The Embassy Wealth Podcast

Starting a Gourmet Popsicle Franchise and Multiple Online Businesses with Corey Crane

After being in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then completing several tours abroad as a Diplomatic Security Agent with the Foreign Service, Corey Crane left the FS for a desk job with another federal government agency. That desk job wasn’t particularly fulfilling, especially after tours overseas in Iraq and New Zealand, so Corey started thinking up ideas for small businesses in his spare time. Although no one in his family had a business or was an entrepreneur, Corey launched his first online business with just a few hours a week and a website, and an entrepreneur was born.

 

That initial, small success with his first online business led him to found a skip tracing business, a real estate wholesaling business, and a background check company. Corey also used funds from the sale of a home he and his wife owned to purchase and found several locations of a gourmet popsicle franchise, which exist to this day.

 

In this interview, Corey discusses:

 

• Following your intuition and ideas to discover opportunities with just a few hours a week
• How to use your existing skills and knowledge to create a side business
• How to be successful in many different industries
• How to purchase, set-up, and successfully run a franchise
• The importance of mentors and partnerships
• Free resources everyone can use to build a company

 

…and so much more!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

 

Mortgages vs Skyrocketing Rents: Should You Purchase or Not? with Liz Conrad

What do rising interest rates and skyrocketing rents mean for the housing market? Should you rent or should you buy? Having a good grasp on mortgage financials in a rising interest rate environment with inflationary pressures can often mean saving (or losing) thousands of dollars. Hear Loan Officer Liz Conrad break down how the larger economic picture matters when taking out a mortgage and how you can select the best type of mortgage for your situation, whether you’re a first time homebuyer or seasoned real estate investor.

 

Hear Liz discuss: 

 

• how being a loan officer can be a great “portable” job for EFMs
• how FS clients can close mortgage loans from overseas, even in remote areas with no internet (hint: it’s difficult, but not impossible)
• what happens when a mortgage gets sold and where does it go?
• differences between a primary, secondary and investment mortgage loan (and which types allow you to rent out your house and when!)
• why interest rates are already going up in anticipation of the Fed’s interest rate increase and what this means for home buyers and renters

 

…and so much more!

 

Liz Conrad is a former EFM and Senior Loan Officer with George Mason Mortgage. Liz is licensed in 13 states to include MD, VA, DC, PA, DE, WV, KY, TN, OH, NC, SC, GA & FL and specializes in helping Foreign Service, DOD and Veteran Families to finance primary, second homes or investment properties while still living abroad. 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Planning for the Ultimate Foreign Service Retirement (Part II) with William Carrington

After the incredible response we had to William Carrington’s first episode, he returns for a second episode to break down the steps necessary to successfully make the leap, both financially and emotionally, into a fulfilling retirement.

 

Hear William discuss:

• how to come up with a budget for retirement, even if you don’t know where you’ll retire
• why the first couple of years of retirement might be more expensive than expected
• when to take withdrawals from your TSP, pension, and social security 
• the dollar amount most FS retirees budget annually to live on each year
• why the FS pension and healthcare benefits are so valuable and how hard it is to match those benefits in the private sector
• what inflation does to retirement savings
• the one question you can ask yourself now to ensure your retirement is fulfilling

 

…..and so much more!

 

William Carrington is the owner of Carrington Financial Planning, a financial planning and wealth management firm that specializes in working with Foreign Service employees. Since founding his firm over a decade ago, William has worked with more than 500 Foreign Service clients. He is a Certified Financial Planner, a Retirement Management Advisor, a NAPFA-Registered Advisor, and is a fee-only fiduciary. He was also an Eligible Family Member (EFM) for 24 years until his wife retired from the Department.

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

From One Rental to Ten Cash Flowing Properties In One Year with Matt Spaulding

Matt and his wife started their real estate investment journey in 2009 when they bought a condo in Los Angeles while posted there on an assignment. While Matt had met other investors earlier in his life, it wasn’t until 2020 that he started seriously researching rental properties as an attractive way to supplement his government pension. He started at his computer, identifying regions and markets that might work for his goals, and then leveraged his L.A. condo into 10 cash-flowing rental properties in Jackson, Mississippi that he purchased sight unseen from the comfort of his living room.

 

In this interview, Matt discusses:

 

• How Roofstock might change the rental property investment world.
• How he worked on multiple deals at the same time while still working a day job
• Identifying a rental market that worked for his specific needs and criteria
• The snowball effect that happens when you own more and more properties

 

… and much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Making Life Less Difficult with Lisa Tilstra

Lisa Tilstra is a woman with many talents: she has traveled all over the world, been part of the Foreign Service lifestyle for more than 10 years, and owns multiple businesses. Lisa has also built a great portfolio of rental properties and now consults and advises others on how to invest in real estate from abroad.

 

Her latest venture is a new podcast “Making Life Less Difficult” where she and her guests share stories on how to make life a little less difficult. 

 

In this interview, Lisa discusses: 

 

• How to build a business based on your strengths
• Finding purpose in life through creating things and non-monetary projects
• Defining success for yourself
• How to build a real estate portfolio “on the side”

 

… and much more!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

From Marine Security Guard to DS Agent with 90 Rental Units with Joe Burkhead

This episode is a re-run from earlier this year.

 

Joe Burkhead grew up in a small farming community in central Kentucky with a population of less than 400 people. In a place where fast food and manual labor jobs were plentiful, Joe knew no one in his hometown that was a serious investor. After joining the Marines Corps and being sent to Paris with the Marine Security Guard (MSG) program, Joe picked up “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and was inspired to invest in real estate. 

 

At 23, with savings largely earned from his first year as an MSG, Joe bought a four-unit apartment building.  This purchase launched an amazing real estate investment journey spanning two decades, during which Joe built a small multifamily property empire in his hometown.

 

In this interview, Joe shares his experiences with:

• investing in all phases of the real estate market, including during periods of high mortgage interest rates (6%+!) and in periods of low inventory 
• securing bank financing to purchase 90 units
• what to look for when purchasing a property and what to avoid
• building his own new construction multifamily
• using leverage to grow and expand your real estate portfolio

Joe’s incredible story is a testament to what just one person on a federal government salary can accomplish through sheer determination and persistence over time, no matter where in life you start. Be sure to listen to the end to catch Joe’s best tips for real estate investors!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

From $50,000 into a $5 Million Vacation Rental Portfolio with Joe Knupp

While assigned in Africa, Joe and his wife Marissa longed for a place in the states to hang their hats while on home leave.  Proximity to friends and family lead them to the largest lake in Maryland, Deep Creek.  A year after their first Deep Creek property was purchased, Joe put it on the market himself and realized there was an incredible demand in the area for vacation rental properties. 

 

After some wild adventures purchasing foreclosures and renovating sight unseen properties completely from abroad, Joe and Marissa founded Silver Paddle Investments, a business focused on purchasing, renovating, and managing properties in the Deep Creek area. Joe also partnered with his real estate agent and co-founded Cabine Custom Homes, which builds new construction homes in Deep Creek.

 

In this interview, Joe discusses:

 

• How looking for a home leave vacation property turned into an incredibly successful side business
• The trials and tribulations of doing business remotely 
• Building your network and team and sourcing vendors while abroad
• Vacation rental market dos and don’ts and advice for those who are considering getting into vacation homes now
• How to manage a business while working for the government full-time and still have a great family life

… and much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Turning A Dream into a Brick and Mortar Business with Eurona Tilley

As a Foreign Service spouse and young mother with small children living in South America, Eurona found herself passing by a Pilates studio everyday while taking her son to school.  Having never taken a Pilates class, she was intrigued. When she visited the studio in person, however, the instructors initially tried to dissuade her from taking classes, as she wasn’t the same build as the other students. Eurona persisted anyway and fell in love with the practice. She had a dream that one day she would find a way to make Pilates an inclusive practice that would welcome all shapes and sizes of students.

 

With vision, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of serendipity, Eurona first became a certified pilates instructor and then she had the opportunity to open her own studio in Fairfax, Virginia. Inclusivity is one of the studio’s core principles, and Eurona has dedicated herself to welcoming all students who attend her classes.

 

In this interview, Eurona discusses:

 

• how she adapted as a business owner/ fitness instructor during a time when COVID was forcing businesses to close their doors
• her advice for success (hint: it’s as easy as owning a journal)
• how society has affected female business owners’ perspective on their personal and monetary worth
• her story of how saying yes to coffee changed her world as well as the world of Pilates

… and much more! Learn more about all that Epiphany Pilates has to offer here: https://www.epiphanypilates.com. 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Leveraging Partnerships to acquire a multi million dollar Real Estate portfolio with James May

James May from Houston Texas is the managing partner of J core partners, LLC. He has been investing in income producing real estate since 2005. He manages approximately $3.5 million in his personal portfolio and has properties in Texas, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri. 

James is currently in the foreign service, but has served in the Marine Corps prior to his joining the State Department. 

In this interview, James talks about: 

• Starting investing in Real Estate with little money as a member of the Marine Corps.
• Growing his portfolio to 13 single family homes.
• Leveraging a TSP loan to build his portfolio.
• His multifamily syndication projects with J core partners, LLC. 

...and much more! 

 

You can learn more about James on his company's website: 

www.jcoreinvestments.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Living in DC for Free & Fearless Investing through Partnerships with Scott Berman

In 2013, Scott Berman and his wife purchased a Capitol Hill row home in Washington D.C. and began renting out their basement and a spare bedroom on Airbnb to help pay their mortgage.  What seemed like a crazy expensive purchase at the time turned out to be a property that allowed them to live in a prime DC location for free. 

 

After selling their DC home for a significant profit, Scott used the proceeds to accelerate his real estate investing through partnerships. Today, he holds 18 units between Wisconsin and Kentucky all while traveling the world for assignments. 

 

In this interview, Scott discusses:

• Using an additional bedroom as an Airbnb (and making lifelong friends out of it)
• How your relationships with people can quickly turn into business partnerships
• Breaking down the 1% rule in real estate investing and how to use it to your advantage
• The importance of diversifying your investments, including REITS

… and much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers