If you’ve ever wondered how a busy physician balances a full-time career, financial freedom, and real estate investing, this conversation is for you. I sat down with Dr. Latifat, a practicing gastroenterologist and the founder of MoneyFit MD, to discuss her journey from paying off debt to building a thriving real estate portfolio. She shares how she and her husband strategically leveraged real estate to grow their net worth, manage properties while traveling the world, and create a life filled with choice and freedom. Whether you’re a high-income professional looking to secure your financial future or simply curious about real estate investing, this conversation is packed with insights and inspiration.
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Hey everyone, I’m Adrienne Green, and today I’m here with Dr. Latifat. Get ready for insights from my good friend and amazing investor. I’m so excited to have her share her story with you. She has traveled the world with her family like I’m doing with mine, and there’s so much to learn from her journey. Thank you so much for being here with me today!
Thank you for having me! I’m super excited that you’re in Vietnam at the time of this recording. It’s a beautiful country, and I love that you’re doing what you do.
You’re so sweet! We are loving it here in Vietnam for sure. For a little backstory, Dr. Latifat and I met in our mastermind, GoBundance Women. I’ve been able to follow her journey for a few years now, and she’s truly transforming the lives of women physicians by helping them take control of their money, wealth, and freedom. Part of her journey has been her real estate investing, and I’m excited to have her share that with you. Latifat, can you start with your story?
Absolutely! Hi everybody, I’m Dr. Latifat. I’m a practicing gastroenterologist, a mother of three young daughters, and the founder of MoneyFit MD, a platform dedicated to helping women physicians thrive inside and outside of medicine. I’m also a real estate investor, working alongside my husband. My journey didn’t start with a deep understanding of money. In fact, eight years ago, I didn’t know anything about building wealth or financial freedom. I just wanted to be a good physician who could take care of patients without constantly worrying about money.
At first, my goal was simple: to have enough financial security to make career choices that aligned with my values. I wanted the ability to be a present mom and practice medicine on my own terms. That personal journey led me to realize that so many other women physicians were in the same situation—struggling with financial literacy, debt, and burnout. That’s what led to MoneyFit MD, my podcast, my book Done With Broke, and all the work I do now to empower women physicians financially.
I love that you got started without knowing exactly where you’d end up but just knowing you didn’t want to stay where you were.
Exactly! I talk about this idea of living life with two butt cheeks—being fully present, grounded, and secure in your decisions. Too many people go through life sitting on one butt cheek, feeling unstable and unsure. When you have financial control, you get to live life with both butt cheeks planted firmly. That’s what I want for myself, and that’s what I want for the women I work with.
I love that! So, how did all of this lead you to real estate investing?
At no point did I set out to own a bunch of real estate. When I started my financial journey, the only thing I ever heard about money in the physician space was debt. I figured that if I paid off my debt, I’d have freedom. My husband and I had over $200,000 in student loans and credit card debt, and we made it our goal to pay it off in five years. We actually did it in two and a half years, which was incredible, but even then, we didn’t feel financially free. That’s when I started learning more about investing and came across real estate.
At first, my husband was hesitant. Here I was, convincing him to get out of debt, and now I was telling him we needed to take on debt again for real estate! It took us some time, but we eventually took a course, which really helped us get started. Our first step was becoming accidental landlords when we moved out of our primary home and rented it out. But living in California, we quickly realized that cash flow wasn’t a viable strategy there, so we looked out of state for investment opportunities.
So many people get stuck trying to find the perfect market, but we just picked one, learned from it, and replicated our strategy. Our first out-of-state investment was a triplex, and after that, we had the confidence to buy locally in California. It was a bold move, but we were patient and found properties that met our goals.
That’s amazing. So what was your primary goal with real estate investing—cash flow or long-term appreciation?
Our primary goal was growing our net worth. We wanted to make sure that while our investments were increasing in value, they weren’t putting extra financial pressure on our income from our day jobs. Every property had to take care of itself. Even if it wasn’t providing massive cash flow, it at least needed to cover its own expenses so that our clinical income remained untouched. This helped us avoid the common trap of working extra hours just to sustain our investments, which can lead to burnout.
That makes so much sense. I love that approach. Now that you’ve been doing this for a while, has anything changed in your strategy?
Yes! Initially, we were focused on long-term wealth building. But now that we’ve secured that, we’re shifting our focus to increasing cash flow. We’re diversifying our income sources, both active and passive, so that we can create financial freedom sooner rather than later.
How do you evaluate and choose your next investment opportunities?
We ask ourselves, “How much weight do we want to carry?” and “How much debt do we want to take on?” Right now, debt is expensive, so we’re looking for deals where the numbers make sense even with higher interest rates. We also consider how much financial support a property might need before it starts carrying itself. We literally just looked at a property today with great long-term cash flow potential but poor current management. So, we’re weighing whether we want to carry that burden for two years before it stabilizes.
For busy professionals who want to invest but feel overwhelmed, what advice would you give?
First, calm down. Seriously, take a deep breath. Many people make financial decisions from a place of fear and stress, which clouds their thinking. Instead, take a moment, get clear on your goals, and break things down into simple strategies. Everything is figureoutable. If managing properties scares you, consider hiring a property manager or finding someone local to help. We’ve managed properties from across the world while traveling with our family because we built the right systems and found reliable people.
Speaking of travel, I know you took your family around the world. How did that happen?
It wasn’t a long-term plan or bucket list item. My husband and I were in Aruba in 2022 when we started discussing how incredible it would be for our kids to be exposed to different languages and cultures. We joked about moving abroad for six months, but then I felt this strong internal nudge—almost like a divine push—telling me we needed to go. Six months later, we left the country and ended up visiting 20 countries! It was one of the most life-changing experiences we’ve ever had.
That’s incredible! What final piece of wisdom would you leave with our readers?
Let your future 80-year-old self guide your decisions. Ask yourself, “What stories do I want to tell about my life?” If the answer excites you, find a way to make it happen. Financial freedom isn’t just about money—it’s about having choices and living life with both feet firmly planted.
To learn more about Dr. Latifat’s journey, check out her podcast MoneyFit MD, follow her on Instagram @MoneyFitMD, or visit her website MoneyFitMD.com. If you’re ready to take control of your finances, her book Done With Broke is a must-read!
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