3 Financial Freedom Myths That Slow Investors Down

[Mason Vitalis]

"Financial freedom" gets thrown around a lot in the real estate world—but it’s not always as shiny (or as distant) as people make it out to be. After working with dozens of investors here in the Twin Cities, I’ve noticed a few myths that hold people back more than they realize:

🔹 Myth #1: You need a ton of money to get started.
Truth is, I’ve seen investors buy their first deal with as little as 3.5% (0% for veterans) down through house hacking or creative financing. It’s more about strategy and relationships than bank accounts. There are also great down payment assistance programs and grants that can make getting into real estate not quite as capital intensive as some might think.

🔹 Myth #2: Real estate investing is passive.
Sure, mailbox money is real—but only after systems are built. Most “passive” income starts with a lot of active effort. Let’s be real about that. There are ways to make it more passive by hiring property managers or using partnerships, but it's really never 100% passive. It's good to have realistic expectations of what "passive income" really entails.

🔹 Myth #3: Needing homerun deals
Many investors think they need a homerun deal every time they buy to achieve financial freedom. In reality, base hits win games. Think about it this way. You could spend months or even years trying find that perfect deal or you could buy 2-3 deals in that same timeframe that get you the same result from a cash flow perspective. With rent growth, appreciation, and loan paydown, buying base hits often can actually be a better investment strategy than waiting forever for that perfect homerun.

I work with investors every day who are building freedom in different ways—some with duplexes, others with short-term rentals or long-term buy & holds. There’s no one-size-fits-all path, and that’s what makes this game so interesting and fun! I hope this post was helpful to you on your financial freedom journey.

👇 Let’s open this up:

✅ What myth did you believe when you first started investing?
✅ What’s been the biggest shift in how you think about financial freedom today?
✅ If you could go back and tell your beginner self one thing—what would it be?

Would love to hear your take. Let's start a conversation.