Real Estate Investing School Podcast

Episode 153: Purpose-Driven Lifestyle Real Estate Investing with Cam Cathcart

Date: April 29, 2024
Host: Joe Jensen
Guest: Cam Cathcart

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Joe Jensen interviews Cam Cathcart, a seasoned single-family real estate investor, on how purpose-driven vision and relentless action enabled him to close 400 deals in just four years. Cam shares his journey from being a youth pastor living paycheck-to-paycheck, to building financial freedom through real estate, moving his family to Hawaii, and now helping others do the same. The episode focuses on intentional lifestyle design, why clarity of vision matters, lessons learned from scaling quickly, and the deeper “why” behind building wealth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cam’s Background & Starting Point (01:59-09:36)

• Early Financial Mindset:
  Raised in a financially conservative, non-investing household following Dave Ramsey principles—no credit cards until his mid-20s.
• Career as a Pastor:
  Worked as a youth pastor in Denver making $40k/year; wife worked as a barber (joint income ~$65-70k post-tax).
• Catalyst for Change:
  After his daughter’s medical emergency and resulting $15,000 hospital bill (out-of-network), Cam realized he had to make a change because “$15,000 could have been a million bucks at that time.” (05:55)

2. Discovering Real Estate & Scaling Rapidly (07:32–13:41)

• Side Hustle Experiments:
  Tried Uber driving, flipping on Facebook Marketplace, before hearing “90% of millionaires become millionaires through real estate” on a podcast.
• Deep Dive into Learning:
  Consumed BiggerPockets content, read books, attended meetups.
• First Steps:
  Moved from Denver to St. Louis for affordability and opportunity. Initial plan: buy 15 houses in 20 years—quickly upended by discovering the BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) method.
• First BRRRR Deal (Jan 2020):
  Bought for $65k, put in $30k, appraised at $155k, refinanced, returned private lender’s capital plus kept equity and cash flow.
  • Cam: “This isn’t a scam…this is actually a real thing and it works.” (09:40)

3. From Solo Hustle to Building a Team (13:41–19:39)

• Working 18 Hour Days:
  “I was working 18 hour days every day...running numbers on properties...networking, making offers, doing it again and again.” (15:19)
• Market Timing/Luck vs. Action:
  Cam credits timing (COVID boom, low interest rates), but insists massive action and learning made his luck possible.
• Scaling Safely:
  Emphasized the forgiving nature of single family vs. high-risk, complex multifamily deals.

4. Vision-Driven Life Design (19:39–24:33)

• The Power of Vision:
  Clear, tangible vision from day one—moving his family to Hawaii and hitting $5M net worth, mapped out and displayed in his home.
  • Cam: “I was able to put in those 18 hour days because I knew it wasn’t forever.” (21:16)
• Building for Freedom:
  Hired and delegated roles in the business early, even at expense of some income, to create a system enabling their Hawaii move.
• Current Life (as of 2024):
  Lives in Maui with family. Runs his portfolio and fund remotely with an established team.

5. Adapting and Innovating: The Cathcart Capital Fund (24:34–28:36)

• BRRRR, Market Shifts & Funding Challenges:
  High interest rates made it impossible to cash out fully; solution: use investor gap funding to recapture capital and keep buying.
  • Cam: “I could find a bunch of really rich people...give me money to provide that gap…and they’re going to get cash flow and a portion of the equity…” (27:12)
• Unique Model:
  Investors provide the equity gap, get a share of cash flow and long-term equity. Seven-year hold, with option to sell/refi if rates don’t improve.

6. The Importance of “Why” & Avoiding Burnout (28:46–34:40)

• Why > Money:
  Cam’s purpose isn’t just wealth, but quality time with his family, being present, and living in a place he loves.
  • “For me a big enough why is...I want to be able to watch sunset with my kids every single day.” (31:28)
• Sustaining Motivation:
  Vision and why prevent burnout and keep life and business decisions aligned.

7. Teaching & Staying Authentic (34:40–42:14)

• Desire to Teach:
  Cam wants to help others achieve similar results through single family investing, emphasizing authenticity and realistic expectations.
  • “I want people to have a bigger why…if you are in real estate because of the money, you’re…going to realize, wow, I’m still really unfulfilled.” (37:08)
• Stays in His Lane:
  Won’t teach strategies he hasn’t done (no syndications, storage, etc.)—only what he’s mastered: single family, wholesaling, flipping.

8. Practical Guidance for New Entrepreneurs (44:00–48:56)

• Key Advice:
  1. Clarity of Vision and ‘Why’: Recommends a visualization exercise: “meet” your future self every day.
  2. Willingness to Work: “Be willing to put in the work…it’s not as easy as you see on Instagram…”
• Endurance:
  “Real estate will beat you up. There are deals that won’t happen, times you’ll feel like you’re going bankrupt…if you don’t have a clear vision, it’s easy to fold.” (44:00)

9. Notable Moments & Quotes

• “The only thing you can’t get back is time. And so for me, I’ve used real estate to give me my time...” (00:00 & 33:22)
• “I do believe real estate, you put in two years of hard, focused, dedicated work and you can be financially free…” (15:19)
• “Vision...we talk about it, but I don’t think people always understand what it means…it is more nuanced than that.” (29:25, Joe)
• “Present. That is my favorite thing about real estate, where…it has allowed me to be 100% present.” (57:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Topic | |----------|------------------------------------------------| | 01:59 | Cam’s initial financial situation, catalyst for change | | 07:32 | Entry to real estate, learning phase | | 09:36 | First BRRRR deal and mentality shift | | 13:41 | Intensity of work and why massive action matters| | 19:39 | Importance of vision and life goals | | 24:34 | Funding innovation: Cathcart Capital gap funding| | 28:46 | How vision prevents burnout and creates freedom| | 34:40 | Teaching with integrity: real stories only | | 44:00 | Daily visioning and advice for beginners | | 57:48 | Summing up: Being present is the ultimate reward|

Selected Memorable Quotes (with Speaker & Timestamp)

• Cam: “$15,000 could have been a million bucks at that time.” (05:55)
• Cam: “This isn’t a scam…this is actually a real thing and it works.” (09:40)
• Cam: “I was working 18 hour days every day...running numbers on properties...doing it again and again.” (15:19)
• Cam: “I was able to put in those 18 hour days because I knew it wasn’t forever…I was working towards something.” (21:16)
• Cam: “I could find a bunch of really rich people...give me money to provide that gap…and they’re going to get cash flow and a portion of the equity…” (27:12)
• Cam: “For me a big enough why is...I want to be able to watch sunset with my kids every single day.” (31:28)
• Cam: “Present. That is my favorite thing about real estate, where…it has allowed me to be 100% present.” (57:48)

Final Section: Cam’s Advice & Reflections

• Daily Alignment with Vision:
  Visualize your best self in five years and align today’s actions accordingly.
• Be Ready for Reality:
  Real estate is a “brutal teacher”—expect adversity and stay focused on your why.
• Success ≠ Just Money:
  Staying present with family, designing your life, and building lasting memories is the truest dividend of purposeful investing.
• Authenticity in Coaching:
  Teach only from firsthand mastery; avoid “teaching theory” or untested blueprints.

How to Learn from or Connect with Cam

• Instagram: @camcathcart (48:56)
• Podcast: Co-host of the Better Life Podcast with Brandon Turner

Summary prepared for listeners seeking engaging, actionable insights from Cam Cathcart’s journey. This episode is vital for those who want to align wealth-building with purpose and family, and who value real-world, honest advice over get-rich-quick formulas.