159. I Didn't Sleep for Weeks Before Buying My First Rental Property — Here's What Happened!

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.

161. The 0.8% Rule — The Only Number You Need to Find Cash Flowing Deals in Atlanta

🌟 The 1% Rule Is Dead — Here's What Replaced It 🌟 Welcome to the Ekabo Home Financial Freedom Mastermind Webinar! In this session, host Niyi Adewole breaks down why the most popular rule in real estate investing no longer works in top markets, and reveals the new rule his team uses to filter hundreds of deals down to the ones that actually cash flow. 🔥 Quote of the Day: "Most people don't fail because the deals aren't out there. Most people fail because they overcomplicate their first move." — Niyi Adewole, Ekabo Home 💡 What This Means: New investors get so caught up in LLCs, fix and flips, and complex strategies that they never buy the long-term rental that would have actually built their wealth. Stop overthinking, get back to the fundamentals, and use simple math to move fast. 🎙️ What You'll Learn: 1. Where the 1% Rule Came From and Why It Worked: Born out of the BiggerPockets community in the 2010s, the 1% rule gave investors a fast way to filter deals without building a 12-tab spreadsheet — if a property rents for 1% of its purchase price per month, it's worth a second look. 2. Why the 1% Rule Is Mostly Dead in Top Markets: In Atlanta — the 6th largest metro in the country with 6.5 million people and 37 Fortune 1000 companies — home prices have accelerated far beyond what the 1% rule can realistically capture. A clean 1% deal on the Atlanta MLS lasts about 3 days before it's gone, and if it looks too good, there's usually a catch. 3. The 0.8% Rule — Atlanta's New Standard: After running thousands of deals, Niyi's team landed on a new rule of thumb. If a property rents for 0.8% of its purchase price per month, it's worth pursuing. On a $300,000 home, that's $2,400 per month — double Atlanta's average market price-to-rent ratio of 0.4%. 4. A Real $800K Quadplex Deal — Walked Through Live: Niyi walks through an actual deal using the BiggerPockets calculator — $800K purchase price, 20% down, 7.3% interest rate, $8,000 in taxes, $3,000 in insurance, and reserves for repairs, CapEx, and vacancy. Day one cash flow came in at $263 per month with an additional $832 being set aside monthly. 5. How the Deal Grew From $6,400 to $8,500 Per Month: The previous owners hadn't raised rents in over a decade. Niyi updated two units, converted them to short-term rentals temporarily, and steadily raised rents on the rest. Today the same property pulls in $8,500 per month on the same mortgage — with comparable properties now selling between $960K and $1M. 🏡 Key Takeaways: ➤ Stop Overcomplicating Your First Deal — LLCs, fix and flips, subject-to deals — that's noise. Buy a long-term rental or house hack that pencils and get in the game. ➤ 0.8% Is Your New Screening Shield — If you're still chasing 1% in Atlanta, you'll never find anything. Use 0.8% to identify real deals fast. ➤ 0.8% Is the Start, Not the End — Credits, rate buy-downs, and negotiation can push a deal even closer to true 1% cash flow on your actual basis. ⚛️ Why This Matters: With AI reshaping the job market and economic uncertainty continuing to grow, owning real estate is one of the most reliable hedges available. People will always need somewhere to live. If you run your numbers right and buy the right properties, this is an asset class that has stood the test of time for hundreds of years — and it's available to you right now, with less money than you think, in any market you choose. 🗓️ 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.