Ep. 053: Faith, Family, and Financial Freedom: Scott Florida’s Real Estate Mission
When most people hear the name “Florida,” they picture beaches and palm trees—not a Michigan-based pastor turned real estate syndicator. But that’s exactly the story of Scott Florida, founder of Common Grace Capital.
In a recent conversation with Dustin, Scott shared how a growing family, a pastoral calling, and a passion for supporting missionaries ultimately led him to build an investment platform designed to help pastors, missionaries, and purpose-driven investors achieve financial stability—without stepping away from their calling.
The Duplex That Started It All
Scott’s real estate journey began in the late 1990s while he was serving as a pastor. He and his wife, Lori, had recently moved to a new church with two young sons and were searching for a home that offered:
Enough space for a growing family
A safe neighborhood for their kids
A price they could afford—despite interest rates above 8%
The single-family homes they toured didn’t meet all three criteria. Then a pair of missionary friends invited them over for dinner.
Those friends lived in a duplex.
The home was nicer than many of the houses Scott and Lori had toured—and the rental income from the other side helped cover much of the mortgage. That simple concept changed their perspective.
Shortly afterward, in 1997, Scott and Lori bought a duplex two doors down.
At the time, Scott didn’t know much about terms like cash flow or leverage. But he understood a basic principle:
If the rent covers the mortgage and leaves a little extra, you might be onto something.
That insight launched their first step into real estate investing.
A Growing Family and an Unusual Housing Strategy
A few years later, Scott and Lori doubled down.
They partnered with Scott’s parents to buy a second duplex and moved into one of the units as owner-occupants to take advantage of favorable financing.
The trade-off? Their family of six squeezed into a two-bedroom unit.
What started as a short-term plan stretched into seven years—a period Scott jokingly measures by one memorable moment when one of the kids asked for “a door for Christmas.”
Eventually, their church offered them the opportunity to live in a parsonage, reducing their housing costs and allowing their duplexes to continue producing income.
Around that same time, their family grew even larger. After already raising six children, Scott and Lori adopted two teenagers—bringing the total to eight kids.
That life decision reshaped how Scott thought about time, money, and real estate.
When Property Management Became Essential
With a family of ten and a full-time pastoral role, Scott was juggling more responsibilities than ever.
At the same time, he and Lori were:
Self-managing two duplexes they owned
Managing a third duplex for missionary friends
Handling six total rental units
As Scott put it, that meant dealing with “twelve toilets.”
The time and mental energy required to manage the properties started conflicting with something more important: being present for their newly adopted teenagers.
Hiring a professional property manager changed everything.
Not only did the properties run more smoothly, but rents increased and Scott regained valuable time with his family.
However, professional management also exposed years of deferred maintenance—new furnaces, repairs, and other capital expenses that temporarily wiped out their cash flow.
Once again, Scott returned to a recurring question:
“How do we figure this out?”
Discovering Strategic Real Estate Investing
Around 2017, Scott began intentionally studying real estate investing.
Two influential resources included:
The Real Estate Guys Radio Show hosted by Robert Helms and Russell Gray
Educational content from Keith Weinhold
One idea especially resonated with him:
“Live where you want to live, invest where the numbers make sense.”
Scott and Lori realized their duplexes had built meaningful equity. By refinancing and redeploying that capital, they could expand their investments beyond Michigan.
They eventually partnered with a turnkey provider, Mid South Home Buyers, acquiring single-family rental homes in markets like Memphis and Little Rock.
Over time, their portfolio expanded across five states, combining:
Stronger rental markets
Professional property management
Strategic use of existing equity
This approach helped them build a stable financial foundation.
A New Mission: Helping Pastors and Missionaries Invest
As Scott and Lori’s portfolio grew, they began thinking about their peers in ministry.
Many pastors and missionaries they knew were:
Doing meaningful work in under-resourced communities
Struggling to build long-term financial stability
Lacking access to investment education or opportunities
Lori summarized their motivation in a simple way:
“It would be great to help people serve where they’re needed, not just where they can afford to live.”
They began teaching friends in ministry how real estate investing could create additional income streams.
Eventually, they discovered real estate syndication—a structure that allows multiple investors to pool capital to purchase larger assets.
That idea led to the creation of Common Grace Capital.
The Meaning Behind “Common Grace”
The company’s name reflects Scott’s theological perspective.
He describes two kinds of grace:
Special grace – the grace believers receive through faith
Common grace – everyday gifts that benefit everyone: sunlight, fresh air, and daily provision
For Scott, providing clean, safe, affordable housing is one expression of that common grace.
Through Common Grace Capital, his goal is to:
Connect accredited investors with meaningful real-asset opportunities
Help pastors and missionaries build passive income
Allow ministry leaders to stay focused on their calling rather than property management
Current Investment Opportunities
Today, Common Grace Capital focuses on projects designed to combine financial returns with real-world impact.
Modular Housing Development in Austin
One project involves building modular single-family homes in Austin, Texas.
The homes are constructed in a factory and assembled on-site, which significantly reduces construction costs compared to traditional building methods.
For investors, the project offers tiered preferred returns depending on investment size, with the modular approach helping control both costs and construction timelines.
Diversified Oil and Gas Investment
Scott also partners with Aspen Funds, led by Bob Frazier and Ben Frazier.
The strategy provides exposure to a large portfolio of oil and gas wells, diversified across multiple energy sources including natural gas liquids.
Scott believes the sector remains attractive due to:
Years of underinvestment driven by ESG pressure
Growing global energy demand
The rapid energy needs of emerging technologies like AI
The investment structure includes risk-mitigation tools such as price hedging, helping reduce volatility for investors.
Expanding Opportunities for Non-Accredited Investors
Many of Common Grace Capital’s early offerings were structured as 506(c) investments, which are limited to accredited investors but allow public marketing.
However, Scott and Lori have always wanted to serve pastors and missionaries who may not meet accredited investor thresholds.
Today, their investor base includes roughly equal numbers of accredited and non-accredited investors, and the company is preparing to pursue more 506(b) offerings—which allow participation from non-accredited investors with an established relationship.
For Scott, that represents the next step toward fulfilling the mission that started it all.
A Simple Philosophy: “Everything Is Figureoutable”
Looking back, Scott’s journey—from duplex owner to syndicator—has been shaped by one consistent mindset:
Everything is figureoutable.
That perspective guided him through:
Raising eight children
Managing rental properties while pastoring
Navigating deferred maintenance and financial challenges
Launching a syndication platform
Today, Common Grace Capital represents the institutional expression of that mindset—helping others build financial stability so they can focus on the work they feel called to do.
