Episodes
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202: In this episode, I'm interviewing Denise Ford, a land investor with a fascinating story.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/202)
Denise explains her transition from a marketing career as a single mother to closing 17 deals in one direct mail campaign. She dives into the strategies she used to secure investor funding, the lessons learned from juggling her W-2, and the importance of adapting to market changes.
Discover why conferences and connections with people are important, how Denise navigates creative land deals, and the importance of conquering fear. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or new to the game, this interview is packed with valuable insights. -
201: Earlier this year, I met Jon Newth at a conference when he approached me to say, "Thank you." It turns out I had played a role in helping him discover and succeed in the land investing business.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/201)Jon took the Land Investing Masterclass in late 2021, and when he shared what his business has become since then, I was blown away. The more he told me about what he was doing, the more I thought, “I’ve got to get this guy on the podcast.”
This episode is packed with valuable insights. Why? Because Jon isn’t here to sell you anything or spin a story. He’s just an ordinary guy who’s achieved extraordinary results; in my experience, these are the best people to learn from. We're going to dig into his journey and figure out exactly how he’s been able to make it all happen.
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Missing episodes?
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200: In this 200th episode of the REtipster Podcast, we sit down with Justin Piché, a Navy veteran and land investor who built a 7-figure land flipping business with a 20+ member team. Justin shares his story of transitioning from submarine officer to ExxonMobil engineer to successful entrepreneur.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/200)If you’re interested in land investing, building a team, or learning how to thrive in today’s real estate market, this episode is packed with value!
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199: In this episode, I’m sitting down with Travis King, one of the sharpest land investors I know, to discuss what he’s learned over a year filled with personal and professional challenges. From the tragic loss of his father to a health scare with his wife, Travis shares openly about how he managed his land business through these times. We dive into how he's adapted his strategies to the changing market, including why he’s leaning more into subdividing and automation.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/199)
We also discuss how Travis’s approach to land investing has evolved and which marketing strategies work best in the current market. If you’re in the land business or considering it, this episode offers a unique blend of resilience, growth, and practical tips you won’t want to miss. -
198: The first time I talked with Alicia Jarrett in episode 92, she explained how and why she got into the land business and how she managed to work her entire land business in the US from across the world in Australia.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/198)
Today, we're talking about cold calling, which has grown in popularity over the past year or two in the land investing space. While it used to be something that nobody ever did, these days, many land investors rely on it, either partially or completely, to find their land deals.Why has cold calling grown so popular? What kind of land investor is this for, and how is the cold-calling process supposed to work?
In this episode, we'll cover the full spectrum of what this marketing strategy is about with Alicia and Supercharged Offers.
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197: Today's guest is Ben Pijanowski.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/197)
Ben is the co-owner and COO of Assets for Acres. In this episode, he shares his journey from a corporate job to becoming an entrepreneur in the land investing space. He details how he partnered up with Ajay, describing it as "dating before getting married"—they tested out working together before fully committing to a 50/50 business partnership. Ben explains the complementary roles they play, with Ajay as the visionary and Ben as the integrator who focuses on operations and efficiency.
The discussion covers Assets for Acres' evolution, from simple land flips to tackling larger development projects like entitlements and subject-to deals. Ben provides insights into scaling the business and diversifying their investment strategies, as well as how and why their partnership has worked so far.
If you've ever considered teaming up with someone in the land investing world—and how to find that someone in the first place— you don't want to miss this conversation. -
196: Today's guest is Ted Thomas.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/196)
Ted is a maestro in tax liens and tax deeds, an area of real estate investing with many fascinating parallels to the land flipping business—with a few important differences.Today, we will explore the ins and outs of tax lien and tax-defaulted property investing. Ted is going to share his decades of experience in this niche and the exact strategies he uses to find and close these deals.
Whether you're an experienced real estate investor looking to expand your portfolio or you're just getting started and eager to learn, there's a ton to unpack here. Ted's expertise will shed light on the strategies, potential pitfalls, and the strategies needed to succeed in this complex yet rewarding space.
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195: If you’re a long-time listener to this show, you almost certainly know Jaren Barnes.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/195)Jaren has been running his community, called the Land Maverick Society, for the past couple of years. He’s also among the very select few REtipster Certified Coaches, meaning he’s someone I know, like, and trust, and he aligns very well with the REtipster brand. Whenever people ask me where they can find a good coach in the land investing business, Jaren is one of the people I point them to.
Today, Jaren and I will discuss our thoughts on the current state of the market, some of the challenges many land investors have had this year, and, more importantly, why we should all have hope and why it’s not all doom and gloom.
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When I started offering seller financing on my properties, I thought I had found the perfect way to generate steady income and sell properties faster. But after years of waiting for borrowers to pay off their loans, I realized one of the biggest drawbacks of selling properties with owner financing: my money was tied up, which hindered my ability to reinvest and grow my business.
(Full Blog Post: REtipster.com/sell-your-notes)It felt like a Catch-22. Seller financing helped me sell properties for higher prices and collect interest, but the slow drip of payments limited my cash flow. I wanted a way to get my money back sooner without losing the benefits of seller financing.
I know I'm not alone in this dilemma, and that's why I wanted to explain when, where, and how a real estate investor can sell their notes. This can unlock the cash we need now rather than waiting for years to collect it.
It's not always the perfect solution, but it can be a great way to get your money back quickly, keep the momentum going, and avoid the headaches of managing loans. In this episode, I’ll explain how it works and the key factors to maximize your returns when selling notes. -
194: Today, I sat down with Evan Shelley, the brains behind Truck Parking Club.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/194)
Evan took a unique path in real estate, spotting a big opportunity in truck parking. He used his experience in land investing and civil engineering to build a tech startup that's changing the way truckers find parking across the U.S. We talked about how he went from zero bookings to thousands of reservations every day—a real testament to his hard work and vision.
We also dive into the potential of industrial outdoor storage, the challenges of building a marketplace for both truckers and parking lot owners, and how real estate investors can get in on this growing trend. Evan shares some great insights about the market, the importance of solving real problems, and how focusing on a clear goal can lead to huge growth.
Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, this episode will give you a new perspective on finding opportunities in unexpected places and how technology is changing the game in real estate. -
193: I discovered George McCleary recently when I came across a viral video he made called “I Stole a House.” In this video, he demonstrates how easy it is to be a squatter and take over a house in Portland, Oregon.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/193)This video amassed tens of millions of views, and since then, George has been featured on Dr. Phil and in news outlets worldwide, including BiggerPockets, Fox News, and Joe Rogan. Since this happened, George has been educating property owners about the financial devastation caused by squatters and title fraud.
Unfortunately, title fraud has become a big problem in some parts of the country. Even the squatting issue is a potential problem some of us may have to deal with in the land business, so we’re going to get into this subject a bit today and understand what squatting is, what "squatters rights " are, why squatters have rights at all, and what a property owner can do to protect themselves and deal with a squatter if this issue ever comes up.
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192: Jay Thomason and Daniel Earhart have been friends of REtipster for many years now. I first talked with them in episode 50. This is a great place to start if you want to hear their backstory, how long they’ve been in the business, and so on.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/192)In this episode, I wanted to learn more about how they’ve been pretty successful at getting bank financing for their land deals. Most land investors have a hard time with this because most banks aren’t interested in lending on residential vacant lots unless the owner has an immediate plan to develop it.
When I caught up with Daniel and Jay at the Land UnConference this past year, they explained a little bit about how they did this, and I thought the whole REtipser audience needed to hear about this. After all, if we can unlock bank financing and the lower rates that come with the package, this would be a very helpful financing alternative for those of us who don’t have the funds ourselves, don’t want to take out much more expensive hard money loans, and don't want to give away huge amounts of our profit to funders.
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For many years in my land investing journey, the biggest challenge I faced was access to capital. I had to walk away from countless opportunities to buy properties at a fraction of their market value simply because I didn't have the funds, and most banks wanted nothing to do with these kinds of deals. The landscape of land investing has changed significantly over the past 15 years. With thousands of new investors entering the field, the emergence of land funders has opened new avenues for those who know how to find deals but lack the money to close them.
(See the Full Blog Post)In this episode, we'll dive deep into land funding—a fascinating sub-niche where funders provide the necessary capital for deals and share the profits with operators. We'll explore how these partnerships are structured, the key elements to consider when drafting a funding agreement, and the different "recipes" that funders and operators use to divide responsibilities and ensure a successful partnership. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just getting started, understanding these strategies could be the key to unlocking new opportunities in your land investing journey.
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191: In this episode, I'm talking with Clayton Hepler.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/191)Clay has been on an incredible journey, building a thriving land-flipping business over the past two years. We discussed the challenges he faced during his first year, the importance of having financial reserves and consistency, and how he scaled his business by focusing on market selection and sales.
Throughout the interview, Clayton emphasizes the significance of having a strong mental game and using land investing to achieve financial freedom and build a legacy for his family.
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190: Are you ready to take your land investing game to the next level? In this episode, we sit down with Mike Balcom, a former professional poker player turned land investing mastermind. Mike shares his unconventional journey and the hard-won lessons he's learned along the way.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/190)
From navigating the challenges of novation deals to building a rockstar team culture, Mike reveals the strategies and mindset shifts that have allowed him to close hundreds of successful deals. He also shares cautionary tales of the costly mistakes that can trip up even experienced investors.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting, this episode has actionable insights and insider tips you won't want to miss. Tune in now and discover how to avoid common pitfalls, unlock hidden profits, and build a thriving land investing business. -
When you sell a property with owner financing, one of the biggest advantages for you, as the seller, is that you can dictate and control a lot of the terms and conditions of the loan you set up.
This is a huge benefit, but only if you know how to wield this kind of power and what options you have on the table.
Let's step back and acknowledge something.
When you give your buyers the option to purchase your property with seller financing, you're doing them a huge favor. This allows them to sidestep a lot of the time-wasting (and sometimes deal-killing) red tape that banks force their borrowers to go through.
Sometimes, seller financing is a borrower's only option because their bank doesn't like the property or the borrower's risk profile.
Other times, buyers will take you up on seller financing even if they have other options simply because they don't want to deal with banks.
Don't get me wrong, working with a bank has advantages too.
Banks typically charge a lower interest rate and almost always allow for a longer amortization on their loans with no balloon payments. Banks have no problem letting their borrowers pay off loans over 15 to 30 years, but most sellers (including you) won't wait this long to get their money back.
If you decide to offer this convenience to your borrowers, you'll want to know how to stack the cards in your favor so that you're compensated for the inconvenience of waiting longer to get your money. It's not just about getting a large enough down payment and high enough interest rate (although that is a huge part); it's also about having control.
Read the Full Blog Post -
189: Today's guest is David Pere.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/189)
David is the mastermind behind the website and online community, From Military to Millionaire.
His journey began in the military, where he served his country and discovered his passion for real estate and personal finance. Through his platform, David is empowering military members, veterans, and civilians alike by sharing invaluable insights about achieving financial independence.
Dave's expertise in maximizing income, smart saving, and strategic investing has guided many toward building wealth and becoming millionaires. Today, we will hear his story, strategies, and the wisdom he's gained from serving in the military to becoming a real estate mogul and a financial mentor. -
When you buy real estate with seller financing, you can structure the terms of the deal so that YOU, as the buyer/borrower, have a deal that is highly advantageous for you, with as many options as possible.
Granted, you'll be somewhat limited by the seller and the options they're willing to give you. However, when you get a loan from a bank or credit union, you will not have this flexibility. There's not even a point in trying to negotiate the terms of your loan with them because that's just not how they work.
When you borrow money from a bank or credit union, they will always use their boilerplate templates, which are written to give them the maximum amount of control and options.
With seller financing, there is much more opportunity to write the loan documents in a way that is fair to the seller but also works to your advantage by giving you plenty of upsides and advantages.
Of course, your ability to negotiate terms will depend on the seller's flexibility, what they need, how sophisticated they are, and how much they're willing to entertain what you want. But in many cases, if you're the one proposing seller financing in the first place, and if you already have your own documents and deal structure well-planned and ready to go, many sellers won't put up obstacles in the same ways a bank will.
Understanding Your Options
I want to share several different terms you can infuse into your loan documents, to give yourself the kinds of options and control you will never have with a bank loan.
I don't mean to imply that you should always push for all of these things. In fact, it would be highly unlikely that you could get a seller to agree to all of these conditions.
My point sis NOT that you should pursue all these things. My goal is to help you see the different cards you can play so you can get creative and pull the right ones out of your back pocket when needed.
This way, you can choose the most appropriate one(s), depending on the seller's willingness to accept. When you understand the seller's wants and needs, you can fine-tune the terms to craft a deal that will work well for you.
Read the Full Blog Post -
188: Marco Santarelli is an investor, author, two-time Inc. 1000 entrepreneur, the founder of Norada Real Estate that helps investors achieve financial freedom, and the voice behind the Passive Real Estate Investing podcast.
(Show Notes: REtipster.com/188)
Marco is someone I look up to in the real estate industry. He's been in the business for a long time; he’s seen a lot of things, and he’s done some big deals that we can all learn from.
I’ve heard Marco present a couple of times at REWBCON, and every time he talks, I walk away with some BIG "aha!" moments that help me better understand the real estate market. This guy is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge!
Whether you're a real estate investor or someone who wants to get a business off the ground, I'm sure you will find a lot of value in his insights and lessons from his long and storied career. I did! - Show more
