Someone Tried to Sell My Appliances (And Other May Updates) The Investor Journey
- Michele Correa
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
What We’ve Been Up To
May was a head down kind of month with lots happening in the background that doesn’t get seen online or in photos. All 6 infill projects kept moving, I made a brand decision I have been going back and forth on for two years, dealt with a tenant situation that had me shaking my head, and spent a long weekend at our cabin doing absolutely nothing, which was perfect. Let's get into it.
Infill Project Updates
All six infills are progressing well. Four of them are on track to be finished before the end of the year, and the remaining two will complete next spring.
One of our infill projects took an unexpected turn this month. Sometimes life throws people a curveball that changes everything, and one of my JV partners found themselves in exactly that situation. It came at a critical time in the construction timeline and required a major pivot on our end. I could have held them to the agreement, but that is not how I do business. I made the decision to put the person ahead of the contract, and the project is continuing. Life happens, and how you handle it when it does says a lot about who you are as a business partner.
CMHC takeout financing has started on two of the projects, with another two starting soon. If you have yet to tackle this type of financing, let me warn you, it is a ton of paperwork and documents (which I think stops many people). It is a good feeling to be here. A lot of planning, permitting, and patience got us to this stage, and watching it come together across six projects at once is exciting.
Dollhouse: You Cannot Make This Up
I got a late night phone call from our property manager at the Dollhouse this month. One of our tenants had been trying to sell our washer and dryer. Yup, you read that right. Our appliances. That we own. I will let that sink in for a moment.
I posted about it over on my Instagram account (view here) if you want the full story, but the short version is: this is real estate. Most of your tenants are great people who pay on time, respect the property, and you never hear from them unless something needs fixing. And then occasionally you get a situation like this one that reminds you why having a good property manager in your corner matters so much.
We handled it. The appliances are still ours. Moving on.
Big News: I Finally Did It
For about two years I have been going back and forth in my head about switching our Instagram and Facebook accounts from the Correa Equity Partners business brand to a personal brand. I struggled with the whole “personal” vs “business”. My personal account has always been private so that is why I had the business account. However, over and over, everyone says, “YOU” are the brand, and unless you are Nike or Apple or Starbucks, they are searching online for you, not your business. I have read about it, heard about it, and believed it intellectually for a long time. I just kept resisting it because my accounts are public and making it about me personally felt like a big step. Well. I finally did it.
The accounts are now @thatmichele on both Instagram and Facebook. Every version of my actual name was taken (lol), so @thatmichele it is. I still have some work to do on setting the pages up properly, building them out bit by bit. But the decision is made and the pages are live. Stepping outside your comfort zone is where growth happens, and this is me, stepping way outside mine.
If you are not already following along, I would love for you to come find me there. The real estate content, the behind the scenes, the wins, the lessons, all of it will be there. Cheer me on as I work through the “cringe” part of becoming the brand. (Comments, likes, shares, saves, are all appreciated lol)
Instagram: @thatmichele Facebook: @Thatmichele
Building My AI Agent
I have been taking a course on building an AI agent and I am a few weeks behind due to some big personal things that needed my attention this month (life has a way of doing that). I am excited to catch up and get into the building part of it, which is really where the learning becomes real. I will also need to name her something smart, sassy, and boss babe. Suggestions welcome. I will share next month how it went and what she can do.
Family & Life
Wedding Venue
One of the most fun things we did this month was look at wedding venues with our middle daughter and her fiancé. They have picked their venue and the wedding is planned for next summer. I am not going to say too much yet because it is their news to share, but I will say it is a beautiful space and it is going to be a wonderful day. Watching your kids build their lives is one of those gifts that does not get old.
The Cabin
We spent a long weekend at our cabin this month and it was exactly what we needed. Our cabin is rustic. It is not bougie like the kind of travel we have been doing lately. It is simple, quiet, and heaven. There is no cell range, no stores, and not many people. Just beautiful forest, games and reading, and hanging out together without distractions. There is something about mountain air and no agenda that makes you want to sleep deeply and read for hours. We did both.
Achilles Recovery
My recovery is slow and steady, which is not my natural pace and therefore a great teacher. Recovery is at that interesting middle stage where it feels better than before the surgery but is not quite where I want it to be yet. Coming down stairs still has a little discomfort and physio continues. I am following the protocol even when I feel like I could push further, because I know from experience that the protocol exists for a reason and skipping ahead usually costs you more time than it saves. Patience is not always my strong suit, but I am working on it.
What I'm Reading:
This month I have been working through What Would the Rockefellers Do? by Garrett Gunderson, which explores a wealth strategy built around Whole Life Insurance, specifically using it as a vehicle to grow and protect capital in a way that keeps you in control of your money rather than handing it to a bank or the market.
I find this strategy confusing. The concept of using a properly structured Whole Life policy as your own personal banking system, what is sometimes called the Infinite Banking Concept, is not something I had spent much time on before. It is one of those strategies that sounds either brilliant or too good to be true depending on who is explaining it, and I am still in the process of learning enough to know which one it is for our situation.
What I can say is that the Rockefeller framing is compelling. The idea that wealthy families have used this approach for generations to protect and grow wealth across multiple generations is worth understanding, even if you ultimately decide it is not for you.
I am curious: have any of you used this strategy? Do you have a Whole Life policy set up this way? I would love to hear your experience, what works, what the catches are, what you wish you had known going in. Just hit reply and tell me. I learn as much from this community as I do from any book.
Useful Resource:
Since I am in research mode this month, I want to share a resource for anyone else who is curious about the Infinite Banking Concept or the Whole Life Insurance wealth strategy.
The Nelson Nash Institute is the original source for this concept. Nelson Nash is the person who popularized Infinite Banking and the institute carries his work forward with free educational resources, articles, and a directory of authorized practitioners. If you want to go deeper than the book, it is a good place to start: nelsonnashinstitute.com
I am also trying something new in how I research this. I am quite comfortable using Claude for content, SOPs, and business thinking at this point. For this topic, I am going to try Perplexity AI, which is built specifically for research and pulls from current sources with citations. I want to see how it handles a complex financial topic like this one compared to what I already use.
If you have used Whole Life Insurance as a wealth building strategy, please hit reply. I would love to hear directly from people who are doing it, not just reading about it.
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That's a Wrap for May!
What's one thing you are working on heading into June? Just hit reply, I would love to hear from you.
If making your money work harder for you by investing in real estate without all the hassles is something that interests you, or if you want to partner alongside us and learn as you participate, reach out to us at michele@correaequitypartners.com. We can discuss your goals and see if we are a fit to work together and invest with purpose.
Invest with Purpose. Build Wealth. Create the Freedom to Live Life on Your Terms.
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