

Real Estate Investor • Creative Financing Strategist • Morgan State University Alumnus • Mentee
Shepard Solomon is a real estate investor and proud Morgan State University graduate, Class of 2011, where he earned his degree in business. He is a longtime mentee of Baltimore property owner Ronald Willis, learning the real estate business through years of hands-on experience rather than theory alone.
On this episode of Mystery to Mastery, "The Dos and Don'ts of Real Estate," Shepard joins Ronald Willis and host Keisha Shepherd to break down creative financing strategies including hard money lending, DSCR loans, gap loans, seller financing, and subject-to agreements, and to explain how the BRRRR method (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) helps new investors build a portfolio without using their own cash upfront.
Shepard credits much of his real estate education to the years he spent working directly alongside Ronald Willis, visiting properties, helping with renovations, and learning to navigate tenant relationships firsthand. Ronald taught him to build relationships, communicate clearly, and put money toward assets rather than liabilities, lessons Shepard says shaped both his business and his approach to life.
Today, Shepard is a strong advocate for joining real estate investment clubs, doing thorough due diligence on a neighborhood before buying, keeping healthy cash reserves, and choosing business partners carefully based on consistency, integrity, and complementary strengths.
Morgan State University Graduating Class
Creative Financing Strategies Covered
Years of Hands-On Training Under Ronald Willis
Guiding Principle: Relationships Are Everything
Continue learning beyond the podcast with practical tools inspired by Shepard Solomon's conversation on creative financing, mentorship, and building a real estate business the right way.

Work through the same financing strategies discussed in this episode, including hard money loans, DSCR loans, gap loans, and the BRRRR method, with guided exercises to help you evaluate which strategy fits your next deal

Discover the principles behind building a real estate business the right way. Learn how to vet investment clubs and partners, mitigate risk, and use creative financing to grow your portfolio without waiting on savings alone.
Available free for the first 99 downloads. Pricing may increase based on demand.
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