Owner Financing & Note Investing Podcast with Dawn Rickabaugh

The Hidden Costs of Selling: Why Your Exit Strategy Matters

Selling an investment property doesn't have to mean handing over a huge chunk of your profits to the IRS! In this episode of Property & Paper Live, Dawn Rickabaugh explores the different tax exit strategies available to landlords and owners of high-equity properties, including 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and installment sales. She breaks down the benefits, risks, and trade-offs of each strategy, with a special focus on how seller financing can help property owners defer capital gains, maintain passive income, and potentially secure a higher sales price. Discover why becoming the bank could be a powerful alternative to a traditional cash sale, and how choosing the right exit strategy can make all the difference in protecting your wealth.

How to Save Taxes and Sell Your Property For More

In this episode of The Landlord Liberation Method, Dawn Rickabaugh explains how seller financing can help tired landlords sell their properties, defer capital gains taxes, and potentially increase their monthly income—all while eliminating the headaches of property management. She explores how offering owner financing can attract more buyers, help properties sell faster, and even command higher sale prices in a challenging market. Through real-world examples and an engaging Q&A, Dawn also shares essential strategies for creating secure, profitable notes, including buyer qualification, down payment requirements, and managing default risks. Discover how installment sales can transform rental properties into predictable retirement income while creating financial solutions for both buyers and sellers.

What Makes a Seller-Financed Note Valuable?

In this episode of Property & Paper Live , Dawn Rickabaugh explains why seller financing and note investing are really two sides of the same coin. Using a real-world note as a case study, she walks through how to evaluate a seller-financed note, including the property value, equity, payment history, lien position, title insurance, borrower information, investment-to-value, and desired yield. Most importantly, Dawn explains why understanding the secondary note market before creating seller-financing terms can help you structure a stronger, more valuable note from day one

Price or Terms: A Smarter Exit for Tired Landlords

In this episode of Landlord Liberation Method , Dawn Rickabaugh explores how seller financing can help longtime landlords turn property equity into steady retirement income while potentially spreading out their tax burden. Through a real-world $800,000 property negotiation and a conversation with investor Raul, Dawn breaks down creative strategies including installment sales, seller-carried notes, and lease purchases for sellers who are stuck on their price. The conversation highlights a powerful principle: sellers may be able to get the price they want when they’re willing to offer the right terms—while creating income, reducing management headaches, and building a financial legacy for their heirs.

Beyond Face Value: Understanding What a Note Is Worth

In this episode of Property & Paper Live, Dawn explores how understanding both real estate and the secondary note market can uncover opportunities most agents and investors overlook. Using a real seller-financed note as an example, she explains why a note’s face value doesn’t determine what it’s actually worth—and why factors like property value, loan-to-value, payment history, borrower credit, note terms, and overall risk all matter when evaluating a deal. She also discusses how partial note purchases can offer an alternative to selling an entire note at a steep discount, and how agents can expand their opportunities by learning to work on both the “property” and “paper” sides of a transaction.

The Tax-Smart Way to Exit Your Rental Properties

This episode of Property and Paper Live explores what Dawn calls the Landlord Liberation Method—using seller financing and installment sales to help longtime landlords turn rental property equity into ongoing income while potentially deferring a significant portion of their capital gains taxes. Dawn walks through a real-world example of a landlord who bought a rental for $50,000 that's now worth $250,000 and compares the potential tax impact of selling for cash versus taking 20% down and carrying the remaining balance. She also discusses why understanding the connection between real estate, seller financing, and the secondary note market opens up creative possibilities that many landlords, investors, and real estate professionals simply don't know exist.

Did You Know Can You Turn Your Commissions Into Notes?

The meeting focused on real estate investing, with an emphasis on notes, seller financing, and creative deal structures. David shared his background in real estate and notes, and participants like Ben, MaryAnn, Jay, and Carl discussed their experiences with contract for deed, lease options, midterm rentals, and working with agents. The group talked about the challenges and benefits of different states and markets, including California, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, Chicago, and the Southwest. They covered topics such as lead generation for notes, the use of LOIs, carrying commissions as notes, and the role of real estate agents in creative transactions. David explained a recent reverse 1031 exchange he helped with, and several members shared insights on estate planning, property management, and market trends. The conversation also touched on the current stock market, the role of high-net-worth individuals in certain markets, and the evolving landscape of real estate investing strategies.

How to Profit from a 0% Owner-Financed Note (Real Deal Breakdown)

In this episode of Property & Paper Live, Dawn Rickabaugh walks through a real-life partial note purchase involving a unique church property financed at 0% interest. Using actual numbers, she demonstrates how investors can create strong yields through properly structured partials—even when the underlying note carries no interest. Along the way, Dawn explains how she solved a seller's urgent cash-flow problem, discusses underwriting considerations, and illustrates why understanding amortization and deal structure is far more important than simply looking at the note's interest rate. It's a practical case study that shows how creative note investing can create win-win financial solutions for everyone involved.

Intro to Master Leasing with Lindsey Jensen

The Real Difference Between Traditional Bank Loans and Seller Financing

In this episode of Property & Paper Live, Dawn Rickabaugh explains the critical connection between seller financing and the note business, showing how every seller-financed transaction creates a note that may later be sold on the secondary market. Using simple side-by-side examples, she walks listeners through the differences between traditional bank-financed real estate transactions and seller-financed deals, highlighting how sellers can become the lender and create flexible financing solutions for buyers. Dawn emphasizes the importance of structuring seller-financed notes correctly from the beginning, since the terms directly affect the note’s future value. The discussion also explores the role of note investors helping sellers optimize their financial outcomes, and concludes with a conversation about the challenges of educating landlords and property owners on the benefits of seller financing.