The Legacy Investor with Cameron Philgreen

81: Why I Quit Being a Landlord: Will Harvey on Finding Your Lane, Honest Wins and Losses, and Building a Hard Money Fund

I really enjoyed this conversation with Will Harvey. Will is a real estate investor turned hard money lender out of the Richmond, Virginia area — and what I appreciate most about him is how honest he is about both the wins and the losses. He's young, he's a man of faith, and he's spent about a decade figuring out what he's actually called to do in this business. If you're a real estate investor who isn't totally loving the path you're on, this one's for you. Will's story starts with a detour: he was playing college football until a double hip surgery ended that, so he came home in 2015 and got into the mortgage business, eventually becoming a loan officer. He used that income to buy a few rentals — and then realized he hated being a landlord. We spend some real time on that, because it's the side of real estate nobody talks about. It's not the maintenance requests and headaches for everybody, and that's okay. For Will, the lightbulb was realizing he loves the finance side — analyzing deals, being on the money side — not swinging hammers and running operations. From there he pivoted: left the mortgage world right before COVID, started a house-flipping company, and used the cash to invest passively as a limited partner in multifamily syndications (with a smart tax angle using bonus depreciation to offset his flip income). He's brutally honest about the wins and losses along the way — the flip where he broke his own rules, hung on too long, and walked away with $400; the $860K deal way outside his buy box that he made emotional decisions on and lost $70K; and the flip that made $150K in 38 days, where the big lesson was don't over-improve the property. As he puts it, you don't have to make it the Taj Mahal. Then we get into where he's landed: hard money lending. It started almost by accident with a single can't-miss loan and has grown into Harvey Capital, with around $4 million funded across roughly 30 loans since 2023 — and now he's working on launching a fund to scale it. We talk practical terms, what makes a good deal, and why working with a lender who's actually walked in the operator's shoes is different from filling out a form at a big national shop. We also went on a couple of beautiful rabbit trails — about freedom. The same posture that makes you a strong negotiator (being able to walk away because you don't need the deal) is the posture Will and I both want in life and in faith: free from needing the car, the house, the phone, the reputation. There's a lot of peace in that. Quick note: this episode covers lending, funds, LP investments, and tax strategy for educational purposes — it's not financial, tax, or legal advice, and nothing here is an offer to invest. Talk to a licensed professional about your own situation. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to act on, and DM me on Instagram to tell me what landed. And if you've got a deal coming up, go connect with Will. Let's get into it.

80: From Iranian Immigrant to $200M in Deals: August Biniaz on Raising Capital and Building a Real Estate Fund

August Biniaz is one of those guests who makes the big leagues feel a little more reachable. If you're in the single-family world like me — rentals, fix-and-flips, maybe some ground-up — and you've ever wondered how people make the jump to raising money and running a real estate fund, this episode is for you. It's tactical, it's honest, and August's story is remarkable. August grew up in Iran, moved to Canada with his family in 1995, and went from upper-middle-class to starting over from scratch after his parents divorced. He got into real estate in his early 20s, did fix-and-flips, and built a general contracting company in Vancouver constructing custom and spec homes. After a decade of that, he wanted to scale into bigger projects — and discovered the world of real estate private equity and syndications. Today he's a co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of CPI Capital, which gives investors exposure to U.S. multifamily and build-to-rent deals. They've done five deals totaling over $200 million in acquisitions, with markets in Tampa and now San Antonio. We get really practical in this one. August walks through his "pyramid" of running a fund — acquisitions, asset management, and investor relations — and gives an honest look at his actual day-to-day as a CIO, including the weekly calls, the deal pipeline, and the systems his team runs on. He breaks down how the capital stack works (agency debt like Freddie Mac alongside retail and high-net-worth equity), how their investor funnel takes someone from a first form-fill all the way to a funded deal, and how he raises money from family offices and accredited investors. And if you're trying to make the leap yourself, his advice is simple: surround yourself with people already doing it, because success leaves clues. Near the end, we went somewhere we don't usually go on this show. August is an Iranian American, and he shared his perspective on the conflict involving Iran — both personally and as an investor watching oil prices, the Strait of Hormuz, and interest rates. Quick heads-up: we recorded this in early April, so that part is a snapshot of how things looked at that moment, and the situation has shifted a lot since. I found it valuable to hear straight from someone with roots there. One note: this episode discusses raising capital, funds, and private investments for educational purposes — it's not investment advice or an offer to invest. Do your own due diligence and talk to a licensed professional before making any decisions. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to act on, and DM me on Instagram to tell me what landed. And go connect with August and check out CPI Capital. Let's get into it.

79: The Financial Pyramid: Rich Boyd on Bookkeeping, Cash Flow, and Stewarding Your Business Well

I love having people on this podcast who are so like-minded and like-hearted, and Rich Boyd is exactly that. Rich is an accountant, financial expert, and fractional CFO who simply loves God and wants to be a good steward of what he's been given. This conversation went both practical and deep — we climbed what Rich calls "the pyramid," and we talked about what we're really made for and how we're called to use our gifts. Rich runs Atlantic Business Advisors out of Williamsburg, Virginia, where he does bookkeeping, financial forecasting, and fractional CFO work for businesses — everything from $16 million companies here in the States to small businesses overseas. His own path started young: a dad who always had a side hustle, the Cashflow board game around the kitchen table, a first real estate deal on a condo outside Denver, and a primary residence he fixed up himself and sold for a tax-free windfall that he rolled into his next investments. (Side note for anyone wanting to get started in real estate: don't sleep on your primary residence as a wealth-building tool.) On the practical side, Rich breaks down his financial pyramid: it starts with solid bookkeeping (knowing what goes on your P&L versus your balance sheet, and what to capitalize), builds up to forecasting (budget first, then a sales and cash flow forecast), and tops out with true CFO-level strategy. He explains why project-based businesses like fix-and-flips have such "lumpy" cash flow, shares the Profit First approach of telling your money where to go, and tells a sobering story about a $16 million fix-and-flip company that didn't know if it was profitable and had no margin of safety when the market turned. A few lines I'm still chewing on: "the greatest fertilizer is a farmer's footsteps," "clarity is kindness," and "bad news doesn't age well." Then we went up the pyramid in a different way. Rich shares about his trip to Nairobi, Kenya, where he sat with pastors and disciple-makers — a charcoal seller, an exotic fish farmer, a poultry farmer — who run businesses to support their ministry, and helped them build real financial forecasts so they could grow and even qualify for a loan to expand. It's business as a mission, and it's a beautiful picture of stewarding your gifts beyond yourself. That's the challenge Rich left me with, and I'll pass it to you: whatever your gift is — finance, music, building, plumbing, making people laugh — it wasn't given to you just to keep. How are you using it to bless others? My challenge: write down three things from this episode you want to put into practice this week, then DM me on Instagram and tell me what landed. And reach out to Rich if your business could use a steward in its corner. Let's get into it.

78: Mortgage Before Marriage: Alex E. Edwards on Why He Made His Wife Buy a Home First

Alex E. Edwards is exactly the kind of guest we love on the Legacy Investor — an amazing man of God on a mission to take people from renting to owning. He's a TEDx speaker, the author of Mortgage Before Marriage, and a broker at Thumbprint Realty, one of the largest brokerages in New England. Last year alone his team closed nearly 300 transactions and secured over $1.1 million in down payment assistance for their clients. Heads up: I know this podcast skews mostly male, but if you know a woman or a friend who could get something out of this one, please share it with them. I think it'll empower, affirm, and encourage them — whether they're married, single, 18, or 50. Alex's story is wild. He bought his first multifamily at 20 while working at Bank of America, quit school and then his job to go all-in on real estate, and famously told his now-wife she had to become a homeowner before they got married. (Their tenants ended up paying for the wedding — though they weren't invited.) We get into the why behind that, including his take on how combining incomes after marriage can disqualify you from assistance you'd otherwise receive, and why he believes building your own financial foundation first is one of the most empowering moves you can make. We cover a lot of ground: his perspective on prenups as a "financial love letter to yourself" rather than a plan to fail; how only a small fraction of people who qualify for down payment assistance actually use it, and why working with the wrong agent costs you; how his team is turning Section 8 vouchers into mortgages and giving renters a real path to equity through a creative rent-to-own program; and the bigger vision behind his developments and his "Married and Flipping" investing program. The part that stuck with me most was his mindset: he says he doesn't compete with other people, only with God — and that contentment and security free him up to celebrate other people's wins instead of being threatened by them. It reminded me of Paul in Philippians 4, learning to be content in plenty and in want. That's a posture I want more of. Quick note: this conversation covers mortgages, prenups, bankruptcy, and assistance programs for general education and encouragement — it isn't financial or legal advice. Your situation is your own, so do your homework and talk to a qualified professional before making big moves. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to act on — today, this week, or this year. Then DM me on Instagram and tell me what landed. And go connect with Alex, grab Mortgage Before Marriage, and check out his new prenup workbook. Let's get into it.

77: The All-In-One Loan: How Mike Newman Helps High Achievers Take Control of Their Mortgage

Some of my favorite episodes are when we get into the mechanics of building wealth — and today's conversation with Mike Newman is one of those. If you're financially minded, a high achiever with discretionary income, and especially if you own multiple properties or dream of paying off your home faster while keeping flexibility in your life, this one's for you. Mike spent about 20 years in the mortgage industry with one company before going out on his own, and he brings an athletics and coaching background into the way he serves people. On this episode we dig into a product he's genuinely fired up about: the All-In-One loan — a first-lien HELOC that integrates your checking account with your mortgage. Mike breaks down how it works: instead of your income sitting in a checking account doing nothing, every dollar you deposit immediately goes against your mortgage balance, and interest is calculated daily on that lower balance. He explains why the average American mortgage never really gets paid off, why this approach can be a fit for people with variable or windfall income (think sales, real estate, commissions), and how he uses it across both primary residences and investment properties. We also get into the Texas-specific wrinkles, since our homestead laws make it work a little differently here. And he walks through the simulator he uses with clients so you can compare it against your current loan and actually see the numbers for yourself. What I appreciated most was Mike's heart. He's not here to just close loans — his mission is to spread knowledge, help people gain control over something they never felt in control of, and free them up to dream about what's possible for their family and their legacy. A quick note: everything Mike shares is educational, not financial advice. The right move depends on your own situation, so do your homework and talk to a professional before making any decisions about your mortgage. My challenge to you: write down three things from this episode you want to look into this week, and DM me on Instagram to tell me what stood out. And reach out to Mike if you want to run your own numbers. Let's get into it.