Lend Like a Bank & Build Wealth — Private Lender Playbook Meetup Recap
At our recent Private Lender Playbook Meetup, we brought together an incredible group of investors, lenders, and professionals to talk about how to create passive, predictable income secured by real estate.
I shared my story of building a business through private lending, explained the basics of how to get started as a lender, and walked through some of the pitfalls to avoid.
We also heard from two of my private lenders, who shared their real-life experiences, and we were honored to have Nate Hare from Directed IRA as our guest speaker, teaching how to use self-directed retirement accounts to invest and grow wealth tax-free.
Below is a full transcript of the event, cleaned up for clarity and flow. Enjoy!
📗 Grab a copy of the Private Lender Playbook: www.privatelenderplaybook.com
📞 Interested in becoming a lender? Contact me here: houstoncapitalgroup.com
🎥 Watch the full event and start building your own lending business today!
Private Lender Playbook Meetup — Full Transcript
Thank you, everybody, for coming out tonight! I know the weather and traffic weren’t ideal, but you made it here, and I really appreciate that. It’s good to see so many familiar faces — and a lot of new ones, too.
We’re here tonight to have some fun, learn about private lending, and hear from a few folks who are doing it successfully. I also have a couple of announcements and a special guest later this evening.
Agenda:
- Introduce a couple of our sponsors.
- Hear from two of my lenders who will share their experiences.
- I’ll do a quick Private Lending 101 overview.
- Guest speaker Nate Hare from Directed IRA on investing through self-directed accounts.
- Q&A and a special announcement.
Part 1: Lender Testimonials
John’s Story
John shared how he first heard me speak about seven years ago and ordered the Private Lender Playbook book during my presentation. He took a few months to digest it, and by late 2018 he did his first loan.
He shared that the book became the foundation of his lending practice and called me “the gold standard of borrowers.” He mentioned:
“I’ve done quite a few notes with Brant. He and his team always pay the interest on time, overcome surprises, complete the project, and return my principal. High integrity, excellent businessman — I always feel confident lending to him.”
Dennis’ Story
Dennis was introduced to me through a mutual friend about eight years ago. At first, he was skeptical about lending to someone he didn’t know. But after hearing about private lending and getting to know me, he jumped in.
He said:
“I love the benefits — mailbox money. I trust Brant with my money because you’ve got to have someone you trust. I’ve done about five deals with him so far.”
Part 2: My Private Lending Journey & Lessons
When I started in real estate almost 20 years ago, I was broke, living in an apartment, and used a credit card to buy my first investment property. At first, I followed the Dave Ramsey philosophy, but eventually I realized that not all debt is bad. That led me to Robert Kiyosaki, who taught me about good debt and leverage.
In my second year, I started raising private money because I hit a cap on conventional loans. I quickly realized paying a lender 8–12% was better than giving up 50% to a partner when I was doing all the work.
Since then, I’ve paid over 10,000 mortgages to my lenders without missing a single payment — proof that this works when done right. But it’s not always easy — you need a sustainable business model and integrity because your borrowers and lenders are both your greatest opportunity and your greatest risk.
Part 3: Private Lending 101
Private lending is essentially acting like a bank, providing loans secured by real estate.
✅ Simple concept, backed by solid collateral — the property itself.
✅ You control the terms, rates, and who you lend to.
✅ Your money is secured by a lien on real property, with all the proper legal documentation.
What Makes a Good Loan?
- A trustworthy borrower.
- A good deal on the property.
- Proper documentation (note, deed of trust, title insurance, hazard insurance).
- Due diligence to avoid pitfalls (like chasing unrealistic returns).
One of my lenders once told me:
“The property may be the collateral, but you are my security.”
That’s why it’s critical to vet both the deal and the borrower.
Part 4: A Simple Case Study
You lend $200,000 at 10% interest on a six-month flip.
At the end of the six months, you’ve earned $10,000 in passive income — without managing tenants or repairs.
Part 5: Guest Speaker — Nate Hare on Self-Directed IRAs
Nate Hare flew in from Arizona to teach about using self-directed IRAs, Roth IRAs, HSAs, and education accounts to lend and invest — all while enjoying tax-free or tax-deferred growth.
Key Takeaways from Nate:
- There are over $45 trillion in retirement accounts in the U.S., much of it sitting in Wall Street investments people don’t fully understand.
- Self-directed retirement accounts can invest in almost anything — including real estate and private loans.
- Retirement accounts don’t pay taxes, so your returns compound tax-free.
- You can even partner different accounts (Roth, HSA, ESA) on a single loan for maximum flexibility.
- Using an IRA-owned LLC for greater control.
- Partnering unrelated individuals’ accounts on a deal.
- Leveraging HSAs and ESAs to pay for medical and education expenses tax-free with investment returns.
Final Thoughts
Private lending is a powerful way to build wealth passively, but it requires education, due diligence, and integrity. With the right borrower, deal, and documentation, you can earn strong, predictable returns while helping local investors improve neighborhoods.
Thank you to everyone who attended, shared your stories, and asked thoughtful questions — and a special thanks to Nate Hare for his wisdom and expertise!
If you’d like to watch the full video of this event, [insert link here].
Ready to learn more or get started? The Private Lender Playbook is available at www.PrivateLenderPlaybook.com
Brant Phillips
Houston Capital Group