The Tortoise Strategy
How Ron Danz Built Generational Wealth with 53 Years of Discipline
Most real estate investors don't survive one cycle.
Ron Danz has survived six.
That's not luck. That's principles.
In this exclusive interview on The Timeless Investor Show, I sat down with a man who has never done a podcast before—but after 53 years in real estate and controlling 2,000+ apartment units, his wisdom deserves a wider audience.
Ron started with $500 down on a $15,000 house near the University of Washington in 1971. Today, he controls over 400,000 square feet of commercial real estate across King County and manages properties for other investors.
But here's what makes Ron different: While most investors chase IRR and maximum leverage, Ron built his empire by doing the opposite.
The conversation covers:
Why he never took as much debt as banks offered him
How fear—not greed—became his greatest asset
The "three forgotten questions" he asks before every major decision
Why he didn't buy a single property during the Volcker Fed crisis
His transition from broker to syndicator to vertically integrated operator
The key insight that stopped me cold:
"Good financing can turn a medium deal to a good deal. It can't turn a bad deal to a good deal. Bad financing can take a great deal and destroy it."
This isn't about timing markets or finding secret deals. It's about building systems that survive stress—whether that's the Boeing Bust of the 1970s, the savings and loan crisis, or the 2008 financial collapse.
As Ron puts it: "You have to think of me as a tortoise. I'm not going to go out and try and do a deal that would put my whole portfolio at risk."
Watch the full interview below.
This conversation will change how you think about real estate investing, debt, and what it really means to build something that lasts.
If you want to listen to the episode on The Timeless Investor Show, check it out on Buzzsprout.
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