Category: Jewels of Wisdom Newsletter

Good Morning!

Things have been improving in over the past few weeks because of the aggressive Fed rate cut. We certainly have noticed an increase in demand in our business, selling a dozen of our properties and closing about a dozen more in the past 2 weeks. Pending home sales are a leading indicator of closed deals, which means the recent NAR reported August Pending Home Sales increase is a sign of increased activity for all of us in the residential real estate industry.

Highlights:

• 8 Commercial Real Estate Case Studies (Saul Z)
• 41 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale
• Private Mortgage Investment Avail Now

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

For Sale – Chicago Warehouse 8,800 Sq. Ft.
5522-26 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 60651

• 8,800 Sq. Ft.
• Interior loading dock
• 12 Foot Clear Height
• Near Move Ready
• Perfect Contractor Space, Storage, Car Repair
• Recent Roof Replacement
• Lease Option Available
• Offered at $650,000 or $8,066/Month (Modified Gross Rent)
• Please call Oscar for access at 312-815-2751

Private Mortgage Investment – Available Now

• You Fund $207,500 @ 10% interest + 2 Points
• 12 Month Term
• Accredited Investor Only
• Must Fund this Week
• For Details, sign up at www.FundRehabDeals.com

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here
Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

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Peek Behind the curtain of 8 Commercial Real Estate Deals

A few weeks ago, my past business partner, Saul Z, joined me on the REI Diamonds Show and discussed his evolution into his current $100 Million commercial real estate portfolio.

Saul writes the absolute best weekly Commercial Real Estate newsletter. Each week he shares his experience through detailed case studies and strategies he’s deploying in stabilizing more than 1 million sq. ft. of commercial & industrial space.
If you’re at all interested in commercial real estate investing, I suggest signing up for Saul’s “Commercial Real Estate Matchmaking” email newsletter here. It is 100% free, but infinitely more. He has nothing for sell other than the space he offers for lease. You’ll also find those 8 Commercial Real Estate Case Studies.  Oh yeah, when you sign up you’ll also receive the Pro-Forma excel file he uses to underwrite his deals. Go now & prosper!

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am the buyer.

Good Morning!

Getting back to work this week as a married man. What a great time we had at the wedding last week. I appreciate everyone who shared their congratulations last week.

Highlights:

• The $600,000 Real Estate Scam
• 43 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale
• Selling $1.5 Billion of the $2 Billion in Apts (podcast)

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here
Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

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Weekly Wealth of Wisdom
We Nearly Got Scammed for $600,000!

“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” -Proverbs 8:11

You might remember my mention of a $600,000 deal we were anticipating funding in Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 2 weeks ago. It turns out, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. We were the target of a wire fraud attempt.

Here were the red flags:

1. Unbelievable Deal – Our contract was for $600,000 on a property purchased in 2018 for $1.5M. Scammers will use this setup to suspend your disbelief at the opportunity being presented. A great example of this strategy is when con-man Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower in France – twice!
2. Suspicious LLC Docs – The LLC Docs presented by the con artist had a 2024 notary date, but the property had been held by the LLC since 2018. The dates didn’t match up. Look out for details like this.
3. Fast Deadline to Close – “Seller” was pushing for a 10 day closing. His reason was that he was going to lose a $100,000 EMD (earnest money deposit) on a deal in Mexico. He’s ready to sell this property at a $900k loss to avoid a $100K loss? This didn’t add up.
4. Suspicious ID – The first & last name on his California license were in the wrong locations. Another red flag.

Even before we signed, I was on high alert that this was likely a scam. That original purchase price and the agreed contract price was just too good to be true. We signed the agreement anyway to do our due diligence. We did NOT wire any EMD to the title company. When we sent our local contact, there was a general contractor on site already who confirmed that our “seller” was NOT the owner of the property who hired him. Needless to say, we didn’t move forward and the scammer disappeared.

We found out later that the next few steps in this common real estate scam would have been an email from an account at a very similar domain name to the title company with the wire instructions. For example instead of [email protected], the scammer would use the email [email protected] to send their own wire instructions with their own contact info as the “call to confirm” information.

My own strategy when confirming wiring instructions is the google the name of the title company and see if the phone numbers match. If they don’t, I may take another step and skip trace the number on the wire instructions. These numbers must match somewhere before I call in order for me to send money.

Luckily, we avoided the $600,000 scam and I don’t know what it’s like to lose $600,000. Hopefully we all get a reminder like this to be diligent and NEVER fall victim to a crime like this.

Imagine Selling $1.5 Billion worth of Your Portfolio (podcast)

Dan French was recently on the REI Diamonds Show. He & I discussed his near-perfect timing of the multi-family real estate market before the market collapsed in mid 2022. After assembling a portfolio valued at $2 Billion, he & his partners made the decision to sell the majority beginning in 2019. They completed sales over 2.5 years of $1.5 Billion, leaving a portfolio of $500 Million of the best properties in the best locations. Listen to the story here.

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am the buyer.

Yesterday I married my life partner for the past 7 years & best friend, Caity, out on Lake Michigan in Chicago.

It’s been a busy week getting ready for the wedding-cutting into my normal writing time, so this week’s newsletter is going to be a bit shorter than usual. Since our honeymoon is scheduled for a bit later this year, I’ll pick up this newsletter next week. Now I’m headed back to enjoy the rest of this weekend with my beautiful, loving bride!

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Selling

• 51 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am the buyer.

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here

Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

Good Morning!!

Today I’d like to begin by shouting out the unsung heros of the residential real estate market: The Buyer’s Agent. It’s gotten tough these past 2 years for all agents, but Buyer’s Agents in particular have gotten unfairly challenged by the recent NAR Settlement making it a bit more difficult to earn commissions.

Ask yourself, who is responsible for keeping the real estate market moving? Who convinces the buyer to submit nearly every single retail offer? The Buyer’s Agent. Who keeps that buyer accountable to actually deposit the earnest money? Inspection schedules & repair negotiations? Actually following through and closing their deal? The Buyer’s Agent. On behalf of all fix & flip investors I say, “THANK YOU!!” The market NEEDS you. 

Here are today’s highlights:

• 15 Unit Apartment Building For Sale
• 48 Fix & Flip Deals For Sale
• How to Legally Avoid Taxes (Podcast Released)
• 3 Opportunities for You to Earn 10% interest & 2 points on your money
• The Key to Making the Next Million Dollars

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am your buyer.

This week a shout out goes to Al Foda, Sharon Love-Bates, & Patricia Fagiola.  All 3 are real estate agents, and I offered this deal: They make an introduction to the seller, and whether we were to fix & flip the deal, or wholesale the deal, I’ll pay them 25% of the net profit. I cannot do that with anyone who does not hold a license because of real estate licensing laws. All 3 referred houses that need a renovation. Thank you Al, Sharon, & Patricia!!

For Sale – 15 Units in Chicago, IL

9211 S Laflin St, Chicago, IL 60620 – Price $1,299,000

• 15 Units (1 is non-conforming)
• Current Gross Income $190,000+
• Brainerd Neighborhood – Near Beverly
• Separate Electric & Gas/Heat Meters
• Includes the Parking Lot
• Room to Raise Rents
• View Offering Memorandum

Price $1,299,000

Short Term Private Mortgage Investment Opportunities Available Now

This week we are offering 3 deals which you may fund to earn 10% interest and 2 points. Loan term will be 12 months, with expected payoff in 4-6 months. We will pay 3 months of interest minimum, if we payoff prior to 90 days.

• Elmwood Park, IL, 3 Bed 2 Bath will sell for $350,000. Closing this Week
  • You Loan $235,000
  • Minimum Return $245,500 (if held 3 mos or less)
  • Small Renovation & Retail Sale 6-12 months est timeline.
• Steger, IL 4,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse will sell for $350K+ Closing 30 days
  • You Loan $210,000
  • Minimum Return $215,950 (if held 3 mos or less)
  • Already Renovated 6-12 months est. deal cycle timeline
• Hollywood – Los Angeles, CA, 3 Bed 2 Bath will sell for $1M+. Closing next week.
  • You Loan $600,000
  • Minimum Return $627,000 (if held 3 mos or less)
  • Buy & sell as-is. 3-6 month est. deal cycle timeline

For details, be sure to sign up at www.FundRehabDeals.com . If you’re interested in funding one or more of these deals, please reply to this email and let me know which. These go quickly, and it’s first come first serve.

Weekly Wealth of Wisdom
How I’ll Make my Next Million Dollars

My next million dollars will come the same way the last few have: the deep work-focus of DECIDING on the RIGHT offer for our next deals. If we choose an offer too low, we will miss the deal. Too high, and we will lose money.

For example, we have been working for months on the right offer for a 100,000 sq. ft. shopping center with 70% vacancy and low population. Shout out to my partner, Craig, for continuing to push on this one. With a $2M-$3M capital improvement project (roof, parking, facade update), and large TI budgets & leasing commissions to fill it up, we simply cannot get this one wrong.

Another shout out goes to Mike Phillips. Instead of recommending I read Deep Work by Cal Newport, he asked for my address and simply sent the book. His timing was perfect. Since I’ve been reading it, my focus has improved and my ability to do “Deep Work” increased. For me, “Deep Work” is the focus needed to construct the RIGHT offers & win deals.

Making offers is the place I watch most wanna-bes fail & 100% of successful investors excel. It’s the big wall of resistance, the unknown, the place of challenge. If the offer is accepted, you must perform. Those who DO the business, MAKE the offer. Making more & larger offers is how I’ll make another million (or many!)

How to Legally Avoid Paying Taxes (Podcast) 

Tax strategy is a skill Warren Buffett taught me early on. It’s one of the many reasons I invest in real estate. Tax Strategist Shauna, and I recorded a recent podcast on how to arrange your life & business in the most tax-efficient manner possible. This is NOT the 1031 Exchange. In fact there is MUCH MORE that can be done to keep more money in your pocket.  Listen here.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

It’s been a great summer here at Diamond Equity. Prices have held their record highs in most areas we operate. In fact, a few niche markets even notched new highs. All this in the face of dropping demand and record low pending home sales across the U.S. The good news is that Fed & mortgage rate drops are coming soon.

Here’s today’s agenda:

• 2 Lessons from the Commercial Academy Mastermind
• 44 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale
• How I Made my 1st Million Dollars

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am the buyer.

A shout out goes to Ken Grant for sending me a 30,000 sq. ft. retail strip center to review.  This one is being marketed quietly, which I love. Unfortunately it is in Cook County and specifically one of the highest taxing districts in the U.S. At more than $225K per year in property tax, this is not a deal I can make work. The leases are NNN, so the tenants technically pay those taxes, but long term that leaves less dollars available for me to raise my base rents over time. Long term, these are harder to lease and go up in value more slowly-all due to the ineffective property tax system in the local area.

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here

Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

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Weekly Wealth of Wisdom
How I Made my 1st Million Dollars

“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” -Proverbs 8:11

At the recent Commercial Academy Mastermind, I presented on How I Made my First Million Dollars. There were 2 books my mentor suggested which subsequently led to Diamond Equity closing more than $3M in the next 12 months.

The first is Robert Ringer’s Winning Through Intimidation. This is Robert’s strategy used to close dozens of large commercial real estate transactions. We simply translated that to residential real estate.

The second is Robert Cialdini’s Influence. This is the treatise on Psychology and explains the  6 Principles of Persuasion. Once again, we translated these principles into Diamond Equity. This was in 2015 and we earned over $3M in profit that following year.

2 Lessons from the Commercial Academy Mastermind
in Cleveland this past week

1. Make Your Brokers Rich!! Many people try to squeeze the broker and avoid paying them at all. My goal is to pay brokers AND even bring them in on the deal. Maybe they’re capable or running the project, leasing, and collecting rents OR just bringing the deal to the table. I want to pay my broker extra and be the 1st call they make on their next deal.
2. Appraisals are NOT Value – The actual value of a property is the price at which a buyer will buy & a seller will sell. I often laugh when I see some of the appraisal values because I know that no one would pay that “appraised” value. A better metric of value would be an offer in-hand, from a real buyer willing to close. If you have a property and need an “appraisal” / offer like this, please reply to this email with details.

Good Morning!

Any interest in joining our team, even remotely? We are looking for a closer to make deals virtually throughout the U.S. See the “Chicago, IL Region” listing at careers.diamondequity.com for details.

Here’s today’s agenda:

• Podcast on Mall Redevelopment
• 44 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale
• Top 10 U.S. Real Estate Markets
• Shout out to a few Readers for sending me industrial deals

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

For Sale 203 E Trigg Avenue, Memphis, TN 38106

• 30,000 Sq. Ft. on 8.9 Acre Industrial Lot
  • 31′ Clear Height in North Bay section
  • 21′ Clear Height in South Bay section
  • Up to 8 Acres Available
  • Railroad Spur (dormant)
  • For details, contact Hannah at 404-754-5829
  • Reduced Price $900,000 
• For Sale 39 Investor Grade Deals with (R.O.I.) Return on Investment
  • Fix & Flip Deals
  • Buy & Hold
  • Handyman Specials

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above. I am the buyer.

A few shouts outs this week for bringing me a deal to review this week: Roger Blankenship, of Flipping America, Mike Phillips, of Freedom Portfolio Advisors, & Marc Wiser, of Go Commercial.  Although we are still working numbers here and haven’t yet achieved price discovery with the sellers, I am grateful for the opportunities you’ve given me the chance to review.  THANK YOU gentlemen!

Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%

Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here

Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

Weekly Wealth of Wisdom
More Mall Redevelopment – Andy Weiner, President of RockStep Capital

“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” -Proverbs 8:11

The Fort Pod is hosted by Chris Powers who founded a firm with more than $1B in industrial real estate currently in portfolio. Recently, Andy Weiner was on the show discussing his redevelopment strategy for dying U.S. shopping malls-a favorite topic of mine lately. You can listen to this podcast on redeveloping malls here.

Recent Podcast Episode – Tax Lien Investing with Angela Duncan

Angela & I discuss creating wealth through passive investing and earning double digit returns. Changing your financial future begins with a decision. It is a good idea to first decide to get rich, then map out the plan for the steps to get your there.  Once you have cash, finding a safe & reliable return on that cash provides that passive income to carry you through the rest of your life with options. Listen to the full REI Diamonds episode here.

Good Morning!

Last week I shared The REI Diamonds Show podcast featuring my dad & I discussing the early days of Diamond Equity & his experience as a Private Lender.  However I sent the wrong link. You can find that correct link/episode here (podcast).

Here’s today’s agenda:

• Winning the Deal Without Being the Highest Offer
• 39 Real Estate Investor Deals For Sale
• How to Select the BEST Real Estate Markets to Invest (podcast)
• 2 Warehouse Deals For Sale (Chicago & Memphis, TN)

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

For Sale 8,800 Sq. Ft. Warehouse, Chicago, IL

5522-5526 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 60651   

• Vacant & Ready to Rent/Move in
• 12′ Clear Height
• For additional detail, please Oscar at 312-579-0428
• Price $650,000

For Sale 30,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse, Memphis, TN
203 E Trigg Avenue, Memphis, TN 38106

• 30,000 Sq. Ft.
  • 31′ Clear Height in North Bay section
  • 21′ Clear Height in South Bay section
  • Up to 8 Acres Available
  • Railroad Spur (dormant)
  • For details, contact Hannah at 404-754-5829
  • Price $1,275,000 
• 39 Investor Grade Deals with (R.O.I.) Return on Investment
  • Fix & Flip Deals
  • Buy & Hold
  • Handyman Specials

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above.

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here

---

Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit
Weekly Wealth of Wisdom

Getting Offers Accepted without Being the Highest

“For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” -Proverbs 8:11

Last year we sold & closed 330 deals. More than half of those deals were sold to buyers who presented offers which were NOT the highest price. This is because we, as sellers, often choose the STRONGEST offer, not necessarily the highest offer. Here’s how to present the Strongest Offer (blog post)

Recent Podcast Episode – Turn Key Rental Market Selection with Zach Lemaster

Zach & I discuss the merits of selecting the RIGHT markets in the U.S. for rent & price appreciation. Many markets in the U.S. are primed for growth – although many of us are not already living in those markets. This can be intimidating-buying an out of state rental or two-but well worth the effort over the long term. Listen here: Turn Key Rental Market Selection Podcast

How I Made My First Million Dollars

At the Commercial Academy event in Cleveland on August 23-25, I will share the details on How I Made My First Million Dollars.  I only invite 3 people to attend each event so that I can spend some time meeting each person that attends as my guest. For this event, I already had those 3 people register. If you missed out, maybe I’ll catch you at the next event in January…

Good Morning!

Here’s today’s agenda:

• Private Money Masterclass Replay
• Me & My Dad Discussing the Early Days of Diamond Equity
• Cash for Keys – How to Avoid Evictions
• 15 Unit Apartment Building For Sale

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Doing a Deal with Diamond Equity

Here’s What I’m Selling:

• 15 Unit Apartment Building $1.249M 
  9211 S. Laflin Street, Chicago IL 60620
  • $190,000 Yearly Rent Roll
  • Increase Rent by Renovating Remaining Dated Units
  • Offering Memorandum
  • For additional detail, please connect with Jason Marcordes, IL broker, at 630-842-5557 or [email protected]
• 35 Investor Grade Deals with (R.O.I.) Return on Investment
  • Fix & Flip Deals
  • Buy & Hold
  • Handyman Specials

Here’s What I’m Buying:

• Retail Strip or Shopping Center 10,000-250,000 Sq. Ft.
• Industrial or Flex Warehouse 20,000 – 250,000 Sq. Ft.

Here’s How to Passively Invest:

• Earn 2 Points & 10% Interest as a Private Lender on MY Deals.

Here is How I Run My Schedule:

• I only schedule calls for which I am prepared. If you’d like to schedule a call with me, please include the full agenda of what will be discussed in your email. These are calls I handle personally:
  • Accredited Investors who can write a Check for $1M or more and are interested in exclusive partnering on Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Brokers, Wholesalers, or Owners seeking to sell the type of Commercial assets outlined above.

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Kiavi offers Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Volume Flippers may Obtain $1M+ Lines of Credit
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here
Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

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The Wealth of Wisdom

“Wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold” -Proverbs 3:14

This week’s Wealth of Wisdom is the process of Cash for Keys. Personally, I hate evictions. They usually take 3-4 months where I am not collecting rent. So if I have a $1,500 per month rental, I’m out $4,500-$6,000 in lost rent while going through the eviction. I view this as my budget for the Cash I’m willing to go up to in exchange for the keys – the tenant leaving immediately.

Of course I would start with less and say to the tenant, on the spot, in person, “Listen, I’m going to the attorney’s office when I leave here and filing the eviction. it’s going to run me about $500. If you can be out by Friday (or whenever a few days later would be), I’ll give you that money instead. Can you be out by then?”

It’s a negotiation around the amount of money and how fast they can leave. The more time you give them to get out, the less likely that they will ever leave. I never give more than 7 days before filing the eviction if they haven’t left.

My friend, Mark Ainley runs GC Realty, a volume property manager serving the greater Chicagoland region. He recently wrote a more detailed explanation of the process.  You can read that post here.

Recent Podcast Episodes – Private Money Lending with Dan Breslin

This week 2 REI Diamonds Show episodes have been released:

• Private Money Lending with Dan Breslin (my dad)
• Private Money Masterclass – Webinar Replay

My dad is the reason I am here as President running Diamond Equity Investments. He is also a one of my private lenders. On this podcast we discuss both the early days of Diamond Equity and his experience as a private lender.

How I Made My First Million Dollars

At the Commercial Academy event in Cleveland on August 23-25, I will share the details on How I Made My First Million Dollars.  I only invite 3 people to attend each event so that I can spend some time meeting each person that attends as my guest. For this event, I already had those 3 people register. If you missed out, maybe I’ll catch you at the next event in January…

Good Morning!

Are you a fix & flip investor?  Or agent representing clients who fix & flip houses? We have 34 Investor Deals currently for sale across Atlanta, Chicago, & Philadelphia – plus a few other states.

First Time Reading?  Sign Up Here

Here are today’s highlights:

• Building Successful Partnerships
• Why I am Selling My Entire Portfolio
• $350M across more than 1,700 units owned without Partners
• The Remaining 9 Units of my Portfolio For Sale

Kiavi makes Hard Money Loans Starting at 9.64%
Get $350 Credit on Your First Loan – Begin Here

Sign up Now, even if you’re not ready to borrow & lock in your $350 credit

Here’s Why I Write the “Jewels of Wisdom” Newsletter

I write this newsletter each week because I am hoping you buy a deal or two, become one of my Private Lenders, or perhaps, maybe you & I become business partners and do a deal (or a few hundred) together.

Our company, Diamond Equity, has flipped 146 deals this year so far. We have another 117 deals either under construction, or under contract awaiting closing. Between Atlanta & the Phila Tri-State area, we have 9,175 leads – Sellers who have called us to buy their property. This is beyond our team’s current capacity and we are looking to add another partner in each the Atlanta & the Philly/New Jersey region. Details can be found here.

One thing I know by my own experience is building a volume house flipping business. Next week I’m going to discuss my favorite market in the U.S. to build a house flipping business that would generate $500,000 per year in gross profit. Keep your eyes peeled for that one!

Why I am Selling My Entire Portfolio

1031 Exchange Coming Soon

Got a Deal I Can Buy? Email me Details!

If you’ve been following the Jewels of Wisdom newsletter, you’ve probably noticed a small portfolio of apartments for sale. They’re at the bottom of this email and 3 of 5 are sold so far. Here’s why: I am selling my entire portfolio to simplify things and keep my focus on Diamond Equity, our growing house flipping business.

These apartments and my single family rentals have done well. They’ve appreciated a bit, I’ve done quite a bit of improvements and the cash flow is now solid. However, for me, these units are more like a savings account than my main business. Viewed that way, the number of emails from management, the number of evictions, & the necessary refi’s due every 5 years is making this savings account unsustainable from my point of view. So I am selling them all.

I’m Looking for a 1031 Exchange Property Priced $2M-$5M with Some Upside in Rents.  Apts, Retail, or Industrial.  If You Have a Deal Available, Please Email the Details.

That said, I will do a 1031 Exchange into the right deal, if one becomes available in time. To me, the right deal is going to be in the price range of $2 million – $5 million and have low rents. I need to be able to invest additional money, if needed, over the next 2-5 years and push those rents & the value upward. Otherwise I’ll just pay the tax due and keep lending out my money at 2 points & 10% interest to fix & flip deals.

$350,000,000 in Apartments without Syndication Partners

Many of us, myself included, begin real estate investing without any money. We are taught that raising capital is the method to make our success – an it is a great way to get to the next level. I offer 10% and 2 points on short term loans to my Private Lenders.

But this week’s REI Diamond Show episode with Gino Barbaro highlights the next level AFTER syndications, which seems like the most ideal position to end up: Owning $350M in assets WITHOUT the hassles of syndication partners  Check out Gino’s REI Diamonds Show episode here.

How I Made My First Million Dollars

At the Commercial Academy event in Cleveland on August 23-25, I will share the details on How I Made My First Million Dollars.  I only invite 3 people to attend each event so that I can spend some time meeting each person that attends as my guest. For this event, I already had those 3 people register. If you missed out, maybe I’ll catch you at the next event in January…

37 9 Unit Chicago Portfolio For Sale

15 Units @ 9211 S. Laflin Street, Chicago IL 60620         $1,249,000(Sold)
10 Units @ 6221 W. Wabansia St., Chicago IL 60639       $1,149,000 (Sold)
3 Units @ 871 N. Richmond St, Chicago IL 60622              $699,000
3 Units @ 9235 S. Brandon St, Chicago IL 60617               $279,000(Sold)
6 Units @ 1843 W 54th Street, Chicago IL 60609                $399,000

These are all listed on the MLS individually, but may sell at a discount if you buy as a complete package. For additional detail, please connect with Jason Marcordes, IL broker, at 630-842-5557 or [email protected] 

Be the BEST Partner Possible

Team First & Exceed Expecations

Bad partners are terrible, and Great partners will make you rich. My personal motto has always been to be the BEST partner possible. I want to bring twice as much value to every partnership as any other partner is contributing. When they do the same, that partnership will exceed everyone’s expectations. Everyone is grateful to be in business like this.

As I’ve become the senior partner in most of our deals, I’ve been blessed to be able to guide and grow some of my partners to the next level of their professional and personal development. It has been a real honor for me and I am humbled to be in this position. The strongest suggestion I often make in during these conversations is a timely book recommendation made from my reading list.

View my reading list here.  These books have been the most impactful in my own career and have driven our results here at Diamond Equity for more than a decade. There is one more book which is even more powerful than any on that list. That book is also on more millionaires’ bookshelves than any other book. That book is the Bible, and it is the foundation of my life & career.

Good Morning!

Before we begin, I’d like to mention that I’m looking for an Acquisition Manager to work the North New Jersey region based out of our office in Folsom, PA. We provide leads, training, & capital.  Go to Careers.DiamondEquity.com for details on how to apply.

Here are today’s highlights:

• 37 19 Unit Portfolio For Sale, plus 24 Fix & Flips
• 10% Passive Returns with Short Term Loans
• Creating $10M+ in less than 18 Months on One Deal (podcast)
• Commercial Academy is August 23-25.  You coming?

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Private Lending Webinar Replay – Podcast Coming Soon

Last week I hosted a Private Lending Webinar covering both the Fix & Flip Investor & Private Lender’s perspectives. I also recorded an REI Diamond Show episode with my dad as the guest. He’s been a private lender for years.He and I also discuss the founding of Diamond Equity Investments back in 2006 & his experience in making a few dozen private loans himself.

This episode, along with the Private Lending Webinar replay will be released. Keep your eye out!  For the earliest notification of release, follow the REI Diamonds Show on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube etc.

Right now I have a Private Lender who needs his capital back on a project we are constructing in Berwyn, IL.  The loan amount is $380,000 and the property is going to sell for $535,000-$565,000.  We are paying for additional construction out of pocket, so the loan of $380,000 is going back to the original lender. This loan pays a 10% interest balloon payment when we return capital, likely in 6 months.  Email me back if you’d like to fund this loan.

Creating $10M+ in less than 18 Months on One Deal (podcast)

If you’ve been following this newsletter, you probably already know the name Saul Zenkevicius.  Saul & Rafik (last podcast released) have bought, redeveloped, and are leasing up the Piqua Center-a 500,000 Sq. Ft. dying mall (pictured below). Saul shares the exact method used to turn this deal around and create more than $10M in value in less than 18 months. Check out Saul’s REI Diamonds Show episode here.

Cleveland Commercial Academy Event August 23-25

Rafik, Saul, & I all network and study commercial real estate at the Diamond Inner Circle Mastermind, which begins each even with the Commercial Academy. If you register as my guest, using this Commercial Academy Registration link, you may attend for just $897. After you register, please send me an email so that you & I can connect at the event.

At this event you will meet & hear how many people are doing deals with profits in excess of $1M. I invest in commercial real estate deals for scale & simplicity. Large amounts of capital can be placed, managed intelligently, and create large returns. I prefer this over my single family & apartment portfolio-which is why my units are now for sale.  See below:

37 Unit Chicago Portfolio For Sale

15 Units @ 9211 S. Laflin Street, Chicago IL 60620         $1,249,000(Sold)
10 Units @ 6221 W. Wabansia St., Chicago IL 60639       $1,149,000
3 Units @ 871 N. Richmond St, Chicago IL 60622              $699,000
3 Units @ 9235 S. Brandon St, Chicago IL 60617               $279,000(Sold)
6 Units @ 1843 W 54th Street, Chicago IL 60609                $399,000

These are all listed on the MLS individually, but may sell at a discount if you buy as a complete package. For additional detail, please connect with Jason Marcordes, IL broker, at 630-842-5557 or [email protected] 

Prefer Flipping Houses?  Or Rentals?  24 More Deals Available at www.DealsWithROI.com Atlanta, Chicago, & Philadelphia Regions

The Decision to Get Rich

My mentor, Dan Kennedy, told me that if you want to get rich, you have to first make a decision to get rich. Then you have to develop the mindset that people who are already rich have developed. He then went on to recommend several books which, when read correctly, would create that same mindset for the reader.

I’ve created a list of the most impactful of those recommendations, along with a short description of each big idea while reading.  You can view my reading list here.

BTW, these are required reading for the team here at Diamond Equity. In fact, I hesitated to share this list publicly because these books have been a superpower for us, a competitive advantage. That said, this list is now yours and I sincerely hope you become rich yourself. (or even more rich, if you’ve already made it!!)  Happy Sunday!