Former Army officer turned fund manager and land developer, Pete Kavanagh, joins me to break down how he went from flipping houses on an Army salary to running Iron Horse Capital Group, raising millions in private capital, and entitling large land deals across North Carolina.

We talk about commercial real estate investing, land development, raising capital in funds, and the tax strategies most investors never hear about — including a “phantom loss” approach that wiped out his investors’ tax bills while still delivering double-digit cash flow. Pete also shares his worst deal (a $230K loss on a luxury flip), his best deal (a 7,000 sq ft commercial home run), and why he believes in white collar investments with blue collar clarity.

If you’re a wholesaler, land finder, or active investor who wants to level up into entitlements, horizontal development, syndications, and tax-smart commercial deals, this episode will show you how to think like a fund manager while still staying grounded as an operator.

In this episode you’ll learn:
- How Pete went from leading soldiers in Afghanistan to leading investors in commercial real estate
- The “village elder” story that flipped his mindset about owning assets vs. earning a paycheck
- How he doubled $30K on a bizarre “aquarium house” flip while still in the Army
- Why he did 50 flips before ever touching private money — and how that built investor trust
- The 3 phases of land development: entitlement, horizontal, vertical (and where the big wins are)
- Why some investors only care about tax advantages, not cash flow
- How Pete partners with wholesalers and land owners on big North Carolina land plays

If this episode helps you, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway, and share it with another investor who’s ready to move from single-family to serious commercial and land development deals.

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