160. 10 Real Estate Lies You've Been Told That Are Keeping You Broke!

166. You're Choosing the Wrong Loan — Here's What Investors Actually Use!

🌟 Every Real Estate Loan Explained — Which One Is Right for You? 🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole breaks down every major real estate loan type and reveals exactly which one fits your situation and investing goals. Most buyers spend months looking at houses and only 10 minutes thinking about their loan. Tonight, we flip that script. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "Most buyers spend months looking at houses and about 10 minutes thinking about the actual loan — and that's a little bit backwards." — Niyi Adewole 💡 What This Means: The loan you choose determines your cash flow, down payment, and whether you can even go after a property. Understanding your options before you start shopping is one of the most powerful advantages you can give yourself. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. FHA Loans: 3.5% down, lower credit requirements, and up to 6% in seller credits — enough to cover closing costs and buy down your rate. Niyi used this to buy his first triplex with just $5,000. Trade-offs: lifetime PMI and one active loan at a time. 2. Conventional Loans: As little as 5% down on a personal home — now including duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes. PMI drops off once you hit 20% equity, unlike FHA. Niyi's East Atlanta home appreciated $200K in under 2 years and got his PMI removed immediately. 3. DSCR Loans: Qualifies based on the property's income, not yours — perfect for self-employed investors with heavy deductions. 15–25% down, no income docs, no cap on properties, and you can close directly in an LLC. 4. VA Loans: Zero down, up to 4% in seller credits, and rates comparable to FHA. Most VA buyers walk away from closing with their earnest money back. Trade-off is a 2% funding fee that can be rolled into the loan. 5. FHA 203K Loans: Bundles purchase price and renovation costs into one loan for fixer-uppers you plan to live in. Work must be done by a bank-approved contractor. Whatever timeline you expect — double it. 6. Bank Statement Loans: Lenders take 12 months of deposits, cut it in half, and qualify you on that number. Higher rates but perfect for entrepreneurs who can't show enough income on tax returns. 7. Hard Money and Private Money: Hard money runs 11–13% interest with 6-month terms — great for flips and BRRRs. Private money comes from your personal network. Either way, never do it on a handshake — get everything in writing. 8. HELOC: Tap equity in a property you already own at a fraction of credit card rates. Niyi borrows at 8% through his HELOC and lends to other investors' flips at 15–20% — pocketing the spread. 🏡 Simple Decision Tree: ➤ Tight on Cash or Credit? FHA — 3.5% down, negotiate hard for seller credits. ➤ Solid Credit and Savings? Conventional — 5% down with PMI that disappears over time. ➤ Scaling Past 10 Properties or Self-Employed? DSCR — no income docs, no ceiling, close in an LLC. ➤ Military Veteran? VA loan — 0% down, you earned every bit of it. ➤ Buying a Fixer-Upper? FHA 203K — budget double the time you expect. ➤ Doing a Flip or BRRR? Hard money — get in, stay on budget, get out fast. ⚛️ Why This Matters: The right loan determines how fast you scale and how much wealth you build. Niyi has personally used every loan covered tonight — from a $5,000 FHA triplex to commercial construction loans for self-storage. Know your options and make smarter deals at every stage. 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern! Don’t miss out on our journey toward financial freedom through smart investments. 👉 Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an update! Let’s unlock your potential together!  Our Links ➣ Financial Freedom Mastermind Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/53083...  ➣ Peer Space Host Referral Link https://www.peerspace.com/referrals/g...  ➣ AirBNB Host Referral Link https://www.airbnb.com/r/niyia41  ➣ Ekabo Home Network (IG, Youtube, Email) https://linktr.ee/ekabohome Niyi Adewole is a licensed realtor in Georgia, brokered by EXP Realty. Feel free to reach out at Niyi.Adewole@exprealty.com if you would like to work with an investor friendly real estate agent.

165. How I Went From $5,000 to 30 Rental Units — The Simplest Plan!

🌟 From House Hack to 30 Units in 5 Years — The Simple Portfolio Blueprint🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole breaks down the exact strategy he used to go from one house hack triplex to 30 units in less than 5 years — without overcomplicating it. If you've been stuck in analysis paralysis wondering how to scale, this episode is your roadmap. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "The trap that most new investors fall into is analysis paralysis. You end up doing nothing, and a year from now you're looking back with zero progress." — Niyi Adewole 💡 What This Means: Real estate gives you so many paths that most people try all of them at once and end up paralyzed. The investors who win pick a lane and take consistent action — one deal at a time. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. Why the House Hack Is Always the Best First Deal: Put down as little as 5% instead of 20–25% on a pure investment. On an $800K fourplex, that's $40K down instead of $160K — leaving $120K ready for the next deal. 2. How to Play Offense and Defense Simultaneously: When Niyi moved into his first triplex, his two tenants paid $1,400 while his mortgage was $1,350 — he lived for free. He then automated his old $1,200 rent payment into his investment account, saving over $14,000 in one year for his next down payment. 3. House Hacking Doesn't Mean Sacrificing Comfort: Niyi shows a real live example — a 4,800 square foot duplex with no HOA, each unit a 4-bed, 3.5 bath — available for as little as 5% down. Live in one unit, rent the other. 4. How to Scale After Your First House Hack: Niyi lived off his salary and put 90% of his commissions straight into his investment account — buying duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes with 20–25% down until he hit 30 units in under 5 years and left his W-2 within 7. 5. The Power of Small Multifamily Over Single-Family: A client bought a Snellville quadplex where each unit is a 3-bed, 2.5 bath — same size as a $350–$400K single-family nearby — but paid only $250K per unit by buying all 4 together, while still charging the same rent. 6. A Real Client Success Story: A couple with a goal of having the wife stop working within 5 years bought a quadplex house hack, rented their previous home, then just closed on a second house hack duplex — controlling 5+ rental units in under 18 months. 7. How Much Do You Need Saved? Less than you think. Niyi's first triplex required just $5,000 total out of pocket. His $800K fourplex only needed $40K down. Save 3.5% for FHA or 5% for a conventional house hack loan. 🏡 Key Takeaways: ➤ Pick a Market and Commit — Give yourself a deadline. By end of next Friday, pick one market and focus on it exclusively. ➤ Automate Your Savings — Keep paying what you used to pay in rent — but to yourself. Direct it to your investment account every month without fail. ➤ Stay Flexible and Focused — Start with a house hack, move out, convert it to a rental, and stack strategies as the market shifts. Real estate gives you control that stocks never will. ⚛️ Why This Matters: Niyi went from a $190K triplex with $5,000 down to 30 units and full financial freedom — all while traveling to Costa Rica, Hawaii, and beyond without missing a beat. The strategy isn't complicated, the sacrifice is temporary, and the freedom on the other side is permanent. One house hack is all it takes to start. 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern! Don’t miss out on our journey toward financial freedom through smart investments. 👉 Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an update! Let’s unlock your potential together!  Our Links ➣ Financial Freedom Mastermind Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/53083...  ➣ Peer Space Host Referral Link https://www.peerspace.com/referrals/g...  ➣ AirBNB Host Referral Link https://www.airbnb.com/r/niyia41  ➣ Ekabo Home Network (IG, Youtube, Email) https://linktr.ee/ekabohome Niyi Adewole is a licensed realtor in Georgia, brokered by EXP Realty. Feel free to reach out at Niyi.Adewole@exprealty.com if you would like to work with an investor friendly real estate agent.

164. If Your Bank Said No, Watch This Before You Give Up!

🌟 5 Ways to Finance Real Estate When Banks Say No 🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole breaks down five proven financing paths that don't depend on conventional bank approval — strategies he's personally used and helped clients execute to close deals when traditional lenders say no. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "Banks are one lane on a multi-lane highway." — Niyi Adewole 💡 What This Means: A no from Bank of America or Chase doesn't mean the deal is dead. Mortgage brokers, credit unions, and creative financing strategies open up entire pathways most investors never explore — Niyi walks through exactly how to use them. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. DSCR Loans (Debt Service Coverage Ratio): Common in commercial deals, DSCR loans evaluate the property's income potential instead of your W-2. Lenders typically want at least 1.2 coverage, a 620+ credit score, and down payments ranging from 15–25% depending on your credit profile. 2. Hard Money Loans: Asset-based financing built for flips and BRRR deals with a short 6–12 month timeline. Niyi shares a real example — a luxury short-term rental purchased for $450K, with $250K+ in renovations, that appraised for $1.15 million after the BRRR was completed. 3. Seller Financing: When a seller owns their property outright, you can negotiate a down payment and have them finance the rest — often at 3–4% interest, well below today's 7.5% conventional investment rates, with flexible 36–60 month terms before refinancing. 4. Subject-To Financing: Take over an existing mortgage and its payments without a traditional loan. Niyi details a real subject-to deal on a short-term rental — no down payment, a 36-month balloon structure, and full creative control over the property. 5. Partnerships & Private Money: Bring in capital, expertise, or credit through a trusted partner, or lend/borrow private money at returns that beat the market. Niyi shares how a family partnership helped him close a 12-unit deal early in his career, and how he's used HELOC funds to lend private money at 10%+ premiums. 🏡 Key Takeaways: ➤ A Bank's No Is Not the End — There are at least five other lanes to get a deal done outside conventional financing. ➤ Match the Strategy to the Deal — Hard money for short-term flips and BRRRs, DSCR for buy-and-hold investors with limited W-2 income, seller financing and subject-to for motivated sellers, and partnerships or private money when you need capital, credit, or expertise. ➤ Trust and Structure Matter — Whether it's a partnership or a subject-to deal, relationships and clear agreements upfront prevent costly problems down the road. ⚛️ Why This Matters: Most investors stop when a conventional bank says no, assuming that's the end of the road. In reality, some of the most profitable deals — including a $450K property that appraised for $1.15 million — were made possible by creative financing strategies most people never learn about. Knowing these five paths gives you options conventional buyers simply don't have. 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern! Don’t miss out on our journey toward financial freedom through smart investments. 👉 Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an update! Let’s unlock your potential together!  Our Links ➣ Financial Freedom Mastermind Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/53083...  ➣ Peer Space Host Referral Link https://www.peerspace.com/referrals/g...  ➣ AirBNB Host Referral Link https://www.airbnb.com/r/niyia41  ➣ Ekabo Home Network (IG, Youtube, Email) https://linktr.ee/ekabohome Niyi Adewole is a licensed realtor in Georgia, brokered by EXP Realty. Feel free to reach out at Niyi.Adewole@exprealty.com if you would like to work with an investor friendly real estate agent.

163. Stop Using Zillow to Value Properties — It Almost Bankrupted Them!

🌟 How Real Investors Determine Property Value — The CMA Explained🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole breaks down how real investors and appraisers actually determine property value — and why trusting Zillow could cost you thousands. With live examples and real appraisals, this episode gives you the exact framework his team uses across Georgia, Florida, and Texas. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "Investors don't hope on price. They run the ARVs based on the CMA and arrive at the true value." — Niyi Adewole 💡 What This Means: Relying on a Zillow estimate is not a strategy — it's a gamble. Real investors use Comparative Market Analysis to know exactly what a property is worth before they buy, rehab, or refinance. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. Why Zillow Will Get You Into Trouble: A Zestimate can be off by 5–20% or more. Zillow nearly went bankrupt in 2021–2022 relying on its own estimates when buying properties through its iBuyer program. 2. What a CMA Is and How to Run One: Find recently sold properties similar in size, bed-bath count, and location — then make adjustments to arrive at the true value. Niyi walks through this live using real properties on FMLS. 3. The Golden Rules of Finding Good Comps: Sold within the last 3–6 months, within 1–2 miles, with similar square footage and bed-bath count. The tighter the comps, the more accurate your ARV. 4. Above-Ground vs. Below-Ground Square Footage: Above-ground is valued at roughly $50 per square foot in adjustments. Below-ground drops to around $20 per square foot in Georgia — a costly surprise if you're not prepared. 5. How to Make Adjustments Like an Appraiser: Add $10,000 for each extra full bathroom. Add or subtract $5,000 per bedroom. Multiply square footage differences by $50 above ground and $20 below ground. 6. A Real BRRR Deal Walked Through Live: Niyi's team helped a client buy a bank foreclosure for $450K with a $200K rehab budget and a conservative ARV of $850K. It ultimately appraised for $1.15 million — allowing the client to pull all their money back out and walk away with cash. 7. Finding the Highest and Best Use: A 3-bed, 1-bath over 1,200 square feet almost always has room to add a bathroom, dramatically increasing the ARV. Over 1,600 square feet? You may be able to add a bedroom too. 🏡 Key Takeaways: ➤ Never Trust Zillow Alone — Run a CMA before making any offer, especially on a flip or BRRR deal. ➤ Above Ground and Below Ground Are Not Equal — In Georgia, below-ground square footage is valued at roughly half of above-ground. Know this before you buy. ➤ Tight Comps Win Every Time — Same neighborhood, sold within 3–6 months, similar size and bed-bath count. The tighter your comps, the better you can negotiate. ⚛️ Why This Matters: Whether you're flipping, BRRRing (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat), or just buying your first investment property, knowing how to determine true market value is the skill that separates investors who build wealth from those who lose money on bad deals. The CMA is not just a realtor tool — it's your unfair advantage in every negotiation, every refinance, and every exit strategy you'll ever execute. 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern! Don’t miss out on our journey toward financial freedom through smart investments. 👉 Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an update! Let’s unlock your potential together!  Our Links ➣ Financial Freedom Mastermind Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/53083...  ➣ Peer Space Host Referral Link https://www.peerspace.com/referrals/g...  ➣ AirBNB Host Referral Link https://www.airbnb.com/r/niyia41  ➣ Ekabo Home Network (IG, Youtube, Email) https://linktr.ee/ekabohome Niyi Adewole is a licensed realtor in Georgia, brokered by EXP Realty. Feel free to reach out at Niyi.Adewole@exprealty.com if you would like to work with an investor friendly real estate agent.

162. Cap Rate vs. Cash-on-Cash Return — Which One Actually Makes You Money?

🌟 Cap Rates vs. Cash-on-Cash Return — What Actually Matters in Real Estate 🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole cuts through the confusion around the two most important metrics in real estate investing and reveals the exact return targets his team uses to build wealth through long-term and short-term rentals. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "If you're gonna get into real estate and put time, money, risk, and energy into it, you should be aiming to beat the stock market." — Niyi Adewole 💡 What This Means: The stock market averages 8–10% per year. Real estate needs to do better than that to be worth your time — and with leverage, cash flow, appreciation, and tax benefits all stacking together, it absolutely can. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. The 4 Returns Real Estate Gives You Simultaneously: Cash flow, appreciation, principal pay down, and tax benefits — all stacking at the same time, unlike stocks which give you just one. 2. What Cap Rate Actually Is and How to Read It: NOI divided by purchase price — no mortgage included. A 3–5% cap means premium area, 6–8% is the cash flow sweet spot, and 9-plus means higher risk and more questions. 3. Why Cash-on-Cash Return Matters More for Residential Deals: Cap rate ignores financing — the very thing that makes real estate so powerful. Cash-on-cash tells you what's actually hitting your bank account each year based on what you actually put in. 4. Real Deals Walked Through Live: A $300K long-term rental producing a 12% cash-on-cash return, and a $300K short-term rental producing a 31.6% return — with real numbers, real expenses, and real mortgage payments. 5. The Short-Term Rental Tax Bonus: Bonus depreciation through cost segregation can wipe out roughly $69,000 of taxable income in year one — including W-2 income. Niyi used this across 4 properties to go from paying six figures in taxes to zero. 6. The 5 Most Common Mistakes Investors Make: From forgetting closing costs in your cash invested, to falling in love with a property before the numbers say yes — Niyi breaks down every pitfall and how to avoid them. 🏡 Key Takeaways: ➤ Cap Rates Compare Buildings. Cash-on-Cash Compares Deals — Use cash-on-cash for any residential deal where you're using financing. ➤ Know Your Targets — 12% cash-on-cash minimum for long-term rentals. 20% or more for short-term rentals. ➤ Cash-on-Cash Is Just Year One — Every year after, rent goes up while the mortgage stays the same. It only gets better from there. 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM Eastern! Don’t miss out on our journey toward financial freedom through smart investments. 👉 Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an update! Let’s unlock your potential together!  Our Links ➣ Financial Freedom Mastermind Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/53083...  ➣ Peer Space Host Referral Link https://www.peerspace.com/referrals/g...  ➣ AirBNB Host Referral Link https://www.airbnb.com/r/niyia41  ➣ Ekabo Home Network (IG, Youtube, Email) https://linktr.ee/ekabohome Niyi Adewole is a licensed realtor in Georgia, brokered by EXP Realty. Feel free to reach out at Niyi.Adewole@exprealty.com if you would like to work with an investor friendly real estate agent.