Takeaways

• Let experts do expert-level work for you.
• Investing in real estate makes you a business owner.
• Cost effectiveness should be viewed as strategic utilization.
• A successful business operates on the combined efforts of specialists.
• You can focus on what you do best.
• Trusting a team to manage your portfolio demands trust.
• Self-management often leads to higher costs in the long run.
• Property managers balance compassion and business interests.
• Managing your real estate investments is a full-time job.
• Every time you allow an expert to perform expert work, it's a micro win.

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Learn more about DFY’s done-for-you investing approach at dfy-realestate.com

• Kevin opens with a story about a magician using a penny, a toilet paper cannon, and a leaf blower to create an “impossible” trick.
• How the trick actually worked: palming the coin, using the toilet seat and TP storm as cover, and revealing the penny with initials “magically” on his tongue.
• Parallel to real estate: what looks like magic from the outside is actually hours of practice, failed attempts, and a precise formula executed consistently.
• Steve connects the idea to spiritual habits: showing up at church, praying, and keeping commitments—over half of success is simply showing up and honoring your commitments.
• How Kevin and Steve reverse-engineered their own wins and failures into the Moneyball Real Estate system and principles.
• Why single-family rentals (SFRs) are surprisingly liquid when bought in the right markets, at the right prices, with the right structure.
• Ways to access liquidity from SFRs:
  • Selling into a large buyer pool
  • Refinancing
  • Using a HELOC
  • Cash flow over time
• Introduction of the “magic number”:
  • Input = total out-of-pocket investment
  • Output = total profit on sale after 10 years (the magic number)
  • Then converting that magic number into average annual ROI.
• Key expense-side numbers in the Moneyball analysis:
  • Purchase price
  • Loan amount
  • Monthly PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance)
  • Property management fees
  • Vacancies and repairs
• Key income-side and growth numbers:
  • Estimated monthly rent (data-driven from in-market managers)
  • Rent growth assumptions (around ~3% annually)
  • Multiple appreciation assumptions (3.5%, 5%, and “what if it’s higher?”)
• The Average Monthly Increase (AMI) as a favorite metric: turning a 10-year profit into a monthly “magic” benefit.
• Breaking down:
  • Monthly cash flow
  • Monthly principal reduction (tenants paying down your loan)
  • Monthly depreciation/tax savings
  • Combined into Monthly Combined Cash Increase.
• Why cap rate is included but not central to Moneyball-style decision making.
• The difference between:
  • Cash-on-cash return (just cash flow)
  • Combined cash-on-cash return (cash flow + principal paydown + tax savings).
• General rule-of-thumb targets for a purchase-worthy Moneyball property:
  • Combined cash-on-cash return in the high single digits
  • AMI over $700/month
  • Annualized total return over 13%
  • Total profit on sale over $100,000 after 10 years.
• Understanding P&L vs real performance:
  • Why properties can show a loss on paper but still produce strong positive cash flow.
  • The role of depreciation and amortized costs in creating tax losses.
• How DFY uses a hybrid statement to reconcile real cash flow with tax benefits.
• Emphasis on predictable, consistent, ethical investing:
  • Buying conservatively priced SFRs
  • Focusing on win–win deals for sellers, tenants, managers, and investors
  • Using 1031 exchanges and refinances to grow instead of cashing out and killing the goose.
• Closing idea: There’s no cheat code or secret shortcut—just a clear formula anyone can follow if they’re willing to be patient, disciplined, and ethical.

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Book a call with Kevin and see what your personalized real estate roadmap could look like.
👉 dfy-realestate.com

Email Kevin directly: kevin@dfy-realestate.com

Learn more about DFY’s done-for-you investing approach at dfy-realestate.com

In this episode:

Steve shares the unbelievable story of his wife’s sudden heart attack during a mountain bike ride—and the surprising perspective of a young boy who noticed only the “awesome bike.”

Why perspective is a light switch you control, especially when the path toward your financial goals feels dark or overwhelming.

The conference room analogy that reframes how to approach your financial journey—with or without guidance.

How perspective directly influences market selection in real estate.

Why focusing on the right property matters more than falling in love with a geography.

A guided walk-through of the four major categories in DFY’s investment score:

Economics

Demographics

Geography

Investor Friendliness

Why fulfillment—not hustle, not comparison—is the real heartbeat of the Micro-Wins mindset.

Get weekly deals, market updates, blog posts, and more delivered straight to your inbox.
👉 Join the list here

Book a call with Kevin and see what your personalized real estate roadmap could look like.
👉 dfy-realestate.com

Email Kevin directly: kevin@dfy-realestate.com

Learn more about DFY’s done-for-you investing approach at dfy-realestate.com