Harnessing the Power of Seller Finance to Thrive in Even a Down Market with Mitch Stephen
In a very insightful conversation today, I am pleased to welcome fellow real-estate investor, popular speaker, educator, podcaster, and author Mitch Stephen onto the show. Mitch has been in the real-estate game for more than 25 years and he has purchased well over 2,000 houses in and around his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Today, he specializes in owner-financed properties with individuals left behind by traditional lending institutions. Mitch has also forged the creation of a mass texting software, LiveComm. Listen in as this phenomenal individual shares his journey building and expanding the empire he has built!
Mitch says he started basically because of a substantial relationship he had with a woman who left him for someone who was rich and in a better position than he was at that time. He badly wanted a path to financial freedom but money was never discussed in his family or even while he was in school. He shares that his real estate investing career started at the age of 23 when he read Nothing Down by Robert Allen, which gave him the courage that he could get into real estate. But it took him seven years to own the concept in his heart and actually get started with it.
Mitch had, by accident, made some money in real estate, which propelled him to get more actively involved. He flipped a couple of houses and put $35,000 in the bank which was a year's salary for him when he was a bartender. He decided to take a year off and see what he could do. In 1996, he flipped forty-five houses, sixty-five houses the next year, and then one-hundred-fifty the following year. He’d grossed a lot of money but was very unorganized and inexperienced to be at that level.
Mitch talked a lot about working with his family members and the lessons they have learned along the way. He said sometimes it is a struggle because it is almost as there is shared mistake-making and little progress forward. Mitch got to the point where he had to shut down the business, reassess everything, and start fresh. Even with these issues, he has made it work with family members and his daughter has been a loyal employee for over 25 years.
He’s shared a very successful idea he’d implemented to obtain more deals. He partnered with people and paid them 50% of the profit if they brought him a good deal. He shares how he would have a line outside his door every day of ten or fifteen people who showed up because they didn't have any other source of income.
Mitch has also discussed people who tend to spend a lot of money when they initially start making good money and said that people who have that kind of money appreciate people who are careful and live within their means. We have an extensive discussion about the real estate market downturn in 2008 and how his business thrived during those times. It was after this that Mitch started finding and hiring better people, which made a noticeable and positive impact on his business.
Mitch’s company specializes in buying distressed properties with other people’s money and selling those properties with owner financing. His personal expertise includes raising private money, finding bargain properties, negotiating favorable terms, dealing with renovations and contractors, and selling notes with little to no discount. Mitch also spoke about the educational programs he has put together to help other investors do exactly this and experience success in this field.
Mitch and I just have a blast in this episode of Just Start Real Estate and you don’t want to miss it! It is longer than usual because he just provides us with so much wisdom and actionable advice, so please take the time to listen and learn from this fabulous guest, Mitch Stephen!
Notable quotes:
“When I re-read the books, after some maturing, I was able to actually absorb the message deeper and own it in my heart.”
- Mitch Stephen
“I'm interested in my financial freedom, and the stability of my family and my income for a long period of time. I don't give a damn about a car.”
- Mitch Stephen
“I think people who have that kind of money appreciate people who are careful and live within their means.”
- Mitch Stephen
“We learn what a good partner is, or we learn what a good business is when they can survive a bad time. ”
- Mitch Stephen
“I do not ever want to take someone's house, I think it’s the shittiest business plan in the whole wide world.”
- Mitch Stephen
“I only borrow what I need, I don't borrow money to live on.”
- Mitch Stephen
Links:
Real Estate Investor Summit Podcast
MY LIFE & 1,000 HOUSES: Failing Forward to Financial Freedom
MY LIFE & 1,000 HOUSES: 200+ Ways to Find Bargain Properties
MY LIFE & 1,000 HOUSES: The Art of Owner Financing
Level Jumping: How I Grew My Business to Over $1 Million in Profits in 12 Months
