Beyond Traditional Real Estate: The Power of Mortgage Notes

What if real estate investing did not require you to buy the house?

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Nareman Hamdan sits down with Nathan Turner, known as “The Canadian Note Guy,” to explore the world of mortgage note investing and the entrepreneurial lessons behind his more than 15 years in the business.

Nathan explains the concept in simple terms: instead of buying the property, he buys the mortgage attached to it. The homeowner owns and maintains the house, while the note investor operates more like the lender, with the property serving as collateral.

The conversation also goes back to Nathan’s earlier entrepreneurial chapter, when he and his wife owned two Curves franchises. During the 2007–2008 downturn, declining memberships put the businesses under significant pressure.

That period produced two principles that continued to shape Nathan’s approach:

“I run the business. The business doesn’t run me.”

And make decisions based on facts rather than fear.

Nathan shares why he relies heavily on financial projections, including an early lesson that showed him how running the numbers can produce a very different answer from intuition alone.

He also discusses the importance of building boundaries as an entrepreneur. After years of working from early morning until late at night, Nathan moved toward a more structured schedule, dedicated office space, time-blocking, and intentionally disconnecting from business after hours.

The episode explores his collaborative leadership style, why he now prefers working with specialized professionals rather than maintaining a traditional employee structure, and what separates a great realtor, attorney, servicer, or partner from someone who simply goes through the motions.

Nathan also talks about developing relationship-building as a skill despite being naturally introverted. He credits conferences with having an enormous impact on his business by helping him learn from other investors, expand his network, and create opportunities.

For people interested in mortgage notes, Nathan offers an important warning: experience in traditional real estate does not automatically mean you understand the note business. There are different rules, systems, and approaches to learn.

At the same time, he warns against analysis paralysis.

Learn the rules.

Learn enough to move responsibly.

Then take action.

Nathan also discusses the Diversified Mortgage Expo, the annual conference he runs for people ranging from newcomers to experienced mortgage note investors.

Connect with Nathan Turner

Earnest Investing:
https://earnestinvesting.com/

Email:
nathan@earnestinvesting.com

Diversified Mortgage Expo:
Available through EarnestInvesting.com

LinkedIn:
Search “Nathan Turner” / “The Canadian Note Guy”

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Website:
https://www.drivensuccesspodcast.com/