On today’s episode of The Real Estate Nerds Podcast, fellow attorney-investor Rebecca Walser sits down with our host and attorney Scott Smith. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a couple of lawyers sit down to talk real estate shop, Rebecca and Scott are here to help you find out. Tune in for some free insider knowledge as well as a good-old-fashioned Bat Beats episode.Tune in to Episode 42 of The Real Estate Nerds Podcast now to hear the full conversation.Listen To Episode 42 of The Real Estate Nerds Podcast NowRebecca Walser on Building WealthScott Smith welcomes Rebecca Walser, who shares about her background, business philosophy and wealth building strategies.[0:45] Scott is particularly enthusiastic about talking about a bad deal with a fellow attorney, and asks Rebecca to share some more about her background and practice. Rebecca is a Certified Financial Planner who worked in finance for over a decade before attending law school at the University of Florida, then proceeding with her LLM in Federal Taxation at NYU.[4:00] Rebecca’s law practice centered around tax minimization for high net worth individuals. She describes a revelation she had during a meeting with a client where she decided to strike out on her own, “marrying” her love of both law and finance.[6:00] In Rebecca’s practice, Walser Wealth Management, she regards market volatility as the first of two major threats to wealth building and maintenance. Tax issues present the other major issue to keeping wealth. [8:00] Rebecca shares how her background informs the way she serves her clients: “Our practice is unique not only because we help build wealth financially, but because we also make sure the wealth is built in the right tax bucket.” She believes approaching tax and traditional wealth building holistically is essential. Using a self-directed IRA to hold real estate investments is a common and effective strategy among Rebecca’s clients.[Tweet "“You could be a doctor with a high litigation risk. You could own a construction company. You could have a high inheritance risk with a drug-addicted sibling. Everyone’s situation is different.” - Frazer Rice, Real Estate Nerds Ep. 41"]Self-Directed IRAs and Real Estate: Managing ExpectationsRebecca shares how self-directed IRA deals can sometimes go sideways, and the best management solutions for when they do.[10:00] Rebecca describes pairing with a group to establish manage self-directed IRA accounts, including finding deals. She experienced some difficulties in terms of on-the-ground property management. Poor property management can get expensive fairly quickly. Many of Rebecca’s clients like real estate’s “hands off” investment approach when property management is active and professional.[12:20] Scott discusses Rebecca’s vetting process for the nationally-recognized company that managed her clients’ properties. He wonders if contractual solutions could have improved her situation, or whether to simply take a different approach moving forward.[14:26] Rebecca points to the nature of expectations in this type of asset (real estate in a self-directed IRA) and its unique problems as learning moments in her own story. Scott suggests real estate investors may have, or at least desire, a heightened sense of control over their asset than a typical investor would feel over a stock or a bond.[18:00] The two investors agree one one critical point: “Real estate should be looked at like any other investment: whether it’s working or whether it’s not.”[19:30] Scott brings up client management. He finds “high transparency and frequent touchpoints” useful for problem-solving with clients. Rebecca agrees both are important in professions where you’re managing other people’s money, as she and Scott are. Rebecca shares some communication strategies for clarifying her company’s role and boundaries regarding clients and their investments.[Tweet "“There’s a currency of success that has nothing to do with dollars.” - Frazer Rice, Episode 40 Real Estate Nerds Podcast"]The Takeaway: Rebecca and Scott conclude the show with their “lessons learned” from Rebecca’s story.[23:57] For Scott, clarifying expectations upfront is a huge lesson to be learned from Rebecca’s experience, particularly surrounding responsibilities to other people.[25:05] For Rebecca, cautioning clients about the distinctions between real estate and stocks/bonds has proven essential. She points out failure to do this creates a situation the company has to manage later anyway. Rebecca succinctly sums up: “Real estate, as great as it is, we do ourselves a disservice to describe it as turn-key easy.”

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