Racking Up Rentals

Creating Referrals Through Relational Acquisition, with Melissa Johnson

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs know that taking a relationship-based approach to negotiating with Sellers not only feels right, it works really ...

Should You Max Out Your Conventional Loans?

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many investors want to transition to full-time real estate entrepreneurship, but feel like they need to keep their day jobs so that they can continue ...

Evaluating Risk Thoughtfully

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's be honest, as humans we tend to invest a lot of our energy worrying. What are we worrying about? Often times it's risk. And as real estate inves...

Understanding Why Your Seller Wants What They Want

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most real estate investors have no clue what their Seller really wants—they just assume it's the highest price. But as Thoughtful Real Estate Entrep...

Creative Acquisitions with John Crutchfield

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff interviews John Crutchfield, a full-time, successful real estate investor and entrepreneur who encourages people to "grab the ma...

How to BRRRR With Seller Financing

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody loves the BRRRR Strategy—Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat—because it allows investors to recycle their cash and repeat the process...

Every Seller is Moving Toward Something, or Away from Something

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know that before we can Solve the Deal—and ultimately get the Seller to say yes—we have to Solve the Person, so that we understand our audience...

Thoughtful Home Building, With George Hale

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Instead of racking up rentals by simply buying existing properties and renovating them, what if you were to physically build your rental properties fr...

Your Price, My Terms

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There's an old expression in real estate: "Your Price, My Terms…or My Price, Your Terms." It's an extremely simple idea, and provides a great, simpl...

This is the Perfect Negotiation

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we only propose deals that are mutually beneficial—win-win's for both buyer and seller…right? Yes, that's...

Episode #100! An Interview With My Mentor, Greg Pinneo

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate this milestone 100th episode, Jeff interviews his personal coach and mentor, Greg Pinneo. Greg is a 45-year full-time veteran of real est...

The Art of Incremental Negotiation

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you're negotiating a deal, is it best to just ask for everything you want all at once, upfront? As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we belie...

The Value of Emotion in Real Estate Investing

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a role for "emotion" in real estate investing? While many investors take a very rational, logical perspective to real estate, Thoughtful Real...

Buying Properties Without Cash Flow

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a rental property investor, why would you ever buy properties without cash flow? Does it ever make sense to do so? Most traditional investor...

5 Reasons You Can Still Buy Off-Market, Even in a Seller's Market

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many people these days believe it's impossible to buy properties off-market with seller financing. After all, they argue, "why would a Seller sell you...

Don't Be Limited by Your Resources

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most real estate investors look at a potential deal, then look at the resources they have to work with—such as their cash available—and think, "I ...

Financial Independence Through Real Estate, While Keeping a W-2 Job, With Kimberly Kesterke

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Let's face it—most people don't just suddenly dive into full-time real estate entrepreneurship on day one. Instead, we usually start doing real esta...

Should You Buy in a Hot Market?

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the market is hot, prices are on the rise and inventory is low. So the big question is: should you buy in that hot market? Or is it smarter to si...

The Daily Actions Full-Time Real Estate Entrepreneurs Take

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to become a full-time real estate entrepreneur, it comes down to one question: what do you actually DO every day? It turns out that there ...

Thoughtful Property Management with Mark Dolfini of Landlord Coach

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why do so many real estate investors become overwhelmed by the responsibilities of property management? Because they lack Vision, Infrastructure and P...

3 Steps to Continuously GrowingYour Rental Portfolio

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are two ways to grow a rental portfolio: occasionally, or continuously. As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we want to grow our rental port...

Are you Coachable?

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most valuable skills you can develop is "coachability." What is coachability? It's the ability to be open-minded, to take constructive feed...

Convert What You Have Into What You Want

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If there's one thing we're usually keenly aware of, it's what we're lacking—the missing puzzle pieces keeping us from doing the deals we want to do....

Do You Have "Imposter Syndrome" When Working With Sellers?

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Imposter Syndrome"—that feeling that we do not have the credentials to be doing what we're doing—is something many of us face…especially when n...

How to Pick Your Off-Market Lead Generation Strategy

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know we want to generate off-market leads, so that we can negotiate directly with the Seller. This leads most investors to ask the question, "what'...

A Profitable Deal Comes from Finding the Delta

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do we make money in real estate investing? Simply put, we seek to find "a Delta"—the difference between what we see in a property, and what the ...

3 Difficult Seller Questions and How to Respond to Them

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you first get started marketing directly to Sellers, it can seem a little scary to field those Seller phone calls and respond to their comments a...

Lack of Money is NOT Your Problem

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"I don't have enough money; if only I had more money, I'd be making more progress." This is a common sentiment among many real estate investors—that...

The Difference Between Sellers Who "Want" to do Seller Financing and Those Who are "Willing To"

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's exciting when you find a Seller who is open to doing Seller Financing with you! But there's a huge and important difference between a Seller who ...

What to do When the Seller Says No to Seller Financing Up Front

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you get a new Seller lead, and the Seller says "no" to Seller Financing early in the conversation? Is the lead a dead end? Is there ...

5 Steps to Going Full-Time as a Real Estate Entrepreneur

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many people who get involved in real estate investing have a dream: to someday go full-time as a real estate entrepreneur. To many, achieving full-tim...

Is "Creative Financing" Really That Creative?

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The term "creative financing" has become an increasingly common word in the language of real estate investors. But is "creative financing" really that...

From Pro Athlete to $4 million BRRRR with Nat Borchers

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many investors are building a plan for someday retiring from their day jobs and entering the world of real estate entrepreneurship full-time. That's e...

What is Your Seller's Currency?

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you're working hard to build a relationship with your Seller—which is exactly what we do as Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, there's one v...

Ask the Seller Questions You Already Know the Answer To

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most investors jump on the phone with a new Seller lead and start asking questions that they need the answers to. Makes sense, right? But Thoughtful R...

How NOT to Communicate With Your Seller

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are so many different ways we can potentially communicate with our Sellers. From text to email to phone to in-person meetings, there are many op...

Why You Should Stop Worrying About DTI

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many real estate investors are very focused on managing their "DTI": Debt-to-Income ratio. Why? Because they think it's the key to qualifying for the ...

How to Nurture Your Seller Leads With Amazing Follow Up, With Robert Syfert

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We spend a lot of our energy, as real estate entrepreneurs, generating off-market leads. But many of those leads will require long-term follow-up befo...

How to Reach New Levels of Success by Changing the Thermostat Setting of Your Life

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever feel stuck at a certain level of success in your life? Like you're destined for this level of success…but not more? That's because you'v...

The Two Very Different Types of 1031 Exchange Sellers

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When buying investment properties, it's very common to encounter Sellers who are going to do a 1031 Exchange when they sell. But did you know that the...

Can You Get Better Financing Terms From a Bank Than a Seller?

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many investors scoff at the idea of seller financing, saying, "Nah, I can get better terms from a bank." But is that true? In this episode, Jeff disse...

The 3 Paydays of Buying and Selling on Terms, with Chris Prefontaine

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In real estate investing, the more you understand about different deal structures, the more you can accomplish. In this episode, Jeff interviews Chris...

Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is Fast

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While most of the real estate investment world is out there inefficiently thrashing around trying to make as many offers as possible, or make as many ...

How to Diagnose and Treat the Real Estate Investor's Disease, "Deal-itis"

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned real estate entrepreneur, there's a disease—a particular condition—you are susceptible to: D...

Sellers Say Yes When They Feel Understood

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There's an old saying in the sales world, that Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs need to remember: "people don't buy when they understand you, they...

You Have to Put the Relationship in Contract Before You Can Put the Property in Contract

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While the mainstream real estate investors out there are making as many offers as possible, as fast as possible, we Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneu...

Case Study Part 2 Conclusion: Buying Your Primary Residence Off-Market with Seller Financing

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff shares the second and final part of a two-part series outlining a case study on exactly how he and his wife used the Y.E.S.S.E.S...

Case Study Part 1: Buying Your Primary Residence Off-Market with Seller Financing

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Using the Thoughtful approach to buying properties off-market and negotiating seller financing isn't just for rental properties—it can be applied to...

Becoming The Person Capable of Success, with Kari Lyke

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you're a real estate entrepreneur, you can achieve some pretty great successes and accomplishments. But the real reward is the person you become ...

Managing Your Own Rentals, with Laurence Jankelow from Avail

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you begin to focus on "racking up rentals," another need emerges very quickly: the need for a sound property management plan. In this episode, Je...

Deals Are Not "Found," They Are Created

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Investors often say, "the deals are out there, you just have to go find them!" But is this really true? No, it's not. In this episode, Jeff explains w...

Building an Intentional Business, With Alex Pardo

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you're building a real estate investing business, it can be easy to accidentally lose sight of your vision, and just grow for growth's sake. But ...

Why I Never Buy Properties From Wholesalers

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to buy off-market properties the easy way, the solution is to buy properties from wholesalers, right? WRONG. It may be the easy way, but i...

Being Your Own Banker, with Joey Mure and Russ Morgan from Wealth Without Wall Street

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs don't just take the conventional path--from investing strategies to financial tools and beyond, we think for ours...

Is Marketing for Off-Market Leads More Work Than Doing Listed Properties?

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Many beginning investors are intrigued by the idea of sourcing off-market deals directly from Sellers, but they ask: "isn't it a lot more work to go o...

"Failure is NOT an Option"—Retirement Planning for Real Estate Entrepreneurs, with David Rosell

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While some people feel like traditional investments and real estate are like oil and water, others believe both can play an important and complementar...

3 Things You Should Be Doing During the Holidays

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The holidays are here! Time to kick back and relax for a while…right?! Not so fast—Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs use this time of year not ...

The #1 Key to a Successful Off-Market Marketing Strategy

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most real estate investors who do off-market marketing ask the question, "what type of marketing will generate the most leads at the lowest cost?" Tho...

Upgrade from "Driving for Dollars" to "Street Time"

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For many real estate investors, one of their primary sources of property leads is "Driving for Dollars"—driving around town, looking for properties ...

Being a Blissful Real Estate Investor with Moneeka Sawyer

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff interviews Moneeka Sawyer, the blissful millionaire. Moneeka reached her financial freedom by turning $10,000 to over $5,000,000...

SHARPEN AND AGREE: Step 6 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this series of episodes, Jeff dives deep into each step of the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers. In this ...

EMPATHETIC PROPOSAL: Step 5 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this series of episodes, Jeff dives deep into each step of the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers. In this ...

SOLVE THE DEAL: Step 4 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this series of episodes, Jeff dives deep into each step of the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers. In this ...

SOLVE THE PERSON: Step 3 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

n this series of episodes, Jeff dives deep into each step of the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers. In this e...

ENGAGE THOUGHTFULLY: Step 2 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this series of episodes, Jeff dives deep into each step of the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers. In this ...

YOU: Step 1 in The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the last episode, Jeff introduced the Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers, explained why it is so powerful, ...

The Y.E.S.S.E.S Framework for Getting Off-Market Sellers to Accept Your Offers

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Most real estate investors know that off-market properties can make better deals with greater opportunity than listed properties. But finding, success...

When Structuring a Deal, Solve for Awesome

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some people have singular criteria they use to determine if they should do a deal. We, as Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, have a broader perspec...

When Your Sellers Don't Want To Do Creative Financing

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Here's the scenario: You want to buy properties and do deals using creative financing…but you can't seem to find any Sellers who want to do creative...

5 Ways to Make Money in Self-Storage with Stacy Rosetti

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ever been curious about the booming real estate investing niche of self-storage? We've got the expert, Stacy Rosetti, of StorageNerds.com on this epis...

How to Buy Multiple Properties From the Seller—At the Same Time

09 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you find a Seller you can buy multiple properties from, you've hit a gold mine! And while you can buy multiple properties from them over time, th...

What I Learned from Losing a Deal I Really Wanted

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It happens to all of us—sometimes we lose a deal we really wanted. It hurts! When that happens, what lessons can we take away and learn? Most import...

Why Off-Market Leads are Better than FSBO

25 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we buy properties that nobody else even knows are for sale….often including the Seller themselves! When you...

The Most Valuable Seller Leads You Can Find

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While most estate investors are out there looking for "motivated Sellers," we Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs know that often times our best lead...

3 Huge Benefits of Slowing Down in Your Seller Negotiations

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to be more successful in your negotiations with Sellers, the answer is simple: SLOW DOWN. When you slow down and take more time in your ne...

Welcome to Racking Up Rentals!

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode of the new and improved podcast, Racking Up Rentals (formerly Sleaze-Free Real Estate Investing), host Jeff introduces the new s...

SFREI #34: 5 Steps to Battle Overwhelm (and Some Exciting Changes!)

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Like you have a huge vision, but it feels daunting? You're not sure what to do next, and as a result, you feel stalled o...

What Makes Great Real Estate Agents, with Kevin Kauffman

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Jeff from The Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur interviews rock-star real estate agent and industry community leader Kevin Kau...

Build Wealth By Revitalizing Small Town Main Streets with Robb Crocker

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Jeff interviews guest Robb Crocker, a real estate entrepreneur who has built an incredible commercial real estate portfolio one ...

SFREI #31: Off-Market Seller-Financing Duplex Live Coaching Case Study with New Investor

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff provides a live coaching session with an aspiring real estate investor who is interested in buying an off-market duplex with Sel...

SFREI Special Bonus Episode: Real Estate Entrepreneurial Adjustments from COVID-19 Mike Nuss

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this timely bonus episode of Sleaze-Free Real Estate Investing, Jeff from The Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur and Mike Nuss from Investor Lab d...

SFREI #30: Aligning Money with Purpose, With Dill Ward

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Jeff interviews Dill Ward, who is on a mission to raise the vibration on the planet one interaction at a time. Working as a life...

SFREI #29:  COVID-19, The Perfect Storm of Ethical Opportunity

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Though we find ourselves in very difficult and uncertain times, the COVID-19 pandemic has created the Perfect Storm of Ethical Opportunity for Thought...

SFREI #28: Podcaster and Author Josiah Smelser on Crushing Your Real Estate Investing Goals

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff interviews Josiah Smelser, host of The Daily Real Estate Investor podcast, and author of the new book "Dream It and Build It: Ho...

SFREI #27: Key Insights to Uncover About the Seller In Order To Make a Winning Proposal

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When the phone rings with a new lead, most average investors begin collecting INFORMATION about the PROPERTY. But as Thoughtful Real Estate Entreprene...

SFREI #26: Marketing "What" You Do, vs. "How" You Do It

26 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you're marketing to off-market Sellers, you can either pitch your WHAT, or you can demonstrate your HOW. Lowbrow investors offer their WHAT in th...

SFREI Quick Takes: Direct mail marketing to off-market Seller leads

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Sleaze-Free Real Estate Investing, host Jeff discusses several elements of successful direct mail marketing to off-market Seller le...

SFREI #25: When should you start negotiating with the Seller?

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you're trying to buy a property off-market from a Seller, when do you start negotiating? The answer will likely surprise you, and it's probably f...

SFREI #24: How to optimize your deal to squeeze out the most value possible

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Jeff continues a deep-dive into the topic of Opportunity Vision--the ability to not only see what a property already is, but mor...

SFREI #23: Opportunity Vision--Seeing all the elements of possibility in a deal

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Jeff introduces the concept of Opportunity Vision--the ability to not only see what a property already is, but more importantly ...

SFREI Quick Takes: The superiority of off-market deals, how to avoid risking your own money and knowing if a rental is a good deal

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Sleaze-Free Real Estate Investing Quick Takes, Jeff discusses the thoughtful perspective on three questions that come up often in r...

SFREI #22: Brian Trippe on the Power of Networking--How Relationships Are Like Rental Properties

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Trippe is the founder of REI LIVE--a real estate education platform created to develop and train new investors to go out and do deals immediatel...

SFREI Quick Takes: How to attract Sellers, how to know if they are truly motivated, and how to decide where to learn real estate investing

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Sleaze-Free Real Estate Investing Quick Takes, Jeff offers bite-sized nuggets of actionable and insightful wisdom covering three qu...

SFREI #21: Coach Carson on Using Real Estate to Help You Do More of What You Want

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chad Carson, also known as Coach Carson, is a long-time real estate entrepreneur, educator, father, husband, world traveler and all-around good guy. C...

SFREI #20: What Financial Independence Means to a TREE: Part 2

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For most real estate entrepreneurs and investors, the goal is freedom and financial independence. In this episode, we conclude our two-part discussion...

SFREI #19: Part 1: What 'Financial Independence' Means to a TREE

04 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As real estate entrepreneurs and investors, the topic of financial independence and financial freedom is a familiar one we think about often. In recen...

SFREI Bonus Episode! Jeff's Interview on The Daily Real Estate Investor Podcast

20 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Recently, Jeff had the pleasure of being the guest on The Daily Real Estate Investor podcast, hosted by Josiah Smelser. In this interview, Jeff and Jo...

The Most Amazing Part of Owning Rental Properties That Nobody Talks About

13 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you build a long-term rental real estate portfolio--and you use long-term debt to do so--you enjoy a benefit that most people don't seem to know,...

SFREI #17: Two Different Strategies for Achieving Financial Freedom Through Cash Flow

23 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Most people who invest in rental real estate do so to create financial freedom--which comes from cash flow. But while most people believe there's only...

SFREI #16: The Real Thing You're Trying to Create With Your Rental Portfolio

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many real estate investors think their goal is to create equity in a rental property; many others think their goal is to create cash flow in a rental ...