Lessons, Milestones and Momentum: The Investor Journey
- Michele Correa
- Nov 14, 2025
- 6 min read
What We’ve Been Up To
October brought its share of ups, downs, and lessons — the kind of month that reminds me that growth doesn’t always look smooth, but it’s always worth it. There was project updates, travel, learning opportunities, and family celebrations making it another great month.
Flip Project: Lessons Learned
Our flip continues to teach us (sometimes the hard way). The sale fell through again — this time because some contractor issues weren’t properly fixed. Frustrating, yes. But also one of those “lesson learned” moments that will make every future deal stronger.
Here’s what I’ll be doing differently next time:
Every contractor agreement will clearly state that all required permits must be applied for and provided in writing.
I’ll be budgeting for an independent inspection before any final contractor payments are made to confirm everything’s done right.
Every deal has something to teach. This one reminded me that even with experience, there’s always room to tighten up processes and protect what matters most — integrity and accountability.
The Dollhouse
The Dollhouse is progressing! The exterior is all locked up before the weather shifts and the upstairs unit is almost repaired. We did have to change out the bathroom flooring as the previous contractor had put new flooring over flooring that had deteriorated and was soft. Super frustrating that people think this is ok and also shows us who does not remain on our team. The lower unit is still a few months away from completion.
Edmonton Infill Projects
I made a trip to Edmonton this month to visit all six of our infill projects — and there’s so much progress happening. It was great to visit each site, meet with our contractor, and pick out finishes like flooring, countertops, and lighting.
Project is moving along at its own pace — and it’s exciting to see how these builds are reshaping neighborhoods while still fitting in. The infills are opportunities to create missing middle housing while putting our investors' hard earned money to work building long term wealth.
Elevate Southwest Florida (SFW)
Our Elevate project in Florida keeps moving forward, and it’s shaping up to be something truly special. This is a multi-acre concept focused on community, wellness, and fun — think pickleball, yoga, live music, great food, and even a lazy river!
It’s still early days, but I love being part of a group that’s building something designed to bring people together. More updates coming soon as we move further along in the planning and underwriting stages. Here is a rough conceptual design of the project.
InvestEd Conference Highlights
This year’s InvestEd Conference was a definite highlight — a weekend full of learning, connection, and celebration.
I was honoured to receive three awards — Elevate and two levels of “Wow” — and to speak on a panel about how real estate and paper asset trading can complement one another to build a stronger financial foundation.
The best part of these events is the community — being surrounded by people who are equally passionate about growth, education, and purpose. A weekend is never long enough to catch up, hear what everyone is up to and strengthen our connections.
Celebrating 5 Years in Business
October marks five incredible years of Correa Equity Partners, and I’ll be honest — it’s emotional.
When Doug and I started this company in 2020, we had a clear purpose: to create safe, beautiful homes for people to live in, while helping our investors’ money work for them — building wealth, freedom, and impact along the way.
It hasn’t been easy. The last five years have been filled with long days, steep learning curves, and moments that tested our resilience and faith. But they’ve also been filled with immense growth, lessons learned, and the deep satisfaction of watching purpose turn into progress.
We’ve built strong partnerships, refined our systems, expanded across markets in Canada and now the U.S., and continued to grow a portfolio that reflects what we stand for — integrity, community, and excellence. Every project, every investor, every home has been part of that bigger mission.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited about where we’re going — continuing to make real estate hands-free and purpose-driven, helping more investors create financial freedom while transforming properties into homes that people are proud to live in.
Here’s to the next five years — to growing with intention, leading with heart, and building wealth that makes a difference.
Private Lending Opportunity – Be the Bank!
Let’s talk about your money working harder than you are.
If you’ve got what I like to call “lazy money” — funds sitting in a HELOC, credit card transfer, or just cash that isn’t doing much — you can be the bank.
Private lending lets you earn double-digit monthly returns secured by real estate. It’s a simple, hands-free way to grow your wealth while supporting projects that make a real difference.
Curious to learn more? Send me a message at michele@correaequitypartners.com and let’s see if it’s a fit for you.
Podcasts & Conversations
This month, I joined two podcasts to share stories, lessons, and insights from our journey:
RE Pessimist – where I discussed The Dollhouse Project and the realities of development.
The Local Developer – where I shared my investing journey, our business evolution, and what purposeful investing really looks like.
Family & Life
October was full of family milestones that made my heart full.
My youngest sister had her first baby — I’m loving every minute of those baby snuggles!
I also became a great-aunt to a beautiful niece in Ontario — can’t wait to meet her soon.
And we celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday, surrounded by laughter, stories, and love.
These are the moments that remind me what all this work is really for — freedom, family, and living with purpose.
What I'm Listening To
This audiobook has been my companion on walks, drives, and quiet mornings lately — and it’s full of timeless truths about discipline, leadership, and mindset. Jim Rohn’s teachings are as relevant today as ever, and they remind me that how we think directly shapes how we live.
Top 10 Takeaways:
Success is something you attract by the person you become. Growth always precedes achievement.
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. The small things done consistently make the big things possible.
Don’t wish it were easier — wish you were better. Challenges grow our capacity.
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.
Work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Self-mastery fuels all other success.
Formal education makes you a living; self-education makes you a fortune. Stay curious.
Learn to manage your emotions, or they’ll manage you. Especially in business and investing.
Give more than you take. Abundance flows through service.
Don’t just make a living — design a life. Real wealth is freedom and purpose combined.
Time is more valuable than money. You can always earn more money, but never more time.
His voice and words are a daily reminder that the greatest investment is always the one you make in yourself.
Useful Resource
How You Can Use It in Real Estate Investing:
Lindy AI can act as your deal management and follow-up assistant. For example:
You can upload your property pipeline spreadsheet, and Lindy AI can automatically remind you to follow up with agents, contractors, or sellers based on your custom schedule.
It can generate templated investor updates or contractor communication emails based on project notes you feed it.
It can summarize meeting transcripts, extract key next steps, and even schedule reminders in your calendar — saving hours of admin time each week.
Think of it as your behind-the-scenes project coordinator that never forgets a task or a deadline. This is a tool I am interested in testing out. Have you tried it? I'd love to hear about your thoughts on it or if you have a similar tool that would help with this, let me know.
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Have a must-listen audiobook? Send it my way—I might feature it here!
Let's Stay Connected
What are you working on this month? I’d love to hear — just hit reply and share what you’re building, learning, or celebrating.
If you’re ready to explore hands-free, purposeful investing — from private lending to infill developments and luxury short-term rentals — reach out to us at michele@correaequitypartners.com.
Let’s talk about your goals and see how we can help you invest with purpose.
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