Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro &  Your CPA

“Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro &  Your CPA”

What are some new opportunities for reducing your income taxes in the year 2026. We will be covering some of these points and some strategies you can use to save taxes owning real estate, owning a business or just living life. 

#joGarner #MortgageExpert  (901) 482-0354
#ZachWillis #CPA Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm  zwillis@wucpas.com
BrandieSpicer #HowlingWolfBookkeeping   www.howlingwolfbooks.com 

Subscribe for weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts and show notes at www.JoGarner.com 

LET’S GET STARTED…(Jo) (Good morning, Memphis!  Welcome to our internet listeners and podcast listeners across the 50 states! . You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator.  You can connect with me at www.JoGarner.com. Our             topic today April 18^th, 2026   “Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro & Your CPA”.”  Thank you to realtor Becky Trimm of EXP Realty in Fayette County TN for sponsoring THIS episode of Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe.  For buying or selling your home in the tristate area, Becky Trimm is an experienced realtor who is knowledgeable and ready to help you.  Contact realtor Becky Trimm at 901 517-6233,  901 517-6233.

Introducing Zach Wllis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm 

For the first time in the Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe studio, we have Zach Willis, Certified Public Accountant with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm.    Zach you played baseball for University of Memphis and now you are helping your clients hit a homerun saving money on their taxes. For over ten years you have been working  with a variety of clients.  Take a moment and tell our listeners about yourself and the services you offer your clients.   (Zach has about 1.5 minutes to intro himself and the services he offers his clients.)

(Jo) Are you currently renting your home?  If you plan to move out of the geographic area in the next 24 months, it probably makes sense for you to rent.    But, if you are trying to decide to rent or buy a home, here are some compelling reasons to consider taking the path to homeownership. 

The National Association of Realtors last year did a study.  They found that the typical U.S. homeowner currently has a net worth of $430,000, according to the most recent Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finance. In comparison, the net worth of the average renter is just $10,000.To put it simply—the average homeowner is 43 times wealthier than the typical renter.

Real Estate Wealth Building-Robert Kiyosaki’s story author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”

• Strategy: Kiyosaki uses “good debt” to purchase real estate and assets, which generates cash flow, which in turn pays off the debt.

• Scale: As of 2025–2026, he reportedly controls over 15,000 rental properties and holds roughly  billion in debt.

• Ownership: Much of the wealth is held within companies, sometimes under his wife’s name. 

Minimizing Tax Burden

• Depreciation & Expenses: He utilizes non-cash deductions such as depreciation- a non-cash paper expense, mortgage interest, property taxes, and repairs to offset positive cash flow.

• Tax-Free Cash: By borrowing against his properties, he receives funds that are not considered taxable income.

• Philosophy: He argues that real estate allows investors to use the tax code to gain wealth, treating taxes as a “legal” way to pay nothing by following tax laws. 

Your mortgage is one of the biggest loans you will ever get in your lifetime.   How can you use it as wealth-building tool.   

If you own a home, follow me for some ideas on how to make your personal home pay the mortgage off early and provide you an income as you live there. 

Real estate is a unique investment in the United States because you can pay a very small down payment and take title to a large asset that generally goes up in value over time and can generate passive income for you. 

If you own a LOT of real estate, rent it out and have other people’s money pay off your mortgages and your other debt too. 

For senior aged homeowners, look into how a reverse mortgage can provide money  for you without creating taxable income. Work with me on your reverse mortgage and your tax accountant to see how this works. 

What do you want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage?  I can help you find the right mortgage and make the process EASY for you. Connect with me Jo Garner at www.JoGarner.com  

(Jo) Zach Willis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm, we have a few minutes before we go to an ad break. Please go ahead and start sharing with us some ways we can reduce what we pay in taxes in 2026.  (Zach has about 4  minutes before break to start sharing his topics to be continued after the ad break )

OUTRO: You’re on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe. I’m your host, Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator. What do YOU want to accomplish with YOUR mortgage?  I can make the mortgage process EASY for you with the right mortgage. Connect with me at JoGarner.com   When we come back, we will be hearing more from Zach Willis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm.    After this break, Brandie Spicer of Howling Wolf Bookkeeping will be joining us.  See you back in just a moment. 

2nd segment is after first  break  8 minutes 50 seconds

( Waaka Waaka song in background ) COMIC QUERIES (you probably already know the answer, but we will ask anyway 

Hint:  We are talking about taxes 

Question: What’s the definition of a “fine”?

     Answer: A tax for doing wrong.

Question:  What’s the definition of a “tax”?

     Answer: A fine for doing well.

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro & Your CPA”

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Zach Willis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm    zwillis@wucpas.com 

TALKSHOPPE TIP

www.HowlingWolfBooks.com

Talk Shoppe is one of our major sponsors on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe.  Talk Shoppe offers free networking and education to our local business community.  If you join the Talk Shoppe Sponsor team, you can get a wide variety of marketing venues at a below-market price.  www.TalkShoppe.com 

Brandie Spicer of Howling Wolf Bookkeeping supports our business community by her contributions to the free networking and education offered through Talk Shoppe.  has some wonderful reviews from businesses she serves.   As your bookkeeper, Brandie can save you time and help you keep peace of mind.  

Brandie  shares her tip:
#1 tip #1 Tip- don’t get your tax advice from Tik Tok.

____________________________________________________________

TOPICS COVERED BY ZACH WILLIS, CPA WATKINS UIBERALL TAX FIRM

Discussion Topics

1. The New “Senior Deduction” for Social Security Relief

2. Mortgage Interest & PMI: Permanent Wins for Homeowners

3. HELOC Tracing Rules: Protecting Your Deduction

4. New Personal Car Loan Interest Deduction & Reporting

5. “No Tax on Tips” & “No Tax on Overtime”

6. Charitable Giving: The New “Floor” and “Above-the-Line” Split

Possible Alternative Topic: Permanent Estate Tax Exemption

_____________________________________

3^RD SEGMENT 12 minutes

•  ( Brighter Tomorrows Song playing in background)

 

• For Did You Know  today…(see if you can guess the answer before we do)

• Question: What are the top three companies paying the highest taxes to Memphis and Shelby County TN from years 2025 to 2026?

• Hints:  

• #1 in highest paid taxes to Shelby County  and/or Memphis, TN known as a delivery company   Who is it? 

• #2 in highest paid taxes to Shelby County and/or Memphis is a controversial new player in town and may soon be paying more taxes than the #1 company

• #3. In highest paid taxes in Shelby County and/or Memphis is connected to the paper industry

ANSWER: 

1. FedEx Corporation: Consistently ranked as the largest taxpayer in Memphis and Shelby County.

2. xAI (Elon Musk’s AI Company): As of March 2026, xAI is projected to pay nearly $28 million in annual property taxes to Shelby County alone 

3. International Paper: Listed as one of the largest corporations contributing to local tax revenue.

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro & Your CPA”

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Zach Wllis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm    zwiggins@wucpas.com
Brandie Spicer at Howling Wolf Bookkeeping www.HowlingWolfBooks.com  

TOPICS COVERED BY JO GARNER, LICENSED MORTGAGE OFFICER

Work Smarter, Not Harder To Build Wealth Owning Real Estate

Raymond Ridley started out as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes.  Raymond could see how his clients prospered buying their own homes. “I want in on this homebuying thing too, he said. Raymond made quite a lot selling real estate as an agent but at the end of the year, he paid about half his income in taxes to the IRS.  Raymond got smart and started gradually buying and keeping real estate for himself as a hedge against income taxes and inflation. He shared with a group of us one day that the one of the most surprising benefits from buying a lot of rental properties, is that he hired his kids to work with him fixing them up.   The rental renovation projects bonded the family and created some great memories and life lessons  

More from Raymond Ridley 

Work Smarter Not Harder

Owning your own home can bring joy and satisfaction in so many ways having nothing to do with money. A home is your castle. It is the neighborhood where your children grow up, where family memories are made and are retold for years during family gatherings. These things are priceless …

… but the financial benefits can be great, too. 

Raymond Ridley (not his real name), a licensed real estate broker and full-time investor, has successfully owned, rehabbed, and sold over 500 homes and apartment units. Raymond started out as a hard-working, money-making realtor, but having to shovel half of his earningsit over to Uncle Sam for taxes wasn’t his cup of tea. 

Working harder was not the answer. He had to figure out how to work smarter.  

Raymond told a bunch of fellow realtors and investors, “I have probably made more money in real estate than anyone in this room, and I have probably lost more money in real estate than anyone in this room. When someone earns an hourly wage, he has to be on the job every day to earn his pay. When he builds wealth by buying real estate, the tenants pay him rents—even when he is on vacation.”

Raymond presented six reasons to enjoy investing in real estate:

1. Cash flow on a rental property is equal to the monthly income minus the mortgage payment including taxes and insurance. (So: Income – PITI = Cash Flow). 

If you plan to keep the rental house a long time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is a great tool. With a 30-year mortgage, you enjoy a principal and interest payment that stays the same for the life of the loan. This means that every rent increase affords you a pay raise. While the rent goes up, your payments stay the same, which gives you a bigger and better margin. 

2. Appreciation is the rate that the house value increases every year. Raymond pointed out that there is a direct correlation between positive cash flow and appreciation.  Cash flow is usually less per month in areas with higher appreciation rates. For example, real estate investors who buy homes in areas that are going up in value faster compared to other areas usually pay a higher price with a smaller profit each month on rent income. 

Investors can usually pay less for homes in areas that are not appreciating in value.  Rents tend to increase at a faster pace than home prices, which typically brings increased positive monthly cash flow to the investor.

3. Real estate can provide a wonderful tax shelter enabling an investor to make a six-figure income and pay zero taxes*. Raymond confessed that sheltering almost all of his income was where he learned to work smarter and not harder.

To shelter $50,000 per year in income, an investor would need approximately $1,000,000 in real estate. Raymond prefers having ten houses valued at about $100,000 over 30 houses valued at $30,000. With ten houses, he has only ten tenants and ten potential dramas, which sounds a lot better than 30 tenants with a potential 30 problems.

4. Thanks to amortization, with each mortgage payment the principal balance is paid down at a faster pace. The investor builds equity on the house as the mortgage is paid off. Later, the investor may choose to borrow against this equity to purchase another property.

5. The fifth advantage of owning real estate is leverage. Real estate is one of the few investments that allows the investor to borrow almost the entire value of the investment without a large lump sum of cash.

6. Last but not least: investing in real estate opens opportunity for family relationship bonding while working together in the investment business.

Overcoming Common Barriers to Homeownership

1. Lack of funds to close-  Today there are different types and flavors of down payment assistance to help first-time homebuyers AND a few homebuyers who are NOT first-timers to get into a home very zero to very little down payment. 

2. Lack of enough qualified income-  So many customers come to me that have been told NO by their own bank or another mortgage company because they don’t show enough income. 

A good number of these customers got their loans approved and closed with me because my team and I spent a little extra time to ask questions and listen to our customers.   We used our knowledge of legal workarounds with  the right documentation to get their loan approved. 

For many self-employed borrowers there are special, outside-the-box loans that calculate income using bank statements or a profit and loss statement without ever using tax returns or paystubs. 

3. Report shows low credit scores- You can check your own credit at www.annualcreditreport.com .  With your permission, I can do a soft-pull credit report which does not hurt your credit.  We can set up a strategy to help you improve your credit scores with the least amount of cost.  Check out www.myfico.com for more ideas.

4. Appraisal comes in low or with a list of repairs 

MAKE YOUR PLAN. LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN. IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, LET’S DO IT TODAY.  I can make the mortgage process easy. Connect with me at www.JoGarner.com   You can email me at Jo@JoGarner.com or call me at (901) 482-0354 

4^th Segment  8 minutes and 50 seconds

 

(THE SONG UpBeat Inspirations  PLAYING IN BACKGROUND )    INSIGHTS & INSPIRATIONS

Paying Little or No Tax Legally

This person is one of the wealthiest people in the world and pays little or no income taxes legally. He learned quickly the tax loop holes and begin using them right away. 

As the value in his company’s stock grew, he simply did not sell it. As other assets ramped up in value, he did not create a taxable event by selling anything… He borrowed money to continue to live well and build more wealth.  These low interest rate, low cost loans were  secured on his valuable  assets without ever selling the assets .  

Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos wealth builds even faster because he is not hampered with paying high tax bills each year.  

What money-saving, wealth building loop holes can you find and use today?  Check with your Certified Public Accountant.  Let’s explore some mortgage structures that may be able to help you too.    

Call or text me today at 901 482-0354.  I can assist you with getting the right mortgage , and making the process EASY.   www.JoGarner.com 

Today on Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe we are talking about “Keep More of Your Money in 2026: Insider Tax Strategies From Your Mortgage Pro & Your CPA”

I’m your host,  Jo Garner, Mortgage Loan Originator . For your home purchase or a mortgage refinance you can brag about,.   We can find the right mortgage product and make the mortgage process EASY on a traditional mortgage, on special programs and outside-of-the-box mortgage programs too.   Connect with me at JoGarner.com

Zach Willis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm    zwiggins@wucpas.com
Brandie Spicer at Howling Wolf Bookkeeping www.HowlingWolfBooks.com  

REAL ESTATE TIP OF THE WEEK

Brandie Spicer of Howling Wolf Bookkeeping offers her tip from the bookkeeping industry    #2 Tip- if you see something that you believe might apply to you, always ALWAYS verify it with your tax prep pro. As Zach said, the tax code is voluminous. Some strategies have specific rules for usage. Some have phase-out limitations as well. What works for person A may not work for person B. If you don’t know all there is to know about a deduction, you might end up in some hot water. So please always verify any tips or tricks you hear from friends, family or the internet. 

Zach Willis, CPA with Watkins Uiberall Tax Firm offers his tip from the tax industry. 

Tip:  If you own multiple properties you may qualify as a materially participating real estate professional.    Also using accelerated depreciation programs.   

Jo Garner’s tip :   

Do you want to buy a house or refinance your mortgage but you seem to be hitting a barrier that is keeping you from moving forward?   There are more creative solutions than you can count.  You just need a real person to hear your story and take the time to help you set up your strategy. 

Call or text me today at 901 482-0354  or go to www.JoGarner.com 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:   

Talk Shoppe equips with education, engages by offering connection opportunities between business people and empowers businesses in a supportive community. Talk Shoppe meets every Wednesday 9A-10A CT at Independent Planning Group’s conference room 110 at Clark Tower 5100 Poplar Ave 1^st floor Memphis, TN 

(Thank you Ben Hunter 901 660-2912 outstanding Financial Professional at Independent Planning Group for being Talk Shoppe’s location sponsor)

Talk Shoppe on Wednesday April 22^nd , 2026 9AM CT Join me at Talk Shoppe as I present “Road Map to the Life You Want with Traditional and Outside-the-Box Mortgages” 

Thank you to Andrii Lisovskyi, a finance student at University of Memphis and US Army Reservist for volunteering your time and talents to support our local business community at Talk Shoppe.  He is a very smart, dedicated hard worker looking to work in Capital Budgeting and Financial Modeling  for Federal Express, Autozone   or First Horizon.  If you can connect Andrii, please call or text me at 901 482-0354 

MAKE YOUR PLAN. LET’S WORK YOUR PLAN.  IF THE DEAL WORKS FOR YOU TODAY, DO IT TODAY. 

Subscribe for weekly Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe podcasts with show notes at www.JoGarner.com 

SPECIAL NOTE: REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE DOES NOT ENDORSE 100% OF THE CONTENT ON THIS EPISODE.  REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE  RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A FINANCIAL, LEGAL OR OTHER CERTIFIED, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ACTING OR INVESTING ON ANYTHING YOU HEAR OR SEE FROM THE CONTENT ON THIS SHOW OR BLOG POSTS. THE INFORMATION WE SHARE ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE IS GENERAL IN NATURE MEANT FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND NOT AN OFFER TO LEND.  EXAMPLES GIVEN FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ON REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE SHOPPE AND MOST ARE BASED ON TRUE STORIES BUT WE USE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AND DO NOT DIRECTLY REFLECT REAL PEOPLE OR EXACT DETAILS IN ANY OF THE SITUATIONS. JO GARNER IS A LICENSED MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATOR. (EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY)

• QUOTE CORNER: Someecards-   I  believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried – but they wanted cash.

• Zach Willis shared this quote from Benjamin Franklin “There are only two things that are certain in life—Death and Taxes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CREDITS

REJOINDERS:  

1. Ken Sullivan of Tax Matters Solved.  601-421-7848

2. Brett Bernard, Realtor with Stamps Realty Company-the Investment Division (901) 692-7401

3. Craig and Karen Meadows, Meadows Homes  www.MeadowsHomesofMS.com 

Transitional Music: First Segment    “WAAKA WAAKA” (PD) for Comic Queries;    “Brighter Tomorrows” by Stocktunes for Did You Know segment;  “Upbeat Inspiration” by Ikoliksaj for Insights and Inspiration segment.

INTRO AND OUTRO THEME MUSIC  “Country Roads” by Sergie Pavkin

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF “CHOOSING THE BEST MORTGAGE-THE QUICKEST WAY TO THE LIFE YOU WANT”  by:  JO GARNER

An essential guide for real estate professionals and their customers.

On Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About Zach Willis,  CPA Watkins Uiberall

www.wucpas.com
zwillis@wucpas.com

Zach began his career at Watkins Uiberall in August of 2014 after previously completing an internship. As a Tax Principal, he provides comprehensive tax preparation, planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base. He has gained experience in a variety of tax filings and enjoys working with closely held businesses and their owners. He takes pride in being a trusted advisor with his clients from entity formation through succession and estate planning.

As a leader in the tax department, he is involved in managing client relationships, cultivating new business, pursuing continued growth for the tax department, and firm recruiting.

Zach is a proud Memphian who began his employment after his baseball career ended at the University of Memphis. He and his wife Christina are the proud parents of 3 children with number 4 on the way! He enjoys giving back to his profession and the local community through various roles at the TSCPA-Memphis Chapter, Junior Achievement, the University of Memphis, and St. Jude.

 

ABOUT JO GARNER-MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER:

www.JoGarner.com    (901) 482 0354  jo@jogarner.com  X     @jogarner  NMLS# 757308 

(currently working with Everitt Financial dba Supreme Lending)

ONLINE LOAN APPLICATION :   https://jogarner.supremelendingLO.com 

 “Whatever YOUR  personal priorities are, my job is to help you get the mortgage terms that will give you bragging rights when you talk about it and help you score on  hitting your goals .”

As a mortgage loan officer, my job is to help you get to the  benefits you want from your financing terms.  What is most important to you? I can help you find the financing terms that will help you get to what you want.   What is your comfort level on a house payment? How much are you comfortable paying down,? What type of financing do you need to get the house you want to buy or refinance?

 Different clients have different priorities in life—some are buying their first home with very little down payment funds.  Some are recovering from medical challenges, divorces or preparing to send children to college and some are embarking on a long term goal of buying properties to build rental income.”

 Jo Garner is a mortgage officer with extensive knowledge in helping her clients find the right mortgage program and making the refinance or home purchase mortgage process EASY.  She offers conventional, FHA, VA or other loan programs for primary residences, second homes and investment properties.  

Jo can help you look at rent vs buy, when it makes sense to refinance, how to get the best deal on your home  purchase financing.   

Jo Garner  has been in the real estate/financing business for over 30 years.  She grew up in West Tennessee and got her start in real estate in Portland, Maine where she first began her real estate career. She received her real estate education from the University of Southern Maine  and was personally mentored in San Diego, California  by Robert G. Allen, author of Nothing Down, Creating *Wealth and The Challenge. 

On moving back to West Tennessee in 1987, she went into business buying and selling discounted owner-financed notes secured on real estate.  In 1990 Jo went to work for a residential mortgage company and has been a mortgage loan officer for over 30 years.  

In addition to her work in the mortgage field, Jo Garner  is the primary sponsor and founder of Talk Shoppe in Memphis. www.TalkShoppe.com  Jo Garner also host the radio show Real Estate Mortgage Shoppe airing on the Mighty 990 AM, 107.9 KWAM   & streaming on the app https://mighty990.com/app   with podcasts and show notes published on www.JoGarner.com    Pick up Jo Garner’s book on Amazon or Barnes Noble  “Choosing the Best Mortgage-The Quickest Way to the Life You Want”