Todd Nepola: Why income-producing property is the best path to generational wealth

Todd Nepola, founder of Current Capital Group, has advised that it is always the best time to buy income-producing property if investors are prepared to hold their assets for the long term. In a recent interview with the TikTok account Hard Truths CEO, Nepola stated that he would invest $100,000 directly into commercial property, specifically multifamily units, if he were starting over. He noted that multifamily properties are the easiest entry point for new investors, suggesting the capital could serve as a down payment on a duplex or triplex valued between $300,000 and $400,000.

Nepola’s strategy relies on a combination of rent, leverage, and appreciation to compound wealth over a decade or more. He explained that an investor would initially handle leasing, maintenance, and bookkeeping before refinancing the property to pull out equity and purchase additional buildings. According to Nepola, this approach allows owners to build generational wealth by letting tenants help pay down debt while the property value increases.

The advice comes at a time of mixed signals in the Florida market. While Miami’s residential housing sector was classified as a buyer’s market in August 2026, with homes selling 3.23% below asking prices, the commercial sector remains robust. Miami-Dade’s retail vacancy rate fell to 3% in the second quarter of 2026, the lowest among South Florida’s major markets, with nearly 379,000 square feet of positive net absorption recorded by Colliers.

A hypothetical financial model presented in the report illustrates the potential returns of this strategy. If a $400,000 property is purchased with a $100,000 down payment and the remaining $300,000 is financed over 30 years at 6.5%, the property could be worth approximately $538,000 after 10 years with 3% annual appreciation. With the mortgage balance falling to roughly $254,000, the investor would hold around $284,000 in equity before taxes and transaction costs.

For investors with smaller capital, fractional ownership platforms offer an alternative to direct property management. Arrived, which is backed by Jeff Bezos, allows users to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties with as little as $100. The platform is currently offering a 1% match for new accounts that add $1,000 or more. Similarly, mogul, founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, provides fractional ownership in single-family rental and vacation properties held through standalone limited liability companies.

At the institutional level, Lightstone DIRECT offers accredited investors access to single-asset multifamily and industrial deals with minimum investments starting at $100,000. This direct-to-investor model aligns individual investors with a vertically integrated owner-operator. According to the UBS Global Family Office Report 2025, U.S. family offices held an average of 18% of their portfolios in real estate, underscoring the asset class’s enduring appeal for wealth preservation.