In this episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, I’m joined by Tait Duryea, a seasoned airline pilot turned real estate investor and the founder of Turbine Capital. We explore how he’s helping fellow pilots and high-income professionals break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck grind by building generational wealth through alternative investments.
Tait unpacks why he launched a private equity firm tailored for pilots, how his team scouts high-quality operators across diverse asset classes, and the key mindsets and strategies investors need to thrive in today’s turbulent commercial real estate market. From multifamily syndications to water-rights-backed tiny home ventures, this is one conversation packed with eye-opening insights!
Key Talking Points of the Episode
[0:00] - Introducing Tait Duryea and the Passive Income Pilots podcast
[2:32] - Tait’s journey from aspiring entrepreneur to pilot and real estate investor
[5:18] - Why airline pilots need better financial strategies
[6:30] - Turbine Capital’s unique asset-agnostic approach
[7:43] - Exploring high-risk, high-reward ventures through Skunkworks
[10:23] - Mitosis Living: The Tesla of luxury tiny homes
[16:09] - Water rights, land, and asymmetric risk in alternative investments
[18:02] - Why diversification and passive investing matter more than ever
[19:27] - The harsh lessons from 2021–2022 commercial deals
[21:08] - How to vet syndications and think like a savvy LP
[23:13] - Asset allocation insights from Tiger 21
[24:51] - Turbine Capital’s personal approach to investor relationships
[25:23] - The ultimate goal: Freedom, not just money
Quotables
“Money is not the goal. Freedom is the goal. Money is just the tool to get there.”
“You can buy cash-producing assets first—and let your assets pay for the toys.”
“If this thing fails, we still own $12 million in water rights and a working factory.”
“Diversification is easy when you’re a limited partner—hard when you’re swinging hammers.”
“Never put all your eggs in one basket—especially not in a sub-3% cap rate deal.”
Links & Resources
Turbine Capital: https://www.turbinecap.com
Passive Income Pilots Podcast: https://passiveincomepilots.com/
QLS Live
Real Estate On Your Terms and Deal Structure Overtime
https://wickedsmartbooks.com/podcast
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http://smartrealestatecoach.com/masterspodcast
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http://smartrealestatecoach.com/actionpodcast
QLS 4.0
https://smartrealestatecoach.com/qlspodcast
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