From 220 Flips to a Billion-Dollar Lending Company featuring Josh Stech

Zach Betters: Why Due Diligence is Where New Construction Succeeds or Fails

In this CG Live episode recorded at the CG Select and Elevate event in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Zach Betters joins the host for a deep conversation on new construction investing. Zach and his wife Stephanie have built their Charlotte, North Carolina business through multiple iterations — from rentals to flipping to wholesaling — before making a deliberate shift into new build construction around 2018 and 2019. This episode covers how to get started in new construction using third-party GCs, how to approach lot due diligence, and how the shifting buyer pool is forcing experienced operators to rethink their price point strategy. If you're a real estate investor who keeps hearing buzz about new construction and wants a practical, no-fluff entry point, this one is required listening. Timeline Summary [0:22] – Host sets the scene at the CG Select and Elevate event in Clearwater Beach, Florida [0:45] – The member feedback that made new construction the focus of this event's master class [1:32] – Zach Betters is introduced; he just wrapped a packed two-session master class on new construction [2:17] – Zach describes the three types of attendees: active builders, those just starting, and the curious [3:22] – Zach traces his business evolution from rentals to flipping to wholesaling to new build construction [4:29] – How and why Zach made the transition to new construction starting in 2018 and 2019 [4:51] – The case for using third-party GCs: what they protect you from matters more than what they cost [7:05] – Why "who not how" applies to new construction and how to vet a builder relationship before committing [7:37] – The due diligence framework: why most problems show up before a shovel hits the ground [10:15] – The most common early mistake: taking on too much variability in lot conditions and project scope [11:09] – The shifting buyer pool and why Zach is moving from affordable housing to the $600K–$1.2M range [14:39] – The long feedback loop in new construction and why Zach is using a "bullets before cannonballs" strategy [16:00] – The biggest self-limiting belief holding investors back from getting started in new construction [18:33] – What Zach is most excited about in 2026, including expanding the wholesale operation across the Carolinas 5 Key Takeaways 1. Hold Tightly to Purpose, Loosely to Plan — Zach's business has gone through multiple evolutions because he stayed committed to the mission of bringing homes to market and improving lives while adjusting the strategy to match the market. Knowing when to evolve versus when to double down is a skill in itself. 2. Third-Party GCs Are a Protection Play, Not Just a Cost — Most investors get stuck on the percentage a GC takes. Zach flips the question: what are they going to save you from? Their expertise protects your project from the costly mistakes you don't even know to look for yet. 3. Minimize Variability Before You Build — Starting on lots with city sewer and city water gives you fixed, knowable costs. The moment you introduce wells, septic systems, or complex site prep, you're padding an unknowable number. In competitive markets, those pads will price you out. 4. New Construction Has a Long Feedback Loop — Decisions made today won't produce results for months. Zach intentionally slowed his pipeline and started running smaller test projects so he can read the market before committing full gunpowder to a new price point or product type. 5. You Don't Need All the Answers to Start — The biggest self-limiting belief in new construction is thinking you have to know everything about codes, utilities, and site prep before taking your first step. Every county is different. Use your network, lean on your GC partner, and commit to learning as you go. Links & Resources * Collective Genius Community — explorecg.com If Zach's breakdown of new construction got your wheels turning, send this episode to someone in your network who keeps saying they want to get into new builds but hasn't taken that first step yet. The clarity he brings to the due diligence process and the GC relationship alone is worth a listen twice. For everything you need to go and grow your real estate business, head to ExploreCG.com to learn more and apply.

How He Built a Renovation Team That Operates in 25 Markets featuring Bobby Triplett

In this episode, host Leon welcomes back Bobby Triplett, Senior Vice President of Renovations at Offerpad, for a deep dive into what it actually takes to scale construction operations across multiple real estate markets. Bobby leads a renovation team spanning 25 markets nationwide, backed by 1,300 to 1,400 licensed, bonded, and vetted trades and suppliers, and has helped 64 different investors complete over 1,900 flips in a single year. The conversation covers everything from market-specific renovation quirks to the right way to vet and keep great contractors, and why having boots on the ground is the only thing that actually protects your budget and your timeline. If you're a fix-and-flip investor struggling to scale past a few deals a month, or you've ever thought about expanding into new markets without blowing up your overhead, this one is required listening. Timeline Summary [1:30] – Leon introduces Bobby Triplett and his role leading renovations across Offerpad's national portfolio [3:35] – Bobby breaks down what Offerpad does as a publicly traded iBuyer and how his team renovates thousands of homes a year [5:09] – How Offerpad Renovate works as a service for outside investors, and the sports car analogy that explains the value proposition [7:20] – Bobby's ten-year tenure at Offerpad, the 25 markets they operate in, and why Detroit just opened as market number 25 [9:03] – The full list of active markets and who should be calling Bobby right now [11:33] – How renovation challenges vary market to market, from Texas foundation issues to Denver radon mitigation to Midwest permitting nightmares [14:03] – The Saint Louis story: what it took to learn 91 different municipalities and why that knowledge protects investors expanding into new markets [16:37] – What Bobby is seeing right now that matters most on the rehab side: insurability, electrical panels, and why spending money twice is the real budget killer [18:07] – Crawl spaces, vapor barriers, and why fixing the invisible stuff before listing protects your days on market [20:33] – How Bobby's team acts as a pressure relief valve for investors already doing deals who want to scale without adding headcount [26:10] – The exact conversation to have with a contractor to lock in volume-based commitment and reliable pricing [30:45] – Why inspecting what you expect is the only way to stay on budget, and the Safety Harbor tile story that cost a full gut rehab rework [34:58] – Red flags when onboarding a new contractor crew, and why the automatic yes is a warning sign, not a green light [39:12] – How to reach Bobby and where Offerpad Renovate has the most capacity right now 5 Key Takeaways 1. Boots on the Ground Is Non-Negotiable — Whether you're flipping locally or expanding into new markets, W-2 people with real accountability are what separate successful renovations from expensive disasters. Remote management without local representation is how investors lose their shirt. 2. Fix the Uninsurable Stuff First — Cosmetic upgrades mean nothing if the home can't clear an inspection. Electrical panels, vapor barriers, and permitting issues will come up at the worst time. Handle them while walls are open and avoid paying for the same work twice. 3. Volume Commitment Unlocks Better Contractors — The investors who attract and keep great trades are the ones who communicate consistent deal flow upfront. Promise volume, pay fast, and spell out the win before the job starts. That's the conversation that earns contractor loyalty. 4. Renovations Aren't One-Size-Fits-All — A flip and a rental require completely different decisions on what to replace, what to roll the dice on, and what to prioritize. Make sure your contractor knows the end goal of every project before a single wall gets opened. 5. Start Small With New Crews — Giving a new contractor too much volume too fast is how you cripple their operation and your own timeline. Start with one or two projects, let them earn the equity, then scale. Misses are cheaper when the exposure is limited. Links & Resources * Offerpad Renovate — offerpadrenovate.com * Email Bobby's team — renovate@offerpad.com * Collective Genius Community — explorecg.com Bobby has been in 25 markets, managed nearly 5,000 renovations in a single year, and built a team that investors across the country now rely on as their secret weapon for scaling without adding overhead. If the idea of expanding your flip volume, entering a new market, or simply getting a pressure relief valve for your existing operation sounds interesting, the conversation with Bobby costs you nothing and might change how you think about construction entirely. Head to offerpadrenovate.com to connect with Bobby's team, and if you want to be in the same room with operators like him, head to explorecg.com to learn more and apply.

Brandon McCurdy: Why 80 Percent of Contracts Come From Follow Up

In this CG Live episode recorded at the Collective Genius Select and Elevate event at the JW Marriott in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Brandon McCurdy of Sharper Business Solutions sits down after leading back-to-back masterclasses on KPIs alongside Amanda Dean and David Richter. Brandon does fractional CMO work for large real estate teams spending $150,000 plus per month on marketing, and he has helped ten teams hire marketing directors in the last 12 months. This conversation breaks down the marketing KPIs that separate investors stuck at $500K to $2 million from the operators who scale past them, including the GNACC framework, customer acquisition cost, speed to lead, and why follow-up wins 75 to 85% of contracts. If you're a full time real estate investor doing 1 to 2 deals a month and you keep "trying" marketing channels instead of committing to them, this one is required listening. Timeline Summary [0:22] – Live from the CG Select and Elevate event at the JW Marriott in Clearwater Beach, Florida [0:44] – Brandon McCurdy of Sharper Business Solutions joins after teaching KPI masterclasses for Select and Elevate members [1:31] – Inside the stacked masterclass with Amanda Dean and David Richter covering purpose, profit, and performance indicators [3:02] – Who Select and Elevate members are: investors doing 1 to 2 deals a month and businesses between $500K and $2 million [3:46] – The cold calling burnout trap and why investors quit direct mail before it has a chance to work [4:47] – The GNACC framework: tracking gross, net, appointment, contract, and close on every channel weekly [5:37] – Why cold calling creates vanity metrics at the top of the funnel and when it still makes sense [6:01] – Stop trying, commit: why marketing spend is always relative to the size of your business [7:09] – CJ Moss grew from 14 deals to $11 million in six years by committing to one consistent marketing channel [7:48] – Seth Godin's Purple Cow and why ripping off someone else's playbook leaves you as just another piece of mail [9:19] – The Revolutionary War analogy: beating six figure spenders with guerrilla marketing tactics [10:19] – 500 premium mailers at $10 beats 5,000 cheap postcards, plus the $1,000 sword in a box that closes every time [11:18] – Speed is the small operator's only advantage, and the golf cart giveaway producing 4 to 5x ROI [14:18] – It costs $1,200 to $1,600 to get into a seller's living room, and answering faster drops that number [15:23] – 75 to 85% of contracts come from follow-up, not the first appointment [16:36] – Same-day appointments are 4 to 5 times more likely to close, and 20 to 30% of calls come in after hours [19:08] – Why every Elevate level investor needs a real internal marketing department before chasing new lead channels [20:17] – The self-limiting belief around marketing and why winners zig when everyone else zags 5 Key Takeaways 1. Track Every Channel With GNACC — Gross, net, appointment, contract, close. Review those five numbers weekly for each lead channel so the ones making you the most money get the most attention, instead of trusting vanity metrics. 2. Stop Trying, Start Committing — Direct mail won't perform on day one, and everyone says it takes six months. Commit fully, watch the data religiously every week, and stop pulling the plug before the channel has a chance to work. 3. Differentiation Beats a Bigger Budget — You can't outspend teams putting six or seven figures a month into your market. Win by being different: 500 premium mailers at $10 a piece will outperform 5,000 forgettable postcards. 4. Speed to Lead Lowers Acquisition Cost — It costs roughly $1,200 to $1,600 to put yourself in a seller's living room, and same-day appointments are 4 to 5 times more likely to close. Pick up the phone faster than everyone else and that cost drops. 5. Follow-Up Wins the Contract — 75 to 85% of signed contracts come after the first appointment. Treat every lead like gold and build a real follow-up funnel before you scale your spend. Links & Resources * Sharper Business Solutions — sharperbusiness.com * The Purple Cow by Seth Godin * Collective Genius Community — explorecg.com If you've ever said "I tried direct mail and it didn't work," this episode is your wake-up call. Brandon's challenge to stop trying and start committing, paired with the GNACC framework for tracking every channel, gives you a clear playbook for finally making your marketing dollars accountable. Share this one with an investor who keeps channel-hopping every 90 days. These are the conversations happening inside the room at Collective Genius events. If you're a full time real estate investor ready to scale with people who have already done it, head to ExploreCG.com to learn more and apply.

Sourcing Off-Market Commercial Deals Without a Big Marketing Budget featuring Dan Underwood

Dan Underwood is a Georgia-based real estate investor and CG member who has spent the last decade methodically transitioning from high-volume single family wholesaling to a commercial portfolio spanning apartments, self-storage, mobile home parks, and an RV park. What started with a $17,000 down payment on a rough first flip has compounded into a multi-million dollar commercial portfolio built entirely through 1031 exchanges and disciplined tranche rolling. In this episode, Dan shares the full arc of his investing journey and how he thinks about long-term wealth building vs. active income. From burning out in a wholesaling partnership to sourcing off-market commercial deals through relationship-driven outreach, this episode is required listening for any investor ready to stop starting over at zero every month and start building something that stacks. Timeline Summary [1:30] – Host introduces Dan Underwood, a CG member based just south of Savannah, Georgia [2:11] – Dan reveals this is his very first podcast interview despite years of investing experience [3:51] – Dan explains his current business: flipping 2 to 3 houses a month to fund commercial acquisitions [7:37] – Dan's origin story: flipping washers and dryers out of his living room before ever touching real estate [10:15] – The 80-to-90 hour week working as an entrepreneurial apprentice for an Ohio business owner [13:01] – His brutal first house flip: three contractors, a stop work order, three months of putting a tenant up in a hotel, and still netting $50,000 on a 900-square-foot house [16:34] – The spreadsheet moment that flipped his mindset and convinced him to go all in on real estate [18:51] – How Dan quit his job: drove 8.5 hours to Troy, Ohio to hand his resignation letter to his old boss in person [21:19] – The day a $10,000 consulting session led Dan to end his wholesaling partnership instead of setting up ROBs [23:29] – What he was holding when he made that pivot: 35 apartments, a mobile home park, and a $400,000 commercial wholesale closing [27:33] – The tranche system explained: how Dan rolls smaller assets into larger ones using 1031 exchanges with no additional capital out of pocket [34:08] – Why compounding growth only works if you start, and how Dan learned self-storage from Scott Myers before buying his first facility [39:12] – How Dan sources commercial deals today: direct mail, relationship-driven cold calling, and driving 50,000 to 60,000 miles a year to meet sellers in person [43:04] – What Dan is most excited about for the rest of 2026: multiple tranches ready to roll into the $3 to $5 million range [47:29] – What CG has meant to him: the Roger Bannister effect of seeing peers do what you thought was out of reach 5 Key Takeaways 1. Single Family Funds the Long Game — Using active income from flipping to fund commercial acquisitions is not a step backward. Nearly every successful commercial investor Dan knows kept single family in the mix specifically to create the cash flow that makes long-term deals possible. 2. The Tranche System Builds Real Wealth — Rolling proceeds from smaller assets into larger ones through 1031 exchanges, without pulling capital out, is how Dan turned a single $17,000 flip into a commercial portfolio now worth over $3 million in equity. The compounding effect only works if you stop spending what you make. 3. Commercial Deals Are Won in the Relationship, Not the Marketing — Sellers who have owned a commercial asset for 20 or 30 years are not responding to a mailer the same way a distressed homeowner might. Dan drives 50,000 to 60,000 miles a year building relationships because trust is what gets you first dibs and a seller willing to negotiate. 4. Start the Next Thing Before You're Ready — Dan learned self-storage from a course before he ever bought a facility. He started working on the commercial side while still wholesaling full time. If you wait until the current business is perfect, the compounding clock on your next asset never starts. 5. Diversifying Asset Classes Is a Feature, Not a Flaw — Pigeonholing into one asset class means going dry when deals in that space dry up. Dan holds apartments, storage, mobile home parks, and an RV park not because he couldn't focus but because the market doesn't always cooperate with a rigid strategy. Links & Resources * Contact Dan Underwood — dan@lockwoodig.com [dan@lockwoodig.com] * Scott Myers (Self-Storage Education) — scottmyers.com * Collective Genius Community — explorecg.com If you've been grinding through single family wondering when the wealth-building part actually kicks in, Dan's story is the blueprint. Share this episode with an investor in your circle who's thinking about making the jump to commercial but doesn't know where to start. If you found value here, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the Collective Genius Podcast wherever you listen. Ready to be in the room with operators like Dan? Head to ExploreCG.com to learn more and apply.

Phil Vaughan: From 14 Convictions to a Couple Hundred Deals a Year

In this CG Live episode recorded at the Q1 2026 Collective Genius Premier and CEO event in Dallas, Texas, Phil Vaughan joins host Leon to share how he built a South Jersey wholesaling operation doing a couple hundred deals a year and now pushing toward $5–6 million in revenue. Phil has been a Collective Genius member for nearly five years and brings to the table one of the most remarkable origin stories in the entire CG community. What makes this conversation different is that Phil doesn't talk much about lead gen funnels or conversion metrics. He talks about where he actually came from: a teenage dad, 14 criminal convictions, kicked out of ninth grade, facing a two-year state prison sentence at 24 before a pastor's story changed everything. From that moment to supplying steel for New York City high-rises to closing wholesale deals at scale, Phil's story is about what happens when faith, drive, and the right room collide. If you're a real estate investor who believes your background disqualifies you from real success, this one is required listening. Timeline Summary [0:22] – Host introduces Phil Vaughan, a South Jersey wholesaler doing a couple hundred deals a year and a CG member going on five years [1:24] – Why Phil runs 80% wholesale and why he believes most flippers are making less than their wholesale fee while chasing social media clout [2:28] – Phil's current pain point: a comping and underwriting bottleneck that's costing him higher spreads and better exit strategies on every deal [4:38] – How two new closers coming online at the same time created an unexpected operational crunch and what solving it is actually worth [5:50] – Phil's revenue trajectory: from $500–600K his first year to $5 million today with a $50 million long-term goal [7:22] – Why Phil set a less aggressive revenue goal this year and how his team of captains and mavericks talks him down from the ceiling when the numbers don't yet support the dream [9:15] – Leon reflects on how many CG members Phil has name-dropped and why Phil's personal story is one of the best in the group [10:05] – How the CG public speaking belt was the original reason Phil joined and what he thought he could possibly offer a room full of high-level operators [11:34] – The South Jersey neighborhood where Phil grew up: parents split, wrong crowd, and how he went from street hockey to breaking into cars at 13 [13:48] – Locked up, on probation from 14 to 18, kicked out of ninth grade, two kids by 17, and facing two years at Jamesburg for Boys [16:17] – The courtroom moment that changed everything: a judge who let Phil walk and told him exactly what his life would look like if he didn't stop [19:56] – A pastor named Brother Sam who visited Phil in jail for years and delivered the story that finally broke him down and turned him around [21:08] – Phil voluntarily checks into Faith Farm for nine months, comes out transformed, and within a year is supplying steel for New York City high-rises making $330,000 a year [24:34] – What Phil shared at his first CG public speaking contest, why he felt naked telling it, and the relationships that came from showing up that vulnerable 5 Key Takeaways 1. Comping Speed Kills Margins — Moving too fast through disposition creates a hidden tax on every deal. Phil's team is leaving money on the table by defaulting to wholesale when a creative exit might deliver 2.5x the profit, simply because nobody has time to slow down and underwrite it right. 2. Your Environment Is Your Destiny — Phil joined Collective Genius for the same reason he ended up in trouble as a kid: you become whoever you're around. Surrounding yourself with people operating at a higher level isn't a luxury — it's the mechanism of growth, in both directions. 3. Vision Has to Outlast Obstacles — Phil has carried a $50 million real estate goal from the time he was grinding through his first $500,000 year. The goal felt insane at the time, but having it on the wall kept him moving through years when most people would have settled or stopped. 4. The People Who Believe in You Before You Believe in Yourself Matter More Than Any Strategy — A judge who saw something in Phil, a pastor who kept showing up to his jail cell, a coach named Cody who eventually helped him leave his W-2 — these weren't tactics. They were the turning points. 5. Vulnerability in the Room Builds What Logic Can't — Phil almost didn't tell his story at CG because he didn't think a room full of high-level operators would connect with it. The relationships that came out of that speech proved the opposite. The most powerful thing you can bring to a mastermind is often the truth about where you came from. Links & Resources * Connect with Phil Vaughan on social media — search "Phil by source" on all platforms * Collective Genius Community — explorecg.com Phil's story is a reminder that what you're building right now has almost nothing to do with where you started. From a courtroom at 20 years old to a couple hundred wholesale deals a year, the common thread has been getting into better rooms and refusing to stop growing. If Phil's story hit home for you, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And if you're a full-time real estate investor ready to get into a room like the one Phil's been in for five years, head to explorecg.com to learn more and apply.