The BetterLife Podcast

Episode Title: Live Q&A - Your Real Estate Questions Answered (Bottleneck Breakthrough Session)

Hosts: Brandon Turner & Cam Cathcart

Released: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this dynamic, community-driven episode, Brandon Turner and Cam Cathcart host a "Bottleneck Breakthrough Session," opening the floor to live questions from their BetterLife Tribe. The session is geared toward real estate investors at various stages, diving into actionable strategies for scaling portfolios, overcoming bottlenecks, using virtual assistants (VAs), systemizing businesses, securing off-market deals, house hacking in new markets, and more. Listeners gain both practical tools and high-level mindsets for building wealth and designing a better life through real estate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Evaluating Room Rentals & Co-Living Opportunities

(02:00 – 06:00)

• Question (Megan): How to assess markets for a self-managed room rental or co-living strategy without using platforms like PadSplit?
• Brandon's Framework:
  • Check if the city is open to co-living; look for areas where others are succeeding with room rentals.
  • Financial viability: "If you can rent a studio for $500 a month, why would anybody want to pay more to rent a single room?" (02:10, Brandon)
  • Target cities where studio apartments cost $900+/month.
  • Make sure ample parking is available to avoid neighborhood issues.
  • Test demand by privately listing a “room for rent” to gauge response.
  • Furnishing matters: Furnished rooms rent much faster. Brandon’s tip: "There's something about that demographic... they don't want to haul their furniture around and so it tends to actually rent way quicker." (04:45, Brandon)
  • Ensure market demand by studying Facebook Marketplace listings.

2. Staying Organized with Corporate Formalities

(07:05 – 10:56)

• Question (Joe): How do you keep up with LLC requirements like meeting minutes to maintain asset protection?
• Hosts’ Advice:
  • Both admit they’re not strong at legal formalities ("I'm not very good at that either." – Brandon, 07:45).
  • Suggest using AI note-takers for meeting documentation—likely sufficient proof of compliance.
  • Consider delegating this to your attorney for a small annual fee ("I just get an envelope once a year in the mail... sign here, send it back, and then they just file all the stuff for me." – Brandon, 10:22).
  • Cam emphasizes this is not typically an entrepreneur’s strong suit—outsource if possible.

3. Delegating Effectively with Virtual Assistants (VAs) & Building Processes

(11:01 – 26:09)

• Question (Mark): What should I (and can I) delegate to a VA? How do you define their roles?
• Cam’s Experience:
  • VAs in his company handle tenant applications, maintenance follow-ups, utility and insurance set-up, transaction paperwork, and reminders for Cam to raise funds.
  • Pay reflects experience but even at $11/hr, their VA would be worth $75K+ stateside.
• Brandon’s Business Systems Deep Dive:
  • "All your businesses, any business in the world, is a collection of systems and or processes." (14:30, Brandon)
  • Before hiring, define each business process (e.g., lead intake, screening tenants, handling work orders).
  • Build SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for each process. "If you don't know the process, you haven't specced the process out yet, then you have no business hiring a person."
  • Use ChatGPT for writing detailed SOPs.
  • High-level hires should align with types of processes; don’t expect VAs to invent systems—give them the framework and let them improve it.
  • VA can also manage personal “life admin” tasks so you can focus on high-value work ("I just sent it over to my virtual assistant and was like can you just fix this for me?" – Brandon, 21:45).
  • "Entrepreneurs are terrible at doing work... That's why we're entrepreneurs... So get it off your plate, onto somebody else's, and that's how you're going to do it." (25:05, Brandon)
  • Action Tip: DM Brandon "processes please" on Instagram for his top 20 real estate processes list.

4. Structuring Seller Finance Deals with Retiring Landlords

(27:11 – 37:35)

• Question (Brandon D.): Just bought a fourplex from a retiring couple ready to unload an 11-property portfolio—how to capitalize on seller-financing opportunities without over-leveraging?
• Cam’s Playbook:
  • Maximize terms: low/no down payment, cash-flow positive day one.
  • Don’t get emotional—be willing to walk away from a bad deal, even if seller financing seems attractive.
  • Objective due diligence: Insist on rent rolls, walk properties, calculate rehab, and have a realistic exit plan.
  • "I don’t think you can buy too much real estate. I think you can just buy too much real estate in a dumb way." (28:58, Cam)
• Brandon’s Strategies:
  • Know what sellers want—often income security in retirement.
  • Build genuine rapport ("Make them love you... The more they love you, the more discount they give you.")
  • Employ “reverse selling”—convey hesitancy so sellers pitch you on the deal.
  • Don’t rely on seller math—always account for professional management and “hidden” expenses.
  • Practical tip: Young, serious buyers can present themselves as ideal successors for retiring landlords.

5. Best Markets to Invest and Live In (If Moving for Lifestyle)

(37:42 – 43:56)

• Question (Liz): Where should I move that offers both good real estate investing potential and a great lifestyle—preferably near the ocean?
• Hosts’ Picks & Debate:
  • Cam: South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi; caution on Texas and Florida due to overbuilding and population shifts.
  • Brandon: Advocates for Austin, TX and Phoenix, AZ—believes they're rebounding and will resume strong growth; highlights job/industry growth (Tesla, Starlink, etc.).
    • References University of Virginia study: Texas (8.6m growth by 2050), Florida (5.1m).
  • Both agree South Carolina is attractive; Hawaii is amazing, but not the best for hands-on investing.
  • Fun brainstorm: “SendMomToMaui.com”—residential assisted living in Maui for retirees.

6. Off-Market Deal Sourcing: The Connectors Strategy

(46:54 – 53:35)

• Question (Cassie): What’s your best tactic for finding off-market deals right now?
• Cam’s Connectors System:
  • 90% of deals sourced from "off-market connectors": 50% wholesalers, 30-40% agents, 10% other professionals (property managers, contractors, probate attorneys).
  • Focus on smaller wholesalers with only a handful of buyers.
  • Relationship-building is key: meetups, coffees, regular house tours.
  • Outperform on execution: “They just knew us, they liked us, they trusted us to close the deal.”
  • Even if not the highest bid, reliability and trust clinch the deal.
  • For agent deals, ensure agents/wholesalers are paid well (assignment fees, dual agency, etc.).
  • “You have to be out and about all of the time. People have to know your face, they have to know who you are, they have to know that you're buying.” (51:27, Cam)
  • Snowball effect: Consistency means more, better deals over time.
• Brandon: On the commercial side, deep broker relationships are crucial—know the 10 agents doing 80% of the deals in your niche.

7. House Hacking and Picking a Strategy in a New City

(53:44 – 57:41)

• Question (Alexia): Moving to a new city (Orlando) for work—how to pick the right house hack/strategy without knowing the market?
• Hosts’ Steps:
  • Start with ChatGPT for a market overview and general trends.
  • Analyze local deals through Better Life’s calculators or similar tools; run numbers for various asset classes (L-T, mid-term, short-term, co-living).
  • Join local investor meetups—to get candid, real-world “what’s working” from local investors.
  • In a large city like Orlando, every strategy “works” in some context—“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Find something that fires you up and copy someone who's already succeeding.”
  • Don't overthink it; focus on your preference and local proof of concept.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brandon on Room Renting:
  "...if you can rent a studio apartment for $500 a month, why would anybody want to live in your house bedroom for $700, $800, $900? ...I look for an area where rents are high, and by high I typically look for a studio apartment at $900, $1,000 or more." (02:10)

• Cam on Delegation:
  “You can get [a VA] to do everything for you… They can handle so much… If she was stateside working in St. Louis… she’d be worth $75,000 a year. So we're getting a really good deal at $11 an hour." (13:17)

• Brandon on Business Systems:
  "All your businesses… are just a collection of systems and/or processes." (14:30)
  "If you don't know the process… then you have no business hiring a person." (15:55)

• Cam on Real Estate Risk:
  “I don’t think you can buy too much real estate. I think you can just buy too much real estate in a dumb way.” (28:58)

• Brandon on Seller Rapport:
  "Make them love you… The more they love you, the more discount they give you. There's a likability discount." (31:33)

• Cam on Off-Market Deals:
  “You have to be out and about all of the time. People have to know your face, they have to know who you are, they have to know that you're buying.” (51:27)

• Brandon on Action:
  “Entrepreneurs are terrible at doing work…So get it off your plate, onto somebody else's, and that's how you're going to do it.” (25:05)

• Brandon's Fun Business Idea:
  "Send mom to Maui dot com—the idea is we open residential assisted living facilities in Maui... There's a tremendous business opportunity." (45:17)

Important Timestamps

• 02:00: Room rental/co-living market evaluation
• 07:05: Corporate formalities, minutes, and asset protection hacks
• 11:01: Delegating to VAs; structuring your team for scaling
• 14:30: Defining processes before hiring
• 25:00: Using ChatGPT to generate SOPs
• 27:11: Seller financing—building trust and negotiation playbook
• 37:42: Best US markets for lifestyle and investment—and the “Send Mom to Maui” brainstorm
• 46:54: Off-market “connector” strategy for finding deals
• 53:44: Finding the right strategy for house hacking in a new market
• 57:41: Summary and Call to Action

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

Brandon and Cam are candid, approachable, and collaborative—sharing both their successes and areas they struggle, making listeners feel like part of an entrepreneurial community. They blend tactical advice with fun banter (“Entrepreneurs are terrible at doing work... we’re lazy!”), and encourage leveraging community wisdom (“All of us are smarter than any of us!”). The episode is highly interactive, fluid, and empowers listeners to take concrete action toward a better life in real estate.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a treasure trove for investors seeking actionable systems, creative solutions to bottlenecks, and mindsets for lasting success. Whether you're looking to scale, offload day-to-day hassles, source undervalued deals, or level up your investment markets, Brandon and Cam lay out a clear roadmap—reminding you to define, delegate, cultivate relationships, and most of all, enjoy the adventure.

Connect with Brandon by DMing "processes please" on Instagram for the real estate process list, and watch for future Better Life (Freedom Accelerator) Tribe offerings!