From the Bottom
Johnny Macias did not get into real estate because everything went right. He got into real estate because he learned what happens when it doesn't. Today he is a Colorado mortgage professional, an active investor and landlord, and the founder of The Real Estate Ladder, a company that teaches everyday people how homeownership becomes the foundation for long-term wealth.
What the Crisis Taught Me
Early in my career, I discovered the power of real estate and became a homeowner and investor. By 2006 and 2007, I owned three properties and believed I was well on my way to building wealth.
Then the financial crisis hit. I lost my properties, went through bankruptcy, and essentially found myself back at the bottom of the ladder.
That experience changed the way I looked at money, mortgages and real estate forever. I realized that buying a house wasn't enough. People needed to understand how financing works, how to manage debt, how to protect themselves, and how to turn one property into the foundation for the next.
So I rebuilt. I became a mortgage professional, a landlord and a real estate investor again, this time with a much deeper understanding of the strategy behind building sustainable wealth.
Over the years, I kept seeing the same problem: people were being taught how to buy a home, but very few were being taught what to do after they bought it. That became the inspiration for The Real Estate Ladder.
I wanted to create the roadmap I wish I had when I started: a practical system that teaches people how to go from 0 to 1 property, 1 to 2, and 2 to 3, using homeownership, smart financing, equity and rental real estate as tools for building long-term wealth.
“I have made a million,
lost a million, and made it
”
That is not a slogan. It is a resume.
Four Jobs, One Call
Most mortgage professionals can explain how to finance a house. Most real estate educators can explain investing. Johnny can connect the mortgage you get today to the portfolio you want tomorrow, because he does both for a living.
Mortgage Broker
Programs across the state: VA, FHA, USDA, Conventional and CHFA, with down payment assistance expertise and financing structured around your long-term plan.
Investor
He looks at a property as an asset, not a transaction: cash flow, leverage, equity and whether the home earns its place on the ladder.
Landlord
Owning rentals is different from talking about them. Vacancy, maintenance, tenant fit and month-to-month cash flow are lessons he has paid for himself.
Educator & Founder
The Real Estate Ladder turns that knowledge into a system anyone can follow: credit repair, budgeting, workshops and the 0 to 3 Properties formula.
Colorado Mortgage Connect
Determines how to finance your next move. Pre-approval, program selection, qualification strategy and the loan itself, handled by a mortgage pro who knows how the pieces fit.
The Real Estate Ladder
Determines where that move fits on your ladder. The education, the formula and the roadmap: BUY, BUILD, CONVERT, REPEAT, from 0 to 3 properties.
Together: The Real Estate Ladder provides the roadmap.
Ready to Climb the Ladder?
Ask Johnny about his 0 to 3 Properties workshops, first-time buyer education and the loan programs that fit your corner of the ladder. Mission first, mortgage second.
Licensed in Colorado · NMLS #333811 · No pressure, no jargon, no obligation