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Join Bronson Hill on the Mailbox Money Show for a replay of this powerful Due Diligence Masterclass webinar, where a battle-tested panel shares hard-earned lessons on spotting red flags, avoiding costly mistakes, and protecting capital in today's high-stakes investing landscape.

The Panel:

Jason Hartman

Founder of Empowered Investor and Hartman Media, host of the long-running Creating Wealth Show podcast (one of the earliest real estate investing podcasts). He’s a veteran real estate investor, educator, and author focused on income-producing properties, nationwide investing strategies, and helping people build wealth through controlled, direct real-estate ownership.

Denis Shapiro

Founder of SIH Capital Group, specializing in multifamily and alternative real estate investments. He is the author of a comprehensive guide on alternative investing (often referred to as the "Almanac of Alternative Investing"). Denis has deep experience raising capital, structuring deals, and navigating both successful syndications and painful lessons from fraudulent schemes.

Tom Burns

Physician-turned-real-estate investor and founder of the Rich Life Mastermind. With decades of experience in multifamily real estate, Tom is known for his practical, conservative approach to investing. He emphasizes transparency, market-rate returns, and thorough vetting; he previously presented "How to Spot the Wolf Before the Wolf Spots You" at Bronson’s Wealth Forum events.

Whether you're a passive investor tired of black-box deals or an operator building trust, this session delivers actionable green/red flags, real-world fraud stories, and mindset shifts to turn obstacles into resilience. Don't invest blind—equip yourself with the tools to see the wolf before it sees you.

TIMESTAMPS

1:49 - Episode Overview

2:57 - Panelist Introductions: Tom Burns, Denis Shapiro, Jason Hartman

5:00 - Tide Goes Out: Exposing Weak Deals

6:18 - Two Types of Risk: Fraud vs. Exposed Fundamentals

8:18 - Poll: Top Fear in Passive Investing

8:30 - Tom Burns: Short Memories, Boring Wins, Control Matters

10:45 - Jason Hartman: Tolerance for Failure, Commandment #3 - Maintain Control

14:27 - Three Risks of Relinquishing Control: Crook, Idiot, High Fees

16:05 - Vet Fees Like Mutual Funds

19:02 - Tom Burns: Stories of Brilliant Frauds, Be the Irritating Investor

21:30 - Poll Results: Fear of Losing Principal

21:52 - Bronson: ATM Fund Lessons - Predictable Income, Black Box Red Flags

23:04 - Denis Shapiro: Three Ponzi Experiences, Green Flags Overview

25:41 - Too-Good-to-Be-True Terms and Over-Glorification of Taxes

26:49 - Culture & Direct Access to Operator

29:42 - American Greed Traits: Generosity, Charisma, Aspirational Show

31:58 - Jason: Marco Santarelli Case Study

35:13 - Affinity Group Targeting & Group Vetting Power

37:58 - $100K Allocation Lightning Round

38:28 - Tom: In-Place Multifamily, Below Replacement Cost

39:21 - Denis: Affordable Housing & Hospitality Opportunities

40:36 - Jason: Housing (Single-Family Rentals) as Proven Asset

41:40 - Green Flags: Transparency, Market-Rate Returns, Simple Structures

46:21 - Q&A: Due Diligence Services & Tools

50:30 - Closing

Joint the Wealth Forum: bronsonequity.com/wealth

Connect with the Guests:

Jason Hartman:

Pocast: "The Creating Wealth Show with Jason Hartman"

Website: https://www.jasonhartman.com/

Denis Shapiro:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://sihcapitalgroup.com/

Tom Burns:

Email: [email protected]

Website: richdoctor.com

#DueDiligence

#InvestorProtection

#RealEstateInvesting

#SyndicationRisks

#AlternativeAssets

#PassiveInvesting

#OperatorVetting