What if your next hire didn't need a salary, benefits, or a Slack account? Raz Mihalyi, fractional AI partner and CTO at AZ Labs, breaks down how business owners are using AI agents to eliminate manual busy work, automate lead generation, and buy back their time — without adding headcount. Whether you've never touched an AI tool or you're already tinkering, this episode makes it practical.

What we cover:

• What AI agents actually are — and how they differ from ChatGPT or Google Search
• The "Second Brain" concept: a personal AI executive assistant that knows your business, goals, and calendar
• How Raz automated multi-source data entry for a lender using AI — without needing API access
• One agent vs. many agents: why starting with one is always the right move
• Why Claude is Raz's top recommendation right now — and what makes Anthropic different
• How to use an AI agent to watch a 2.5-hour course and get a personalized summary in 15 minutes
• When to hire a person vs. deploy an agent — and how to elevate your VA instead of replacing them
• The biggest mistake businesses make when implementing AI (hint: it's not the tech)
• How to automate your calendar using project priority, availability, and delivery dates
• What will separate businesses that win in the next few years from those that get left behind

About Raz Mihalyi:Raz is a software engineer, real estate investor, and fractional AI partner and CTO at AZ Labs. He helps business owners replace manual busy work with automated systems — so they can scale operations without scaling headcount. He works with founders across real estate, lending, and operations on custom AI agent builds and second brain systems.

Chapters:00:54 - Intro + who Raz is01:32 - From W2 software engineer to real estate and Airbnbs03:33 - STR tax strategy for high-income W2 earners06:05 - How Raz became a fractional AI partner and CTO09:14 - How AI lets him scale custom solutions11:15 - How to know when to switch AI tools14:37 - What AI agents actually are (search → answer → agent)16:34 - The Second Brain concept explained19:08 - One agent or many? Start with one21:16 - Best agent right now: why Raz recommends Claude24:40 - The invisible busy work quietly killing your growth25:00 - Automating multi-source data entry for lenders28:31 - Automating Facebook and LinkedIn outreach with agents30:46 - Building a unified inbox across all platforms36:02 - When to hire a person vs. use an agent38:58 - How AI elevates your team instead of replacing them39:39 - Using an agent to watch a 2.5-hour course in 15 minutes42:51 - AI calendar management: the Buy Back Your Time system47:29 - Add CliftonStrengths to your agent to optimize delegation48:09 - Where to start: just get a Claude subscription53:01 - Best first areas to automate in your business55:07 - Biggest AI implementation mistakes founders make57:21 - What clients actually pay Raz for (it's not just the tech)1:00:06 - Raz's ideal client1:01:24 - The Second Brain — available for clients now1:03:17 - What separates businesses that win vs. get left behind1:05:49 - One piece of advice for founders buried in operations1:12:11 - Where to find Raz

🔧 Tools & Resources 🔧Some links may be affiliate partnerships.🤖 Raz Mihalyi — AZ Labs: Instagram @raz.mihalyi💸 Deal Funding 360: app.dealfunding360.com/?ref=EdgarSalgado💤 Eight Sleep: https://refer.eight.sl/edgardsalgado🏢 Prime Corporate Services: https://primecorporateservices.com/?_...🏦 Foundational Funding: https://foundationalfunding.com/fundi...🛠️ Edgar's tools: https://linktr.ee/EdgartheConnector

🔌 Don't forget to 👍 like, 💬 comment, 🔔 subscribe, and share!Instagram: @edgartheconnector

TikTok: @edgarsrei

🚧 DISCLAIMER 🚧Not a CPA, attorney, insurance, contractor, lender, or financial advisor. Content is not tax, legal, financial, or other professional advice. For entertainment purposes ONLY.

What does it actually cost to learn real estate the hard way — and what can you build after? Jose Cortes, 22-year Air Force veteran turned real estate investor and private lender, gets brutally honest about losing $400K across three fix and flip projects, winning an 18-month court battle, and coming out the other side buying a $500K home in Texas for just $9K using subject-to creative finance.

What we cover:

• From wholesaling and Airbnb arbitrage to lending — Jose's full journey
• How a bad contractor cost him $400K and an 18-month lawsuit
• Why out-of-state investing fails without true boots on the ground
• The Sub-2 deal: acquiring a $500K home for $9K at a 2.765% interest rate
• Creative deal structure: helping a seller avoid tax sale using an LLC membership
• How he underwrites every deal with a 25% "war chest" for unforeseen expenses
• Cross-collateralization explained simply — how to protect private lenders
• Why he always underwrite to long-term rental — even for Airbnb or co-living
• How to show up to networking events with value, not a handout
• What success looks like now: generational wealth, housing vets, and giving back

About Jose Cortes:Jose is a 22-year Air Force veteran, real estate investor, and private lender based in Colorado. He runs free weekly deal underwriting office hours every Tuesday at 6 PM Eastern and leads the Deal Execution Lab community on School.com.

Chapters:00:54 - Intro + who Jose is02:24 - How Jose got into real estate (starting at 19)06:08 - The bad contractor who cost him everything08:26 - 22 years in the Air Force — IT career and transition11:26 - Pivoting to private lending and transactional funding17:23 - Free Tuesday underwriting office hours18:30 - Creative deal: helping a seller avoid tax sale with LLC structure27:41 - The deal that changed everything — $400K loss in Minnesota37:42 - How he evaluates risk differently now38:15 - Sub-2 deal: $500K Texas home acquired for $9K at 2.765%40:55 - The divorce deal breakdown — zero out of pocket, 50% ownership43:16 - What he had to let go of to grow: embracing failure46:43 - Where to start in real estate if you feel overwhelmed51:25 - Don't show up to networking with your hand out53:17 - What success looks like now57:23 - How he handles stress when the stakes are high1:00:00 - Conservative underwriting: the 25% war chest strategy1:05:24 - Should buyers or sellers handle repairs at closing?1:07:20 - How to structure offers with the seller's situation in mind1:09:21 - Stop being the bottleneck — emulate what's working1:13:21 - Where to find Jose + free underwriting Zoom

🔧 Tools & Resources 🔧Some links may be affiliate partnerships.📊 Jose's free deal underwriting (Tuesdays 6PM ET): DM on IG or Facebook🏫 Deal Execution Lab: school.com — search Deal Execution Lab📺 YouTube: Good, Bad & Ugly of Real Estate with Jose Cortes📱 Instagram: @JosePurposeOverProfits📧 Email: jcortez@cortezhomesolutions.com💸 Deal Funding 360: app.dealfunding360.com/?ref=EdgarSalgado💤 Eight Sleep: https://refer.eight.sl/edgardsalgado🏢 Prime Corporate Services: https://primecorporateservices.com/?_...🏦 Foundational Funding: https://foundationalfunding.com/fundi...🛠️ Edgar's tools: https://linktr.ee/EdgartheConnector

🔌 Don't forget to 👍 like, 💬 comment, 🔔 subscribe, and share!Instagram: @edgartheconnector | TikTok: @edgarsrei

🚧 DISCLAIMER 🚧Not a CPA, attorney, insurance, contractor, lender, or financial advisor. Content is not tax, legal, financial, or other professional advice. For entertainment purposes ONLY.

What if the best city in the world for lifestyle and real estate appreciation was 3 hours from the Texas border — and most Americans don't know they can own it outright? Greg Gunter, broker owner at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in San Miguel de Allende, breaks down how US and Canadian buyers are safely investing in one of Mexico's most sought-after markets.

What we cover:

• Fee simple ownership in central Mexico vs. the coastal bank trust system
• How to close deals safely with no MLS, Zillow, or Redfin
• The 5 checks before wiring a single dollar to a Mexico property
• Why 99% of deals are cash — and what to use instead of a mortgage
• How city center properties have appreciated 20–25% per year post-COVID
• Airbnb rules and the smarter alternative investors are switching to
• The mañana attitude: the #1 expectation gap newcomers must reset
• LLC vs. personal name and how to minimize capital gains

About Greg Gunter:17-year full-time expat, architect, and MBA-trained broker owner of the first Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in all of Mexico. Personally sold 350+ homes in San Miguel de Allende.

Chapters:00:00 - What most people get wrong about owning in Mexico03:13 - Greg's background and 17-year expat story04:35 - Lost everything in the recession — moved to Mexico anyway12:00 - Real estate without an MLS, Zillow, or Redfin19:05 - Framework to buy safely as a US citizen25:09 - Biggest misconceptions American buyers have27:11 - 5 checks before wiring money37:00 - LLC vs. personal name + capital gains strategy41:13 - What buyers are really getting beyond the house44:07 - 20–25% appreciation and rental strategy48:39 - The mañana attitude and lifestyle expectations54:30 - Rapid fire: mistakes, non-negotiables, first steps57:09 - Where to find Greg

🔧 Tools & Resources 🔧Some links may be affiliate partnerships.🏡 Greg Gunter: dreamprohomesluxury.com | 📞 877-878-4141💸 Deal Funding 360: app.dealfunding360.com/?ref=EdgarSalgado💤 Eight Sleep: https://refer.eight.sl/edgardsalgado🏢 Prime Corporate Services: https://primecorporateservices.com/?_...🏦 Foundational Funding: https://foundationalfunding.com/fundi...🛠️ Edgar's tools: https://linktr.ee/EdgartheConnector

🔌 Don't forget to 👍 like, 💬 comment, 🔔 subscribe, and share!Instagram: @edgartheconnector | TikTok: @edgarsrei

🚧 DISCLAIMER 🚧Not a CPA, attorney, insurance, contractor, lender, or financial advisor. Content is not tax, legal, insurance, construction, engineering, health & safety, electrical, or financial advice. For entertainment purposes ONLY.