People embark on the journey to financial freedom because they want….financial freedom, of course! But is financial freedom actually the greatest reward of the whole journey? As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, the answer is no—there is a greater reward: the person you become along the path to financial freedom. In this episode, Jeff describes the many different transformations you go through as you progress toward financial freedom, and explains how they will serve you well into the future, even if your financial freedom itself doesn’t last.

The path to financial freedom through real estate may not be a get-rich-quick path, but it is indeed a dependable and clear one that doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode, Jeff interviews Michael Zuber, author of the popular real estate investing book, “One Rental at a Time.” Michael’s book has helped thousands of real estate investors to see a path to financial freedom through real estate, while holding down jobs and family responsibilities. In this conversation, Jeff and Michael discuss the concept of a “buy box” to focus your property search efforts, daily disciplines every real estate investor should follow, and so much more.

How important is networking for successful Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs? Very important in fact. Yet the word “networking” can conjure up certain negative connotations and mental images of awkward conversations and pointless business card exchanges…and can discourage people (including your host, Jeff) from doing it. In this episode, Jeff interviews Brian Trippe—a real estate investor, educator and connector—about the importance of developing strategic networking skills. Brian is the author of the books “Nothing’s For Sale” and “The ROI of Life,” and is an expert networker and connector. In this fun conversation, Brian explains what good networking really is, how valuable it can be, and provides several resources and book recommendations for mastering the art of networking.

When we look at a property, and we see the same thing everyone else sees….that’s a problem. But when we look at a property, and we see something DIFFERENT, and we have a bigger vision than others, all sorts of opportunity arises! In this episode, Jeff talks about the importance of being identify the hidden treasures in a deal, and how those hidden treasures can create much better deals for Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur buyers. Jeff also gives several examples of different types of hidden treasures to learn to look for.

Does achieving financial freedom through real estate require grinding, hard work and hustle? Not necessarily. In this episode, Jeff interviews Dion McNeeley, a self-proclaimed lazy investor—who has achieved financing independence! In this conversation, Dion tells his story about how we went from significant bad debt to financial independence through real estate investing, while maintaining a job he loves. Jeff and Dion discuss what it means to be successful as a “lazy” real estate investor, what Dion looks for in a deal, and explains how we gets tenants to ASK for a rent increase!

Usually when we embark on something new, we want to be able to see and understand the entire path ahead of us, before we even get started. But entrepreneurship doesn’t always work that way! In this episode, Jeff discusses how we must BELIEVE that the path will appear as we move forward in our real estate endeavors. From the big picture questions like “how will I achieve success as a real estate entrepreneur?” to the deal-by-deal questions of “how will this transaction come together?” we must embrace an attitude of belief that we will figure out the next steps on the journey only by moving forward along that path.