In real estate circles, "no money down" is a buzzword.

It's appealing, especially to beginners, because it suggests you can start investing without having much (or any) cash. But here’s the reality: the wealthiest people I know don’t talk about “no money down.”

Does that make “no money down” strategies wrong?

Not necessarily.

But just because you can buy real estate with no money down doesn’t automatically make it a good deal.

What Do the Wealthy Talk About?

The truly wealthy focus on business fundamentals and financial metrics like:

• EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization)
• Top-line revenue
• Margins
• Bottom-line revenue
• P&L statements

They’re running well-oiled machines.

Why?

Because a well-run business will always outperform a well-run investment in terms of monthly cash flow.

Business First, Investments Second

It took me years to understand this (I’m a slow learner), but it’s a...