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Join Rick Abiatti and Russell Ham as they share their incredible journey from meeting almost five years ago to becoming successful real estate entrepreneurs. Despite having no prior real estate experience, Rick and Russell decided to start a business, which revolutionized their lives. Moving from systems engineer/program manager and teaching careers, they found passion and freedom in creative financial real estate.
Rick and Russell focus on the 3 pillars to being a successful entrepreneur and the 4 Game Plans (Lease Purchase, Owner Finance, Subject To, & Executive Lease Purchase, which launched their business to a point where they were able to leave their W2 jobs.
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Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati break down the #1 mindset block keeping new investors from success: not making dials. Whether you're afraid of rejection, unsure of what to say, or just procrastinating—you’re not alone. But if you’re serious about building a business in creative real estate, this episode gives you the mindset shift you need to start dialing with purpose. ✅ What’s really holding you back from picking up the pho...
Send us a text 📍 In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati reveal the real reason some creative real estate investors struggle to get offers accepted—it’s not the numbers, it’s missing the seller’s needs. 🧠 The guys dive deep into the skillset pillar of creative investing and walk through: Why step six (sending the offer) is just a formality when done rightThe 7 Steps to a Taken framework (and where people go wrong)How to uncover seller motivations bef...
Send us a text In this powerful episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati dig into the common pitfall new investors face: trying to outsource too early. If you're considering hiring a VA before you're fully confident on seller calls, this episode is your wake-up call. ✅ Learn why hiring a VA too early can sabotage your success ✅ The mindset shift required to own your business before outsourcing it ✅ Why the ACAA Framework (Action → Critique → Adjust → Action)...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rick Abbiati welcomes special guest and community member Avi Berger. With Rusty away, Rick and Avi dive deep into mindset, skillset, and systems—the three pillars of every successful creative real estate investor. Avi shares his journey from traditional real estate brokerage into creative financing, and how shifting from one-off commissions to multi-year paydays changed everything. You'll hear how the Wicked Smart communit...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati break down the first 3 of 9 must-have traits for successful creative real estate investors. Whether you're brand new to the Wicked Smart community or deep into your deal flow, this episode will challenge your mindset and sharpen your approach. 🔑 Trait #1: Show Up – It sounds simple, but most people fail here. Rusty and Rick explain how consistent presence—in coaching calls, events, and daily act...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham (West Coast) and Rick Abbiati (East Coast) dive into one of the most important early hurdles in creative real estate: confidence, scripting, and mastering lease purchase deals. 📞 Nervous to get on the phone? You're not alone. Rusty and Rick break down how to overcome call reluctance, use certification language to build instant credibility, and deliver scripts that don't sound like scripts. 💬 Learn how to respond ...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati get raw and real about the ups and downs of creative real estate investing. From mindset struggles before the first deal to navigating sub-to hybrid deals gone sideways, they unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable real estate business. 👉 Rusty shares how one tenant-buyer dropped $100k down—then stopped paying 👉 Rick reveals how a $2,000 electric bill spooked his buyers and left ...
Send us a text On this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty and Rick discuss the three pillars of real estate success, focusing on how mindset, skill set, and systems all contribute. They also share tips on classifying buyers and earning more money, plus discuss contract optimization. Click subscribe and join us weekly as we help you build a business that supports the life you want to live. Are you losing real estate deals because you don’t know how to prioritize and convert...
Send us a text On this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, dive into the world of creative property solutions and real estate investing. They explore how to provide tangible value to tenant buyers and the importance of a solid money mindset. Get ready to take action and explore property solutions! Rusty and Rick share actionable examples from their own transitions out of W-2 jobs, plus real stories from associates ramping up calls and appointments by redefining their purpose. Whe...
Send us a text What does it really take to break free from the W-2 grind? In this inspiring episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, hosts Russell Ham and Steve take a deep dive with special guest Judy Richards, a former pharmaceutical professional who used grit, mindset, and the Smart Real Estate Coach community to close a $175K owner-financing deal — after 13 months of persistence. You’ll hear Judy’s full journey: Why she left a 28-year career in pharmaHow she handled setbacks and ke...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati dive deep into the importance of key performance indicators (KPIs) in creative real estate—and how they’re more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. From Southern California to New Hampshire, the duo shares real-world insights on how tracking dials, leads, and appointments ties directly to mindset, motivation, and ultimately, success. Rusty and Rick candidly discuss the disconnect they often see b...
Send us a text What separates struggling investors from the ones who crush creative real estate? In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati reveal the 9 traits that drive consistent success for investors using creative financing—whether you're doing sub-to, lease purchase, or owner financing deals. 🎯 You’ll Learn: Why "showing up" is more powerful than any script The hidden value of nightly and daily accountability How coaching calls, Slack check-i...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati go deep on one of the most common questions in creative financing: "What if the seller wants a down payment?" You'll learn exactly how to respond, negotiate, and pivot when down payment objections come up—without blowing the deal. 💬 Topics Covered in This Episode: Real-world scripting and objection handling for down paymentsHow to use the four quadrants: price, term, monthly payment, and down pay...
Send us a text Join Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati on this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast as they take you behind the scenes during live Office Hours with associates. ▶️ What’s Inside This Episode: A real-life breakdown of a subject-to/owner-finance hybrid contractWhy follow-ups matter: one deal took 3 months and 7+ touches!How to qualify rent-to-own buyers and protect your paydayThe power of using REI Blackbook and what "Business in a Box" will do for youCommon mindset traps new ...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati break down one of the most common stumbling blocks new investors face—the mindset of self-defeat before the real work even begins. From projecting buyer fears to pre-judging properties before ever making a call, many associates unknowingly talk themselves out of opportunities. Rusty and Rick share how to reframe those thoughts and lean into action instead of hesitation. Then, it’s all about what ...
Send us a text In this packed episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati tackle a topic every serious real estate entrepreneur faces: When should you scale with a Virtual Assistant (VA)? Rick shares his hard-and-fast rule for bringing on a VA and why too many investors jump too soon without mastering the basics first. They break down why getting fluent with the scripts yourself is critical before outsourcing lead generation—and how failing to do so can bottlen...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati dive deep into what really separates the successful from the stagnant in the world of creative real estate—mindset, effort, and consistency. Rick shares his personal journey of going 15 months before landing his first deal, a $90,000 payday that made the wait well worth it. Rusty opens up about juggling a full-time teaching job and coaching while building his real estate business—making dials be...
Send us a text In this behind-the-scenes episode of Real Estate Junkies Coast to Coast, co-hosts Russell Ham and Rick Abbiati come to you from Rhode Island, where they’re live on-site at the In the Trenches Bootcamp—a hands-on coaching event run by the Wicked Smart® community. Both coaches give a full recap of Day One, including the real conversations, real objections, and real deals that unfolded. Listeners get an inside look at what it’s like when senior coaches like Zach and Chris pick up ...
Send us a text In this episode of Real Estate Junkies Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham (West Coast) welcomes guest co-host and fellow Wicked Smart® community coach, Rick Abbiati (East Coast), to dive into key skillsets every creative real estate investor must master—especially when talking to sellers. Rusty and Rick unpack one of the most common questions sellers ask: "Are you a realtor or investor?"—and explain how to confidently navigate that objection without losing control of the conversation. T...
Send us a text In this milestone 500th episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, the tables turn as host Chris Prefontaine is interviewed by three of his own coaching leaders: Mike Makredes, as well as, your Real Estate Junkies hosts, Russell Ham and Rick Abbiati. Together, they reflect on a decade of growth, grit, and groundbreaking deals within the Wicked Smart® community. Chris opens up about the ever-evolving creative real estate landscape and emphasizes a key truth: change is cons...
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