Articles
Each week, the most useful idea from the newest episode, written up so you can read it in five minutes.
He Replaced a Lead Manager With AI: What It Actually Saved
Dylan cut about $1,200/month by building SMS follow-up with Claude, plus what DSCR shutdowns and sub-conventional investor rates mean for your debt.
Why $2M Liquid Can Beat $20M in Rentals, According to Operators
Mike, Dan and Dylan break down the "regular rich" idea, liquidity vs. rental net worth, and how AI tools replaced thousands in monthly software.
Why Self Storage Cap Rate Data Misses 80% of the Industry
AJ Osborne on why published storage cap rates reflect under 1% of facilities, why small deals have no institutional exit, and how values fell roughly 50%.
RESimpli 6.0 Broke, So Build Your Own CRM With AI Instead
Mike, Dan and Dylan on the RESimpli 6.0 rollout, building your own software with Claude, ChatGPT demand letters, and home sales at a 31-year low.
What Investors Should Learn From the Sub2 Fund Complaints
The Collecting Keys hosts break down investor complaints around Pace Morby's Sub2 fund and an RV park creative finance deal gone wrong.
The Insurance Real Estate Investors Forget Until Something Burns
After Mike's house fire, the Collecting Keys hosts reviewed their coverage. What they carry, why key-person insurance matters, and who's really selling you.
Seller-Financed Balloons, In-House PMs, and Why Payoffs Drag
Mike, Dan and Dylan break down a 36-unit seller-financed deal, balloon risk, when to hire your own property manager, and why loan payoffs take weeks.
Why Real Estate Gurus Suddenly Found Faith — And Other Red Flags
The Collecting Keys hosts on faith-based influencer marketing, outdated YouTube advice, a borrower who filmed himself lying on a refi, and insurance after a house fire.
Hire Fast, Fire Faster: Why 10 Hires Get You 1 Rockstar
Mike DeHaan and Dan Austin on why bad hires teach you the role, when to cut fast, and what a wildfire taught Mike about insurance policy quality.
Wildfire Insurance Claims: What Mike Learned Losing His House
Mike DeHaan lost his Spokane-area home to wildfire. He, Dan and Dylan break down public adjusters, ACV vs replacement cost, and who gets paid first.
Why No One in Your Real Estate Deal Is Protecting Your Money
Collecting Keys on misaligned incentives, CPA and HUD errors, and cutting recurring costs like insurance and property taxes on a portfolio.
Net Worth vs. Liquidity: Why Equity Won't Buy Groceries
Mike DeHaan, Dan Austin and Dylan Koch on why net worth is mostly an ego metric, how equity hid leverage, and what liquidity actually buys.
The Assignment Fee Trick That Juices Yield on Your Own Wholesale Deals
Mike DeHaan and Dylan Koch on lending against your own assignments, COVID forbearance balances on payoffs, and honest return math that cut Mike's net worth 35%.