Don't Buy That Fix & Flip House Until You Watch This First. The Next 20 Minutes Could Save You Thousands Of Dollars.

Thinking about flipping your first house—or your next one? Before you make any moves, you need to hear this guide from Jason of Hard Money Bankers. With experience funding over 4,000 flips since 2007, Jason shares actionable tips to help first-time and experienced flippers avoid common pitfalls and save thousands of dollars.

In this episode of Real Estate Reserve, you'll learn:

• How to determine realistic profit margins and avoid overpaying for a property

• Why exit strategy is critical: flip for quick cash or hold for long-term rental income

• How to select the right neighborhoods and property types for lower risk

• The importance of cash reserves and financing options, including hard money loans

• How to build a reliable team of contractors, agents, and lenders

• Renovation priorities that maximize profits without major construction headaches

• Key mistakes to avoid on flips, from overleveraging to condo pitfalls

Whether you're a first-time flipper or a seasoned investor, these next 20 minutes could save you significant time, money, and stress. Don't start your next deal without this essential advice!

Listen now and make your next flip a smart, profitable investment.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

How One Hotel Investment Outperformed Years Of Multi-Family Investing with Mike Stohler - #259

n this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, Mike Stohler joins Jason and Ian to break down how one hotel investment outperformed years of multifamily investing—and why he now syndicates hotels across the U.S. and even internationally.

Mike shares his journey from small-town Indiana to the Navy, to failing his first real estate deals "pre-Google," to building a portfolio of 1,500 multifamily units, and ultimately discovering an unexpected asset class that completely changed his trajectory: hotels.

You'll learn: 🏨 Why hotels can outperform multifamily (even post-COVID) 💸 How Mike used seller financing to buy his first 8 properties 🔥 The mindset, discipline, and risk tolerance that separate successful investors 📈 How military training and first-responder experience translate into real estate 💼 Why many investors stay stuck—and how to break analysis paralysis 🌍 How Mike made the leap from U.S. properties to hotel acquisitions in Spain ⏳ Why focusing on one step at a time accelerates your investing journey 🏗️ What's happening inside the hotel industry today and where the opportunities are

If you're a new investor trying to get started, or a seasoned operator considering expanding into new asset classes, this conversation is packed with insights, hard-earned lessons, and real talk about what it takes to scale.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

Real Estate Investors Need This. How to automate all of your leads asap - #258

If you're a real estate investor drowning in leads, losing deals in your inbox, or still trying to manage everything with spreadsheets and sticky notes — this episode is your turning point. 🚀

Jason & Ian break down exactly how they've automated their entire lead flow using Go High Level — from cold inbound leads to booked appointments and closed deals. After months of testing, failing, rebuilding and finally mastering the platform, they're sharing the full system so you can plug it into your investing business and scale faster.

✔ What makes Go High Level different from other CRMs ✔ How to automate lead follow-ups without losing the personal touch ✔ The exact sequences Jason & Ian use: 7 touches in 7 days + long-term nurture ✔ How websites, funnels, cold calls & inbound leads all feed into one pipeline ✔ Why manual follow-up is killing your conversion rate ✔ How to use automations to run wholesaling, fix & flip, lending, and property management ✔ The fastest way to stop losing deals and start closing more consistently

Most leads don't convert on Day 1 — they convert through consistent follow-up. If you're not automating email, text, and appointment-setting workflows, you're leaving opportunities (and profits) on the table. With Go High Level, every lead gets nurtured automatically so nothing falls through the cracks again.

This is the difference between staying busy and scaling a real business.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

After Repair Value Mistakes Suck The Profits Out Of Every Good Deal- How To Not Let This Happen To You

Unlock the REAL After Repair Value (ARV) and Stop Losing Profit on Your Flips! In this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, Jason Balin from Hard Money Bankers breaks down the #1 mistake real estate investors make when determining ARV—and how to avoid letting it destroy your margins.

With 19+ years of lending experience, 4,000+ funded projects, and 20+ loans each month, Jason shares the exact framework he uses to analyze after repair value the right way. Whether you're flipping your first deal or your 100th, mastering ARV is the difference between a profitable project and a painful loss.

🔥 How to properly determine accurate ARV using real sold comps 🔥 Why city vs. suburb pricing can vary wildly 🔥 The impact of year-built, distressed neighbors, tax rates & more 🔥 How experience level affects your resale price—and why it matters 🔥 Red flags every investor should watch for (lead paint, vacant neighbors, parking issues, zoning surprises) 🔥 Real case studies where investors lost big—and how to avoid the same mistakes

Jason breaks down real deals, including: • A Baltimore flip where a missing parking pad tanked value by $60k • A renovation with incorrect bedroom counts that forced a layout redo • Two nearly identical townhouses with renovation budgets differing by $60k+ • Properties where tax zones, age, or neighborhood conditions destroyed the exit strategy

If you want to protect your profit, make smarter buying decisions, and evaluate deals like a seasoned pro, this episode is a MUST-WATCH.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

Joe Downs - The Deal That Changed My Life

In this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, Jason Balin of Hard Money Bankers and Ian Horowitz of Equity Warehouse welcome back Joe Downs from Bellrose Group for The Deal That Changed My Life.

Joe dives deep into a distressed debt portfolio acquisition that reshaped his investing strategy — a $115 million UPB deal involving 2,500 second-lien residential loans. He breaks down how his team saw opportunity where banks saw risk, leveraging "emotional equity" to create value and long-term impact.

You'll learn: 🏦 How to identify opportunities in distressed debt and charged-off loans 💡 Why understanding emotional equity gives investors a competitive edge 📊 How to look beyond traditional metrics to uncover hidden value ⚙️ The mindset shift that separates institutional lenders from successful investors

Whether you're an experienced investor, a note buyer, or curious about how creative deal-making really works, this episode is packed with insight into real-world problem-solving, risk assessment, and strategic investing.

🎧 Listen now to hear the deal that changed Joe's life — and could inspire your next big move.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

Would You Rather Wholesale, Stabilize to Sell or Long Term Hold This Deal - #257

In this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, Jason and Ian break down a real multimillion-dollar deal they were recently presented with — and debate the big question every investor faces:

👉 Should you wholesale it, stabilize and sell, or hold long-term?

They walk through the full case study — from how the opportunity came about, to the financing terms, equity structure, and potential returns. You'll hear their real-time underwriting process and thought-out strategies on raising capital, analyzing risk vs. reward, and deciding when to take quick cash versus play the long game.

Whether you're an active investor, syndicator, or just love diving into deal analysis, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways on: 💰 Structuring partnerships and capital raises 🏢 Evaluating light industrial and flex space investments 📈 Balancing short-term profits with long-term wealth building 🧠 Overcoming mental blocks around raising capital and deal risk

Listen in, then drop a comment — what would YOU do with this deal? Would you wholesale, stabilize to sell, or hold it long-term?

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

Joel Friedland - The Deal That Changed My Life

In this episode of The Deal That Changed My Life, we welcome back Chicago industrial real estate investor Joel Friedland to share the incredible story of a deal that completely transformed his career.

Joel has purchased more than 100 industrial buildings with over 250 investors across the Chicago area—but one deal in Elmhurst, Illinois, stands out above the rest. What started as a vacant 100,000-square-foot warehouse once home to Keebler turned into a 15-year lease with Comcast and an unbelievable 40% cash-on-cash return.

From panic over a year-and-a-half vacancy to landing a dream tenant—and even getting his cable fixed along the way—Joel breaks down what made this deal the best (and luckiest) of his career.

🎙️ In this episode:

• How Joel discovered and financed the Elmhurst deal

• The turning point that brought Comcast to the table

• Negotiating a 15-year lease and record returns

• Why taking risks (and keeping your sense of humor) matters in real estate

• Lessons learned from 100+ industrial investments

If you love real estate success stories, investor insights, and candid conversations about risk, luck, and grit, this one's for you.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

How Mastering Foreclosure and Tax Sale Overages Led This Investor to Move to Puerto Rico - #256

In this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, hosts Jason and Ian sit down with Bob Diamond, a seasoned real estate attorney and investor now living in Puerto Rico, to unpack how mastering foreclosure and tax sale overages turned into a lucrative real estate business—and ultimately gave him the freedom to live in paradise.

Bob shares his journey from working at Arthur Andersen to building a real estate empire through foreclosure auctions, tax sale investing, and recovering excess funds for homeowners. He breaks down how overages work, why most people don't even know they're owed money, and how investors can turn this overlooked niche into a profitable venture.

💬 Topics covered:

• How foreclosure and tax sale auctions really work

• Understanding overages and excess funds

• Why 70% of funds go unclaimed—and how to recover them

• Lessons from flipping, rentals, and tax sales

• The mindset behind successful investing

• Why Bob chose to move his business to Puerto Rico

Whether you're a real estate investor, attorney, or just curious about passive income through unique strategies, this episode is packed with insight and experience from someone who's done it all.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

Lane Kawaoka - The Deal That Changed My Life

In this episode of The Deal That Changed My Life, we welcome back Lane Kawaoka from The Wealth Elevator to share the pivotal real estate deals that shaped his journey. Lane dives into how he went from buying rental properties in Seattle in 2009 to managing 10,000 rental units across multiple U.S. markets.

We explore: ✅ The challenges and lessons of investing out-of-state ✅ Transitioning from single-family homes to Class B apartments and development projects ✅ How moving "upstream" toward less competitive, higher-quality deals can transform your portfolio ✅ The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and networks ✅ Key insights on navigating market cycles and scaling your investments

Whether you're a new investor or a seasoned pro, Lane's story offers actionable strategies and mindset shifts for long-term success in real estate investing.

📚 Check out Lane's book: The Wealth Elevator on Amazon 🎧 Listen to Lane's podcast: The Wealth Elevator

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777

How to deploy $100,000 in todays Market - #255

In this episode of The Real Estate Reserve Podcast, hosts Jason and Ian break down real-world strategies for deploying $100K in today's market — whether your goal is fast growth, cash flow, or wealth preservation.

They share how they'd personally invest $100,000 based on different scenarios — from flipping houses and building active income to creating long-term passive income through rentals, private lending, or syndications. Jason and Ian also dive into risk tolerance, capital allocation, education and mentorship, and the mindset shift it takes to turn $100K into $1 million.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• How to invest $100,000 in real estate right now

• The difference between active vs. passive investing

• Smart ways to grow your capital through flips and small deals

• How to partner with operators or syndicators

• When to prioritize education and mentorship

• Why betting on the jockey (operator) matters as much as the horse (asset)

Whether you're a new investor looking to build wealth or a seasoned pro with extra capital to deploy, this episode is packed with actionable insight and hard-earned experience from two full-time real estate entrepreneurs.

If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-reserve-podcast/id1507982777