The Sweet Shift into Real Estate Investing with Aaron Hale Ep 18

Episode 18: The Sweet Shift into Real Estate Investing with Aaron Hale What happens when life forces you to start again and you end up building a fudge business, buying rentals, lending to investors, and running some of the toughest races on earth? In this episode of Save to Zero, co-hosts Mike and Zach sit down with Aaron Hale, a former military cook, Army EOD technician, fudge maker, real estate investor, lender, speaker, and extreme endurance athlete. His story is powerful, funny, and full of the kind of perspective that makes you rethink what’s possible. Aaron shows how Extraordinary Delights started as “kitchen therapy” during one of the hardest seasons of his life. After losing his sight, hearing, and balance, cooking became a way to reconnect with joy, purpose, and other people. What started as homemade fudge for friends and neighbors soon became a real business. But Aaron didn’t stop there. Once the fudge business started making money, he and his family began asking a bigger question: What should we do with this income? That led him into real estate investing. Aaron talks honestly about underestimating the rehab budget, learning the hard way, and still making the deal work. From there, he moved into rentals, short-term rentals, BRRRR projects, and eventually private lending and more passive investment options. Partnership is a key to Aaron’s success. He shares how much of his life depends on finding the right people, whether he’s running, climbing mountains, kayaking, or investing in real estate. For him, building a team isn’t optional. You’ll Learn in This Episode: How Aaron moved from fudge making into real estate investment Why active income can be used to build passive income What beginner real estate education helped get him started Why his first BRRRR deal became a major learning experience How partnerships and trusted teams shape his investing strategy What private lending can look like in real estate Why passive returns usually come with trade-offs How Aaron thinks about risk, trust, and due diligence Quotes “Kitchen therapy turned into a business.” “You take the active money, and you do passive things with it.” “Blind or not, I still need a team.” “The more hands-off you get, the less return you’re going to get for yourself.” About Aaron Hale Aaron Hale is a former Army EOD technician who lost his vision and hearing after a catastrophic illness following combat deployments. Rather than retreat from life, he rebuilt it.  Aaron became the first deaf-blind athlete to complete the Badwater 135, the toughest foot race on earth, and most recently ran from the coast of Africa to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in a historic sea-to-summit expedition.  Today, he speaks to leaders and teams about resilience, adaptation, and performing when circumstances are far from ideal.  Find Aaron Hale and the Point of Impact Podcast Online Find Aaron Hale on Instagram | LinkedIn Find REI Capital Guys For Investors & the Fund – Learn how the Fund works and book a call For Borrowers & Deals – Get funding and support for your next investment