Why Wall Street Is Broken and Real Estate Is the Future | Nic DeAngelo

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"What if the smartest money in the world is quietly walking away from Wall Street—and you’re still stuck riding the roller coaster?"

If you’ve ever opened your brokerage account and felt like the market was rigged—or worse, completely disconnected from reality—you’re not alone.

📉 While the S&P 500 hits new highs, your actual purchasing power is quietly eroding.
💸 Inflation keeps climbing. Your dollars buy less every year.
📊 And the companies you're betting on? Many are over-leveraged, overhyped, and overvalued.

Meanwhile, billion-dollar institutions like BlackRock and Blackstone are ditching public markets and going all in on private real estate. They’re not just buying buildings—they’re building wealth where most retail investors aren’t even looking.

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Big Takeaways from the Episode

• “Wall Street is broken. Real estate is the cure.”
• The number of public companies has dropped over 40% since 1995.
• Private equity has exploded 6x, attracting top-performing businesses.
• Nic’s group creates stable cash flow by buying discounted residential mortgages.
• Inflation, debt, and dollar devaluation are reshaping how smart investors build wealth.
• The next decade's biggest opportunities? Industrial real estate, small bay flex, and retail.

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The Fall of Wall Street: Why Public Markets Are No Longer Serving You

"The stock market is now more concentrated than ever—over 30% of the S&P 500’s value is tied to just 7 companies."

In the episode, Nic explains that the number of publicly listed companies has drastically declined, while the private markets have boomed.

But here’s the deeper lesson:
Retail investors are being left behind as institutional players go private—where the best growth and returns now live.

🛠 Your Playbook:

• Beginner: Learn what “private markets” mean—research real estate syndications, crowdfunding, or REIT alternatives.
• Intermediate: Allocate 10–30% of your portfolio toward vetted private deals.
• Advanced: Partner directly with fund managers or GPs focused on high-return, low-volatility assets.

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The Inflation Spiral and the Real Threat to Your Cash

“Over 80% of all U.S. dollars in circulation have been printed since 2020.”

Even if markets rise, inflation eats your returns. That’s why many investors are shifting to asset-backed fixed income strategies—ones that protect capital while producing monthly cash flow.

Nic’s firm buys distressed single-family mortgages at a discount and restructures them, creating long-term, reliable cash flow for investors.

🛠 Your Playbook:

• Beginner: Reduce cash drag—move savings into inflation-resistant assets like short-term rental funds or mortgage notes.
• Intermediate: Evaluate funds paying 8–14% backed by real estate.
• Advanced: Learn how to underwrite mortgage note deals and consider building your own cash flow portfolio.

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The Real Estate Sectors Smart Money Is Pouring Into

“BlackRock has tripled its exposure to real estate and hard assets.”

Institutions like Blackstone and BlackRock are making massive bets in:

• Industrial (including small bay flex)
• Retail resurgence
• Data centers and AI infrastructure

Nic believes these sectors will outperform over the next 10–20 years—and he's backing it with capital.

🛠 Your Playbook:

• Beginner: Understand the fundamentals of these sectors—start with industrial basics.
• Intermediate: Vet operators and private equity groups targeting niche assets.
• Advanced: Acquire or JV on overlooked opportunities in midsize metros or undervalued markets.

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Real-Life Wins: From Distressed to Durable

Nic’s company has evolved from flipping foreclosures post-2008 to building institutional-quality fixed income funds today.

🎯 Example:

"We buy non-performing single-family mortgages at a discount, get them re-performing, and generate 20–30 years of consistent income for our investors."

Saint Investment Group’s fixed income fund currently pays up to 14.28% fixed returns, backed by real estate—not speculation.

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Expert Edge: Backed by Data, Not Hype

Nic and his team don’t rely on headlines—they track 26+ economic indicators, including:

• Jobless claims and employment trends
• Core inflation metrics: PCE, CPI, PPI
• U.S. debt service and Federal Reserve policies
• Strength of the U.S. dollar vs. foreign currencies
• The Fed’s dot plot to forecast rate cuts

🔗 How the Federal Reserve’s Dot Plot Predicts Interest Rates

📘 Related: How Real Estate Investors Prepare for Rate Cycles

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Final Thoughts: From Wall Street Chaos to Real World Clarity

There was a time when Wall Street felt like the only game in town. But the rules have changed.

Today, we're living through an economic shift where private markets, real estate, and inflation-proof assets are quickly replacing outdated financial strategies.

Just like Nic DeAngelo, you can read the signs, follow the data, and pivot early—before you're forced to. His story is a roadmap: start where you are, study the signals, and lean into smart, asset-backed moves.

💡 "You don't need to be the fastest or smartest—you just need to track the people who are."

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to keep betting your future on broken systems.

There’s a better path—one that’s backed by real assets, real income, and a real strategy.

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Stay Connected & Learn More

🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here: LINK

👁️ Watch the full episode here: LINK

📩 Be part of the discussion! Join our Facebook group: LINK

📅 Book a coaching call w/ Matt Aitchison: LINK

🚀 Enroll in our EXPERT-led courses: LINK

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