On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Mike Neubauer, a retired Maui firefighter, photographer, real estate investor, and co-founder of Our Family Invests, to talk about building financial freedom through real estate, intentional investing, and creating a lifestyle that puts family and purpose first.

Mike shares how his creative background and experience as a firefighter shaped his approach to entrepreneurship and investing. He explains how the time and flexibility of working in the fire department gave him the opportunity to read, research, and develop himself, eventually leading him to real estate through a fellow firefighter who was already investing in Maui.

The conversation explores Mike's evolution from short-term rentals to a more passive investment strategy. He explains how he created an extremely specific buy box for Maui properties, why he focused on condo complexes with lockout units, and how he went from remodeling his first short-term rental himself to building a portfolio that generated significant income.

Mike also discusses how the Maui market changed dramatically after 2023, including rising insurance and HOA costs, declining tourism, and regulatory changes surrounding short-term rentals. He shares why he ultimately sold many of his Maui properties and shifted his investments toward other markets, including development projects in Utah and Idaho.

Finally, Mike and Jonathan dig into lifestyle investing, family wealth, syndications, and the importance of taking ownership of your investment decisions. Mike explains why he prefers betting on the operator rather than simply the asset class, how syndications have given him exposure to markets and investments without the operational headaches, and why understanding your current financial position and your family's goals should come before deciding what to invest in.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How Mike used his firefighter schedule to pursue personal development and discover real estate investing
• Why Mike created a highly specific buy box for short-term rental properties in Maui
• How changing tourism, insurance costs, HOA fees, and regulations transformed the Maui short-term rental market
• Why Mike shifted from active real estate investing toward syndications, development, and lifestyle-focused investments
• How family goals, financial awareness, and extreme ownership can lead to better long-term investment decisions

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Supporting Resources

Connect with Mike:

Website - OurFamilyInvests.com

YouTube - Youtube.com/@OurFamilyInvests

Facebook - Facebook.com/OurFamilyInvests

Instagram - Instragram.com/OurFamilyInvests

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyneu/

TikTok - TikTok.com/OurFamilyInvests

Connect with Jonathan:

Podcast - www.zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.com

YouTube - www.youtube.com/JonathanGreenere

Instagram - www.instagram.com/zenrealestateinvesting

Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene

Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene

Facebook - www.facebook.com/zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting

Jonathan's Hub Site - www.trustgreene.com

Brokerage - https://www.streamlined.properties

This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.