If you already own real estate but feel like your portfolio is louder, riskier, or more demanding than it should be, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth. I sat down with investor Ian Noble to talk about what it really looks like to scale calmly through low-risk strategies like private lending and mobile home parks. We unpack why chasing big returns often creates burnout, how to evaluate deals through people first, and what changes when you design your investments to support your life instead of consume it. If you want sustainable income, clearer decision-making, and fewer fires, this is a conversation worth watching.
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Hello everyone and welcome back. Today I’m here with Ian Noble. Get ready for insights to help you scale, systemize, and create more freedom. So Ian, for listeners who may be new to your work, can you share a quick snapshot of your real estate focus today and how your investing evolved after you exited a fourteen-location business?
Happy to share and thank you for having me. My real estate investments today are focused on helping people build wealth through passive income in real estate. I focus primarily on mobile home parks and private lending funds. The most enjoyable part is getting people involved who weren’t previously in the business or didn’t know these opportunities existed and helping them co-invest with us.
It’s great to provide opportunities like that. What led you to prioritize simpler, lower-risk investment vehicles like private lending and mobile home parks?
It came from what I would want as an investor first. I had to align my business with what I believed in. For me, that meant low risk. I’m not the type of person who wants to gamble money on venture-style investments. Everything I do today comes from asking whether it’s a good investment for me personally and whether I would invest my own money in it. If it passes my criteria, we bring it to our private network so others can join in with us. Everything I do is based on making sure the investment feels safe from a risk perspective.
That’s one of the great things about real estate investing. There’s truly a strategy or niche for everyone depending on their life and goals. You previously ran a large business with over ninety employees. After exiting, you wanted to rebuild income in a calmer, more predictable way through real estate investing. As you started that transition, what systems did you put in place?
When I had my company, a dry cleaning business, it was very chaotic. About ninety-five percent of my income was active, meaning I was working in or on the business constantly. I was very much an owner-operator. Back in 2014, I started investing in single-family rentals. That was day one of real estate investing for me. At first it didn’t feel like much, but over time I realized consistency mattered. Ten years later, you see the cash flow and appreciation, especially being in a strong market like Austin.
When I sold my business, real estate was a natural path because I’d been investing for a decade. This time it was different. I wanted the benefits of owning real estate without managing the day-to-day. I realized there were people better equipped to operate these assets. Leveraging partnerships, being an owner without running operations or dealing with tenants, made investing much more enjoyable.
That does make it more fun. You’ve experienced both entrepreneurship and passive investing. How did you design your early operations so your investing supported your life instead of pulling you back into another full-time job?
Many entrepreneurs confuse being busy with being productive. I did that for fourteen years, working long days and always answering the phone. When I got into real estate investing with others, the question became how to design this around my life while still benefiting others. Time was the biggest factor.
I have three young kids, and I didn’t want to miss those years. The goal was to structure income that compounds over time. One deal doesn’t change your life, but doing it repeatedly year after year does. You start earning without being clocked in. That’s why I’m passionate about showing people a lower-risk path, especially when so much online marketing promotes unrealistic expectations that end up hurting people.
I can relate to that. When you evaluate new deals, what does your process look like from review to deployment?
I focus on the people first. As you underwrite more deals and raise capital, you’re constantly approached with opportunities. My priority is vetting the person behind the deal. Sometimes that takes time and means passing on opportunities. Once I trust someone, I invest my own money with them and observe how they communicate after the deal closes. That proof matters.
When I invite others to invest alongside me, I can confidently say my own money is already there. I’m not selling products or earning fees. I have a focused strategy, trusted partners, and personal capital at risk. Underwriting models are created by people, and numbers can be shaped to look appealing, which is why vetting the operator is so important.
Communication plays a huge role in investment success. What do you look for in how people communicate with investors?
Clear and consistent communication is essential. Investors should receive regular updates, whether monthly or quarterly, including the good and the bad. Fires, vacancies, and challenges should be shared openly. Accessibility matters. There’s nothing worse than having money invested and not being able to reach the person running the deal.
I’ve experienced situations where updates were scarce until things went wrong. Investors want to know whether someone will be honest when plans don’t go perfectly. Over-communication builds trust and long-term partnerships.
You have deep experience with leadership and delegation from running a large service company. What lessons carried over into your investing business?
Looking back, I didn’t fully leverage the talent and resources I had. Today, fractional support and virtual assistance allow businesses to operate leaner. In my current business, I don’t have traditional staff. I work with strategic partners and a virtual assistant who handles administrative tasks.
Even with a virtual assistant, it’s not plug-and-play. You need to invest time, set expectations, and treat them as a partner. Regular check-ins and clear criteria make a difference. Going from managing ninety employees to running a streamlined operation has been freeing.
Work-life balance is important to you. How do you structure your time now?
I enjoy working, but success today means being able to step away without worrying about paying bills. My workdays are condensed and flexible around my kids’ schedules. I stay involved and aware of what’s happening without constant pressure. Entrepreneurs need a pulse on their business, even when delegating.
The goal is stability through small, consistent actions over time. Money isn’t about the number. It’s about comfort, freedom, and control over your life.
For investors who struggle to delegate, what mindset shift helped you move from operator to allocator?
It started with valuing my time differently. Once you put a dollar value on your time, it becomes easier to outsource tasks that don’t align with your highest value. Paying others to do what they’re good at allows you to focus on strategy and growth.
When you think about scaling wealth through passive investing, what do you see as the most overlooked levers?
I focus on two strategies. Private lending provides predictable cash flow. On the long-term side, buy-and-hold strategies with refinancing allow you to improve value, refinance, pull capital out, and still maintain ownership. Repeating that process over time builds meaningful passive income without adding hours to your day.
Different strategies fit different people. Fixed-income lending appeals to those seeking stability, while equity plays suit those with longer horizons. The key is aligning investments with personal goals and risk tolerance.
Is there anything else that helps you decide which opportunities to pursue or walk away from?
Beyond people and numbers, I look at markets, downside protection, and worst-case scenarios. I visit properties, walk them personally, and verify underwriting. Mobile home parks appealed to me because of limited supply, consistent demand, and lower volatility compared to other asset classes. Like any asset, success depends on how it’s run.
There are misconceptions about mobile home parks, but well-managed communities can be strong, stable investments. It’s about families, local economies, and responsible ownership.
Thank you for sharing your experience and insights.
Thank you for having me.