Real Estate Junkies: Coast 2 Coast
Join Rick Abiatti and Russell Ham as they share their incredible journey from meeting almost five years ago to becoming successful real estate entrepreneurs. Despite having no prior real estate experience, Rick and Russell decided to start a business, which revolutionized their lives. Moving from systems engineer/program manager and teaching careers, they found passion and freedom in creative financial real estate.
Rick and Russell focus on the 3 pillars to being a successful entrepreneur and the 4 Game Plans (Lease Purchase, Owner Finance, Subject To, & Executive Lease Purchase, which launched their business to a point where they were able to leave their W2 jobs.
Real Estate Junkies: Coast 2 Coast
58 | Creative Finance Real Talk: First Deals, Sub2 Hybrids & Tenant Drama
In this episode of Real Estate Junkies: Coast to Coast, Rusty Ham and Rick Abbiati get raw and real about the ups and downs of creative real estate investing. From mindset struggles before the first deal to navigating sub-to hybrid deals gone sideways, they unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable real estate business.
👉 Rusty shares how one tenant-buyer dropped $100k down—then stopped paying
👉 Rick reveals how a $2,000 electric bill spooked his buyers and left him cleaning up the mess
👉 They both explain how their “Payday 1” reserve strategy saved their deals—and sanity
You'll also hear:
- Honest insight on the frustration of waiting 12–15 months for a first deal
- How mindset separates those who quit from those who scale
- Two real-world sub-to hybrid deal structures, side by side
- How to recover from tenant defaults, protect the seller, and still exit profitably
- The power of vetting buyers + why the 3 Paydays model is built for long-term success
And don’t miss info on the In the Trenches Bootcamp and QLS Live Boston—links in the show notes!
This episode is a must-watch if you’re investing in real estate on terms or coaching others to do it. Subscribe now and join us every week as we help you scale your creative finance portfolio.
GET YOUR FREE THE FOUR GAME PLANS eBOOK HERE
Resources:
The Quantum Leap System has everything you’ll need to start buying and selling on terms.
Home Study Course The Quantum Leap System
FREE Strategy Session with a COACH 1:1 Advisory Session: use COUPON FREE3
JOIN for a minimum Investment 3-PayDay Apprentice Program
Work with us 1:1 (3 Day Event) In the Trenches Bootcamp
Live Event QLS Live 2025 Ticket
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