Tyler Wilson is a guru in his field of lending money, but it was a long road with difficulties and tough lessons to get there. Tyler shares with JD his story of building a real estate portfolio from nothing, failures, successes and the ups and downs of the financial industry over the past 20 years.

Tyler breaks down everything from market cycles, mid-term rentals, DSCR loans, and Fannie/Freddie updates, to how investors should position themselves ahead of 2026 rate drops. He also shares personal stories — including buying his first home in the 2007 crash — and the strategies that helped him build his own portfolio.

Whether you're a new investor or scaling to 10+ properties, this episode provides the exact market insights, zip code strategies, lending hacks, and AI-powered forecasting tools that can level up your investing decisions in North Alabama and beyond.

00:00:17 | The Future of Homeownership: 3D Printed Homes & Smart Homes

Predictions about automated homes, consumer–property interaction, and tech-driven lending.

00:01:11 | Tyler Wilson’s Background & Entry Into Lending

Finance degree, buying his first home in 2007, and how the housing crash guided him toward becoming an advisor.

00:03:03 | Comparing the 2007 Market to Today’s Lending Standards

NINA loans, zero-down loans, and the shift toward stricter post-crash regulations.

00:06:09 | Investment Windows: Why 2024–2026 Is a Key Opportunity

Why Tyler believes we're entering a “sweet spot” for buying.

00:08:18 | Cash Flow vs Appreciation in North Alabama Zip Codes

Breakdown of Huntsville, Madison, Research Park, and Cummings Corridor strategies.

00:08:59 | Vacancy Rates, Inventory Trends & Sub-$250K Homes Returning

140% increase in affordable listings and why older Huntsville homes are back on market.

00:10:45 | How to Forecast Appreciation Using Investor Tools

Tyler shares analysis methods using zip codes & MLS data.

00:13:09 | Why Rates Dropping Will Trigger a Market Surge

Explaining pent-up demand and why waiting may backfire.

00:18:08 | The Role of AI in Mortgage Efficiency & Job Disruption

Industry shifts, Amazon layoffs, and efficiency gains.

00:20:58 | The Loan Officer vs Mortgage Advisor Difference

Why loan officers may be replaced — but advisors won't.

00:22:46 | Building a Strong Lending & Investing Team

Importance of long-term lender relationships, title companies, insurance partners, and financial planners.

00:39:40 | Traditional Loans vs DSCR, Non-QM & Hard Money

When to use each, risks, benefits, and why traditional lending builds long-term wealth.

00:41:19 | Hard Money Lending Risks for New Investors

Loan sharks, prepayment penalties, and why beginners should avoid it.

00:35:00 | How Tyler Built His Own Portfolio & Uses Equity Strategically

Using HELOCs, appreciating markets, and smart leverage to climb the property ladder.

Bringing Local to Banking: North Alabama native Matt Davis has spent a life in banking. Matt takes JD from his early years in Hazel Green to leading the startup of Nova Bank in Huntsville, where he currently serves as the president.

Matt shares his journey from JUCO baseball player to commercial lender to bank executive, and how he and a group of Huntsville leaders navigated federal regulation, capital raising, merger transitions, liquidity management, risk, and community investment to launch Huntsville’s first new locally headquartered bank in decades.

Topics Covered with Timestamps

01:19 – Introducing Guest Matt Davis

JD and Matt discuss their long friendship and shared background.

02:33 – First Job Out of College: Selling Postage Meters

How Pitney Bowes and early B2B sales prepared him for a career pivot.

03:18 – Entering Banking: Wachovia, SouthTrust & Early Lending

Matt’s unexpected shift into banking after moving back to Huntsville.

04:15 – Becoming a Branch Manager at North Alabama Bank

How community banking exposed him to all lending types and accelerated his learning.

04:52 – Banking Through the 2007–2009 Recession

Front-row exposure to real-world credit, underwriting, and distressed assets.

06:11 – Joining National Bank of Commerce & the Merger Era

NBC → CenterState → SouthState: Lessons from major mergers and acquisitions.

07:25 – Why Big Banks Often Don’t Fit Local Borrowers

How large institutions shift toward middle-market lending and away from small investors.

08:12 – The Birth of NOVA Bank (2020–2023)

The idea, early investors, regulatory requirements, and COVID-era challenges.

09:23 – Raising $4M in Seed Capital & Undergoing FDIC Vetting

Background checks, regulatory filings, leadership vetting and more.

10:27 – Leaving a Stable Job to Start a Bank

Matt takes the entrepreneurial leap, leaving South State to lead NOVA’s capital raise.

11:13 – Raising $21.5M Minimum (and Ultimately ~$27–28M)

Why NOVA aimed for 6 months instead of 12, and how they contacted 2,000 people to close investors.

13:59 – Understanding Investor Psychology & Handling Rejection

Improving the pitch and staying disciplined during capital raise.

16:38 – Quiet Launch Phase: Technology, Debit Cards & Buildout

Why debit cards took 8 months and how banks prepare behind the scenes.

17:56 – Digital Banking Strategy & Low Overhead Model

Why modern community banks thrive without heavy brick-and-mortar.

18:57 – Meeting Customers Where They Are: Convenience Banking

Customer service rooted in texting, calls, mobile deposits, and relationships.

20:00 – NOVA Bank’s Madison Street Branch & Ribbon Cutting

Public opening after months of soft-launch testing and operations.

21:15 – Regulatory Requirements After You Open a Bank

Liquidity, asset ratios, concentration risk, ongoing monitoring.

22:12 – Loan Portfolio Strategy & Concentration Limits

Why NOVA prioritizes single-family investors, construction, CRE, C&I loans, and cash products.

26:00 – Winning the National Bank Simulation Competition

How his team outperformed 75 other banks using disciplined strategy.

31:00 – Why Huntsville Needed a Truly Local Community Bank

Filling the void left after major acquisitions eliminated local headquarters.

33:00 – Lessons From the 2008 Crash & Subprime Crisis

Risks of “quick and easy loans” vs. responsible local lending.

35:21 – Understanding What Types of Borrowers NOVA Bank Serves Best

Why NOVA focuses on investors buying 1–4 homes per year, small business owners, and referrals.

38:02 – Selecting the Right Investors & Upholding Character Standards

Why NOVA turned down certain out-of-market investors.

40:07 – Building a Board & Team You Can Call Anytime

Community expertise, collaboration, and being a good steward of capital.

41:59 – Why Deposit Growth Is the Fuel for Lending

Deposit strategy, rates, and why young banks must be hungry.

Russ Hayles made a career change over a decade ago to become a full-time investor and real estate salesman. JD and Russ break down his decisions to go from an economics professor and high school teacher to real estate guru. Russ openly discusses his strategies, tips and advice on how others can make a similar transition. Flips, long-term holds and sales are all on the table for this conversation. Russ shares how his background in economics shaped his approach to decision-making (including the sunk cost mindset that every investor must master), the hard lessons from his first flip gone wrong, and how he built a scalable partnership model to grow a portfolio of over 25 rental properties—without chasing hype or speculation.Topics Covered with Timestamps00:01:14 | Introducing Guest: Who is Russ Hales?

00:01:26 | Transitioning from Teaching & Coaching to Real Estate

00:03:55 | The First Flip: Buying on Whitesburg & Everything That Went Wrong

00:05:00 | Foundation Failures, Redos & Learning the Hard Lessons

00:08:51 | Understanding Sunk Cost Fallacy in Real Estate

00:10:54 | Making Decisions Based on Current Facts — Not Past Spend

00:13:31 | Advice to Sellers: Why Repairs Don’t Always Add Sale Value

00:15:19 | Pricing Strategy: Quick Sale vs. Waiting for the Right Buyer

00:16:24 | Deciding Flip vs. Buy-and-Hold: How Russ Evaluates Each Property

00:18:01 | Portfolio Snapshot: 26 Rentals & The Cash Flow Reality

00:21:51 | The Short-Term Rental Pivot: When Huntsville Changed the Rules

00:23:20 | The Truth About Airbnb Restrictions in Huntsville

00:26:31 | Long-Term Plan: Paying Off Rentals for Retirement Cash Flow

00:29:13 | Partnership Structure: Dividing Labor & Avoiding Conflict

00:32:15 | Life Balance & Humor: Still Playing Basketball at Age 43