What happens when you realize that saving money on property management fees is actually costing you more in stress, quality of life, and your ability to scale?

In this continuation episode, Angel Williams and Ashley Garner dive deeper into the critical decisions that separate surviving real estate investors from thriving ones. Ashley reveals why he abandoned self-management despite the cost savings, how the "survival mode" that once saved him became his biggest limitation, and why outsourcing everything to specialists accelerated his growth. Angel shares her hesitations about creating a third-party management company and discovers why the math might not add up. This conversation explores the hidden costs of doing everything yourself and how quality of life decisions—like hiring house cleaners instead of buying luxury cars—create the freedom that makes real estate investing worthwhile.

[00:01 - 04:00] Breaking Free from Survival Mode

• Why the survival instincts that help you start can limit your scaling
• How spreading yourself thin defeats the original goal of financial freedom
• The counterintuitive relationship between delegation and control

[04:01 - 07:30] The Self-Management Experiment

• Ashley's experience managing 100+ units with his own employee
• Why Saturday night toilet calls made him rethink the "savings"
• How third-party management fees compare to the true cost of self-management

[07:31 - 10:00] The Real Math of Property Management

• Why management fees range from 3% to 10% depending on property size
• The hidden costs that bring third-party management close to 10% anyway
• Why Ashley believes property managers deserve 30% for what they deal with

[10:01 - 13:30] Finding Your Superpower Strategy

• Why working on weaknesses keeps you mediocre instead of exceptional
• The reality that personality doesn't drastically change after your thirties
• How to identify what to outsource versus what to keep in-house

[13:31 - 17:00] Quality of Life Over Material Wealth

• Why Ashley's first purchase with extra income was house cleaning, not luxury cars
• How real estate investing provides freedom to attend school events and family activities
• The short window of opportunity for being present during children's formative years

[17:01 - 20:25] The Feast or Famine Reality

• Why real estate investing requires discipline for irregular income flows
• How to budget when a $50K distribution might need to last 12 months
• Introduction to syndications as a way to help others benefit from real estate without the work

Connect with Ashley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybgarner/

Key Quotes:
"That survival is a trait that I would never give up " - Ashley Garner

"Don't spend all your time working on your weaknesses." - Angel Williams

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