by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The most profitable real estate opportunities often exist in corners of the market that rarely get attention. Property tax abatements, mobile home parks, raw land, niche industrial, and bedroom boost flips are all strategies that consistently...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: You bought a house, maxed out your 401(k), funded the HSA and 529. On paper, you’re doing great. But when you actually need money… you can’t touch any of it. Most middle-class wealth is locked in illiquid assets, retirement...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Depreciation is one of real estate’s biggest tax advantages but the IRS wants that money back when you sell. It’s called depreciation recapture, and it catches a lot of investors off guard. The depreciation recapture portion is taxed at...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The difference of approach between a seasoned investor vs a novice Why we’re psychologically wired to focus on upside and ignore risk. It’s why so many investors get burned by deals that looked great on paper. The 2008 crash and the 2022...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 11, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Most people don’t avoid passive real estate because of risk. They avoid it because they don’t want to feel uninformed. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from understanding the key moving parts and following a clear process....
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Feb 6, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: After years investing through crowdfunding platforms, I’ve shifted away due to high fees, limited liquidity, and better opportunities in direct real estate investments. Real estate crowdfunding promised passive income, but illiquidity,...