The DealMachine Real Estate Investing Podcast

Ray Zhang breaks down his exact system for flipping infill land virtually—without a team, rehabs, or site visits. In this episode, Ray explains how he’s flipped 500+ lots, generated over $900k in a year, and built a repeatable 6-step process you can run in just a few hours a day. He also shares the simple safety checks he uses to protect deals and avoid costly mistakes.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - The 4 Reasons Why Ray Zhang Loves Land

4:53 - Ray’s 6 Step System

5:58 - Step 1: Market Selection

7:13 - Step 2: Make Offers

9:24 - Step 3: Value The Land

10:15 - Step 4: Renegotiate

11:18 -  Steps 5 and 6: Realtor/Title Company & Selling The Land

13:56 - What He Spends The Most Time On

15:29 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Ray Zhang

https://www.instagram.com/virtualflipland

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Cade Silva breaks down how he flipped $40M in just one year across 15 deals by building agent-first relationships instead of chasing sellers. He explains why paying full commissions unlocked better deals, how he scaled into high-end flips, and the systems he uses to manage risk, contractors, and capital in today’s market.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - Cade Silva’s Real Estate Business

1:34 - Working With Investors As An Agent

2:57 - The Deals He’s Done This Year & Scaling

7:41 - His Current Deals & The Formula He Uses

11:28 - What His Day To Day Looks Like

12:56 - Why He Went All In On Flipping

17:21 - His Biggest Challenge So Far

21:20 - More Tips From Cade

23:02 - Deals Where He Lost Money & Lessons Learned

27:24 - Keeping Deals As Rentals & Direct To Seller Marketing

31:07 - Getting Funding

32:50 - What He Wants To Learn From CG

33:58 - Who He’s Learned A Lot From

35:54 - The Worst Advice He’s Ever Gotten & Podcasts He Likes

38:29 - What He Likes Other Than Real Estate

39:50 - Extra Questions From Moustafa

42:07 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Cade Silva

https://www.instagram.com/cadejsilva

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Chris Johns breaks down how his team buys 200 homes a year while refusing to play the usual wholesaling games. He explains why they never renegotiate sellers, how a seller-first culture actually scales better, and how omnichannel marketing - from direct mail to TV - fuels consistent deal flow. Chris also shares how they’re using AI for rehab scopes, design decisions, and buyer confidence, plus why most investors should either commit to real scale or rethink rentals altogether.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:53 - Chris Johns’ Business

1:34 - What He Did Before They Did Direct To Seller

4:37 - Using Different Forms Of Marketing

6:04 - Why He Stopped Doing Turnkey

10:12 - The Best Way To Get A Return On Your Portfolio

13:25 - Using AI In His Business

18:21 - What Happened In 2025 & Refusing To Renegotiate

23:04 - Doing Novations

26:39 - His Biggest Lesson From 2025

28:09 - Their Company Values

30:10 - Why He Left Healthcare For Real Estate

32:52 - Sales Tips & Letting People Go

37:54 - What To Look For In An Acquisitions Manager

40:01 - Who He’s Learned The Most From

43:06 - A Product That Changed His Life

44:41 - Extra Questions From Moustafa

47:57 - Outro

LINKS:

Email: Chris Johns

[email protected] 
 

Website: SBD Housing

https://www.sbdhousing.com/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

In this masterclass, Jiries Dawaher breaks down the simple daily discipline that actually drives long-term success in real estate. He explains why consistency beats talent, why the outcome doesn’t matter at first, and how committing just 30 minutes a day for 100 days builds momentum most investors never reach. This session focuses on focus, sacrifice, and designing a “rich life” before chasing deals or strategies.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - The 4 Things To Focus On

3:28 - Finding Your Why & Setting Goals

7:10 - What Does It Take To Be Great?

8:22 - Having A Laser-like Focus

11:33 - Your Pathway To Succeed

13:46 - The Blessing And The Curse

14:46 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Jiries Dawaher

https://www.instagram.com/jiriesd

Website: Jiries Dawaher

https://www.brrrrinvestacademy.com/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

David takes you inside a $10M real estate deal with Ashley Rhame for a full walkthrough of a rare, large-scale redevelopment. This isn’t a typical flip. You’ll see how historical restrictions, multi-year timelines, massive capital requirements, and design decisions shape an eight-figure project. Along the way, Ashley breaks down what went right, what went wrong, and why deals at this level require a completely different mindset than standard residential investing.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:17 - The Backyard Of The Property

3:02 - Touring The Kitchen And Living Room

4:27 - The Front Of The Property

7:55 - Funding & Finding The Deal

9:17 - Changes Made To The Front Of The Property

11:25 - The Living Room And Bedrooms

19:44 - Touring The Garage

20:10 - How She Was Able To Afford This Deal

23:20 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Ashley Rhame

https://www.instagram.com/ashley_bettencourt_rhame/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Ashley Rhame walks through the risky first flip that nearly drained her bank account—and how that single deal set off a path that led to building a real estate fund, navigating market crashes, and ultimately taking on a $10M renovation in San Diego. This conversation breaks down conviction, risk management, scaling too fast, pulling back at the right time, and what it actually takes to survive multiple market cycles in real estate.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:50 - Ashley Rhame’s Business & How She Got Started

14:18 - DealMachine Quick Tip

16:50 - Getting Contractors From Home Depot

18:37 - Starting A Fund

30:02 - Changing Her Strategy & Building ADUs

34:45 - What She’s Excited About Now

40:27 - Working With Charity

46:37 - Books That She Recommends

51:59 - Working In Wealth Management

53:21 - Closing Thoughts

54:08 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Ashley Rhame

https://www.instagram.com/ashley_bettencourt_rhame/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Brian Pate of Destiny Homebuyers was homeless at 19, sleeping in his car and working multiple jobs just to get by. Today, he’s wholesaling at scale and flipping homes with resale prices up to $2 million across multiple markets. In this episode, Brian shares how his first $100k wholesale deal changed his trajectory, how he built a team to handle day-to-day operations, and why he chose to move into high-end flips despite the added risk. He also breaks down key lessons from costly mistakes, bad contractors, and what it actually takes to scale a real estate business.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

1:05 - An Overview Of Brian Pate's Business

3:21 - His First Deal

7:25 - His Next Deal After Making $100K

11:36 - Getting Deals From Brokers & Using DealMachine

14:15 - Why He Decided To Partner Up

15:39 - Lessons He Learned & His Buy Box

20:09 - His Wholesaling Team & Bad Flips

23:53 - Contracts With GCs

26:15 - His Biggest Lessons From CG

29:31 - Egyptian Cold Callers & Investing Out Of State

32:58 - Where He Found His Contractors

34:15 - Being Homeless At 19

40:53 - Books He’s Reading & Who He’s Learned From

44:13 - Closing Thoughts

45:04 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Brian Pate

https://www.instagram.com/paradigmpate/

Links: Brian Pate

linktr.ee/brianpate

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Rick Howell breaks down how he consistently flips 50+ houses per year without a bloated team. He walks through his lean operating model, how he monetizes leads that don’t fit his flip criteria, and the mindset shift that allowed him to raise private money and scale without sacrificing lifestyle. Rick also shares how his 4-person team focuses on systems, inbound marketing, and asset ownership instead of chasing volume for ego.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Rick Howell’s Business Model & How He Got Started

4:30 - Learning About Private Money

6:18 - How You Can Start Raising Private Money

10:26 - How Running A Lean Team Can Make Your Lifestyle Better

15:02 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Rick Howell

https://www.instagram.com/rickhowellrei/

Links: Rick Howell

https://solo.to/rickhowell

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Luis Mota breaks down how he and his partner consistently close 100+ wholesale deals per year in California’s Central Valley — and why wholesaling is only the starting point. In this conversation, Luis walks through his exact lead sources, average assignment fees, how they cherry-pick rentals, and how that steady deal flow funds much bigger plays, including $80M commercial developments like gas stations, truck stops, and Starbucks. He also shares how he hires acquisitions talent, raises millions without pitching investors, and thinks about scaling from single-family deals to large commercial assets.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

1:12 - An Overview Of Luis Mota’s Business

3:09 - How He Decides Which Properties To Keep

5:24 - Senate Bill 9 & The Numbers In His Market

8:01 - How He Decides Which Lists To Market To

8:49 - Their Team & Hiring/Training The Acquisitions Role

11:54 - His Goals With Real Estate

13:16 - DealMachine Quick Tip

14:08 - How He Got Into Gas Stations And Truck Stops

17:56 - Building A Dutch Bros

19:35 - How To Do What Luis Is Doing

21:04 - Closing Advice & How To Get In Touch

23:00 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Luis Mota

https://www.instagram.com/c21realluis/

Website: Home Helpers Group

https://www.homehelpersgroup.com/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/

Nicholas Pina and Ashley Abbott break down how Ashley has built 68 rental properties using creative financing instead of traditional bank loans. They walk through real subject-to deals, principal-only seconds, seller financing, and deal-by-deal partnerships that turn “too tight” deals into real cash flow. This conversation gets specific on how these structures work, when to use them, and why creative financing has become their primary strategy for scaling rentals.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Intro

0:36 - Nick Pina and Ashley Abbott’s Recent Deals

4:06 - Why They’re Partnered On These Deals

5:36 - Where They Found Their Latest Deal

12:10 - How Their Partnership Works

13:14 - DealMachine Quick Tip

18:12 - Their Community & What They Teach

23:15 - Filters They Use

26:00 - Nick’s Portfolio

28:58 - How Much Wholesaling They Do & DealMachine Tips

34:01 - How To Get In Touch With Nick And Ashley

36:40 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Nicholas Pina

https://www.instagram.com/nickbestflippinglife/

Instagram: Ashley Abbott

https://www.instagram.com/ashbuyshomes/

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/