Note Night in America

Are you chasing double-digit returns on mortgage notes only to risk losing your principal in a second-lien wipeout? Would you like to still invest while traveling the world? Then this is the episode you'll want to take some notes on! In this episode, Scott Carson sits down with former defense software engineer turned international digital nomad Harley Green, founder of InvestAway. Broadcasting live from Antigua, Guatemala, Harley shares how he transitioned from active house flipping and corporate 401(k) management to managing over $5M in first-lien private real estate debt in just a few hours a week. Harley pulls back the curtain on common pitfalls self-directed IRA (SDIRA) and passive investors face in today's shifting housing market. He breaks down why junior debt positions carry extreme risk, how to evaluate real-world After Repair Value (ARV) cushions, and how he leverages an lean tech stack with AI-driven underwriting to scale a private lending business without hiring a massive corporate team. Scott and Harley also explore co-lending structures that yield 15% annualized returns, extension terms that prevent defaults, and key markets in the Southeast. The Dangers of Second-Lien Notes: Why junior positions get wiped out in bankruptcy or foreclosure when first liens balloon with legal fees. Transitioning Corporate Wealth: Rolling 15 years of defense industry 401(k) funds into self-directed IRAs to become the bank. The High-Yield Sweet Spot: Structuring 4- to 9-month short-term fix-and-flip loans across single-family and small multifamily assets. Underwriting & Risk Protection: Capping maximum loan-to-value at 75% of ARV and managing extended days on market in softer regions. Southeast Growth Markets: Why markets in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Kansas City offer ideal entry-level inventory for flipping. AI & Tech Operations: Utilizing custom AI agents to scrub title commitments, flag errors, and manage borrower updates with a single virtual assistant. Passive Co-Lending Structures: How passive SDIRA investors can earn 15% annualized net returns backed by first-position real estate. Borrower Retention & Legal Compliance: Partnering with specialized private lending attorneys instead of relying on title companies or generic templates. Stop chasing high-risk yield and learn how to secure your capital as a first-lien private lender! Connect with Harley Green directly by visiting investaway.co or searching for Harley Green on LinkedIn! Have questions about setting up first-position private notes, analyzing deal collateral, or putting your SDIRA funds to work? Book a strategy call directly with Scott at talkwithscottcarson.com! Register for upcoming virtual masterclasses at notebuyingfordummies.com or wholesalingnotes.com. Remember to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with fellow real estate investors!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Can artificial intelligence really replace human loan servicers when a mortgage goes into default, or is handing your note portfolio over to an algorithm a recipe for disaster? Welcome back to The Note Closers Show! In this episode, Scott Carson evaluates the state of 100% AI-driven loan servicing following a 30-minute demonstration with a leading fintech servicing provider. While AI excels at streamlining automated tasks for performing paper—such as generating monthly billing statements, updating payment methods, sending automated text pings, and onboarding loan documents—it falls short when managing non-performing mortgages. Scott breaks down why default workouts require human empathy, flexible negotiation, and nuanced communication that algorithms simply cannot replicate. From handling hostile borrower interactions to structuring custom workout plans, cash-for-keys, and legal escalations across varied state foreclosure timelines, Scott details the limitations of full AI servicing and highlights where predictive analytics will transform the debt industry in the near future. Key Topics Covered:The Servicing Demo Breakdown: Reviewing a full walkthrough of a 100% AI-powered loan servicing platform and assessing its actual capabilities. Performing vs. Non-Performing Suitability: Why AI automation works well for performing debt, originations, and hard money loans, but struggles with default management. State Licensing & Compliance: Navigating multi-state licensing requirements, bankruptcy protections, and legal compliance when utilizing automated collection systems. The Empathy & Flexibility Deficit: Why automated bots fail during complex loss mitigation, custom payment adjustments, and emotional borrower conversations. Hidden Costs of Low-Cost Servicing: Analyzing how saving $12 to $30 per month on automated fees can lead to extended delays, uncollected debt, and legal missteps. Document Scrubbing & Due Diligence: Leveraging AI for collateral file reviews, onboarding newly originated loans, and checking tax or insurance records. Predictive Servicing Futures: How machine learning algorithms will soon track economic shifts, employment layoffs, and seasonal spending to forecast borrower defaults. Human-in-the-Loop Management: Why human asset managers remain essential for non-performing workouts, legal coordination, and foreclosure executions. AI is a powerful tool for analyzing files and speeding up due diligence, but human oversight remains critical when managing distressed borrowers! Protect your portfolio, understand system limits, and keep your workouts on track. Have questions about selecting loan servicers, managing non-performing notes, or implementing AI tools into your deal workflow? Schedule a strategy session with Scott at talkwithscottcarson.com ! Register for an upcoming live masterclass at notebuyingfordummies.com or wholesalingnotes.com. Be sure to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with fellow investors!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Stop burning thousands of dollars on dead-end Facebook ads and Google marketing—the search landscape has permanently shifted, and the playing field is officially leveled! In this episode of The Note Closers Show, host Scott Carson breaks down how note buyers and real estate investors can dominate their target markets and rank as the #1 recommended investor using modern AI search tools. The days of prospects wading through ten blue links on Google are over. Today, sellers, lenders, and capital partners are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini directly for recommendations—and if you aren't providing machine-readable, factual content, you don't even exist in their search results. Whether you have closed zero deals or a hundred, Scott outlines a step-by-step strategy to optimize your digital footprint, leverage free high-authority blogging platforms, and repurpose your deal case studies into local "AI juice" that brings off-market deals and private capital straight to your inbox. Key Topics Covered:The Evolution of Search: Why traditional paid ads cratered and why AI answer engines now give direct, single-name recommendations instead of list links. Building Machine-Readable Trust: How to optimize your LinkedIn profile, About.me, and neutral third-party review sources so AI engines cite you as an authority. The Micro & Macro Blogging Strategy: How to use AI to generate city- and state-specific articles for your top 3 to 5 target markets on Substack, Medium, and LinkedIn. Leveraging Chamber of Commerce Directories: A growth-hack tactic to build high-authority backlinks and local credibility by highlighting local real estate vendors. Repurposing Audio & Video Content: How transcribing a simple 10-minute video case study creates multiple unique blogs and boosts your visibility fourfold. Optimizing Media & Video Length: Why YouTube pushes videos over 8 minutes and how proper image file naming drives extra search traffic. Don't let your competitors capture the top AI search spots while your experience sits on the sidelines. Take action, optimize your content workflow, and turn AI search into your primary deal-flow engine! If you want to discuss your note investing strategy or need help navigating your next deal, book a call directly at talkwithscottcarson.com. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with another investor looking to scale!Watch the Original Video of this Episode HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Stop focusing strictly on collateral value and start underwriting for true repayment!In this episode of The Note Closers Show, host Scott Carson sits down with 30-year credit banking veteran, note investor, and author of The Mad Lender’s Guide to Private Lending and Note Investing, Doug Smith. Doug—aka "The Mad Lender"—shares essential insights into how private investors can avoid devastating loss rates, properly assess borrower capacity, and navigate shifting real estate cycles.Whether you are looking at non-performing notes, hard money loans, or commercial real estate opportunities, Doug breaks down why relying solely on property values can lead to severe pitfalls, how rising operating expenses impact cash flow, and why structured due diligence is non-negotiable.Key Topics Covered:The #1 Mistake Private Lenders Make: Why over-focusing on collateral value while ignoring borrower capacity, credit character, and primary repayment sources destroys returns.The Three Cs of Underwriting: How capacity, character/credit, and conditions dictate loan performance far better than property valuation alone.Commercial Real Estate & Multifamily Realities: Why rising insurance, taxes, and operating expenses are causing delinquencies and wipes-outs in syndications and commercial notes.Mitigating Downside Risk ("Dougie Downers"): How identifying potential failure points in every deal upfront saves principal capital.State-by-State Foreclosure Impact: Understanding judicial (e.g., Illinois, Florida) vs. non-judicial (e.g., Texas) timelines and factoring the time value of money into note pricing.DSCR Loan Flaws: Why typical Debt Service Coverage Ratio underwriting skips key property reserve and vacancy expenses, creating hidden default risks.Mentorship & Working with Professionals: Why self-servicing, skipping legal counsel, or taking advice from inexperienced instructors leads to costly legal and financial blunders.Don't let market shifts catch you off guard without a solid risk management plan. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and visit themadlender.com to grab Doug’s book and learn more about his consulting services!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

What happens when three nominees for the REDnews Social Media Influencer of the Year Award jump on a call together? Absolute magic! In this special episode of The Note Closers Show, host Scott Carson is joined by fellow CRE award nominees Elke Laughlin (Principal at Laughlin Consulting Group) and Samy Soussan (Business Development at Madison Title & host of The CRE Connection Podcast).Instead of treating award nominations as a competition, this powerhouse trio comes together from a mindset of abundance and prosperity to share how authentic relationship-building, organic social media, and servant leadership drive massive success in commercial real estate!Detailed Episode HighlightsThe Power of the "Connector" Mindset: Why moving away from a scarcity mindset and operating from prosperity opens doors to untapped deal flow and lifelong partnerships.Elke Laughlin’s Organizational Insights: Leveraging behavioral sciences (DISC, motivators, driving forces) to build high-performing commercial brokerage teams and execute organizational change.Samy Susan’s #SUSANSelfie Strategy: How organic networking, authentic event coverage, and the "Always Be Connecting" (ABC) philosophy built a powerful CRE network.Overcoming Social Awkwardness in the Next Generation: Teaching younger professionals and interns how to put down their phones, network in person, and nurture long-term professional relationships.Emerging Commercial Real Estate Opportunities:Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS): Why low-coverage urban infill dirt is exploding due to e-commerce and last-mile distribution demands.Distressed Note & Small Balance Commercial Debt: Sourcing direct-from-bank deals and finding value in non-performing assets.Fractional CRE Services: Introducing CREVA Collective to serve mid-sized CRE firms.AI & Future Tech in CRE: Implementing AI underwriting tools, hosting tech meetups, and using AI clones for 24/7 investor communication.If you want to grow your brand, close more deals, and build lasting connections in commercial real estate, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways you can apply today!Connect with us on LinkedIn:🔗 Elke Laughlin: LinkedIn🔗 Samy Soussan: LinkedIn 🔗 Scott Carson: LinkedInReady to take your note investing and real estate game to the next level? 📅 Book a Call with Scott: talkwithscottcarson.com📩 Email Scott: [email protected] out, take some action, and we’ll see you at the top!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join Note Night in America community today:WeCloseNotes.comScott Carson FacebookScott Carson TwitterScott Carson LinkedInNote Night in America YouTubeNote Night in America VimeoScott Carson InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest