Send us a text

Unlocking the hidden power of real estate equity could be the key to exponential portfolio growth—yet so many investors leave millions in potential wealth sitting idle. As a part-time real estate investor juggling careers as both an airline pilot and military instructor, I've built a portfolio valued at nearly $5.9 million with approximately $2.3 million in equity, all starting from a single flip house.
Equity represents the spread between what you owe and what your property is worth—and it's where true wealth accumulation happens in real estate. While monthly cash flow might seem attractive (my properties generate $55,000 in gross monthly rents), the long-term equity growth often proves far more powerful. Through this video, I open my actual portfolio spreadsheet to show exactly how equity positions build through various methods: buying below market value, forced appreciation through renovations, natural market appreciation, rising rents, and simple time in the market.
My Milwaukee properties showcase how dramatically equity can build—some purchased just four years ago have already moved from 80% loan-to-value to under 40%, representing hundreds of thousands in gained equity per property. But this creates a fascinating dilemma: my portfolio now contains $2.3 million in "idle equity" that could theoretically fuel expansion to over $10 million in total portfolio value if leveraged properly.
However, accessing this equity isn't as simple as many online real estate gurus suggest. Cash-out refinancing comes with significant limitations, particularly when it means replacing 4% interest rates with today's 6-7% rates. I share my current strategy for deploying this equity through portfolio purchases and value-add opportunities while maintaining the delicate balance between aggressive growth and financial stability.
Whether you're just starting your real estate journey or looking to scale your existing portfolio, this transparent look at real numbers and actual properties will help you develop a more sophisticated approach to building wealth through property equity. Like and subscribe if you found this valuable, and comment with questions about your own real estate investing challenges!