The Academy Presents podcast

Nicole joins Angel Williams to talk openly about the realities of providing affordable housing and working with housing programs. From delayed payments and outdated systems to navigating caseworkers, renewals, paperwork, and local offices, Nicole shares the challenges landlords can face and the lessons she has learned along the way. She also explains why understanding the system, building relationships, staying organized, and knowing your deeper purpose can make the challenges worth navigating. Topics Covered • The realities of investing in affordable housing • Working with Section 8 and CityFHEPS programs • Challenges with government housing systems and outdated processes • Dealing with delayed housing payments and financial pressure • Why landlords need to understand how housing programs actually work • Building relationships with caseworkers and local housing offices • Keeping tenant cases current and tracking renewal dates • Understanding case numbers, paperwork, and missing documentation • Working directly with tenants to stay ahead of housing issues • The importance of being proactive and learning from other landlords • How in person relationships can help resolve housing program issues • Balancing the financial benefits of affordable housing with the administrative challenges • Finding your deeper why as a real estate investor • Being prepared for both the good and bad sides of affordable housing investing Quotes “Sometimes it's hard to find out how the system really works until you get into it.” “Just because there's bad doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. It just means be prepared for it and just go in with your eyes wide open.”

Nicole Pendergrass shares her firsthand experience with renting to voucher tenants and the unexpected challenges that can come with relying on government housing programs for rental income. She discusses the financial benefits of voucher programs, payment delays, communication issues, and the importance of having strong relationships with housing agencies. Nicole also explains why landlords need financial reserves, reliable contacts, and backup resources to manage unexpected interruptions in rental payments. Topics Covered The financial benefits of government housing programs Challenges with delayed and interrupted rental payments Communication issues with housing agencies Building relationships and finding direct contacts The impact of paperwork and administrative delays Managing cash flow when rental payments are delayed Why landlords need financial reserves CityFHEPS and Section 8 considerations Managing tenant relationships and rental increases The importance of having backup resources Lessons for landlords considering voucher programs Quotes “Make sure you have your backup and your resources and are financially secure in case for whatever reason something happens with the system.” “Make sure you dig in, make sure you have contacts, you have someone to call, you're ready to take the good and the bad, you have reserves.”

In this episode, Angel sits down with Nicole P. to talk about her approach to micro family investing and why smaller multifamily properties can provide investors with more control, hands on experience, and consistent cash flow. Nicole shares her experiences investing in properties ranging from smaller multifamily buildings to larger syndications and explains why new investors should think carefully about their role, responsibilities, and potential returns before jumping into large deals. Topics Covered What micro family investing is and why Nicole focuses on properties between 5 and 20 units Why smaller multifamily properties can give newer investors more control and hands on experience The differences between owning a smaller property and participating in larger syndications The realities of raising capital and building credibility as a newer investor Understanding acquisition fees, cash flow, and long term returns Why having a meaningful ownership position can provide a different learning experience Using partnerships and joint ventures to get started in multifamily investing Lessons Nicole learned from managing her own properties The importance of being involved in property and asset management Investing in underserved and overlooked communities Working with housing voucher programs and helping tenants access housing Balancing financial goals with the desire to create community impact Quotes “When you're doing a smaller deal, the smaller micro family deal, you could have more control.” “Being an investor for me is more than just providing decent, clean living and housing.”

What does it really take to live off your real estate investments? In this conversation, Prolet Miteva breaks down how passive real estate investing and syndications can create growing distributions over time and compares that strategy with investing in the S&P 500. She walks through examples of portfolio growth, reinvesting capital events, and building toward financial independence while also addressing the risks investors need to understand. The conversation also explores capital calls, paused distributions, sponsor communication, diversification, and why having investments outside of real estate can provide flexibility when distributions change. Topics Covered Living off real estate investment distributions Comparing real estate syndications with the S&P 500 How reinvesting capital events can create a snowball effect Building a portfolio toward financial independence Understanding capital calls and investment risk Evaluating real estate sponsors before investing When and why distributions may be paused The importance of communication between sponsors and passive investors Diversifying between real estate and stocks Maintaining liquidity while building long term wealth Using financial independence calculators to plan your investment goals Why starting early can make a significant difference Quotes “Distribution still continue to grow because now when you reinvest, your invested amount is larger, so your distributions grow. It's a snowball effect.” “Learn and really, really evaluate the investments and the sponsors you're investing in because really, at the end of the day, a sponsor is going to make or break an investment.”

In this episode, the conversation explores how real estate syndications can play a role in building long term wealth and creating financial independence. The discussion covers diversification across asset types, sponsors, and locations, along with the potential tax advantages and passive income opportunities associated with real estate investing. The episode also looks at real investment results, the importance of understanding risk, and how consistent investing and reinvesting distributions can support wealth building over time. Topics Covered Real estate syndications and passive investing Diversifying across sponsors, locations, and asset types The potential tax benefits of depreciation Understanding distributions and long term returns Real estate syndication performance and investment multiples Evaluating IRR and average annual returns The importance of understanding investment risk Building wealth through consistent contributions and reinvesting distributions Comparing long term syndication investing with the stock market Using real estate investing to support financial independence Quotes “Most of the returns are at the end. Distributions are great if you want to live off, but most of the returns are at the end.” “If you can postpone paying taxes, why not? The dollar today is worth more than the dollar tomorrow.”