EP 203: From Fear to First Deal: Achieving Your First $10,000 in Rental Income with Joel Miller

Exit Strategies Radio Show

Practical, no-fluff steps to turn fear into cashflow — Joel Miller breaks down the mindset, financing moves, and repeatable strategies that helped him build a lifetime in rental real estate (and write a 460-page how-to).

Returning guest, Joel Miller is a 48-year residential landlord, veteran house flipper with over 100 flips, hard-money lender, longtime leader in his local landlord association, and author of Build Real Estate Wealth: Enjoy the Journey — a comprehensive 460-page guide written for both beginners and experienced rental property investors is back to help you break through those mental barriers and start building a legacy.

With nearly five decades of experience, over 100 house flips, and a thriving rental portfolio, Joel has seen it all — and now he’s sharing practical advice for beginners and seasoned investors alike. From the importance of education and networking to overcoming fear with action, Joel’s insights will inspire you to stop waiting and start creating your own wealth path.

Hear Joel’s personal legacy story — how he inspired his teenage son to invest in rental property right out of high school, proving that it’s never too early to start building generational wealth.

Key takeaways:

• 04:17 Joel’s background: 48 years as a landlord, 100+ flips, now a hard-money lender and long-time landlord association leader.

• 05:56 Book spotlight: Build Real Estate Wealth — Enjoy the Journey — 460 pages, designed as a go-to resource; already receiving strong praise.

• 09:42 First step for beginners: join a local real estate/investor/landlord group — networking + ongoing education dissolves fear.

• 12:01 Real estate lets you control value and cashflow in ways stocks can’t (improvements, rents, property management).

• 13:44 Education + action + commitment = results. You can’t just learn — you must follow through.

• 15:59 Legacy example: Joel’s son bought multiple rental units right after high school (owner-financing and DSCR loans were used).

• 18:55 Landlord 101 course (4 sections): preparing property, advertising, property management vs tenant management, and eviction/PA law specifics.

• 19:44 Joel’s book covers the broader journey — mindset, entity setup, deal finding, negotiation, and financing — and can be used as a textbook for investor courses.

• 22:34 Zero → $10,000/month net cashflow (chapter highlight): practical tactics — target 2–4 unit owner-occupied purchases (FHA/VA), seller finance, or use DSCR loans so other tenants’ rents cover your mortgage.

• 25:16 Nugget: “Education removes fear. The lack of fear creates confidence.” (Then: confidence reduces discouragement — sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.)

• 25:56 Book & contact info: JoelMillerBooks.com (detailed TOC + sample content available). Book sold on Amazon and ~15 other platforms; Joel is on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram.

• 28:05 Memorable line: “Don’t take advice from anybody you wouldn’t want to trade places with.”

📖 Grab Joel’s book & free resources: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Real-Estate-Wealth-Investment/dp/B0DG48NHPC

Connect with Joel:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-miller-42981811/

• Website: https://www.joelmillerbooks.com/

Connect with Corwyn:

• Contact Number: 843-619-3005

• Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/exitstrategiesradioshow/⁠

• FB Page:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/exitstrategiessc/⁠

• Youtube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxoSuynJd5c4qQ_eDXLJaZA⁠

• Website:⁠ https://www.exitstrategiesradioshow.com⁠

• Linkedin:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmelette/⁠

Shoutout to our Sponsor: Mellifund Capital, LLC

Need funding for your next real estate flip or build? MelliFund Capital makes it fast, flexible, and investor-friendly. Visit MelliFundCapital.com and fund your future today. Again, that's MelliFundCapital.com, M-E-L-L-I-L-U-N-D, Capital.com.