Claim OwnershipBank on Your Neighbor: The Audiobook Podcast
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© 2025 Mel Dorman
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Building wealth doesn’t have to mean Wall Street. In this exclusive audio series, Mel Dorman brings you Bank on Your Neighbor — a practical, people-first guide to seller financing. Learn how to create ethical, win-win deals rooted in relationships and strategy, and start building financial freedom right in your own community.
https://meldorman.com
20 Episodes
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Welcome to Bank on Your Neighbor: The Audiobook Podcast. In this opening trailer, Mel Dorman — eal estate investor, former social worker, TEDx speaker, and financial activist — introduces her mission to decentralize wealth and reclaim power for our communities. This isn’t Wall Street advice. It’s not about hoping a bank says yes. Instead, Mel shares the strategies she used to build a multimillion-dollar portfolio through seller financing and community-centered investing. All without banks, wi...
In this opening chapter of Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman sets the stage with the book’s dedication, acknowledgments, and forward by Zona McIntyre. You’ll hear how Mel’s journey into seller financing grew from both personal necessity and a commitment to community transformation. This episode introduces the purpose and heart behind the book—why ethical wealth building matters, who it’s for, and how this movement is reshaping the way we think about money, power, and possibility. 🔗 Get the bo...
In the Introduction to Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman opens up about the turning point that forever shifted her relationship with money. From her father’s battle with Alzheimer’s to her own leap from social work into real estate, Mel shares why she stopped resisting wealth and instead chose to rebuild it differently—ethically, collaboratively, and on her own terms. This chapter sets the stage for the movement ahead: reclaiming financial power from Wall Street, keeping wealth local, and lea...
What if everything you were taught about money was wrong? In this opening chapter, Mel Dorman invites you to step outside the financial “scripts” we’ve inherited—stories about wealth, ownership, and success that were never designed to serve us. Through Rachel’s powerful journey from survival to rootedness, and Mel’s own reflections on money myths, you’ll see how deeply social conditioning shapes our beliefs about worth, belonging, and possibility. This episode exposes the invisible rules that...
Is wealth really corrupt—or have we just been taught to believe that? In this chapter of Bank On Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman dismantles one of the most damaging money myths: that being rich automatically makes you greedy, selfish, or disconnected. From a misadventure with broken Bengali in the streets of Calcutta to the sobering history of financial discrimination in the U.S., Mel explores how cultural narratives, systemic barriers, and personal shame have kept too many of us small. With humor,...
Too many of us have been taught that investing is dangerous… but the truth is, not investing is far scarier. In this chapter, Mel shares the deeply personal story of watching her father’s decline with Alzheimer’s and the financial devastation that came with it—a wake-up call that “being good” and “working hard” were never going to be enough. You’ll learn why financial celibacy doesn’t protect you, how passive income changes everything, and why delayed gratification might just be your most pow...
What if debt isn’t the villain we’ve been taught to fear? In Chapter 4 of Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman unpacks the myth that “all debt is bad.” From heartbreaking lessons in India’s red-light district to the empowering leverage of her first duplex, Mel shows how debt can either chain you—or set you free. You’ll learn the difference between “bad debt” that keeps us trapped and “good debt” that builds lasting wealth, plus practical tips on paying off credit cards, negotiating with lenders,...
Buying a single-family home is supposed to be the cornerstone of the American Dream—but what if it’s actually holding you back? In this chapter of Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest money myths: that your first investment should be a single-family house. Drawing from her own journey—from long nights in the LA County Jail intake office to landing her first multifamily property—Mel shows why buying a house often leads to financial slowdown, not freedo...
Is your money really safe in the bank? In this chapter, Mel pulls back the curtain on one of the most dangerous financial myths we’ve all been taught: that parking your cash in a savings account is the smart, “safe” choice. Spoiler alert—it’s not. From inflation that eats away at your dollars like ice cream in the sun, to banks profiting off your deposits while giving you crumbs, Mel shows why leaving your money in the bank isn’t protecting it—it’s shrinking it. You’ll learn how inflation act...
What if you didn’t need a bank’s permission to build wealth—or to prove your worth? In this powerful and emotional chapter, Mel shares the story of losing her father and the fire it lit to stop waiting for gatekeepers. You’ll hear how grief turned into action, how one relationship unlocked her first big seller-financed deal, and why bypassing Wall Street in favor of community-centered investing changes everything. From a $730K triplex bought with just $500 out of pocket to the ripple effects ...
What if generosity was the missing key to wealth? In this heart-centered chapter, Mel Dorman explores the liberating power of giving—not as a tactic, but as a way of life. From a child offering his only cookie to the science-backed benefits of generosity, you’ll learn how acts of kindness reduce stress, deepen relationships, and create ripple effects far beyond what money alone can do. Mel also reveals how leaving a simple book review, sharing knowledge, or passing along encouragement can bec...
What if the real power to change our economy isn’t in Washington—or on Wall Street—but sitting right at our kitchen tables? In this chapter, Mel pulls back the curtain on how the system was built to extract from our communities and shows why seller financing is a powerful tool to flip that script. From billionaire wealth hoarding to the redlining that shaped entire neighborhoods, she connects the dots on how we got here—and why now is the moment to act differently. You’ll learn: Why tradition...
What if finding financial freedom was more like dating than deal-making? In this chapter, Mel Doman shows you how building trust, connection, and genuine relationships is the real secret to landing seller-financed deals. From word-of-mouth networking to direct mail strategies, coffee conversations, and even “driving for dollars,” Mel breaks down six proven ways to find the right seller—and why fear, rejection, and even “no’s” are part of the process. You’ll learn how to turn everyday conversa...
Trust, not money, is the real currency of creative real estate. In Chapter 11 of Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel Dorman unpacks why authentic relationships—not perfect spreadsheets—are the foundation of seller financing. From building social capital to active listening and mirroring, Mel shares practical tools that transform conversations into partnerships. You’ll also learn how to present yourself with credibility, explain seller financing in plain language, and foster genuine trust that lasts be...
What if the best deals in real estate aren’t about winning at someone else’s expense, but creating solutions where everyone benefits? In this chapter, Mel shows you how to spot the green flags of seller financing—equity-rich sellers, tax concerns, tired landlords, and more—and how to avoid the red flags, including the risks of elder abuse. Through real-world examples like the Coopers’ retirement dream, you’ll see how to craft offers that meet sellers’ true needs while building long-term wealt...
The deal doesn’t end with a handshake—it lives in the contract. In this chapter, Mel Dorman takes you inside the fine print of seller-financing agreements and shows how to turn confusing legalese into a roadmap for win-win deals. You’ll learn why attorneys are essential (and how to find the right one), the must-have clauses that protect both buyer and seller, and how to avoid the pitfalls that can tank a deal. With real-world examples, plain-language breakdowns, and Mel’s signature mix of str...
Ready to level up from white belt to black belt in creative real estate? In this chapter, Mel pulls back the curtain on advanced strategies that turn complex obstacles into win-win solutions. You’ll learn how to navigate underlying mortgages, use wrap notes, loan assumptions, and subject-to purchases, and even structure lease options and joint ventures with integrity. Mel shows how to create deals that protect sellers, empower buyers, and build sustainable wealth—without banks, credit, or exp...
The deal is signed, the ink is dry—but this is only the beginning. In Chapter 15 of Bank on Your Neighbor, Mel shows how the real game of wealth building begins once you step beyond the closing table. From structuring creative exits to repositioning debt, she explains how to design your portfolio like a chessboard—moving notes, flipping terms, and raising capital with clarity and trust. Hear how a $500 deal became 23 units, why flipping is a tool (not freedom), and how cultivating terms can u...
Fear whispers. Doubt lingers. And yet—what if you rose anyway? In this chapter, Mel Dorman shares the raw, unglamorous truth of building financial freedom: it isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet, it’s about courage, mindset, and community. From 5 a.m. pep talks in a foggy bathroom to the neuroscience of rewiring your thoughts, Mel reveals how resilience and reframing fear become the true foundations of wealth. Discover why courage is contagious, how to reprogram your nervous system to h...
Remember the GameStop frenzy of 2021? Meme stocks, Reddit rebellion, and hedge funds losing billions—it felt like financial activism in real time. But as Mel explains, GameStop was a fight on Wall Street’s terms, and the rules of the game didn’t change. In this chapter, Mel shows you how seller financing does change the rules—by moving wealth-building off Wall Street and into our communities. You’ll hear how this approach creates real win-win deals, keeps equity local, and gives power back to...
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