Clark St Capital

Real Estate Underground · Episode 190 · Season 5

123% Leverage and the Crash That Changed Everything with Joel Kraut

April 14, 2026 · 52m

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Joel Kraut co-founded BRRRR Loans after losing $4.2 million in the 2008 crash. He had 144 properties at over 100% leverage when the market turned. Five tenants called the same day to say they couldn't pay rent.


Today he runs one of the country's fastest-growing private lending shops, and he sees the DSCR lending industry doubling in size over the next three years.


In this episode, Joel and Ed break down:

- Why investors are rotating from Texas and Florida to Ohio, Kentucky, and the Midwest

- How DSCR loans actually work (and why 1.0 coverage isn't enough)

- The real math on leverage: why the smartest investors stay at 60% LTV or below

- Why "relationship capital" matters more than real estate knowledge

- What happened when Joel wired money on March 5, 2020 and the market froze

- His $99 training modules vs. the $35K guru trap

- The best advice he ever got: "Post that in 5 years. Shut up. Go back to work."


Joel currently reads: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell


Connect with Joel: brrrr.com


Real Estate Underground is hosted by Ed Mathews of Clark St Capital.

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