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Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

Earning Freedom teaches strategies for those who want to lead more fulfilling, relevant lives. This show will motivate and inspire, teaching lessons that empowered Michael Santos through 26 years of imprisonment. While incarcerated he earned university degrees, published more than a dozen books, married and supported the love of his life, and emerged from prison as a taxpaying citizen. He shows how those strategies set him on track to earn a million dollars and how you can earn freedom, leading a richer, more fulfilling life by following the same strategies and principles.
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Now displaying: Category: general
Dec 23, 2021
Apr 19, 2018

Do you have a solid, actionable plan to build financial stability or prosperity in your future?

That’s a question that relatively few Americans ask themselves. Those who want to do more than ask questions take action. It’s never too early, and it’s never too late to put yourself on the path to prosperity. 

I’m Michael Santos with Alternative Investment Seminars. During this 20-minute video, I’ll teach how my wife Carole and I went from literally ground zero to exceed $5 million in assets within five years. We used leverage to invest in real estate. Now we’re using leverage to own real estate in the beautiful country of Belize, and we’re making it possible for you to do the same! 

Want the story without the video? Then enter your contact information on our website and I’ll send you a free digital copy of my book, Prison to Paradise. 

More on that book title later! 

You see, Carole and I were never on a get-rich-quick scheme. I won’t be talking about such tactics here. This video isn’t for the individual who talks about wanting to become successful, but only looks for wins like lottery tickets. 

We can’t help the person who wants to get rich quick without: 

  • taking any action,
  • without making a commitment, or
  • without exercising patience.

Quick-money schemes may work for some, but we pursued a more deliberate strategy. Through Alternative Investment Seminars, I show: 

  1. The strategy that worked for us,
  2. I show how the strategy can work for you, and
  3. I offer opportunities for you to buy real estate in Belize with no money down, and no credit check.

To achieve prosperity, my wife and I followed an actionable plan, with deliberate steps, over a determined timeframe. If you want to build financial prosperity, get started now. If you don’t, that’s fine too. Many people choose the path of least resistance, hoping that social security or IRA plans or a magic genie will take care of them in retirement. Yet millions of Americans who live with their head in the sand suffer financial stress and turmoil in the years ahead. All too often, they end up with more month than money! 

If you want to change your outcomes, change your plan!

The plan that works for us isn’t complicated. It centers on owning appreciating assets in appreciating markets. It’s about using leverage to accelerate the creation of equity and wealth over time. And trust me, if I could do it, ANYBODY can. 

Again, this message is not for those who want some type of magic pill that will make them rich overnight. I don’t discuss crypto currencies, or complicated instruments with so many moving parts that make the model incomprehensible. 

Carole and I made our money in good old-fashioned real estate. We’re continuing that strategy with real estate investments in the beautiful country of Belize. 

Through this 20-minute video, I’ll show how you can own real estate in Belize—even if you don’t have any money for a down payment, even if you have a low credit score that hinders your ability to borrow money. One thing is certain, it would be impossible for you to have a lower credit score than I had when I began investing in real estate! 

You may want to know how I can offer you an opportunity to own real estate with nothing down. After all, it’s tough to find nothing-down real estate opportunities in the US. On the other hand, the world is a lot bigger than the US. And with our national debt levels rising with each election, the time is right to plant investments outside of the US, where there are no capital gains taxes, and minimal property taxes. 

In this video, I’ll show how you can own appreciating assets by looking beyond the US, in the enchanting paradise of Belize. 

Later in the video, I’ll give you 80 million reasons why owning real estate in Belize makes so much sense. Here’s a hint: Baby Boomers who are preparing for retirement! If you can get ahead of that curve, you will absolutely build prosperity. 

Now I’m not asking anyone to do anything that I’m not doing. In fact, I handed a 1.5-million-dollar cashier’s check to an international real estate developer, and I took on new debt, to get the best possible deal. Now I’m in a position to offer opportunities to 25 people who want to take action. 

That’s right. I have 25 opportunities for people to own real estate in the incredible appreciating market of Belize. And they can get their property with no money down, and no credit check. 

Are you a person who wants to own real estate? Stick with the video and you’ll see that it’s as easy as getting one of these coupon books. Make your monthly payments and you’re a land owner, benefitting as the developer pours millions into improvements. As the developer carries out the master plan, property values increase, building your equity and your wealth.    

Contact our team at Alternative Investment Seminars today! This opportunity will appeal to anyone who wants to: 

  1. Avoid volatility of the stock market
  2. Get a better return on investment than a savings account or a bond fund can provide
  3. Get instant equity by owning real estate in an ocean-front community of Belize
  4. Begin a methodical plan that will lead to several hundred thousand dollars in equity in the years ahead.

If that’s you, then stick with me through this video. The entire video lasts about 20 minutes, and we’ve already covered the first six minutes! 

Before getting into the opportunities I’m offering for real estate ownership in Belize, or the teaching, let me share the strategies that worked for my wife Carole and me. 

Again, if you’d rather read the story than listen to the story, simply enter your name and email address on our website. I’ll send you a free copy of my newest book that explains it all. If you enter your phone number, someone from our team will call and respond to any questions you have about how and why these strategies can work for you. 

There’s no pressure here. With this video, I’m striving to accomplish three goals: 

  1. To teach the strategy my wife and I used to grow our assets from 0 to more than $5 million in five years.
  2. To show how that strategy can work for you.
  3. To offer an alternative investment for those who want to own land in the beautiful paradise of Belize, with no money down.

 

But First, The Backstory:

In August of 2012, Carole and I were both 48—and we weren’t at all ready for retirement. 

You see when I was 20, I made some very bad decisions. I concocted a scheme with friends from high school to sell cocaine and I ultimately became one of the biggest dealers in Miami.  When I was 23, in 1987, authorities arrested me for those crimes. As a result, a federal judge sentenced me to serve a 45-year prison term. 

While incarcerated, I made a commitment to reconcile with society for the bad decisions I made as a young man. That strategy carried me through 9,500 days in prison, and it taught me how to plant seeds early for a successful outcome. It’s the same strategy I used to begin preparing for success, and ultimately led to my ownership of land in Belize. 

While in prison, I earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, I published several books, and I married Carole. Earnings from books I wrote supported Carole financially and she returned to school to become a registered nurse. Together, we’ve built a record of striving to contribute to society, while simultaneously working to prepare for prosperity. 

Several books and news articles chronicle my story, and the national media has reported on the journey extensively.  If you’re interested in reading about it, simply Google my name.  

I’ll limit this video to sharing how deliberate strategies, and taking action, led to real estate ownership and success. I’ll also present opportunities for you to use leverage in ways that will allow you to own real estate in the paradise of Belize. 

It was August 13, 2012 when the gates opened. Carole picked me up and drove me to San Francisco, where we’d begin our life together. Although I didn’t know it then, we were emerging from the greatest recession of our lifetime. People were afraid of investing. 

Despite those circumstances, I pledged to Carole that we would control $1 million in assets within five years. 

Setting that goal may have sounded like big talk for a guy who had been in prison for a quarter century. After all, besides my felony conviction and prison term, I had a 0-0-0 credit score. Some argued that I should set my sights just a little lower.

 

But I kept my eyes on the future, just as I’m suggesting you do. How can you take advantage of opportunities today, in light of what you expect to happen in the future? 

I knew that I would need to control assets that would rise in value, and I would need leverage to own more assets. If I were to focus on a job alone, I’d never get to the first million. I’d need to think critically, unconventionally, and strategically. 

Have you been thinking strategically about preparing for your prosperity? Can you get there with a job alone? If not, then take action today. Don’t be like 75% of the American population that has not saved, planned, or prepared. Those people are on the pathway to disaster!

What seeds can you sow to prepare for prosperity in your future? What action steps can you take now? Those are good questions to ask. Consider the growing number of retirees. Are there ways for you to invest in ways to get ahead of that curve? 

In 2012, Carole and I had to take action toward our plan of using leverage to acquire assets. We considered three types of asset classes that could potentially lead to success. Each asset class had strengths and weaknesses. 

Stocks, for example, were one type of asset class that we considered. Purchasing stocks had the advantage of liquidity. But there was risk. If I didn’t like the way the stock performed, I could always sell. With stocks, however, I would have limitations with regard to leverage. And if I leveraged too much, and the trade went the wrong way, I could lose everything. 

Stocks weren’t right for us. 

Launching my own business could be another type of asset class I could build. But I had to acknowledge my weakness. My lengthy imprisonment meant that missed out on a lot. For example, when I got out, I’d never before sent an email or used a cell phone. I didn’t feel that I was in a position of strength to launch the type of business that could lead to my goal. 

Real Estate, on the other hand, would be the perfect type of asset class. For one thing, we could leverage our way into owning real estate. As the economy improved, the value of our real estate would rise. But either way, real estate would always have value. That wasn’t the case for stocks or a business, as many people know. 

For those reasons, we chose real estate as the asset class that would help us grow. And through a series of unconventional and conventional transactions, I began a methodical, step-by-step approach to doing as many deals as possible. Over the next five years, a combination of buying properties, selling properties, developing properties, and leasing properties, led to more than $9 million worth of transactions. At the start of 2018, less than five years after I got out, we controlled more than $3.2 million in assets. We had a net worth of well over $1 million. And our real estate holdings kicked off a steady income of more than $15,000 every month from tenants. 

I don’t say that to pat myself on the back—but to show success is possible for those who use leverage to own appreciating assets, in appreciating markets. 

But by 2018, real estate prices had gone through the roof in the US. There was no way we could replicate in the US over the next five years what we’d done over the previous five years. We had to ask new questions and find new opportunities. Those questions led us to Belize. 

Do you want the details? I’m happy to provide details for every transaction. But doing so will take a lot longer than the 20-minutes I set aside for this video! Visit AlternativeInvestmentSeminars.com and you can watch a series of shorter videos that reveal every transaction. Or enter your name and email on our website and I’ll send a free digital copy of my book, Prison to Paradise immediately. 

More important than our story, is how you can own real estate in the paradise of Belize today. Use leverage to build your prosperity. 

One thing is certain, I’ve never asked anyone to do anything that I’m not doing. You’ll find that I’m 100% transparent. I made a deal with a developer, using my capital and financial strength, to buy property in the paradise of Belize. Now I can offer 25 properties to people who take action. Invest with no-money down, and no credit check! 

Ok. We’ve now about 13 minutes into the video. Let’s get to the opportunity. I’ve shown you the $1.5 million cashier’s check that I handed to the developer. That’s what I paid for a seat at the table. With that capital investment, along with a monthly commitment to service the balance that I owe, I now control 25 lots in the beautiful, gated, oceanfront community known as The Reserve. The award-winning property is amazing, with a marina, beach club, and restaurants. I can sell property I own to anyone I want, under any terms that I want. 

I’m selling property for no money down, with instant equity to all buyers. 

Here’s how and why I can do it. 

As a result of the $1.5 cashier’s check I provided, along with a commitment to make regular monthly payments, I provided immediate value to the developer. The developer could use that capital to continue investing in the master plan. He doesn’t have to pay a commission or pay high marketing costs. As a result, I negotiated my purchase price at a quantity discount, using a combination of cash and leverage—just as I did when buying property in the states. 

I’m able to pass along my discounts to anyone who takes advantage of my offer. 

Join me in preparing for retirement with the alternative investment of international real estate. 

Carole and made our initial money by investing in US real estate. But as one of my mentors said, What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There! The model that worked for us in the past was no longer available in the US. 

Prices were too high in the US. So I began researching a handful of countries that seemed to be real-estate “hot spots” for the growing number of retirees.  The country of Belize quickly stood out for a variety of reasons. 

I traveled to Belize on a fact-finding mission. Research convinced me! Opportunities to create wealth with real estate were even better in Belize than they were when I began investing in the US. So I took action! 

As I mentioned earlier, the aging baby boomer population would lead to higher demands for real estate in warm, tropical countries. 

Besides extraordinary beauty, Belize offered a relatively inexpensive cost of living and subsidized healthcare for retirees. Don’t take my word for it! Do your own research! 

I found that the U.S. Government predicts the number of Americans who want to retire overseas will grow by 17% every year. It’s no wonder why! 

  • Retirees search for locations where fixed-income dollars stretch farther.
  • They search for locations where governments subsidize medical coverage, and offer pharmaceuticals at better prices.
  • They search for locations where they can avoid political turmoil and rhetoric that has become so common in the U.S.
  • And they search for locations that aren’t burdened with massive national debt levels that threaten their standard of living and stability.

Belize is a tropical paradise that appeals to millions of retirees. People will want to retire in paradise! 

So I structured a deal to replicate what I did in the US. 

  • First, I used a combination of conventional and unconventional means to raise $1.5 million in liquidity. 
  • Second, I combined that liquidity with a debt obligation to negotiate a win-win agreement with the developer, leading to my control of 25 lots. 
  • Third, I created a sales plan to sell those 25 lots for no money down, with no credit check, to people just like you—individuals who want to prepare for prosperity.

I’m neither a financial advisor, nor a commission-based sales person. I don’t have any licenses other than a driver’s license! I’m a person who looks for opportunities. And I take action by putting my money where my mouth is.

If you want to take action, then seize the initiative. Enter your name, email address, and phone number on our website form. I’ll send you a free digital copy of Prison to Paradise. You’ll learn how taking action led to our prosperity, and how taking action can lead to your prosperity. 

Either I or someone from my team will contact you. Or call us today at the phone number on the screen. 

I’m offering 25 lots for sale in a beautiful, oceanfront, award-winning community. 

Invest in real estate with no money down. I offer better interest rates than anyone can find in the US. Use leverage to control an appreciating assets. It’s the same strategy that led to prosperity for Carole and me. 

I’ll leave the ball in your court. You can either talk about wanting to create prosperity, or you can buy real estate today with no money down, and no credit check. 

Opportunities are limited. But those who act today can own an appreciating asset, in an appreciating market, without volatility of the stock market. This strategy led to our first million, and the strategy can lead to millions in equity for you. 

Register on our website for a webinar to learn more, or come to our live event in a city near you. Check out more videos on our website to learn more. I’ll show how and why I expect the properties I’m offering will outperform: 

  • savings accounts,
  • CD accounts,
  • bond funds, or even
  • stocks by a long shot.

Contact us today and we’ll get you started on your path to prosperity. Prosperity begins when you take action! Own your slice of paradise today!

Dec 31, 2017

Questions from Audry Spade

 

  1. So Michael, you were in your early 20’s when you were convicted and sent to prison. I'm curious about your childhood and the influences you had growing up. How did you arrive at the decision to pursue crime? 

 

  1. What kind of technology do you remember people using back before your arrest in 1987? 

 

  1. You were arrested for drug trafficking and ultimately sentenced to serve 45 years in prison. Describe that first day of your sentence. 

 

  1. What did your days in prison consist of years into your sentence, after that initial shock had worn away?

 

  • Describe an average day and the subculture of prison.
  • What was the value system among prisoners?
  • What did you eat? What was expected of you?
  • How did other prisoners regard you? 


  1. You made a decision early in your sentence to live an accomplished life from inside prison. How does that compare to the ways in which other prisoners chose to serve their time?

 

  • Was it difficult to exclude yourself from the prison’s own inner culture, being that it was the only value system available for you to ascribe to?

 

  • How did those around you respond to your decision to reject a lifestyle that none of you could get away from?

 

  • Did their reactions change when they realized your determination was paying off and you were actually succeeding? 


  1. Through the various forms of media that were available to you, such as television, newspapers, and magazines, you were to some degree exposed to the ways in which technology was changing in the outside world. How did you feel when you saw or read about new technology over the years? Did it interest you? Did you just feel “left out?”


  1. How did you end up getting released after 26 years instead of having to serve all 45 years? 


  1. Describe your first day of freedom, particularly with regards to interacting with technology. 


  1. How long did it take for you to become technologically “fluent?” Do you feel alienated by society’s total reliance on technology today, or have you become just as reliant?


  1. Have you retained any old habits from prison? 


  1. How’s liberation treating you so far, four years out? What are you up to these days? 

 

 

Nov 9, 2016

Federal authorities charged Brett with federal crimes. Since he had worked for several years as a police officer, the criminal charges derailed his life. He decided to cooperate with authorities in exchange for leniency at sentencing. Brett talks about how he has rebounded with a new career since being dismissed from the police force.

Oct 29, 2016

Luis Rivera succeeded in being released from federal prison, even though a judge sentenced him to serve a life sentence plus 140 years. Learn how his adjustment in prison contributed to his early release and his success.

Oct 29, 2016

A federal judge sentenced Luis Rivera to life in prison, plus 140 years. In Part 2 of Luis's story, we learn how Luis adjusted in a high-security federal prison and we learn how he positioned himself for early release from federal prison.

Oct 29, 2016

In 1995, a federal judge sentenced Luis Rivera to a term of life in prison, plus 140 years. In this episode on Earning Freedom, Luis describes his early adjustment. From his appearance on the Earning Freedom podcast, we know that Luis was released from prison and he now lives as law abiding citizen. Learn how he got out after 30 years in prison.

Aug 18, 2016

Derek Sauceda began using drugs when he was 10. His drug addictions led him into crime. His crime led him into a series of prison terms that kept him locked in cages for more than 24 years. Now he is a successful case manager with Fathers and Families of San Joaquin Valley. From Derek's story we see that a path exists to overcome struggle.

Aug 15, 2016

Big D was drawn to the streets as a young man. He looked up to drug dealers and gangsters. Authorities arrested Big D and after his trial, he was sentenced to a term that required him to serve more than 20 years in Pennsylvania prisons. Big D said that he wasted his first 10 years of confinement. Instead of adjusting positively, he lived in prison just as he had been living on the streets. He used drugs and he was engaged in violence. In today's Earning Freedom episode, Big D talks about how he changed.

Aug 3, 2016

Today I spoke with Billie Gomez, a man who shared a story about his transformation. Billie spoke about growing up in a violent neighborhood and being influenced by gangs. By the time he was 18, he went to prison with a five year sentence. His adjustment in prison led to his receiving additional time. Upon his release from prison, Billie reverted to criminal behavior. Billie picked up a gun within two weeks of being released, and he used the gun to commit more crimes. That behavior led to his receiving a new 18-year sentence for a violent offense. Listen to Billie talk about how he reformed while in prison. He returned to society with a commitment to live as a law-abiding, contributing citizen.

 

Contact Billie by email: BillieGomez71@gmail.com

Website: www.fromignorance2freedom.com

Jul 12, 2016

Lessons that powered me through 26 years of imprisonment apply to anyone. In today's podcast, I share those strategies with the sales force at Resort Advisory Group.

Jun 17, 2016

Today's episode on Earning Freedom features an interview with Jeff Mould, founder of Second Chance Jobs for Felons. More than 60,000 people who returned to society after time in confinement rely upon his website each month. His website:

 

Second Chance Jobs For Felons

 

Focuses on helping people with criminal backgrounds. By adhering to his advice, people can overcome some of the challenges of transitioning into the labor market. I encourage others to rely upon his website as a resource for information. He offers guidance that will others overcome the stigma of a criminal conviction.

 

Jun 7, 2016

Weldon Long made some bad decisions as a young man. He went to prison. While incarcerated he struggled until he found education. Once he discovered the power of education, he applied himself fully. Weldon earned an undergraduate in prison and he earned a master's degree in prison. Then, Weldon used his education to build extraordinarily successful businesses upon release.

 

Listen to Welson'd amazing story about success through prison and beyond on today's Earning Freedom podcast. 

May 27, 2016

President Obama commuted Israel Torres' sentence. A federal judge sentenced Mr. Torres to life in prison. While serving the life sentence, Mr. Torres kept hope alive and focused on steps he could take to prepare for success upon release--he always believed release would come. As a consequence of his successful adjustment, the President granted Israel liberty. He now lives as a contributing and productive member of society. Simultaneously, Israel works to for the brothers he left behind in prison: Michael Homes, James Ortega, and thousands of others who could live in society as law-abiding citizens if reforms were possible to release them.

May 22, 2016

Malik King offers more insight about people serving lengthy sentences in prison. He is an advocate who works to end mass incarceration. 

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