from a recent presentation he delivered called The Hidden World of Investment Real Estate. In this presentation you’ll learn that there's a whole world of real estate that can be purchased without banks or agents. You’ll learn how you can buy properties nobody else knows are for sale...without applying for a bank loan. You’ll learn how to have control over your own re...
Feb 22, 2023•43 min
What if you could combine the benefits of flipping properties with the benefits of being a landlord into one seamless real estate investing strategy? It’s possible, when you learn the Hybrid Investing strategy. In this episode, Jeff interviews Jesse Mills, an investor, coach and expert in many aspects of real estate investing. Jesse has created and perfected an approach to investing called the Hybrid Investing strategy that could be a great fit for many real estate investors. Check out this inte...
Feb 16, 2023•55 min
Have you ever looked at a deal and though, “that’s too much down—that wouldn’t be a good deal”? Or perhaps you’ve thought, “I just don’t have enough cash to make that big of a down payment?” It’s OK, we’ve all thought that before! But having that mentality can cause a huge problem: we can too quickly and easily dismiss and disqualify opportunities just based on their down payments…and cause us to miss huge opportunities. In this episode—the second of a two-part series—Jeff explains that “down pa...
Feb 08, 2023•27 min
Have you ever looked at a deal and though, “that’s too much down—that wouldn’t be a good deal”? Or perhaps you’ve thought, “I just don’t have enough cash to make that big of a down payment?” It’s OK, we’ve all thought that before! But having that mentality can cause a huge problem: we can too quickly and easily dismiss and disqualify opportunities just based on their down payments…and cause us to miss huge opportunities. In this episode—the first of a two-part series—Jeff explains that “down pay...
Feb 02, 2023•19 min
In this episode, Jeff sits down with Nate, a client in The DEALS Workshop, who recently bought a great property off-market with Seller Financing. Nate tells the story of the whole deal, from meeting the Seller to negotiating the purchase, making adjustments through the due diligence period, and getting it closed. He also tells the story of a simultaneous negotiation he had with a different Seller, and explains how having those two negotiations happening at the same time was very helpful, and an ...
Jan 19, 2023•38 min
One of the challenges of real estate investing is that there are so many different ways to do it—so many different acquisition strategies, property types, income strategies, etc. Simply learning about them all and sampling each one could seemingly take a lifetime by itself! So how do you know when you’ve found the right strategy for you? How do you know it’s OK to stop learning about every other strategy, and simply commit to one strategy? In this episode, Jeff discusses the journey of exploring...
Jan 09, 2023•17 min
When it comes to getting Seller Financing loans, how exactly do we quality as borrowers? Is there an application to complete with the Seller? How do they decide if we are safe to loan money to? In this episode, Jeff discusses the secret to qualifying for Seller Financing loans, which is to demonstrate who we are to Sellers, rather than telling them. Jeff provides several tactical and specific examples of things you can do to show the Seller who you are, and ultimately to qualify for the Seller F...
Dec 20, 2022•16 min
In this bonus episode, Jeff shares an exciting new offering: a FREE Seller Financing 101 video training course. After hundreds of conversations with real estate investors, it became clear to Jeff that in order for the Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur community to have advanced conversations about harnessing Seller Financing strategies, we first needed to establish a common framework and language of the fundamental concepts of Seller Financing. In this episode, Jeff shares the audio from the f...
Dec 14, 2022•12 min
Many investors think that their interests as Buyers are diametrically opposed to the interests of Sellers—that Buyers simply want to pay the least, and Sellers simply want to get paid the most. But is this really true? And if Buyer and Seller have opposing interests, how do so many deals get done? Is every party disappointed at the end of every transaction? In this episode, Jeff discusses why Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs know that Buyer and Seller actually have interests that are truly a...
Nov 30, 2022•15 min
For many real estate investors, seeing the market shift from being an extreme Seller’s market to being a more balanced market—if not in favor of Buyers—is a very welcome sight! They are getting excited about being able to buy more properties than they’ve been able to these past few years. But is buying MORE real estate always the best way to take advantage of this new market cycle? Perhaps not. In this episode, Jeff discusses the difference between buying MORE real estate, and buying BETTER real...
Nov 17, 2022•20 min
When we are having a conversation with a Seller, we must be able to respond to the Seller’s comments and questions in real-time. And because we’re human, we have a natural tendency to “react” to their comments—either giving them the impression of agreement or disagreement. But often times the best way to respond is not to agree or to disagree, but to gather more information and keep the conversation moving forward. In this episode, Jeff shares a powerful three-word sentence you can use as a go-t...
Nov 09, 2022•17 min
It’s no secret—the real estate market is currently changing. After a few years of a strong Seller’s market, the market is currently balancing itself out. Many people are now exclaiming, “we can finally get Seller Financing again!” And it’s true that Seller Financing is quickly become a more and more accessible tool. But it’s important to understand that Seller Financing was always a great tool—even in the Seller’s market. In this episode, Jeff explains the changing role of Seller Financing in to...
Nov 01, 2022•18 min
When we think about the benefit of owning rental properties, we often think about financial freedom. And when we think of financial freedom, we think of having the ability to stop working so that we can spend our time doing things that we enjoy far more in our lives—spending time with family, traveling, volunteering, etc. In this episode, Jeff shares a personal story about how he was reminded that financial freedom from real estate actually also offers a different type of benefit, as well....
Oct 25, 2022•13 min
Have you ever considered a real estate investment strategy where you partner with other investors, and contribute money into their deals—having a small slice of of a much larger pie? If so, this episode is for you. In this interview, Jeff chats with Julie Holly of The Conscious Investor podcast. Julie is an investor in multifamily properties through syndication, and works with private investors to fund deals. Jeff and Julie discuss what it means to be a conscious investor, the journey of experim...
Sep 09, 2022•36 min
You’ve got big plans, goals and dreams….but are you ready to pursue them? Humans crave comfort, and comfort comes from perceiving that you’re “ready” for whatever you going to undertake next in your life. But do you need to wait until you’re ready? Is waiting until you’re ready actually hindering your progress? In this episode, Jeff discusses the illusion of readiness, and offers five reasons why you should NOT wait until you feel “ready” to pursue your next endeavor—whether that’s buying a rent...
Aug 31, 2022•19 min
“How much does it cost?” These words roll so naturally out of our mouths when presented with an opportunity to buy something. But is “how much does it cost” really the right first question? In most cases, no. Why? Because we don’t yet know enough about the thing we are potentially purchasing, to evaluate it if it’s really a good VALUE. In this episode, Jeff discusses the difference between price and value, and explains why as real estate entrepreneurs, we need to be far more focused on value tha...
Aug 26, 2022•15 min
A talented and experienced Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur has the skills and tools to make deals work that most other investors can’t. And that’s a great thing! But should a real estate investor say yes and do every deal they can, just because they can find a way to make it work? No, they shouldn’t. In this episode, Jeff discusses the critical importance of holding two ideas in a healthy tension: finding ways to say yes to a deal, but finding reasons to say no to a deal. When we have the ta...
Aug 22, 2022•17 min
Have you ever considered investing in mobile homes as rental properties? For many of us, it’s an interesting and intriguing idea, but one we’re not very familiar with. Mobile homes are an asset class within real estate investing that for many people is loaded with stereotypes, generalizations and even stigma. In this episode, Jeff interviews mobile home investing expert and author of “How to Buy Mobile Homes,” Adrian Smude from Lifestyle REI. Adrian and Jeff have a wide-ranging conversation, dis...
Aug 02, 2022•54 min
As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we have a core thesis about how we do business. It’s our strongest belief and the guiding principle for how we go about building wealth through real estate. It says, “Designing your entire acquisition and finance strategy around relationship development directly with Sellers creates better outcomes for BOTH them and you.” In this episode, Jeff breaks down this thesis statement into its many parts and explains the importance of each one. Check out this epi...
Jul 28, 2022•18 min
When it comes to working directly with sellers—especially with seller financing or other creative financing—creating the right deal structures can admittedly seem a little complicated. But ultimately, every deal simply comes down to three simple things: 1) what are you giving me? 2) what am I giving you? 3) what form does the things we are giving each other take? In this episode, Jeff breaks down this simple framework in detail and provides examples of how to answer each of these three questions...
Jul 12, 2022•15 min
Most people will tell you that real estate investing is all about the brain—looking at numbers and making purely rational decisions. These same people will tell you that they love any property that makes them money. That may be one type of “love,” but there’s another type of love as well: truly loving the properties you own themselves. In this episode, Jeff discusses that there is great value and benefit in building a portfolio of properties you truly love.
Jul 08, 2022•22 min
Let’s face it, real estate is a complex topic. From numbers to forms and documents, to terminology, there’s a lot that has to be discussed between Buyer and Seller. In the world of sales and marketing, it’s often said that “a confused mind always says no.” The same is true for Sellers. You can have the best offer or proposal in the world, but if the Seller feels at all confused by any or all of it, their default response will be to say ‘no.’ In this episode, Jeff discusses the importance of not ...
Jun 27, 2022•17 min
As real estate investors growing a portfolio, our perspective on the world is that we BUY properties. But really, it would be more accurate to say that Sellers SELL properties. Why? Because there’s no transaction unless the Seller would prefer to trade what they currently have (a property and situation) for something different that they would consider “better.” In this episode, Jeff explains that when we reorient our perspective to appreciate that properties aren’t actually bought, but rather so...
Jun 16, 2022•16 min
You’ve heard the expression before: “everything is for sale at the right price!” But is it that actually true? No, it’s not. It’s close, but not quite accurate—and the distinction is an important one for Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs to understand, if they are to get the ‘yes’ they need from their Sellers. In this episode, Jeff explains why it’s not true that “everything is for sale at the right price,” and explains the more accurate statement: “everything is for sale when you can give th...
Jun 06, 2022•15 min
