In this episode of Investor 1-on-1, we sit down with Mike Benton, a 20-year real estate and mortgage veteran who’s done it all from flipping 250 homes and redeveloping a 120-unit apartment complex to running a leading mortgage division.Mike is currently the Division President at Responsive Mortgage, where he leads a team dedicated to making home loans simple, fast, and stress-free for buyers and investors alike. Before that, he built and sold a successful real estate redevelopment company to a family office in 2017 and now focuses on developing 25 new single-family homes in Port St. Joe, Florida some to sell, others to hold as rentals.In this conversation, Mike shares how he got started in real estate, what he’s learned from two decades of flipping, lending, and developing, and the biggest financing mistakes investors should avoid in today’s market. We also dive into how to build a sellable business, find overlooked markets, and use creative deal structures to stay competitive even as rates fluctuate.If you’ve ever wondered how to transition from operator to builder or how to scale in both real estate and lending—this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.📌 Timestamps:00:17 – Intro02:00 – How Mike got started in real estate and his first deal04:05 - Responsive Mortgage06:00 - As both an investor and Division President at Responsive Mortgage, what’s the biggest financing mistake you see investors make—and how can they avoid it?06:50 - With lending tightening and rates fluctuating, what should investors know about structuring deals or loans creatively in today’s market?08:15 - You’re known for helping buyers close fast—what can investors do to speed up financing and stay competitive in a hot market? Scale to 20 mill9:40 - Case Study11:00 – How Mike scouts undervalued or emerging markets12:00 – If starting over with $100K how would he do it?13:40 - Push VS Pause in Real Estate15:30 - A failure he would have done differently19:06 – Daily routines, staying sharp, and what’s next🔔 Subscribe for more 1-on-1 interviews with the nation’s top real estate investors and entrepreneurs.Connect with Mike:https://www.responsivemortgage.com/te...  / mikegbenton    / mikegbenton    / mikegbenton  Connect with Or:  / orsapir    / orsapir11  Connect with us:https://linktr.ee/motivatedsellersReady for exclusive off-market deals?👉 Get started at MotivatedSellers.com/