As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country's independence, I'm always reminded of financial independence. The odd thing is that when people talk to me about financial independence, the conversation usually turns to retirement. I'm not sure why 'retirement' became the benchmark. Some of the coolest people I know are not retired but are 'financially … [Read more...] about Financial Independence Isn’t About Retirement – It’s About Options
Archives for June 2026
Lessons from Getting My MLO
Traditional mortgage providers take compliance and the ability to repay seriously — you should too. Recently, I took and passed the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) Test. Included in that test is a required 20-hour NMLS pre-licensing education (along with your state's required education). It was eye-opening. Working our quoting desk for the last three years, … [Read more...] about Lessons from Getting My MLO
The 10 Biggest Wrap Note Mistakes We See (and What to Do Instead)
Not all wrap note mistakes are equal. Some reduce profits. Some create headaches. A few can put the entire transaction at risk. We see a lot of wrap notes as investors, usually involving seller financing. The seller still owes money on the property and the owner financing ‘wraps’ around an existing mortgage. The buyer pays one payment to the seller while the seller … [Read more...] about The 10 Biggest Wrap Note Mistakes We See (and What to Do Instead)
Stocks vs Notes
Stocks Made Me Money. Notes Changed How I Invest. It's a question We've heard for years: "Why would I invest in real estate notes when I can just put my money in the stock market and earn 8-10+%?" The truth is, we don't think it's a bad question. In fact, it's one investors should ask before putting money into any investment or class of investments. If you're going to tie … [Read more...] about Stocks vs Notes
