Knowledge is power. This oft-quoted adage applies to all things, private lending included. In our increasingly digital technology-driven age, the daunting task of sourcing, aggregating, and distilling the quantity of available information is understandably daunting, especially from a relative beginner’s perspective. For many, this initial knowledge base is the most substantial hurdle standing between them and obtaining true financial independence through private lending.
That is the exact conundrum Alex Breshears and Beth Pinkley Johnson are planning to address in their upcoming book, Lend to Live: Earn Hassle-Free Passive Income in Real Estate with Private Money Lending, which will be available to purchase through BiggerPockets starting in July 2022. This dynamic duo also facilitates a completely free educational community called Lend2Live: Private Lending Lessons that offer daily discussions about private lending, monthly networking for private lenders, and a connection to resources in the private lending space with plans to expand their offerings to include training and educational opportunities as well as in-person gatherings in conjunction with national private lender conferences held annually. Originate Report recently got a chance to sit down with Breshears and Johnson to get an insider’s glance at what went into writing the book and their plans for growing and scaling their wildly popular Lend2Live project.
The Private Lending Dynamic Duo
Breshears and Johnson bring over 20 years of successful mortgage lending and real estate investing knowledge to the table. Breshears is a balance sheet lender in Virginia, short-term rental owner, and Certified Fund Manager, who has a personal mission to help others invest passively to live actively. Johnson is a self-described private money matchmaker, landlord, and real estate investor who operates a private money lending business, Flynn Family Lending, with her husband, Matt Flynn. Flynn Family Lending specializes in creative financing in Washington State and whole trust deed investing opportunities for truly private debt investors nationwide. What people may not know about Breshears and Johnson is that they each came from a professional background as educators, the former as a chemistry professor and the latter as a leader in corporate learning and development.
While both these individuals have had extremely successfully careers to date, perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the pair has only met in person three times over the process of co-authoring Lend to Live and wrote the entire book cover-to-cover in under six months. The publisher had nominal material changes to their original draft, which is a testament to the depth of knowledge and insight these consummate professionals have in the industry.
Off the Beaten Path
When it comes to real estate investing, most individuals look to acquire properties using borrowed funds, seeking to recoup their debt, and eventually turn a profit. But what if you could turn the tables on this familiar investment approach? What if, instead of borrowing money from the bank, you were the one providing the necessary funds to real estate investors to close their transactions? That is the basic premise behind Lend to Live: Earn Hassle-Free Passive Income in Real Estate with Private Money Lending.
Breshears and Johnson have drawn on their professional careers in the investment and lending space, coupled with their background in education, to help beginners navigate the process and avoid some of the most common pitfalls. “I hope our book can help others get started in private money lending without the hardships we experienced,” says Johnson. “Back then, there were not many opportunities to exchange ideas with others doing things the way we did.”
Drawing from their collective two decades of extensive experience in the mortgage lending and real estate investment industries, Breshears and Johnson lay out a viable 5-step strategy called the C.P.R. lending system. It is compatible with just about any lifestyle, builds toward financial autonomy, and allows you to do so without an overwhelming time commitment. Lend to Live uncovers what has long been a trade secret for corporate lending entities and makes it accessible and achievable for the public. “There are plenty of books geared to real estate investors on finding private capital, but very few on placing private capital,” notes Johnson. “That is because private lenders typically do not operate a brick-and-mortar shop. They have busy families and a demanding W2. They are obscure and hard to find—because private lending is not their day job. Alex and I want to teach others what private lending can do for everyday folks and how to do it safely, securely, and confidently.” If that does not sound enticing enough, their strategy can be done from anywhere in the world—all you need is an internet connection and a cell phone.
Lend2Live: A Complimentary Digital Resource
In addition to their upcoming book, the Breshears and Johnson have launched a new online learning community, Lend2Live, that will offer interactive learning initiatives geared towards everyday individuals striving to understand what opportunities private lending can offer them. The platform will feature collaborative forums, training programs, and multimedia content to make the information accessible, entertaining, and effective. “There is an information gap when it comes to breaking into the private lending industry,” observes Breshears. “Lend2Live has the overarching goal of democratizing access to the insights and knowledge you need to be successful in the industry and generate sustainable passive income.”
Access to the right information is often the pathway to opportunity. Lend2Live and Lend to Live: Earn Hassle-Free Passive Income in Real Estate with Private Money Lending together have the potential to open this path to the general public. At a time where financial autonomy and generating sustainable income are paramount to many families, the pair’s initiative is more important than ever, and if their success thus far in their respective careers is any indication, Lend2Live has a very bright future.
