JPC Podcast 11, Episode 3: From Broke to Building a National Real Estate Platform | The Birth of H Equities

Building H Equities in the Middle of Financial Collapse

There is a moment in every entrepreneur’s journey when the story could end.

Bills stack up. Credit cards max out. The mortgage is one payment away from default. Income disappears. Confidence shakes. Pride gets tested.

In Episode 3 of JPC Podcast 11, Elliot shares what it truly means to build something while everything is falling apart.

This is not a story about early wins.

It is the story of founding H Equities in the middle of financial distress.

When You Are One Month Away From Losing Your Home

Elliot was nearly 50 years old.
His mortgage was on the line.
Credit cards were maxed.
Home equity exhausted.
No income.

For the first time in his life, he was on the brink of missing payments.

He describes sitting at the kitchen table with his wife, staring at stacks of unpaid bills. They were not arguing. They were aligned. They were realistic. And they were committed to surviving.

That alignment became the foundation.

He says something simple but powerful:

"If you are married and you are not on the same page financially, you will never get out of your problem".

The rebuilding did not start with money.
It started with unity.

The Decision Not to Quit

He did not pivot into something glamorous.
He did not reinvent himself overnight.
He did not chase a miracle.

He did one thing.

He kept going.

One foot in front of the other.
One phone call at a time.
One meeting at a time.

He describes it as walking out every day with a small ax, chipping away at a giant tree. Not cutting it down. Just chipping away.

He went to the gym even when his bank account was negative.
He kept showing up to meetings even when he felt embarrassed.
He kept building relationships even when he had nothing to offer but effort.

He did not quit.

And that mattered.

The Birth of H Equities

H Equities was not born in success.

It was born under a Gmail account.

He realized he needed structure. He needed credibility. He needed to operate like a company even before the company truly existed.

So he incorporated.
He rented a tiny office.
He created a professional email.
He worked out of his car.
He borrowed a car when needed.

He built the image of a company before the comfort of stability.

He says it clearly:

"I was all in".

H Equities was not a celebration.
It was survival.

The Role of Faith and Perspective

Elliot speaks openly about prayer and belief in a higher power. But he is equally clear that faith does not replace effort.

You must do your part.

At the same time he was struggling financially, he was helping others with their financial challenges. Serving on tuition committees. Advising families. Supporting people who had health issues layered on top of money problems.

Perspective changed everything.

When you see others carrying heavier burdens, your own pain shifts.

He believes that helping others during hardship created strength and clarity during his own.

The Turning Point

There was no single breakthrough deal.

There was no overnight rescue.

It was a slow progression:

One deal closed.
Another deal closed.
Cash flow turned neutral.
Then slightly positive.
Then sustainable.

From there, the company expanded beyond Brooklyn.

First Manhattan.
Then the Bronx.
Then New Jersey.
Then Atlanta.
Then other states.

Today, H Equities operates nationally across equity investments and debt platforms, focusing on multifamily, medical office, bridge loans, and structured financing.

But none of that would exist without those early years of instability.

What Episode 3 Really Teaches

This episode is not about asset classes.

It is about identity.

It is about what happens when your confidence is tested.
When your children notice the stress.
When your spouse goes to work to help stabilize the household.
When you have to borrow money from friends just to stay afloat.

And you keep going anyway.

Failure was not the end.
Failure became the foundation.

Final Thought

Confronting the impossible does not always look dramatic.

Sometimes it looks like paying a 53 cent bill just to feel momentum.
Sometimes it looks like opening an LLC before you feel ready.
Sometimes it looks like walking in the snow to another meeting.

Resilience is not loud.
It is repetitive.

🎧 Watch Full Episode

Watch JPC Podcast 11, Episode 3 for a powerful conversation about financial collapse, marriage, faith, resilience, and the birth of a national real estate platform.

PODCAST - Confronting the Impossible with Leo Jacobs.

Leo Jacobs, Founder and CEO of Jacobs PC

Known for finding creative, expedient solutions to complex and high-profile cases, Leo excels in matters including distressed investment and asset management, real estate law, corporate law, dispute resolution, business divorces, negotiation, and more. Leo’s extensive expertise in debt and equity structures enables him to employ a full spectrum of legal tools to achieve swift, optimal results for clients. His practice, Jacobs P.C., bridges commercial litigation, corporate transactions, and financial rehabilitation, handling cases across federal, state, and bankruptcy courts, as well as administrative tribunals.

If you would like to join the podcast email requests to pr@jacobspc.com