Tired of weak 401k returns? Discover how Blaine McLaughlin pivoted from dentistry to real estate investing and created a real path to retirement.

In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack sits down with Blaine McLaughlin, a practicing dentist who realized after decades of “doing everything right” that his 401k was delivering a disappointing 3% return.

That gut punch forced him to rethink retirement and turn toward real estate investing as a way to build wealth and gain true financial freedom. Blaine shares:

• Why the traditional retirement path failed him
• How he shifted into multifamily and short-term rental investing
• The 3% mistake that opened his eyes to hidden costs in financial planning
• Lessons learned from his first deals — both wins and failures
• How to balance a full-time dental practice with real estate investing
• Why “passive income” isn’t always passive, but why it’s worth it
• The role of mentors, mindset shifts, and surrounding yourself with the right people

📌 Check out Blaine’s free tool: CanIRetireCalculator.com — a simple calculator to see where you stand in your retirement planning.

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00:00 – The 3% mistake: why Blaine left the 401k route

01:00 – Introducing CanIRetireCalculator.com

02:00 – Why dentistry didn’t lead to financial freedom

03:00 – Early real estate investments & hard lessons

06:00 – Time challenges of running a practice + investing

08:00 – Mindset shift: giving up control to pursue passive income

09:00 – Active vs passive investing explained

10:00 – Books, podcasts & seminars that shaped his investing

12:00 – First multifamily deal: what went wrong & what he learned

15:00 – Why conservative underwriting is crucial

18:00 – Moving from LP to GP roles in multifamily

19:00 – Adding short-term rentals for cash flow

20:00 – Retirement outlook today & market conditions

21:00 – Advice for new investors entering multifamily

22:00 – Lessons from recent market shifts & operator performance

24:00 – Diversification & spreading risk across deals

25:00 – Identifying “distress” and value-add opportunities

26:00 – Why doing nothing may be the biggest risk

27:00 – Rapid fire Q&A: advice, lies, book picks & mentors

#RealEstateInvesting #PassiveIncome #FinancialFreedom #RetirementPlanning #MultifamilyInvesting #ShortTermRentals #SyndicationInvesting #RealEstateMentorship #ValueAddInvesting #CanIRetireCalculator #RealDealChat #RealEstateStrategy #RetireEarly #DentalInvestors #EscapeThe401k

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