GET THE BAG BIBLICALLY
How believers with a paycheck make faithful real estate decisions, without hustle culture or prosperity preaching.
WITH UNCLE THEO
CLOSE THE OTHER TABS.
PHONE FACE DOWN.
PHONE FACE DOWN.
What I’m about to show you is what I actually do. Not theory.
Let me ask you something
You go to work.
You pay your tithes.
You serve.
You do things the right way.
SO WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS HOOPING…
…AND YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THE BALL GO THROUGH THE HOOP?
My promise for this hour
BY THE END, YOU’LL KNOW THREE THINGS.
Your Paycheck
Why it’s a better starting point than you think
Your Motives
How to want more without loving money
Green or Red
How to tell whether a property pays or costs you
What I am NOT going to do
Tell you God wants everybody rich. He doesn’t.
Tell you to speak a house into existence.
Tell you to quit your job. Your job might be the best thing you’ve got going.
Two quick things
Stay To The End
The best way I know to put all of this to work
Play Green or Red
A deal on the screen. You vote in the chat.
Let me take you back
SOUTH JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD.
SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD.
My mom built a career in healthcare and worked hard to provide for us.
PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE. MISSISSIPPI STATE.
I’M READY.
I’M READY.
HR slides a piece of paper across the table
an hour
a year. Mental health case manager.
I WENT HOME, PUT MY HEAD UNDER A PILLOW,
AND I CRIED.
AND I CRIED.
THAT NIGHT I STARTED LOOKING FOR A BETTER WAY TO USE WHAT I HAD.
I LEARNED HOUSE HACKING.
I BOUGHT A DUPLEX.
I BOUGHT A DUPLEX.
On that same salary.
One side, my aunt and me. The other side, rented.
OUR SIDE
My aunt and me.
She helped raise me. Now I took care of her.
VS
THE OTHER SIDE
Rented out.
The rent covered the mortgage payment.
PHOTO
Theo’s first duplex (if available). If none exists, this stays a graphic.
Save as: theo-duplex.jpg
Hear me
I STILL HAD EXPENSES.
I STILL HAD RESPONSIBILITIES.
I STILL HAD RESPONSIBILITIES.
But I no longer paid that mortgage out of my paycheck. On my income, it felt like a raise without changing jobs.
SAME PAYCHECK.
DIFFERENT DECISION.
DIFFERENT DECISION.
That’s the whole class
IN ONE STORY.
The rest of this hour: how to do it the right way, and how to tell when the right move is not to do it at all.
What happened after the duplex
Public housing property manager. That’s where I learned real estate is people.
My first wholesale deal
It changed what I believed was possible.
THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE BALL GO THROUGH THE HOOP.
[CONFIRM WITH THEO: REVENUE VS PROFIT WORDING]
SIX-FIGURE MONTHS.
SOME SEVEN-FIGURE YEARS.
SOME SEVEN-FIGURE YEARS.
My story, not a promise. Results vary.
But I’ll be honest with you
MY OLD NEED FOR APPROVAL CAME ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
There was always another deal, another number, another milestone.
I WAS GETTING MORE CAPABLE.
I WASN’T GETTING MORE CONTENT.
2016
MY MOM DIED.
OVARIAN CANCER. SHE DIED IN MY ARMS.
OVARIAN CANCER. SHE DIED IN MY ARMS.
ALL THE QUESTIONS I’D BEEN PUTTING OFF CAME TO THE FRONT.
Purpose. Ministry. Whether money had become my master.
I WENT TO SEMINARY.
The Master’s Seminary in California, to study Scripture. While I was there, the business back home struggled. I came home having lost much of what I had built.
HOW MUCH OF WHO I THOUGHT I WAS WAS ATTACHED TO WHAT I OWNED?
I rebuilt. By God’s grace, stronger.
IT COULD CHANGE MY CIRCUMSTANCES.
IT COULD NOT SETTLE MY WORTH.
Today
Husband, Father, Missionary
I help plant churches. No church salary.
Real Estate
Funds the ministry
300+ Doors
Currently managed. Owners, tenants, leasing, maintenance, operations.
Still doing this every week
SCREENSHOT
Theo’s property management software showing doors under management (confidential info removed).
Save as: theo-pm-dashboard.png
Most real estate teaching I’ve seen
Positive thinking.
Motivation.
Grind. No sleep.
Hustle culture.
THAT’S NOT MY LANGUAGE.
DILIGENCE, YES. HUSTLE CULTURE, NO.
You can work hard without working from fear.
What I’ve noticed about believers and money
MOST OF US THINK THERE ARE ONLY TWO OPTIONS.
Option 1
MONEY IS WORLDLY.
STAY AWAY FROM IT.
STAY AWAY FROM IT.
Be humble. Be content. Don’t want more.
Option 2
GO GET IT LIKE THE WORLD GETS IT.
Grind. Hustle. Name it and claim it. Sow a seed into somebody’s ministry and wait for the harvest.
NEITHER ONE FEELS RIGHT.
SO GOOD PEOPLE PICK NEITHER.
SO GOOD PEOPLE PICK NEITHER.
So nothing changes.
Option 3
THERE’S A THIRD OPTION.
WHATEVER GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOU IS A STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITY.
Real estate can be one way to put those resources to useful work. Not the only way. Not a measure of your faith.
A steward asks a different question
NOT “HOW DO I GET MORE?”
“WHAT’S THE FAITHFUL DECISION WITH WHAT’S IN MY HANDS?”
Sometimes that means
AVOIDING A BAD DEAL IS A GOOD OUTCOME TOO.
The one belief
OLD
To build wealth I have to love money or already have money.
I don’t want the first. I don’t have the second.
VS
NEW
What God entrusted to me is a stewardship responsibility.
Motives, readiness and numbers examined: a faithful decision.
The way you get there is three words
Scripture governs the decision. The numbers show the commitment. The assumptions show what’s still uncertain.
SAY IT WITH ME IN THE CHAT
SCRIPTURE. NUMBERS. ASSUMPTIONS.
Secret 1
YOUR PAYCHECK IS A STARTING POINT,
NOT A CEILING.
NOT A CEILING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU NEED TO BUY REAL ESTATE?
Type it in the chat.
What I see every week as a property manager
A STEADY JOB CAN BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST POSITIONS TO BUY FROM.
Reason 1
LENDERS LOOK FOR A STEADY JOB.
A steady job and a steady history are a big part of what a lender wants to see.
Reason 2
A PAYCHECK LETS YOU BE PATIENT.
You don’t need a deal to eat. You can walk away from a bad one.
The part people skip
AVAILABLE IS NOT THE SAME AS UNCOMMITTED.
A bank balance tells you what’s there. It doesn’t tell you what’s free.
GRAB A PEN.
Four numbers. Don’t overthink it.
Your numbers
1. Comes In
Every month, after taxes
2. Goes Out
Every month, including your giving
3. Savings
Not counting your emergency fund
4. Already Promised
Anything already spoken for
Your investable funds
SAVINGS − ALREADY PROMISED
Your emergency fund is not in this number. Ever.
If you wrote a zero, hear me
THAT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE.
THAT’S YOUR SETUP.
THAT’S YOUR SETUP.
And setups can change.
GRABBED THE STARTER KIT?
Pull up your Readiness Workbook. These numbers go on page one.
Readiness is not just money
Obligations
What you already owe
Reserves
What you never touch
Competence
What you know, and where you need help
Time
What you really have
Household
Who depends on you
Setbacks
What you could absorb without breaking a promise
Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
Proverbs 24:27 ESV
FIELD FIRST.
HOUSE SECOND.
HOUSE SECOND.
Most people want the house before the field is ready. That’s how they get hurt.
Secret 2
WANTING MORE IS NOT LOVING MONEY.
WHO GREW UP HEARING “MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL”?
Type YES in the chat.
That’s not what it says
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
MONEY IS USEFUL.
It buys groceries, fixes roofs, pays people and supports ministry. It becomes a master when gain becomes a good enough reason to disobey God.
Write this down
MONEY MUST REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR YOUR OBEDIENCE.
YOUR OBEDIENCE MUST NEVER BECOME AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
BOOK COVER
Cover of Get the Bag Biblically.
Save as: theo-book.png
But I’m not swinging you to the other side
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth…
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 ESV
A WARNING ABOUT PRIDE WHEN THINGS GO WELL.
NOT A PROMISE THAT EVERY BELIEVER GETS RICH.
Hold it next to this one
The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:2 ESV
GOD MADE THEM BOTH.
Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
Matthew 8:20 ESV
Here’s what I am going to tell you
YOUR WORTH WAS SETTLED BEFORE YOU EARNED A DOLLAR.
Not more accepted when your business grows.
Not less accepted when it shrinks.
Your income tells you what you earned. It can’t tell you who you are.
I’ve watched it happen
CIRCLE THE RETIREMENT NUMBER AND SAY “THAT’S WHAT I’M WORTH.”
SETTLED IDENTITY: YOU HANDLE GROWTH.
UNSETTLED: GROWTH HANDLES YOU.
“I KNOW GOD IS GOOD.
HE JUST SKIPPED OVER ME.”
HE JUST SKIPPED OVER ME.”
HE DIDN’T SKIP YOU.
I won’t promise the increase comes on your schedule. Some faithful people wait a long time. That doesn’t mean God left.
BUT A LOT OF US HAVE NEVER SEEN THE BALL GO THROUGH THE HOOP ONCE.
That’s why we start small
What a morning looks like for me
JOSHUA 5
Before one step into the land: covenant. God’s people get right with Him first.
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Psalm 127:1 ESV
My mornings
SCRIPTURE. PRAYER. QUIET.
Before I touch a deal. I’m not racing anybody. I’ve got work to do, and I do it from rest.
Examine your motives before any deal
Why do I want this? The real answer, not the church answer.
Whom will this investment serve? My household, my church, people in need, or my ego?
What would success serve, and how will I remain faithful if the increase does not come?
And three more
What commitments will I protect? Marriage, kids, church, rest, promises already made.
What will I refuse to compromise, even on a good deal? Decide before the offer shows up.
Who will carry the consequences? Have they had a say? Your excitement doesn’t create their consent.
Step one
OPEN THE SCRIPTURES.
IDENTITY BEFORE STRATEGY.
IDENTITY BEFORE STRATEGY.
Secret 3
YOU DON’T GET BURNED WHEN YOU EXAMINE THE ASSUMPTIONS.
I’M THE PROPERTY MANAGER WHO CLEANS UP THE MESSES.
The calls I get
Out-of-state investor.
Bought sight unseen.
Because somebody sent a beautiful spreadsheet.
What went wrong
Fudged Rent Roll
The rent was never real
Inflated ARV
The value was a guess
Flood Zone
Nobody mentioned it
LET’S PLAY GREEN OR RED.
Here’s a deal
$85,000
Purchase price
20% Down
Borrow $68,000 at 7.5%, 30 years
$475/mo
Mortgage
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
What the wholesaler sends you
Rent+$1,250
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$90
Insurance−$60
Cash flow / month+$625
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GREEN
CHAT: GREEN OR RED?
Would you buy it?
A LOT OF YOU SAID GREEN.
THAT’S EXACTLY HOW THEY GET YOU.
Now let’s examine the assumptions
ONE AT A TIME.
Assumption 1: Rent • real comps on that street
Rent CHECKED+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$90
Insurance−$60
Cash flow / month+$425
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GREEN
Assumption 2: Taxes • reassessed at your price
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes CHECKED−$165
Insurance−$60
Cash flow / month+$350
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GREEN
Assumption 3: Insurance • it’s in a flood zone
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$165
Insurance CHECKED−$185
Cash flow / month+$225
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GETTING CLOSE
Now the reserves
EVERY % IS A SHARE OF THE GROSS SCHEDULED RENT: $1,050.
Starting assumptions you examine for every property. Not universal numbers.
Assumption 4: Vacancy • the month it sits empty
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$165
Insurance−$185
Vacancy (5%) CHECKED−$52.50
Cash flow / month+$172.50
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GETTING CLOSE
Assumption 5: CapEx • roof, water heater, HVAC
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$165
Insurance−$185
Vacancy (5%)−$52.50
CapEx reserve (5%) CHECKED−$52.50
Cash flow / month+$120
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GETTING CLOSE
Assumption 6: Routine repairs • kept separate from CapEx
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$165
Insurance−$185
Vacancy (5%)−$52.50
CapEx reserve (5%)−$52.50
Routine repairs (5%) CHECKED−$52.50
Cash flow / month+$67.50
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
GETTING CLOSE
Assumption 7: Management • toilets on a Saturday night
Rent+$1,050
Mortgage−$475
Taxes−$165
Insurance−$185
Vacancy (5%)−$52.50
CapEx reserve (5%)−$52.50
Routine repairs (5%)−$52.50
Management (10%) CHECKED−$105
Cash flow / month−$37.50
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
RED
SAME HOUSE.
SAME PRICE.
SAME PRICE.
The only thing that changed is that we examined the assumptions.
WHAT THEY SELL YOU
+$625 a month
Green light
VS
WHAT YOU LIVE WITH
−$37.50 a month
Red light
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE • NOT A REAL PROPERTY • NOT A PROMISE
YOU DON’T GET BURNED IN REAL ESTATE.
YOU GET BURNED BY ASSUMPTIONS YOU NEVER CHECKED.
Hear me
THIS DEAL, AT THIS PRICE, DOESN’T WORK.
Walking away from a bad deal is a good outcome.
And when a deal comes up green
GREEN MEANS IT PASSES YOUR SCREEN ON WHAT YOU KNOW TODAY.
You still investigate.
Not a guarantee of profit.
Not a sign of God’s approval.
A deal can pass every number and still be wrong for you
Dishonesty
Somebody isn’t telling the truth
Capacity
You can’t carry it well
Responsibilities
It would cost people you already owe
That’s the whole skill
NOT FINDING A DEAL.
MAKING A FAITHFUL DECISION BEFORE YOU SIGN.
Inside the Get the Bag Biblically OS
% OF GROSS RENT • HYPOTHETICAL • EDUCATION ONLY
Let’s put it together
Step 1
OPEN THE SCRIPTURES.
Identity, motives, what you’ll protect and what you’ll refuse, before you look at a single deal.
Step 2
RUN THE NUMBERS.
Obligations, reserves, investable funds, your enough number, and what you will and won’t buy.
Step 3
EXAMINE THE ASSUMPTIONS.
Rent, taxes, insurance, flood zone, vacancy, CapEx, repairs, management. Green or red.
Our motives matter.
Our methods matter.
And the people affected by our decisions matter.
YOU CAN TAKE THIS AND DO IT ON YOUR OWN.
I mean that.
But I’ll be honest with you
I GAVE YOU THREE STEPS IN AN HOUR.
THE REAL PROCESS IS SIX.
SO LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE BUILT.
THE BIBLICAL REAL ESTATE INVESTING OPERATING SYSTEM
With an app we built
THE GET THE BAG BIBLICALLY OS
APP MOCKUP
The Get the Bag Biblically OS on a laptop and a phone.
Save as: gtbb-os-mockup.png
What it is NOT
Not a hype course.
Not “buy ten houses in ten months.”
Not a promise that you’ll make money.
My six steps, with the tools built in. You work through it inside the app at your own pace.
What you get • Step 1
FOUNDATION
Identity in Christ, motives, contentment, integrity, responsibility, generosity and limits. Real estate is one application of that bigger message, so it comes first. Plus the six questions.
What you get • Step 2
READINESS
Obligations, reserves, competence, time, household and the setback you could absorb. Your investable funds and your enough number. Plus the house hack path.
What you get • Step 3
GOALS + BUYING CRITERIA
What you will buy and what you won’t. Price range, areas, property type, the numbers it has to hit.
What you get • Step 4
FIND + SCREEN
Every deal you’re looking at, checked against your buying criteria first.
What you get • Step 5
RUN THE NUMBERS + EXAMINE THE ASSUMPTIONS
Everything in Green or Red, on your own deals. As pitched next to examined, the assumption checklist, and a printable deal sheet.
What you get • Step 6
STEWARD THE PROPERTY
From someone who currently manages 300+ doors. Reserves, maintenance, honest communication, timely repairs, fair treatment, paying what you owe, and the effect on your family, church, generosity and rest. When to hold, refinance, sell or reduce.
The Get the Bag Biblically OS
Keeps Your Answers
All six steps, worked through inside the app
Cash-Flow Calculator
Green or red, on your own deals
Scripture Library
Passages by topic, in context
Bonus 1
THE HONEST OFFER
How I make offers to sellers: truthful representations, clear terms, realistic commitments, the right disclosures, and respect for every seller.
I don’t do things to stay out of jail. I do things to stay out of hell.
Uncle Theo
Bonus 2
OUT-OF-STATE DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST
Everything I check as the property manager who inherits the bad deals.
Bonus 3
PROPERTY MANAGER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
How to hire somebody who won’t burn you.
Everything in one place
The Biblical Real Estate Investing Operating System • 6 steps
The Get the Bag Biblically OS app • with the Cash-Flow Calculator
Bonus: The Honest Offer
Bonus: Out-of-State Due Diligence Checklist
Bonus: Property Manager Interview Questions
Self-paced inside the app. [CONFIRM: app access length, 12 months today] [CONFIRM: support for $997 buyers]. No one-on-one coaching.
I’VE WATCHED INVESTORS LOSE MORE THAN THIS ON ONE BAD ASSUMPTION.
One flood zone nobody mentioned. One rent roll that was a lie.
Your investment
for all of it
GET INSTANT ACCESS →[CONFIRM: payment plan line only if a plan is live on the checkout]
“LET ME PRAY ABOUT IT.”
Please do. I mean that.
Pray about the right question
NOT JUST THIS
“Should I spend $997?”
VS
THIS
“Do I have a way to make faithful decisions with what God put in my hands? Or am I guessing?”
Waiting can be wise. Sometimes the faithful answer is “not yet.”
Rushing is what costs people.
BUYING THE RED DEAL BECAUSE THE SPREADSHEET SAID GREEN.
GUESSING IS THE EXPENSIVE PART.
DOING IT IN ORDER IS THE PART YOU CONTROL.
Questions I get
“ISN’T WANTING WEALTH UNSPIRITUAL?”
Wanting to steward well is spiritual. Loving money isn’t. If the Bible can only encourage your ambitions and never correct them, you haven’t given it authority over your ambitions.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“IS THIS PROSPERITY GOSPEL?”
No. Scripture does not teach that every Christian should become wealthy, that giving guarantees a financial return, or that your bank account measures your faith. I’m teaching stewardship and math.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“I DON’T HAVE MUCH SAVED.”
Start where Step 2 starts: obligations, reserves, investable funds, the house hack path. I bought my first property on about $20K a year. And “not yet” can be a faithful answer.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“I GOT BURNED BEFORE.”
Then you know why Step 5 exists. You probably got burned by an assumption nobody checked.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“I’M NOT IN MISSISSIPPI.”
Neither are most people I clean up after. The Out-of-State Due Diligence Checklist is built for buying where you don’t live.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“I’M BUSY. MINISTRY, FAMILY, A JOB.”
So am I. That’s why it’s an app you work through at your own pace, not hours of video.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
Questions I get
“WILL THIS MAKE ME MONEY?”
I can’t promise that, and anybody who does is lying to you. Sometimes wisdom improves your finances. Sometimes obedience costs you a deal. You’ll know how to examine a deal before you sign.
Results vary. Theo’s results are his own and are not typical or a promise of what you will earn. Education only, not financial, legal or tax advice.
After all these years
THE PEOPLE WHO BUILD SOMETHING THAT LASTS AREN’T THE ONES WHO HUSTLE HARDEST.
THEY’RE THE ONES WHO DID IT IN ORDER.
Click the button
Settle your foundation.
Know your numbers.
Tell whether a deal is green or red before you sign.
One last thing, for a smaller group
SOME OF YOU WANT TO BRING YOUR DEAL TO THE TABLE.
THE GET THE BAG BIBLICALLY INVESTOR CIRCLE
90 days of group mentorship.
Calls every other week, as a group.
Real deals examined live. Your property on the screen.
It’s not for everybody
A group. Not one on one.
Not for anybody looking to get rich quick.
A short conversation with my team to see if it’s a fit and walk you through exactly what’s included. No pressure. No price on a page.
TALK WITH MY TEAM →Our motives matter.
Our methods matter.
And the people affected by our decisions matter.
JOIN ME AS WE GET THE BAG.
BUT LET’S COMMIT TO ALWAYS, AND I MEAN ALWAYS, DOING IT BIBLICALLY.
LOVE YOU, FAMILY. UNCLE THEO.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.