In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, Derek sits down with Lee Yoder, a former physical therapist who left the corporate world to build a thriving multifamily real estate business.
Lee shares how he transitioned from healthcare into real estate, scaling from his first flip to nearly 900 apartment units across Ohio and Indiana. Along the way, he discusses partnerships, syndications, market cycles, financing strategies, and why long-term thinking is the foundation of successful investing.
Whether you’re just getting started or already investing in multifamily properties, this episode offers practical insights into growing a business while keeping faith and family at the center of the journey.
Watch the episode here
Listen to the podcast here
Overview
Lee Yoder began his career as a physical therapist but quickly realized he was more passionate about leadership, entrepreneurship, and building businesses than practicing medicine. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, he recognized there was another path to financial freedom and began investing in real estate while maintaining his W-2 job.
Starting with house flips and small multifamily properties, Lee steadily built experience before leaving his career in healthcare to pursue real estate full-time. Today, he and his team own and manage nearly 900 apartment units, syndicating deals and operating their own property management company.
Throughout the conversation, Lee discusses:
- Transitioning from a secure career into entrepreneurship
- Building partnerships the right way with operating agreements
- Raising private capital through syndications
- Why communication with investors is critical
- The challenges of today’s multifamily market
- Fixed-rate debt versus bridge financing
- Managing downside risk during changing market cycles
- The importance of buying for cash flow instead of speculation
Derek and Lee also dive into the realities of today’s commercial real estate market, discussing why many operators are struggling while disciplined investors continue to find opportunities.
One of the biggest themes of the episode is:
👉 Real estate is a long-term wealth-building strategy—but success comes from patience, discipline, and protecting the downside.
Key Takeaways
- Your career doesn’t have to define your future
- Partnerships should always be documented properly
- Communication builds investor trust
- Fixed-rate financing reduces long-term risk
- Cash flow should drive investment decisions
- Market cycles create opportunities for disciplined investors
- Multifamily remains a strong long-term asset class
- Patience often outperforms aggressive investing
- Faith, family, and business can work together
- Long-term ownership builds lasting wealth
Relevant Topics Discussed
- Multifamily investing
- Syndications
- Private capital
- Partnership agreements
- Operating agreements
- Fixed-rate financing
- Market cycles
- Property management
- Entrepreneurship
- Faith and family in business
Why Should You Listen?
Listen to this episode if you:
- Want to transition from a W-2 career into real estate
- Are interested in multifamily syndications
- Want to raise private capital responsibly
- Are navigating today’s changing market
- Believe long-term investing beats chasing quick wins
Lee shares an honest look at the challenges and rewards of building a real estate business while staying grounded in faith, family, and long-term thinking.
Important Links:
About Lee Yoder
Lee was a Doctor of Physical Therapy when he realized his true passion was building his own business and investing in real estate. He took this passion and considerable action to quickly build a portfolio of several small apartment buildings. After repositioning these properties and bringing them full cycle, he was able to quit his W2 in 2020 and jump into real estate investing full-time. Today, Lee is focused on syndicating larger apartment buildings. He is the founder and visionary behind Threefold Properties, and he’s committed to forging a path that will generate incredible wealth and opportunity for all involved. Threefold owns and operates 900 units in Ohio and Indiana ($55M AUM). Threefold has in-house management allowing complete focus on the operations of our properties. Threefold has gone full-cycle on three projects providing exceptional returns to our investors.