Growing the Money with Rich Lennon

What if the strategy that helped you build wealth is now the thing quietly holding you back? For years, the BRRRR method was the go-to playbook. Buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat. It worked. However, today’s market appears quite different. Higher rates, tighter deals, and thinner margins have changed the math, even for experienced investors.
In this episode, Rich Lennon joins the show to talk honestly about why BRRRR doesn’t work the way it used to, and what smart investors are doing instead. Rich shares his personal shift away from owning and managing rentals and into private lending, not because he failed, but because the game changed.
You’ll Learn How To:
Spot when a once-great strategy has run its course
Understand why higher interest rates broke the BRRRR math
See how private lending fits into today’s market
Reduce stress while still earning strong returns
Think like a capital allocator, not just a property owner
Who This Episode Is For:
BRRRR investors are feeling squeezed by today’s market
Landlords are tired of rehabs, tenants, and surprises
Investors sitting on equity are unsure what to do next
Anyone open to smarter, simpler ways to grow wealth
Why You Should Listen:
Most investors keep running the same play long after the rules have changed. This episode helps you zoom out, rethink your approach, and understand why many experienced investors are shifting away from ownership and toward lending. It’s a practical, grounded look at what’s actually working right now.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
[00:00] Why BRRRR worked so well for so long
[03:30] How rising rates quietly changed the strategy
[07:00] The hidden risks most BRRRR investors overlook
[11:00] Rich’s personal turning point with rentals
[15:30] Why private lending started to make more sense
[19:30] Comparing ownership stress vs lending simplicity
[23:00] What smart investors are prioritizing today
[26:00] How to start thinking differently about your next move
Follow Rich Lennon here:
Website: https://richlennon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lennon.121
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlennon92/

What if your retirement money could move as fast as you do? No waiting. No paperwork bottlenecks. No missed deals because a custodian took days to respond.
In this episode of Growing the Money, Rich Lennon breaks down one of the most misunderstood and powerful tools in self-directed investing: checkbook control. Rich explains how investors use trusts or LLCs to gain direct access to their IRA funds, why speed matters in real estate, and the exact process to do it the right way, without triggering penalties or breaking the rules.
You’ll Learn How To:
Understand what checkbook control actually means
Move IRA money faster without waiting on custodian approvals
Decide between using a trust or an LLC
Avoid common mistakes that can trigger penalties
Use self-directed retirement funds for real estate the smart way
Who This Episode Is For:
Investors using or considering self-directed IRAs
Real estate investors who need speed to compete
Lenders are tired of custodian delays
Anyone who wants more control over retirement money
Why You Should Listen:
Speed matters in investing. This episode shows how experienced investors legally gain control of their IRA funds so they can act quickly, protect opportunities, and avoid costly delays. Rich walks through the process step by step, shares real-world examples, and explains the rules in a way that actually makes sense.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
[00:00] Why speed matters when using retirement money
[01:15] What checkbook control really means in simple terms
[02:45] The biggest problem with waiting on custodians
[04:00] How investors legally gain control of IRA funds
[05:45] Trust vs. LLC: which option makes sense for you
[07:30] How to avoid mistakes that trigger penalties
[09:00] When checkbook control is and isn’t the right move
[10:30] Final takeaways and who this strategy is best for
Follow Rich Lennon here:
Website: https://richlennon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lennon.121
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlennon92/

What if the real secret to higher returns isn’t chasing riskier deals, but structuring smarter loans? Most investors think 20% is the ceiling in private lending, until they learn how to fractionalize notes the right way.
In this episode, Rich Lennon continues the deep dive into his fractionalized note strategy and shows how breaking a single loan into multiple pieces can dramatically increase your yield, without swinging for the fences. Rich explains how he underwrites deals, protects downside risk, and structures notes so that the lender gets paid first, even when things don’t go as planned.
You’ll Learn How To:
Structure loans so you get paid first and protected
Use fractionalized notes to boost returns above simple interest
Underwrite deals so defaults become leverage, not panic
Avoid the biggest mistakes new private lenders make
Design terms that bring borrowers back again and again
Who This Episode Is For:
Private lenders who want safer, higher returns
Real estate investors are tired of flips and rehabs
People with capital who want to be the bank, not the contractor
Anyone curious how experienced lenders structure real deals
Why You Should Listen:
Most people think higher returns require higher risk. Rich demonstrates why the opposite can be true when loans are structured correctly. If you want fewer moving parts, fewer headaches, and money that works harder than you do, this episode will give you the blueprint.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
[00:00] Why proper underwriting prevents losses, even in defaults
[02:00] The rules Rich follows to reduce risk dramatically
[05:00] How default actually gives power back to the lender
[08:00] The hidden fees most lenders charge (and why Rich doesn’t)
[12:00] When points, fees, and yield actually make sense
[15:00] Real-world mistakes lenders make with draws and escrows
[18:00] How Rich manages borrowers without micromanaging
[21:00] Why does he avoid lines of credit and big banks
[23:00] Inside Rich’s private money lending coaching program
Follow Rich Lennon here:
Website: https://richlennon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lennon.121
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlennon92/

What if a 20% loan could quietly turn into a 40–50% return, without incurring more risk and without requiring additional hours? Most people think you need bigger deals, more properties, or complicated funds to boost returns, but that’s not actually where the leverage is.
In this episode, Rich Lennon breaks down the fractionalized note strategy he uses to turn simple private loans into outsized returns. He explains how he structures deals, why lazy money is the key ingredient, and how he protects downside while still earning lender-level profits. No hedge fund tricks. No Wall Street games. Just smart math and clean structure.
Rich also shares how his own journey from rentals and flips into lending changed everything, more freedom, less stress, and better returns with fewer moving parts.
You’ll Learn How To:
Turn 20% loans into 30–50% returns using fractionalized notes
Structure deals so investors win without increasing risk
Use lazy money the right way and protect everyone involved
Underwrite borrowers and properties like a true private lender
Avoid the big mistakes new lenders make when chasing yield
Who This Episode Is For:
Private lenders who want safer, higher returns
Investors are tired of managing flips, tenants, and contractors
High-income professionals who wish to make money work harder than they do
Anyone curious how to scale wealth without scaling workload
Why You Should Listen:
Most investors think they need more properties to grow wealth. The truth? You often just need a better structure. This episode shows how fractionalized notes can multiply returns without multiplying stress, and how to turn lending into a low-hour, high-impact wealth strategy.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
[00:00] Rich’s story and how he shifted from flipping to lending
[02:00] Why relationships and reputation matter in private lending
[05:00] Mentors, hard lessons, and getting burned in real estate
[08:00] Growing from rentals into a large lending business
[11:00] The lifestyle shift, from 60–80 hour weeks to five
[14:00] Return on equity vs. return on effort
[17:00] Why sitting cash is more dangerous than most people think
[19:00] The first time Rich used fractionalized notes
[21:00] How a 20% loan turns into 30–50% returns in real numbers
[23:00] Protecting investors and structuring downside properly
[25:00] Why underwriting people matters as much as underwriting deals
Follow Rich Lennon here:
Website: https://richlennon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lennon.121
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlennon92/

What if the real goal wasn’t owning more properties, but getting your time back? In part two of this conversation, Rich Lennon gets real about what happens after you build a big rental and flipping business. The long hours. The stress. The moment you realize you’re asset-rich… but tired. Rich walks through how he went from grinding 60-hour workweeks flipping and managing rentals to spending just a few hours a week as a lender, and why that shift completely changed his life.
This isn’t a hype-filled quick rental tomorrow episode. It’s an honest look at the evolution most investors go through as their portfolio grows. When rentals stop being efficient. When equity starts working more slowly. And when lending quietly becomes the better move.
You’ll Learn How To:
Know when rentals stop being worth the effort
Use your experience as an investor to become a smarter lender
Think differently about equity and efficiency
Understand why lending can outperform rentals long term
Reduce stress without walking away from real estate
Who This Episode Is For:
Investors burned out from flips, rehabs, and tenant issues
Landlords sitting on a lot of equity but feeling stuck
Experienced investors looking for simpler, cleaner returns
Anyone curious about lending but unsure how it actually works
Why You Should Listen:
Most people never hear what comes after scaling a real estate business. Rich doesn’t sugarcoat it. He shares the mistakes, the mindset shifts, and the exact reasons he moved away from owning and managing more properties. If you’re wondering whether there’s an easier way to stay in real estate without the constant grind, this episode will open your eyes.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
[00:00] Why Rich stepped back from rehabs and construction
[05:00] How experience as a flipper made him a better lender
[09:00] The downside of holding too much rental equity
[14:00] Why lending felt scary at first, and why it worked
[18:00] The difference between active income and passive income
[23:00] How Rich reduced his workload without leaving real estate
[28:00] What most investors miss when they think about freedom
Follow Rich Lennon here:
Website: https://richlennon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lennon.121
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlennon92/