Real Estate Note Investing

Episode 40: Determining Property Occupancy

Most note investors underwrite the numbers but skip the question that often matters most — is anyone actually living there? In this episode, we break down how to determine property occupancy before you close and why it changes everything about how a loan resolves. 🔍 What you'll learn: ✅ Why owner occupancy signals emotional equity — and how that motivation drives better resolution outcomes even when the numbers are tight ✅ The three occupancy categories every investor needs to understand and how each one affects your strategy ✅ How to use county tax records, credit reports, and bankruptcy filings to build an occupancy picture from public data ✅ When a formal skip trace is worth ordering and what it surfaces that free sources cannot ✅ Why occupancy is a research process — and how triangulating multiple sources leads to better decisions than trusting any one of them This program is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified before taking action.

Episode 39: Estimating Property Value

Most note investors pull one value from Zillow and move on — but knowing how accurate you actually need to be, and when to spend more to find out, is what keeps your equity math from falling apart. In this episode, we break down the full spectrum of property valuation methods and how to match the right one to your deal. 🔍 What you'll learn: ✅ Why the equity position in a deal determines how much valuation accuracy you actually need ✅ How to use multiple free AVMs together to build a more reliable starting point than any single estimate ✅ Why a manual review of recently sold comparables is the best balance of cost, time, and accuracy for most investors ✅ How to use Google Street View as a quick condition check — and why the image capture date matters ✅ When a broker price opinion is worth the one hundred dollars and when it is not This program is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified before taking action.

Episode 38: Reading the Borrower Credit Report

Most note investors know they need to check the property — but for a second lien holder, the borrower's credit report tells you more about your risk than almost anything else. In this episode, we break down how to read a credit report and what it reveals about your deal before you ever speak to a borrower. 🔍 What you'll learn: ✅ How the current address on a credit report gives you a first read on whether the borrower is living in the property ✅ What the senior lien trade line shows you — and why the reported date determines whether any of it matters ✅ How to read a payment string and what the difference between rolling and delinquent means for your resolution outlook ✅ What a FICO score, employment details, and other trade lines tell you about a borrower's ability and willingness to pay ✅ Why a tri-merge credit report pulling from all three bureaus gives you the most complete and reliable picture This program is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified before taking action.

Episode 37: Title Reports and Exceptions

Most note investors know they need to check the property — but overlooking what else is attached to it can turn a good deal into a costly mistake. In this episode, we break down how to use a title report to surface every lien, judgment, and encumbrance before you close. 🔍 What you'll learn: ✅ What an ownership and encumbrance report is and why it costs a fraction of a full title search ✅ Why property taxes are the primary title risk for first lien holders and what tax deed status means for your position ✅ When to order title on a second lien — and which states have HOA super lien rules that can catch investors off guard ✅ Why past due HOA balances don't always show up on a title report and why a direct call matters ✅ The five things to review every time a title report lands in your inbox This program is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified before taking action.

Episode 36: Chain of Title and Assignments

Most note investors focus on the numbers — but if the paperwork behind the loan is broken, the numbers don't matter. In this episode, we break down the two documents that transfer every mortgage note and why verifying the chain of title before you close is one of the most important things you can do as an investor. 🔍 What you'll learn: ✅ The difference between the note and the mortgage — and why each one transfers in a completely different way ✅ What the chain of title is and why a single gap in that chain can threaten your ability to enforce the lien ✅ The four documents every collateral file needs — and the one that must be an original with wet ink signatures ✅ What successor by merger means and why it is not always a red flag when entity names don't match ✅ Why recording your assignment in the right county after closing is the step that puts you on title and protects your position This program is for informational purposes only and should be independently verified before taking action.