Josiah Smelser is a real estate investor and appraiser who built a $17 million portfolio from scratch, without using any of his own capital.

In this episode, Josiah shares his incredible journey from growing up in a small town in Alabama, to living in Tanzania at the age of 12, where he had experiences that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and real estate investing success. He reveals how he went from corporate accounting, working 90 hours a week, to starting his own appraisal business at 21, later amassing an impressive real estate portfolio without investing a dime.

Josiah also talks about:
- How he leveraged his appraisal skills to recognize hidden value in real estate
- The BRRRR strategy that helped him build a $17M real estate portfolio
- Transitioning from $50K to $600K/year through vacation rentals
- The true meaning of wealth (Being grateful for what you have)
- Why he took a break from social media

Books Mentioned:
- Bothy Tales by John D Burns
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Connect with Josiah: 

Book: https://a.co/d/hkXHdxw 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiahsmelser/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JosiahSmelser 

Connect with Brandon:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beardybrandon

💻 BetterLife Tribe, Brandon’s Real Estate Investing Mastermind: https://abetterlife.com/

📸 BetterLife Tribe’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterlife/

💻 OpenDoor Capital, Brandon’s Real Estate Investing Company: https://odcfund.com/

📸 OpenDoor Capital’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opendoorcapital/

Connect with Cam:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cam.cathcart/

💻 Deal Flow Real Estate, Cam’s Real Estate Investing Mastermind: http://dealflowrealestate.com/

💻 Revel City HomeBuyers, Cam’s Real Estate Investing Company: https://revelcityhomebuyers.com/

📸 Revel City HomeBuyers’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revelcityhomebuyers/ 

Josiah’s charitable cause (100% of ad revenue goes here):
- Christian Services Foundation primarily funds Tanzania mission works, schools, substance abuse recovery, and scholarship funds.

Show Sponsor:
- BetterLife Tribe - A Community for Real Estate Investors Seeking Financial Freedom

Interested in building wealth without losing your soul? Join the BetterLife Tribe here: https://join.abetterlife.com/tribe