Built For Wealth

What happens when a lawyer realizes the “safe path” isn’t enough?

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, Cindy West breaks down how she went from growing up broke, joining the Army at 17, and working 60-hour weeks as a lawyer… to building a real estate portfolio through the BRRRR strategy, multifamily investing, flips, private money, and creative financing.

She shares:
- How she bought her first rental with only $4,500
- Why she quit her law career for real estate
- The 12-unit deal that nearly destroyed her financially
- How she raises private money for deals
- Why she believes grit matters more than experience
- How Instagram helped her attract deals and investors
- The truth about BRRRR investing in today’s market
- Her goal to reach 500 units and teach 1,000 students

If you’re trying to escape the 9-5, build passive income, or scale a real estate investing business, this episode is packed with practical game and real-world lessons.

Topics Covered:
Real Estate Investing, BRRRR Strategy, Multifamily Investing, Rental Properties, House Flipping, Passive Income, Financial Freedom, Real Estate Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Charlotte Real Estate, DSCR Loans, Private Money Lending, Hard Money Loans, Wealth Building



#RealEstate #BRRRR #FinancialFreedom #PassiveIncome #RealEstateInvesting #Multifamily #Entrepreneurship #RentalProperties #HouseFlipping #CharlotteRealEstate #BuiltForWealth

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

What if I told you a 6-inch pipe mistake cost someone $1.2 MILLION…
or that a guy bought a commercial property for $200K and turned it into $2.4M?

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, we sit down with John Seaman—an investor, developer, and “dirt guy” who built a multi-million dollar business from scratch.

We break down:
- How he went from broke to building wealth through real estate & grading
- Why site work (dirt) is one of the most misunderstood (and profitable) industries
- The insane story of saving a $23M home from sliding off a mountain
- How he scaled using YouTube & social media (20–30K/month income)
- Why most contractors fail—and the one thing that separates winners
- Turning 68 rental homes into commercial deals
- The exact mindset behind finding GREAT deals (not just good ones)

If you're into real estate investing, entrepreneurship, construction, or building wealth from nothing—this episode is packed with real, raw game.

👇 Drop a comment: What was your biggest takeaway?

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

What if the reason your business isn’t growing… is because you’re trying to be better instead of being different?

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, Hollywood producer Brad Holcman breaks down the exact framework he used to create hit TV shows—and how those same principles are helping entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and business owners stand out in crowded markets.

🔥 Inside this episode:
- Why “being the best” is actually a losing strategy
- The ONLY Framework (and how to apply it TODAY)
- How a $25 lunch turned into a $10,000 deal
- Why storytelling is your unfair advantage in business
- How to grow a brand with ZERO followers
- The TikTok strategy nobody is using (but should be)

If you're tired of competing on price, chasing leads, and blending in… this is the mindset shift that changes everything.

👉 Key takeaway: Don’t be the best… be the only.

If you enjoy this one, hit subscribe, drop a rating or review, and share it with another investor or realtor who needs to hear it.

You can follow my journey and find all my links here: builtforwealthpodcast.com

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

Steve Ross started investing in real estate at 19 years old — and over the last 35+ years, he’s built a $200M real estate portfolio spanning single-family rentals, multifamily, shopping centers, flex space, new construction, and commercial development.

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, we break down exactly how Steve scaled from flipping his first house to owning 27 shopping centers, building ground-up developments, and leveraging 1031 exchanges to multiply wealth without paying massive tax bills.

If you're interested in commercial real estate investing, 1031 exchanges, shopping center investing, duplex build-to-rent strategies, scaling from residential to commercial, or how to use leverage responsibly — this episode is a masterclass.

We talk about:
- Scaling from 35 rentals to 500+ units
- Why he left an $80K landscaping business for real estate
- How 1031 exchanges compound wealth
- The truth about commercial cap rates
- Red flags in shopping center investing
- Surviving vandalism, arson, and insurance nightmares
- Using HELOCs to break into commercial deals
- Building duplexes to trade up into large assets
- Why leverage is mandatory if you want to scale

This is a no-BS breakdown of how real estate wealth is actually built over decades — not months. If you're serious about financial freedom through real estate investing, this episode is required listening.

Connect with Steve:

https://linktr.ee/thesteveross?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

What if you skipped the “safe” path and built wealth the way private equity insiders do?

Join Josh on the Built for Wealth podcast, your no-BS guide to financial freedom for millennials. We interview various investors to gain insights on wealth creation through real estate. This podcast aims to inspire you with real-world stories and practical advice on investing.

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, Josh sits down with Chris Salerno as he breaks down how he went from working at Olive Garden and running security at an amusement park… to building cash-flow machines in real estate, car washes, small bay industrial, and venture capital.

We dive deep into:
- How private equity investors actually think
- Why recurring revenue beats chasing deals
- How car washes became one of the most underrated wealth vehicles
- The real reason most people stay broke
- Why mindset, discipline, and capital raising are the real cheat codes
- How the wealthy use leverage, tax strategy, and private deals to compound faster
- The truth about college debt, financial conditioning, and playing offense in life

This episode is a masterclass in modern wealth-building, capital raising, private equity strategy, and building systems that pay you every month.

If you’re serious about financial freedom, and thinking like the top 1%, this conversation will change how you look at money forever.

🎯 Listen till the end if you want to understand how wealthy investors position themselves BEFORE the opportunity becomes public.

If this episode helped you, please like, subscribe, and drop a review—it really helps the show!

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

Luxury real estate investing, luxury spec homes, and high-end new construction look glamorous—but the reality is risk, capital, branding, and brutal lessons most real estate investors never talk about.

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, we sit down with Mason Harris, a former NASCAR pit crew member who transitioned into real estate investing, luxury home building, and multi-million-dollar new construction projects in the Charlotte, North Carolina real estate market. Mason breaks down exactly how he went from his first real estate flip to building $1M–$5M luxury spec homes, setting neighborhood comps, and creating a recognizable luxury real estate brand.

This conversation dives deep into:
How to transition from house flipping to luxury real estate development
The real costs of luxury new construction (appliances, lighting, plumbing, pools, and design details)
Why brand building in real estate can matter more than short-term profit
How luxury home buyers think differently than entry-level buyers
The risk, financing, and profit margins behind million-dollar spec builds

If you’re a real estate investor, home builder, developer, or entrepreneur considering luxury real estate investing, this episode gives you a real-world look at what it actually takes to scale into high-end residential development.

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

Join Josh on the Built for Wealth podcast, your guide to financial freedom. We explore real estate investing and how to build wealth, featuring insights from various investors. This podcast offers valuable financial education and personal finance strategies to inspire your journey. 

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, Josh sits down with Drew Maher, founder of DM Properties & Associates, to unpack his real estate journey from nearly losing his first home to building a diversified real estate business spanning house flips, land development, new construction, rentals, and brokerage ownership.

Drew shares the raw, behind-the-scenes reality of building wealth through real estate: surviving market ups and downs, working multiple jobs to avoid foreclosure, learning sales the hard way, and taking calculated risks that eventually paid off. This episode is packed with practical insights for real estate investors, agents, flippers, and entrepreneurs who want a realistic roadmap to long-term success.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to scale, this conversation covers mindset, risk management, systems, leadership, and how to build a sustainable real estate operation.

🔑 Key Topics Covered
• Getting started in real estate with no money
• Surviving bad deals and early mistakes
• Scaling from hands-on flips to land development
• Building a real estate team and brokerage
• Managing risk, stress, and long-term growth

Follow Built for Wealth:
🎧 All links & episodes: builtforwealthpodcast.com

If this episode helped you, please like, subscribe, and drop a review—it really helps the show!

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

What does it really take to build a $130M-per-year real estate development business; starting with no money, no college degree, and a background in construction and landscaping?

In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, Josh sits down with  @johnnyinchjr   a real estate developer and entrepreneur who scaled from small residential projects to large-scale multifamily, commercial, and industrial real estate development across multiple markets. Johnny shares how he transitioned from hands-on construction work to becoming a multifamily developer, raising capital, underwriting complex deals, and managing risk at scale.

This conversation dives deep into real estate investing, real estate development, raising private capital, and what it actually looks like to grow a real estate company beyond single-family rentals. Johnny also opens up about faith-driven entrepreneurship, leadership under pressure, navigating bad partners, surviving market cycles, and why real estate is a long-term wealth-building game, not a get-rich-quick strategy.

If you’re interested in multifamily investing, commercial real estate, underwriting deals, scaling a real estate business, or raising capital the right way, this episode delivers real-world insight from someone actively doing it.

In this episode we cover:
- Johnny’s origin story (family trades, landscaping, construction → development)
- The first deal: trading a $75K landscape project for a townhome
- Doubling down for 15 years 
- How he thinks about risk tolerance, stress, and leadership
- Raising capital and being a “steward” of investor funds
- Walking away from deals after spending $300K–$500K in entitlement/dev costs
- Why “passive income” is mostly a myth (until real scale)
- Working with banks: negotiating DCR, workouts, and asking for “impossible” terms
- Development strategy: go where they want you 
- NIMBY battles, public meetings, and staying grounded in the mission
- How Johnny Inch views legacy, giving, and raising kids with abundance

If you’re into real estate development, multifamily investing, raising capital, underwriting, or scaling a real estate business, this one’s packed.

Follow Josh + the show: builtforwealthpodcast.com
Connect with Johnny: Instagram DMs (shared in episode)

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

Ever driven past a billboard that made you laugh and remember the realtor’s name?

That’s pretty much Kirk Hanson in a nutshell. In this episode of the Built for Wealth Podcast, I sit down with Kirk – a race car driver turned Cabarrus County realtor, investor, and broker-owner – to talk about how he’s built his business with bold marketing, no-money-down deals, and a whole lot of hustle.

We get into how he went from:
- Selling tires and cars on straight commission
- Deciding he wanted to be a full-time race car driver
- Jumping into real estate investing with almost no cash
- Buying 30+ houses in 18 months using other people’s money

Kirk shares real stories about:
- The famous “Don’t divorce your wife, just buy a bigger house” billboard
- Why he treats real estate as a marketing business first
- Finding undervalued MLS deals when everyone else misses them
- Working with investors from all over the world who buy in Cabarrus County and the Charlotte market
- Turning trashed foreclosures into clean, retail-ready homes that sell fast
- Helping a broke restaurant owner buy his first flip, then several homes, then shopping centers

We also talk about what’s happening right now in the Charlotte/Cabarrus market:
inventory, pricing, the number of people moving here, and how that creates opportunity for investors, flippers, and realtors who actually know their numbers.

This episode is especially for you if:
- You’re a realtor who wants to stand out and build a brand people remember
- You’re a house flipper or wholesaler trying to find better deals
- You’re interested in no-money-down real estate and using OPM (other people’s money)
- You like real stories, not theory

We finish by talking about how real estate has changed Kirk’s life, how he’s helped agents and investors build real wealth, and why helping other people win might be the best part of the whole business.

If you enjoy this one, hit subscribe, drop a rating or review, and share it with another investor or realtor who needs to hear it.

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3

Former Army officer turned fund manager and land developer, Pete Kavanagh, joins me to break down how he went from flipping houses on an Army salary to running Iron Horse Capital Group, raising millions in private capital, and entitling large land deals across North Carolina.

We talk about commercial real estate investing, land development, raising capital in funds, and the tax strategies most investors never hear about — including a “phantom loss” approach that wiped out his investors’ tax bills while still delivering double-digit cash flow. Pete also shares his worst deal (a $230K loss on a luxury flip), his best deal (a 7,000 sq ft commercial home run), and why he believes in white collar investments with blue collar clarity.

If you’re a wholesaler, land finder, or active investor who wants to level up into entitlements, horizontal development, syndications, and tax-smart commercial deals, this episode will show you how to think like a fund manager while still staying grounded as an operator.

In this episode you’ll learn:
- How Pete went from leading soldiers in Afghanistan to leading investors in commercial real estate
- The “village elder” story that flipped his mindset about owning assets vs. earning a paycheck
- How he doubled $30K on a bizarre “aquarium house” flip while still in the Army
- Why he did 50 flips before ever touching private money — and how that built investor trust
- The 3 phases of land development: entitlement, horizontal, vertical (and where the big wins are)
- Why some investors only care about tax advantages, not cash flow
- How Pete partners with wholesalers and land owners on big North Carolina land plays

If this episode helps you, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway, and share it with another investor who’s ready to move from single-family to serious commercial and land development deals.

Follow along for more content just like this:
https://www.instagram.com/joshswart/
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.swart
https://www.tiktok.com/@joshswart3