Grow Your Cashflow

Grow Your Cashflow helps accredited investors ($3M+ net worth) build diversified passive income portfolios through strategic, cash-flowing alternative investments. Our mission is to simplify investing, empower financial freedom, and enable our clients to live life on their terms.

What We Do:
→ High Cash Flow Investments: Deliver consistent monthly income by focusing on opportunities in real estate, private equity, and other alternative assets.

→ Strategic Partnerships: Partner exclusively with top-tier operators to ensure stability and expertise. We invest in every deal alongside our clients, aligning interests and building trust.

→ Hands-On Guidance & Transparency: Provide end-to-end support—from deal analysis to execution—helping investors navigate the complexities of alternative investments confidently.

Key Achievements:
→ Helped clients generate over $120,000/yr in monthly passive income.
→ Curated a portfolio of 6+ vetted investment opportunities in 2023 alone.
→ Built partnerships with operators managing over $5 billion in assets.

How We Help:
→ Eliminate the stress of managing volatile markets by offering reliable, cash-flowing investments.
→ Build portfolios tailored to each investor’s financial goals.
→ Empower investors to reclaim time and freedom while building wealth.

👉 Ready to start building your financial independence?

Message me directly or sign up for your free Passive Income Starter Kit (link in bio).

Founder & CEO

Pascal Wagner Holdings

Pascal Wagner Holdings is my personal investment and advisory portfolio, focused on high-yield real estate investments, high-growth startups, and alternative assets. My portfolio reflects a strategic approach to wealth building through diversified investments and trusted partnerships.

Advisory Roles
Serve as Board Member/Observer for:
→ Forecastr (forecastr.co) – Financial forecasting software for startups.
→ Cubby Beds (cubbybeds.com) – Transformative sleeping solutions for children with special needs.


Investment Portfolio
Pre-IPO and Angel Investments:
→ Forecastr – Financial modeling for startups.
→ Enaia – Innovative tech solutions for scaling startups.
→ SpaceX – Space exploration and advanced transportation.
→ Stripe – Online payment processing for internet businesses.
→ PadSplit – Affordable shared housing for workforce tenants.
→ Sheets & Giggles – Sustainable eucalyptus bedding products.
→ Machinery Partner – Equipment marketplace for small contractors.
→ Favs – Community-driven e-commerce recommendations platform.


Real Estate Investments (Co-Living Capital):
→ Built a portfolio of 11 co-living properties in Atlanta, Georgia, generating sustainable monthly cash flow.
→ Developed rental models achieving 90%+ occupancy rates by transforming underutilized assets into vibrant, cash-flowing communities.


Real Estate Funds:
→ Oil & Gas: LCP Chocwell 10A.
→ ATMs: Real Asset Investor – Fund 5.
→ Self-Storage: Reliant Capital Management – Fund 3.
→ Debt Funds: DLP Capital – Debt Lending Fund, Preferred Credit Fund.
→ Multi-Family: Rise at Suncrest, Cardone Capital – Fund 20, Quantum Capital – Highland Park & Penn.

Founder

Techstars

As Fund & Portfolio Manager at Techstars, I led the deployment of $150 million across three years, investing in over 200 high-potential early-stage startups. My role involved creating scalable systems to identify, evaluate, and invest in top-tier opportunities, ensuring strategic allocation across diverse industries and geographies.

Key Achievements:
→ Capital Deployment: Oversaw the allocation of $150 million in venture capital investments, driving portfolio growth and targeting startups with exceptional scalability and market potential.

→ Deal Sourcing & Evaluation: Developed a comprehensive system to analyze thousands of startups, enabling efficient decision-making and ensuring investments focused on the most promising companies.

→ Board Participation & Founder Mentorship: Provided hands-on support to portfolio companies as a board member, guiding founders on growth strategies, fundraising, and operational improvements.

→ Portfolio Value Creation: Played a critical role in securing equity positions in high-growth startups, aligning investments with Techstars’ strategy and contributing to a high-performing portfolio.

Fund & Portfolio Manager

Walkthrough (a PlanOmatic brand)

After buying & selling 4 properties, I realized how backwards and outdated the real estate industry was. 

I searched on Google & Yelp for photographers, inspectors & appraisers only to find many of them couldn't help me within the next 3 weeks to meet a deadline. After 15 phone calls and hours of searching I finally found someone who could meet with me in 2 weeks but they would only accept checks and took their sweet time getting everything I needed back to me. 

In the age of being able to instantly book a ride (Uber) or vet different places to stay (AirBnB), I knew there was a great opportunity to bring the industry to the 21st century. 

To solve these problems, at Walkthrough we enabled agents (and any other home owners) to book the services they needed, when they needed it, and at the best price without sacrificing quality. All of this was done through an easy online app, filled with reviews & instant booking.

We built what I wish I had when I bought & sold my first few properties. I went on to sell the company to a national photography firm called PlanOmatic in 2019. 

---Here are a few things I accomplished---
‣ Pre-sold $5,000 in orders from customers before any code was written or product existed.

‣ Grew Walkthrough from $0 to $10,000+/mo in revenue in 6 months and ultimately to above $55,000+/mo from 3,000+ customers.

‣ Scaled the company from just an idea to 47 team members and launched 6 markets. 

‣ Tested 27+ acquisition channels before focusing on a channel that repeatedly converted at a 33% conversion rate with a ~$30 CAC.

‣ Raised $2M+ in funding, directly managed 3 engineers and an 8 person operations team, as well as negotiated & led the company to an acquisition.

‣ 3x company learning speed by introducing the ‘Northstar' growth framework and running 1 experiment per team member per week.

‣ Used the weekly ‘Traction’ framework to align the Support team to reduce ‘time to ticket resolution’ from 40 hrs down to ~4.5 hrs in less than 12 weeks.

Chief Executive Officer

Online Ad Labs (Acquired by PosterBrain)

I helped ecommerce businesses who advertised on Facebook get a higher return on their ad spend. 

Some of these companies we're pretty awesome to work with like Barbell Shrugged, The Amazing Seller, Inflowstyle, and the multimillion dollar brands Masterclass, Mahabis, & BC-Loans. 

After reading "Work The System" by Sam Carpenter I systematized everything and then grew the team to 5 people. It allowed me to live the 4 hour work week, live in Bali and travel all across Asia for 9 months. 

I learned how to hire & manage people, build processes & procedures, and how to fire clients that I didn't like to work with.  Thankfully, I was lucky enough to build something someone else thought was valuable. In June of 2016 I sold the company and moved on to bigger and more inspiring projects.

---Here are a few things I've accomplished here---
‣ Signed & managed 54 contracts with advertising budgets totaling over $1,200,000 delivering on the Facebook & Google platforms.

‣ Grew the team to 5 members and systematized operations to be turn-key, ultimately leading us to an acquisition.

‣ Increased ROI on Ad Spend by 7x for ~80% of the 54 companies we took on (typically reducing their cost per lead from ~$8 to below ~$1) through proper copywriting & detailed customer segmentation.

Elevate Mastermind

After graduating college I realized that a lot of my success would be determined by the people I surrounded myself with. I didn't know many entrepreneurs that could be my support system so I pulled in a few friends to help me organize an event to meet all of the entrepreneurs I had been following on "the internet" for the last several years. 

I rented a huge mansion in Breckenridge to throw our event in the first year, and then found a beach house in Bahamas the 2nd year. Somehow I managed to figure out how to have my favorite entrepreneurs buy tickets to attend an event put on by me - some random guy who just graduated college. The flow of the event focused on building deep relationships so instead of sitting around conference tables, we went on adventures, had snowball fights and went deep sea fishing together. 

I now have a solid new group of people I can call friends that have helped me achieve and become the man I am today.

Co-Founder

NotaryElite

Sick of trading time for money, I went through a program called The Foundation which taught the fundamentals of how to start a software company (i.e. building a product instead of a service).

I got on the phone with Notaries (I don't even remember how I fell into this niche) asking them what their problems were, what solutions to those problems could be, how much they'd pay to have those problems solved, and then somehow convinced several of them to pay me 6 months up front for a discount so I could use their money to build their dream product. 

I called it NotaryElite. It was my first crack at building a software company which answered calls on a notaries behalf and scheduled appointments for them in their calendar while they were unable to answer the phone on the road or in meetings. 

I was super proud of building this company - it took a lot of sweat and hustle to get this off the ground but maybe a little too late, I realized the probability of ever earning more than $10k in revenue per month with our product was extremely unlikely because the market size was too small. 

Lesson learned.

You better believe I'll do my research of market potential before starting any new company in the future.

Pünkt IT Consulting

This was my first step up after selling candy bars between classes for $0.50 profit in high school (which apparently is pretty illegal) to buy my first macbook. 

With the goal of making ends meet and graduating college debt free, I helped local companies build websites, provided them web hosting, and had my first shot at helping companies with Facebook marketing. I even fixed a few computers and ran a computer tech shop. 

It was the first time I learned to sell to businesses, write an invoice, charge ahead of time for my services instead of chasing people for payments, and learned what it was like to trade time for money.

Everyone wants to build passive income, and I figured out how.

With over $250K/year in passive income from 30+ investments, years of venture capital experience deploying $150M at Techstars, and a proven system, I can help you build a reliable cash-flowing portfolio (without spending years figuring it out).

→ In 2020: I started from scratch with $0 in passive income.
→ In 2021: I took on the responsibility of managing my family’s finances after losing my dad, ensuring my mom could retire with peace of mind.
→ In 2024: I built a $250K/year portfolio and helped 10+ executives start their journey to financial freedom.

I’ve worked with busy, high-earning professionals to eliminate stress from volatile markets, create passive income portfolios tailored to their goals, and regain time for what matters most.

Here's how I can help you:
→ Download my Passive Investing Starter Kit—trusted by 1,000+ investors. It’s your first step to building a reliable cash-flowing portfolio. (Link in bio)

→ Join the Cashflow Academy to learn how to create your own investment thesis, find pre-vetted opportunities, and start generating passive income.

→ Explore Curated Investments with exclusive access to pre-vetted opportunities, including multifamily real estate, high-yield funds, and alternative assets with built-in tax advantages.


If you're not ready for any of that yet, no worries! Stick around—I share insights on investing smarter, building passive income, and creating a portfolio that works for you.

See you on the feed 👋.

The cash flow lie no one talks about in apartment investing.

Here’s the hard truth I’ve learned from multiple deals:

A lot of operators love to push “cash flow.”

But most apartment syndications aren’t really cash flow investments.

At least, not in the way people think.

Yes, you might receive distributions.

But the reality is:

→ They’re usually small

→ They’re often delayed (especially in value-add deals)

→ And the distributions typically stop when the asset sells in 5 to 7 years

That’s not durable cash flow.

It’s not cash flow you can use to reliably cover your expenses or live off.

It’s more like a temporary dividend (like a bonus, not a paycheck).

There are rare cases where buy-and-hold operators keep assets indefinitely and deliver more consistent cash flow.

But most deals are designed to exit.

So when investors say:

“I’m investing in this apartment deal for cash flow…”

I think: are you really?

Personally, I’ve come to believe that investing in apartment deals is less about cash flow…and more about:

✔️ Owning real assets
✔️ Diversifying outside the stock market
✔️ Investing in a proven, centuries-old model

If you truly want dependable, monthly cash flow?

There are other vehicles that can serve you better:

👉 Debt funds
👉 Private credit
👉 Income-focused funds with fixed distributions

The key is knowing what you’re really solving for.

Not all “cash flow” is created equal.

P.S. I’d love to hear your take.

When you invest in apartment deals, are you doing it for cash flow, equity growth, or something else?

Pascal Wagner

Sharing How I Built $250K+/Year Portfolio with 30+ Investments | Best Ever CRE Podcast Host (200K+ Monthly Listeners) | Ex-VC @Techstars, Deployed $150M in 3 Years | Join 1K+ Investors Using My Free Starter Kit👇

I thought I was financially free…until my real estate portfolio collapsed and I couldn’t sleep at night.

Here’s the story: 

A few years ago, I relied entirely on the cashflow on 104 units in my real estate portfolio.

They were generating 100% of the income for my family. 

I had a property manager in place and thought everything was running smoothly.

But I stopped paying attention to focus on another business.

I’d handed off responsibility to a 3rd party manager without checking in. 

And things quickly started falling apart. 

Eventually, occupancies dropped to 65%. 

I was barely breaking even.

And while I’d expected $10,000 in net income every month... 

In reality I was only making $500.

So over 4 or 5 months, I’d lost $100K I had been counting on.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I was literally pulling my hair out. 

I couldn’t sleep at night. 

And my mind kept racing with worst-case scenarios:

  • Finding a job to stop the financial bleeding
  • Selling my investments just to cover expenses
  • Tax bills piling up from selling those investments 

Even worse, I was worried that somehow my mom would end up on the street. 

I know it was an irrational fear. 

But your mind goes to dark places when your only income stream suddenly evaporates. 

→ This is what happens when your investment goes sideways. 

And if your entire livelihood depends on one source of income, you’re vulnerable to a downward cash spiral like I was. 

So I dropped everything. 

Bought a one-way ticket to Atlanta where my portfolio was. 

And stayed until I fixed the problem.

Within several months, I was able to turn things around:

  • I raised the standards for my properties
  • Got my occupancies back up to 90 percent
  • And transformed them into high-quality assets

But it was an expensive and frightening experience. 

And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. 

The lesson should be clear: 

NEVER rely on just one income stream.

Whether it’s a rental portfolio or your W2, depending on a single source of income puts you at risk. 

No one thinks their income will disappear...until it does.

→ Have you considered diversifying your income streams?

Let me know in the comments 👇

That “bonus depreciation” your operator mentioned?

It won’t touch your W-2 income.

I hear operators say it all the time: 

“This deal offers incredible tax advantages...but of course, check with your CPA.”

And I get it, they have to say that for legal reasons.

But many also hide behind that disclaimer.

Because while they might highlight depreciation or “return of capital” as tax-efficient, they rarely explain what kind of income those benefits actually apply to.

And they might not apply to you.

Most retail investors don’t know the difference between active, passive, and portfolio income.

And that’s where the confusion starts.

Depreciation only offsets passive income. 

Not your W-2, not your business income, and not your portfolio gains…

Unless you qualify for very specific exceptions like short-term rentals, real estate professional status, opportunity zones, or oil & gas.

So what happens?

People invest thinking they’re getting a huge tax break…

Only to find out it doesn’t actually move the needle on their personal return.

That’s NOT a situation you want to find yourself in next April. 

That’s why I keep saying:

If you’re serious about investing in private deals, get educated.

It’s easy to fall in love with a deal for the tax benefits. 

Just make sure those tax benefits apply to YOU.

Most advisors only talk stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—while serious LPs are hunting real estate, private credit, oil & gas, and other true alternatives.

Which means many investors are left to DIY their alternative portfolio—sorting through deals without institutional access, objective due diligence, or a framework to know what’s worth wiring into.

In this episode of The Passive Income Playbook (on the Best Ever CRE Show), Pascal Wagner sits down with Frederick Hubler, founder of Creative Capital, a retainer-based wealth firm serving 300+ families across 30 states.

Fred’s practice is built to advise across the entire balance sheet—not just what an advisor can custody—so clients can add institutional-grade alternatives alongside their public market exposure.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
→ Build a portfolio like an endowment—balancing public markets with real estate, private credit, and other alts
→ Evaluate deals with a repeatable due diligence filter (so you don’t waste time on losers)
→ Spot “unfair advantages” that separate winning sponsors from average operators
→ Understand DSTs, non-traded REITs, and direct LPs—and when each makes sense for you
→ Use oil & gas strategically—for tax offsets and long-term income
→ Avoid the trap of paying 1% AUM fees for advice that ignores 70% of your balance sheet

If you’ve ever felt underserved by AUM-only advice—or you’re building an LP portfolio that needs real diversification and better deal selection—this episode gives you a practical playbook to evaluate opportunities with confidence.

Youtube link in comments👇

Let me know what you think!

“I don’t trust myself enough to pull the trigger.”

If you’ve ever felt that way, here are 3 things to remember before wiring a dollar into any deal:

1). Not all deals have the same risk

Not every deal is built the same.

Some chase appreciation. Others prioritize income.

The mistake most investors make is assuming all private deals are illiquid and risky.

In reality, there’s a full spectrum. 

From short-term debt funds where you can redeem your funds in 90 days… 

To long-term equity deals that compound for years.

Fear comes from not knowing what you’re doing. 

Figure out the risks of your deal and uncertainty will disappear. 

2). Your capital needs a clear job

Ask yourself: What job do I want this capital to do?

If you’re looking for consistent cash flow, don’t invest in a ground-up development.

If you’re looking for tax benefits, a debt fund won’t give you depreciation.

Getting clear on your investment goal will remove a lot of anxiety.
 
When you know what outcome you’re solving for, you’re less likely to chase the wrong deals…

And more likely choose those that actually serve your goals. 

3). Uncertainty comes from unclear assumptions

A lot of fear comes from not knowing what questions to ask.

Once you learn to vet deals side-by-side — and ask sharper questions about assumptions, debt, and exit strategy — uncertainty disappears.

You stop wondering “Will I get my money back?”

And start thinking, “How does this fit into my overall plan?”

→ If you’re feeling hesitant to commit capital, that’s a good thing.

It means you care about protecting what you’ve built.

But with the right framework, that fear becomes confidence.

P.S. Sophisticated investors don’t let fear derail their investment plans. 

If you’re afraid to commit to deals, it’s because you’re not confident in your process.

Cashflow Academy can change that. 

In less than 90 days, you’ll go from rookie with a blank check to savvy investor who knows the red flags of dangerous investments. 

Join 21 other students and visit my bio to learn more about Cashflow Academy today.

You’ve got less than 90 days to figure out where to put $200,000...or hand 40% of it to the IRS.

The nagging frustration of every high earner in Q4:

You’re exhausted from building… 

And now you’re supposed to become a tax strategist overnight.

At first, it feels incredible:

✅ A sense of control
✅ Record-breaking year
✅ More liquidity than ever

Then reality hits.

Your CPA runs the numbers and says,

“If you want the write-offs, you’ll need to invest about $200K before December 31st.”

You knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it easier. 

And now you're scrambling, looking for somewhere to invest before the year's over. 

But it's a pressured decision. 

And those are almost always gambles.

What you need are IRS-backed investments that legally reduce your tax bill and grow your net worth.

Here's what I've used to write off more than $500,000 in taxes: 

1). Oil & Gas 

I’ve invested in oil & gas to write off taxes in the past. 

They covered my passive gains (not active W2 income). 

Depending on the fund, you can write off 80%–120% of your investment.

And in SOME cases, you can even write off active W2 income.

2). Multifamily real estate 

I invested $100,000 into Grant Cardone's 10X Miami property. 

It's given me ~$64,000 in depreciation for passive income. 

Not great for cashflow (only $87 a month). 

But that's not why I invested, so it's fine with me. 

→ The point: there's still time to invest for write offs and lower your tax bill. 

But like I always say: 

1). Understand why you're investing
2). Know how the tax benefits apply to YOU
3). Use a system to vet deals (not gut-feeling) 

Disclaimer: I’m not a CPA. I am not giving tax advice. 

I'm just sharing what has personally worked for me in the past. 

P.S. If you're feeling rushed to invest for tax breaks but you're not 100% confident in picking a deal, there's still time to join Cashflow Academy. 

In 5 weeks, I will teach you the ins-and-outs of investing in alternative assets, so you can make the most informed decisions possible. 

If you're getting ready to cut a check for $200,000 but you're not 100% sure if you've chosen the right deal, this could be the smartest choice you make all year. 

Join 21 other investors and apply for Cashflow Academy in the featured section by visiting my profile now.

<90 days left to lower your tax bill…

This is when smart people make dumb investments.

Every year around this time, I see the same thing happen:

Investors rush into “tax-advantaged” deals without *really* understanding the deal.

I get it. 

Nobody wants to write a 5-figure check to the IRS.

But chasing tax write-offs without a clear game plan is how smart people lose money.

Here’s what I’ve learned after writing off $500,000 in taxes through alternative investments: 

1). Make sure the tax benefit actually hits this tax year

You only get the deduction once the asset is placed in service — not when you wire the money.

In 2022 I invested in a retail center in Downtown Denver and didn’t realize the depreciation wouldn’t count until the building got its Certificate of Occupancy the following year.

The capital was invested — but the tax benefit didn’t count for that year.

2). Focus on proven strategies with operators who repeat the same playbook

Oil & gas, multifamily real estate, or mobile home parks. 

They can all make you wealthy…

But you’ll have a higher likelihood of success with an operator who is repeating the same strategy. 

3). Make sure the write-off matches your income type

Depreciation from passive real estate doesn’t offset W-2 income unless your losses are treated as non-passive — which in many cases requires BOTH REPS (real estate professional status) and material participation. 

Most LP investors don’t meet both, so the write-off never touches W-2 income (or they’re doing it illegally).

This is a nuance many new investors don’t understand. 

So if you’re chasing a deduction, make sure it applies to your situation. 

Otherwise, you’re not saving on taxes. 

→ If you’re scrambling for a write-off right now, slow down.

The only thing worse than overpaying the IRS is investing for tax breaks and finding out you're not eligible to receive them.

After 23 LP deals + reviewing 1,000+ offerings, I’ve learned one powerful rule:

If I can't verify it, I don’t invest in it.

If you lose money in your first private deal, it's usually not because the deal is bad...

It's because you don't know what questions to ask. 

It's easy to chase the pitch: 

  • Big returns
  • Tax advantages
  • Gorgeous decks 

You assume these deals must be vetted like stocks.

But the truth is anyone can raise capital. 

Because private markets are not the same as public markets. 

In public markets, you’re buying into an ecosystem of reporting and regulations. 

In private markets, your cousin could launch a fund tomorrow, and unless you know how to vet it, you’d never know the difference.

And a fund manager does not need a track record, loan tape, or audited financials to accept your money.

→ Early on, I made that mistake.

I didn’t know what documents to ask for. 
I didn’t know how proper reporting looked. 
I didn’t understand what signals really mattered. 

And I paid the price when a deal went sideways. 

→ Now, after investing in 23 LP deals, I ONLY commit capital if I can verify. 

Here's a few things I look for: 

1). Ongoing reporting. 

Monthly statements and transparent updates aren't optional.

2). Loan tape or underlying data. 

Not just glossy case studies. I want to see transparency in the details. 

3). Audited financials. 

If they don’t exist, that’s not a deal breaker, but it’s reassuring when a fund offers them.

4). The sponsor’s track record. 

Anyone can raise, but not everyone can deliver.

→ When I was a new investor, I thought the absence of data was just how these deals worked.

Now I know better. 

And I sleep better, too. 

If I can’t verify what they’re doing with my money…

I don’t send it.

If you don’t have a process for vetting deals—that’s exactly what we teach.

Start with the free Passive Investing Starter Kit.

It gives you 25 recent deals to explore—plus ongoing emails that show you what to ask, what to ignore, and how to stop guessing.

Because in private markets, you are the underwriter.

And without a framework, every deal looks “good”… until it isn’t.

Visit my bio to download the Passive Investing Starter Kit now.

You've invested $250K across 5 deals.

But you still don't have a plan.

Some tax plays here. 
A little equity growth there. 
A syndication your friend told you about.

And now you're wondering why it all feels disconnected.

I've been there.

A few years ago, I was doing the same thing. 

Not gambling, but guessing.

I only invested in things I believed were high quality:

→ Real estate in downtown Denver (because I knew the area)

→ Funds from well-known operators (because I didn't want to lose money)

→ Passive deals through my friend group (because I wanted to spread the risk)

I was investing in what I had access to...

But it was random, not part of a bigger plan. 

So if you've built your strategy from podcasts and LinkedIn posts, I get it. 

But you're not positioned to win, either.

→ Because when you invest without a plan, your portfolio isn't optimized for what you actually need. 

Maybe you need cash flow now, but half your capital is locked up in long-term equity plays.

That's why you need to ask yourself some hard questions:

→ What do I want my portfolio to look like in 5 years?
→ How do I balance cash flow vs. equity growth?
→ How do I know which deals fit my goals?

I couldn't answer those questions at the time.

And my portfolio paid the price.

But now I know better.

I'm not falling in love with deals that look good on paper.

Instead, I'm creating a structured portfolio with:

→ Targeted equity positions with clear upside
→ Monthly cash flow from low-volatility debt funds
→ Diversification across operators and asset classes

Don't wait until your portfolio underperforms to realize you needed a strategy from the start.

9 questions I always ask before investing in a real estate deal:

1. What’s my primary investment goal?
2. How much annual cashflow do I need?
3. Does it cashflow in year 1?
4. How often do I expect to receive distributions?
5. What level of risk am I comfortable with?
6. How important is liquidity?
7. Where am I funding this investment from?
8. What’s my minimum acceptable return?
9. What’s my ideal investment timeline?

When you know a few basic answers, investing gets a whole lot easier. 

Because you’ll instantly weed out 95% of deals. 

Remember: time = money

Use yours wisely.

How to lose $50,000 in a private real estate deal. 

(few people realize how easy this is)

Three months after wiring the funds, it’s not cashflowing.

Six months later, you still haven’t heard from the operator.

Twelve months in, you get the email:

“We need additional capital to save the deal.”

This happens all the time.

And it’s not because people pick “bad deals.”

It’s because they never learned how to vet the person behind them.

Here’s how I've avoided becoming a cautionary tale:

1). Ask for previous investor updates on a bad deal

If an operator won’t send me investor updates from their worst deal, I walk away.

How they communicate with a bad deal tells you everything you need to know about them.

2). Request detailed financials

Anyone can make a glossy pitch deck.

But I want to see how much they’re willing to share. You’d be shocked how many operators won’t provide you a loan tape or any transaction documents you’d use to validate if the deal was real. 

3). Stress-test their assumptions

If the model only works when rents rise, expenses stay flat, and cap rates improve, it’s not conservative.

So I like to ask what happens if rents stall, interest rates rise, or insurance doubles.

4). Check alignment

Do they have their own money in the deal?

Money that isn’t just the fees they earn from doing it.

If not, their risk and mine aren’t the same.

5). Understand the leverage

The bank brings 70% of the capital and gets paid back before you ever see a dime.

One bad loan structure can wipe out your equity — even in a “good” deal.

Look, if we're being realistic: 

The easiest way to lose $50,000 is by not doing your homework, not picking a "bad" deal.

P.S. What’s one red flag you never ignore?

The 2023–2024 market made preferred equity explode.

Tight lending and higher rates pushed sponsors to raise more pref than ever before.

If you’re LP investing today, you’ll see it—and you need to know how it works.

Because here’s the catch: if you don’t understand where pref sits in the stack, you could end up behind it—taking on more risk, getting diluted, or even watching your equity get wiped out while pref investors still get paid.

In this episode of The Passive Income Playbook (on the Best Ever CRE Show), Pascal Wagner sits down with Paul Moore, founder of Wellings Capital, who’s raised $190M+ from nearly 1,000 investors across multiple funds. Paul explains what preferred equity really is, how it stacks up against common equity, and why his firm shifted heavily into pref in recent years.

In this episode you’ll learn:
 ✅ The capital stack explained: debt vs. preferred vs. common equity
 ✅ Why pref surged during the 2023–24 lending crunch
 ✅ How pref protects LPs in downturns—and when it doesn’t
 ✅ JV hybrid equity: a middle ground with both safety and upside
 ✅ Practical ranges of pref returns (and red flags if they’re too high)
 ✅ Which investors should consider pref vs. those who should stick with common

Whether you’re new to LP investing or you’ve wired into dozens of deals, this episode will give you the clarity to evaluate opportunities with confidence.

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Putting $50,000 in a syndication is like betting on one stock. 

It’s something you do when you’re going all-in. 

But statistically it’s smarter to invest in an Index. 

Think of Syndications & funds that same way….

A syndication is a single-property deal. 

Your return depends entirely on how that one asset performs. 

If it struggles due to a bad location, market changes, or poor management, your returns (and capital) are gone.

→ A fund works differently. 

Instead of betting on one apartment building, your money is spread across multiple properties. 

Often in different markets with different operators. 

So if one asset underperforms, others can make up the difference.

It’s the same reason many stock investors prefer ETFs over individual stocks: 

Less volatility, more consistency.

So which option should you choose?

→ Funds may be a better fit if you:

  • Want consistent returns and reduced volatility
  • Don’t know how to underwrite individual deals
  • Are investing a lot & want downside protection
  • Prefer broad diversification, not concentrated risk 

→ Syndications may be a better fit if you:

  • Are allocating from your “higher risk / higher reward” bucket
  • Have deep conviction in a specific property, market, or operator
  • Have the skill + time to analyze a deal at the individual property level
  • Are comfortable with concentrated risk in exchange for potential higher returns
  • Have unique access to an “unfair advantage” in that one deal (timing, pricing, insider knowledge)

When my dad passed away and I needed to figure out how to deploy our family’s assets to provide my mom cashflow in her retirement, I started with funds.

In general, if you're a new LP investor, they are ideal because they carry less risk and more downside protection than syndications.

TL;DR:

Funds are like ETFs → lower volatility, more consistent returns, hands-off diversification.

Syndications are like single stocks → higher upside, higher risk, requires expertise and conviction.

P.S. If you want to compare funds and syndications on a deal-by-deal basis, check out my Passive Investing Starter Kit.

It includes:

 → Offering decks for live deals
 → Key metrics like cash-on-cash returns
 → Filters so you can sort by asset class or strategy

Visit my bio to download it now.

Lose $100K in an investment? 

It could take 6–10 years to earn it back.

Let’s run the math:

You make $300,000 a year.

You invest $100,000 into a private deal.

The deal goes sideways. Your capital’s gone.

Now what?

After taxes, you take home around $200K.

To replace that $100K, you’d need to save half your entire year’s income.

And that’s before paying for your mortgage, family, or living expenses.

More realistically?

You might save 10–15% a year.

At that rate, it takes 6–10 years to recover from one bad investment.

That's a huge opportunity cost. 

Not to mention the sleepless nights, teeth grinding, and silent treatment you'll probably suffer from your spouse as a result. 

→ I can't give you "3 simple steps" to avoid losing money in deals. 

All I can say is this: 

Education is your best form of insurance. 

The more you understand the asset class...

The more you understand how the deal is structured...

The more you understand your operator and how they run their business...

The more likely you'll get your money back (and more). 

But one bad deal can set your finances back years.

So you CANNOT afford to invest on pure "hopium."

Education and due diligence matter more than any projected return.

Because it's a lot harder to earn $100K than it is to lose it. 

P.S. The year's almost over. If you're feeling pressured to invest for tax breaks, but you're not 100% confident in your strategy, check out Cashflow Academy. 

21 accredited investors have worked with me 1-on-1 to learn how to minimize downside (and maximize upside) by investing with a framework...not gut-feeling. 

It's not cheap. 

But if it helps you avoid a $100,000 mistake, your ROI will be more than 3000%. 

Visit my bio and click Cashflow Academy to apply today.

“Investing in private deals is so confusing. Where do you even start?”

That’s what I hear from many new investors exploring alternative assets. 

You try:

 • Asking friends what they’re investing in
 • Watching webinars and YouTube videos
 • Comparing syndications, funds, and REITs

But the more you research, the more overwhelmed you get.

Too many opinions.
Too many asset classes.
Too many people promising “passive income” or “double-digit returns.”

And instead of building confidence, it creates decision fatigue.

So you waste months researching, but never take action.

Meanwhile, your cash just sits there, losing value to inflation… 

Or riding the stock market rollercoaster.

And because the process feels so confusing, you stay stuck.

→ After teaching 21 high-earners how to invest in private deals, I’ve seen this play out dozens of times. 

Here’s my secret for new investors who want to eliminate the confusion: 

Stop looking for good deals.

And start building your strategy.

You shouldn’t even think about wiring a dollar until you’ve answered three simple questions:

1). What’s my goal?

Are you investing for cash flow, appreciation, or tax benefits?

2). What’s my risk tolerance?

How much volatility or downside are you actually comfortable with?

3). What return profiles align with my goals?

Are you looking for steady 8–10% cash flow, or aiming for higher upside over a longer hold?

→ Not all private deals are created equal. 

Until you’re clear on your strategy, every investment is just a guess. 

And when you're wiring $50,000 or more, you can’t afford to be guessing. 

P.S. Once you know your goals, you’ll need deals.

Join 1,000+ investors who’ve downloaded my Passive Investing Starter Kit. 

You’ll get 25 of my top private investments across real estate, oil & gas, debt funds, and more.

Visit my bio for instant free access.

What app do you guys use to invest? 

I’ve been on Fidelity Investments for 10+ years, but with all the new fintech companies offering big transfer bonuses (Webull Financial says up to 4%), and cheaper margin (Robinhood is ~5% vs ~10% at Fidelity), I’m seriously thinking about moving ~$300–500K somewhere else. 

Curious what you all are using and why.

Taplio

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