Ready to rethink what “smart” real estate growth really looks like? We’re joined by investor-operator Karina Sosa, who started with land splits and a couple of duplexes and scaled into multifamily, commercial, short-term rentals, and development across Northwest Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico. Her blueprint blends discipline and creativity: live below your means, stay hands-on until each asset runs smoothly, and use 1031 exchanges and banking relationships to multiply wins without betting the farm.

We dig into the tradeoffs between cash flow and appreciation and how to read the market you’re in, why a modest cash-on-cash in Fayetteville can still be a great buy, and why a Fort Smith deal must cash flow on day one. Karina explains why she moved many units into commercial for lighter day-to-day operations, how in-house maintenance and marketing improved speed and occupancy, and what it takes to stabilize assets quickly after acquisition. She also opens up about short-term rentals, from turning a family home into an Airbnb to using beach properties in Mexico to cover carrying costs while keeping personal flexibility.

Financing and relationships are a through-line here. We talk 1031s, conservative leverage, and how to work with lenders who think creatively, from using portfolio equity for down payments to matching projects with banks that actually want your deal. Karina shares real numbers on deals that moved the needle, and the leadership habits that kept growth sustainable: over-communicate with contractors, answer the phone, reward your team, and partner with people whose strengths offset your weaknesses and whose incentives are truly aligned.

If you’re an investor in NWA or any appreciation market, you’ll walk away with practical ways to build equity, protect downside, and operate with clarity. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s scaling, and leave a quick review to tell us your biggest takeaway. We’d love to hear what you’re building next.