Derek sits down with David "Dave" Seymour (A&E's Flipping Boston) for a blunt, no-fluff masterclass on thriving through market cycles. Dave shares his firefighter-to-investor story, the costly lessons behind refis and 2007, how TV fame and hard-money lending actually work, why control of capital beats "cheap" bank money, and the underwriting discipline needed now. They unpack Florida's boom-bust dynamics, pivoting plays (from land to pickleball to flex), building real networks (and a strict "no-a**hole policy"), and Dave's 2025–26 plan: scalable education + cherry-picked commercial deals—grounded in faith, family, and service.
Cycles reward discipline: It's not just rates—bad underwriting & speculation break deals. Buy right, model stress, and sleep at night.
Control the capital: Private money and structure > "cheapest bank debt," because speed & certainty win.
Pivot fast: Markets shift; winners repurpose assets (e.g., land → pickleball concept → flex/industrial).
Scale smart: Bigger isn't always better—overhead, servicing, and defaults rise nonlinearly.
Invest in accountability: Real mentorship beats "YouTube University." Pay to shortcut mistakes.
Network is net worth: Podcasts and partnerships multiply deal flow—enforce a no-jerks rule.
2025–26 outlook: Massive reset = opportunity for trained buyers; focus on shelter demand (MF, student/elderly, sober living).
2003–2008 lessons; refi traps & ARMs
A&E Flipping Boston behind-the-scenes: ethics over drama
Hard-money lending vs. non-QM shutdowns during COVID
Syndication, waterfalls, accredited investors (Freedom Venture/Legacy Alliance)
Conservative underwriting & deal triage
Florida (Cape Coral/Fort Myers) cycle patterns: residential ↔ commercial
Land strategies & adaptive reuse (pickleball → flex)
Education stack: financial literacy, Inflation Nation (book/film), masterclasses
Faith, family, and service as long-term drivers
00:00 Intro: why networks matter
01:15 Dave's path: firefighter → investor; 2007 wake-up call
05:20 Seminars, paying for accountability, and early wins/mistakes
09:30 Flipping Boston: getting the show, partner dynamics, and TV realities
14:20 Ethics on camera: refusing "manufactured drama"
16:30 Hard-money business model; COVID's hit vs. private-capital shops
20:45 Control of capital → syndication & fund structures
24:10 It wasn't rates—it was shaky underwriting and management
27:00 Florida focus: overbuilds, ghost listings, and where value still hides
30:10 Land pivots: pickleball plan, competition shock, flex solution
33:00 Scaling pitfalls: servicing, defaults, and team capacity
35:10 Mentors vs. "YouTube U": compressing the learning curve
37:30 Network building & the "no-a**hole policy"
39:20 2025–26: Legacy Alliance, Inflation Nation, and cherry-picking deals
42:10 Faith & family: the real why
44:10 Action steps + call to share
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