What to Invest in When You’re NOT Buying Real Estate

Cash flow is hard to find in 2024, but these real estate markets have plenty of it. Since so many previously “cash-flowing” markets have seen rising prices, higher expenses, and limited housing inventory, we went back to the drawing board to reevaluate which markets in the United States offer the most cash flow potential. Today, we share these markets and hone in on two specific ones with real-life on-market examples to prove that cash flow is still possible. But before we get into that, we’re sharing the cash flow formula even beginners can use to quickly calculate whether a rental property will cash flow. Then, we describe what type of cash-on-cash return WE target in today’s market and list some of the most cash-flowing markets of 2024. Want to see real cash-flowing rental property examples? We’re hopping over to BiggerPockets Deal Finder as we quickly analyze two separate rental properties in two cash-flowing markets to prove that these properties do sport some serious cash flow. Don’t believe us? Head over to BiggerPockets Market Finder, where you can see the nation’s top rent-to-price investing areas (that’s where the cash flow is!).  In This Episode We Cover: Two cities that have cash-flowing rental properties for sale RIGHT NOW Precisely how to calculate cash flow for rental properties (and why most investors do this wrong) The optimal cash-on-cash return we target that properties must meet before we bid on them The 1% rule explained and whether or not it’s still worth using in 2024 When to sell a cash-flowing rental, even if it’s making you mailbox money every month  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! On the Market BiggerPockets YouTube BiggerPockets Real Estate Investment Calculators Try BiggerPockets Deal Finder Learn All the Rental Property Formulas with “Real Estate by the Numbers” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave and Henry at BPCON2024 in Cancun! Top 10 Real Estate Markets for Cash Flow in 2024 Connect with Henry Connect with Dave Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1023 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Struggling to pick what to invest in, especially when real estate prices and mortgage rates are still so high? Many investors are sitting on the sidelines, saving cash for their first or next investment property, but nothing seems to work out. So what do you do, keep your money socked away or invest in other assets that aren’t real estate while waiting for the right time to pull the trigger? We know many of you are in this position, so today, we’re sharing what we’re investing in that ISN’T real estate. This may be a surprise, but even some of the most well-known investors in the BiggerPockets universe aren’t 100% in real estate. Dave Meyer, Brian Burke, and Mindy Jensen all don’t have even half of their net worths in real estate investments. As such respected real estate investors, what else are they putting their money into that ISN’T more rental properties?  In this episode, you get to peek into our investment accounts as we share exactly what we’ve been investing in, how we diversify our investment portfolios, and the “riskier” assets we put our money into that you may not even know exist. So, if you’re struggling to buy real estate or just don’t think investment properties are for you, worry not; you can still build wealth without purchasing a property.  In This Episode We Cover: Alternatives to real estate investing that we’re investing in NOW  Diversifying your investment portfolio and why you SHOULDN’T hold just one type of asset  The “riskier” investments that we’re making and how much money we allocate for them  De-risking your portfolio by buying safer, passive, less volatile assets What beginners should do to build wealth even with a small(er) amount of money   Whether to continue waiting on the sidelines or start investing NOW And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! BiggerPockets Money Podcast  On the Market Get Banking Built for Landlords with Baselane Invest Passively with Brian’s Book, “The Hands-Off Investor” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave and Mindy at BPCON2024 in Cancun! Real Estate Isn’t Enough—Here’s How Three Pro Investors Diversify Their Portfolios Connect with Brian Connect with Mindy Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (03:16) How Much Real Estate We Own (06:33) Allocating Your Cash (11:17) "Riskier" Investments (18:40) What Beginners Should Do (27:51) Diversifying Your Real Estate (35:32) Wait to Buy? (38:49) What We WANT to Invest In Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1022 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Glamping” investments have slowly become massive money-makers in the real estate industry. What used to be someone setting up a tent and potentially a portable toilet for guests looking to get into nature has now become a full-blown luxury business that travelers will pay good money to get a taste of. One large glamping property allowed today’s investor, Garrett Brown, to replace his music producer job and reach levels of success most short-term rental investors can only dream of. Garrett owns a ten-acre piece of land in a lake town outside Houston, Texas. Even though many non-Texans won’t be familiar with the area, local travelers flock to it to escape the big city. Since buying the property, Garrett has made some serious expansions, such as building cabins (and even geo-domes) with WiFi, running water, and the creature comforts many of us don’t want to live without. Plus, Garrett is doing it all while getting most of his bookings directly from social media. That’s right, he has (mostly) cut out Airbnb and other middlemen booking platforms, so he keeps much more of the profit and even gets his guests to upgrade with “add-on packages” that make the deal even sweeter. You can do it, too, but you’ll need to hear how Garrett does it in this episode! In This Episode We Cover: Why “glamping” has become such a popular (and profitable) version of short-term rental investing The “sixty-thirty-ten” rule that helps you identify the best areas for short-term rentals  Leaving your career to build income streams that don’t take up all of your time How to get seventy to eighty percent of your guest bookings through direct booking Why you should offer your guests “add-on packages” that help make YOU more revenue The reason you should “start small” when building out your glamping sites And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Put Your Vacation Rental on Autopilot with Hospitable Grab the Book, "Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth" Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave and Garrett at BPCON2024 in Cancun! Investing in Short-Term Rental Properties: A Beginner’s Guide & How to Get Started Connect with Garrett Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:49) Music Producer to…Real Estate? (08:50) His First House Flip (11:50) Switching to Short-Term Rentals (18:11) Buying 10 Acres and Building Cabins (23:57) Can Anyone Do This? (30:21) Getting Guests Through Social Media (34:33) Start Small! (36:31) Learn from Garrett! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1021 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rent prices have come down to earth after their meteoric growth of 2020 - 2022, but what will they do in 2025? Will we continue to see slow (or no) rent price growth, or could lower interest rates push more households to form and demand to jump? With so much multifamily housing supply and the Fed’s recent rate cut decision, we’ve got a lot to unpack on this BiggerNews episode. Thankfully, we have Apartment List’s Chief Economist, Igor Popov, to help us. We’re talking about rent prices: where they are, where they’re going, and what’s impacting them in 2024 (and into 2025). Unsurprisingly, we’ve got a lot of multifamily supply—apartments are giving huge concessions to lease up. But what if we told you we were oversupplied AND undersupplied at the same time, and in a few years' time, demand could heat up again? Igor gives a rare 2025 rental market forecast, his take on what’s impacting rent growth, and whether the “oversupply” of multifamily is hurting single-family rental investors’ chances to get higher rents. In This Episode We Cover: A 2025 rental market forecast and whether we’ll see rents grow, decline, or flatten next year The areas where all the rental money is moving to (things have REALLY changed) More renter control as the oversupplied multifamily market searches for tenants Why the housing market is currently in a dangerous flood-drought combination  Will sluggish multifamily rent prices push single-family rents down with them? And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Apartment List Research Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Grab Dave’s Newest Book, “Start with Strategy” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun! What Happens to Rent Prices When 1,000,000 New Units Come Online in 2024? Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (03:55) Anything But “Normal” Rent Prices (08:54) Money is in Suburbs (12:59) More Renter Control (17:00) Multifamily vs. Single-Family Rents (18:09) Lots of Supply, Not Enough Supply (23:08) 2025 Rent Prediction (25:52) Learn More from Igor! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1020 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can your mistakes make you a millionaire? If you’re like Craig Curelop and learn from what went wrong, then yes! Craig is now financially free, with millions of dollars in equity, thousands in monthly cash flow, and a thriving business. But, back when he was starting, he made a few mistakes that cost him a sizable amount of money, took years of time away, and put serious stress on his shoulders while trying to grow his real estate portfolio. Thankfully, you can take his lessons to heart, so YOU don’t have to make them yourself. Today, we’re talking about one of Craig’s real estate deals that went wrong. What was supposed to be a profitable out-of-state BRRRR (buy rehab rent refinance repeat) investment quickly turned into contractor scams, danger, theft, and even…love. Yes, love is part of it, too. Craig lost a significant sum on this deal, but if you follow his advice, you don’t have to repeat the same mistakes. Even though this was a property from hell, Craig still kept investing, eventually reaching financial freedom and living his dream life. Something WILL go wrong when you start investing in real estate—just make sure it wasn’t what Craig went through. In This Episode We Cover: Real estate investing mistakes that lost Craig money on his first out-of-state investment  Interviewing agents and why it isn’t enough to work with someone based on a good feeling The easy way to avoid a contractor taking your money WITHOUT doing work Why a cheap deal doesn’t mean it’s a good deal (be really careful) Cutting your losses early and when you should give up on a project that’s going south Why you MUST check references on everyone you work with on a real estate deal And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab Craig’s Book, “The House Hacking Strategy” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun!  Contractor Nightmares: 5 Red Flags to Watch For and How to Escape a Bad Hire Connect with Craig Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (02:04) House Hacking 8 Times! (05:28) One Really Bad BRRRR (14:41) Worst Contractor Ever? (25:59) Finally Selling It (27:54) The Good Ending (30:10) Failing Fast (34:45) Should I Fire My Property Manager? Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1019 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your small town might be the best place to invest in real estate, even if it’s got only a few thousand residents. We know—everyone has told you to go to the bigger, growing cities where you can chase appreciation, but today’s guest might change your mind. He was able to scale to over twenty rental properties in just a few years, all by buying in his rural Ohio town that you’ve probably never heard of. Even better? He bought the rentals with none of his own money, AND he was cash-flowing THOUSANDS per month. So how do you do it, too? Josh Bauerle tried to invest in real estate back in 2006. What was supposed to be a “quick flip” turned into a thirteen-year investment, which (thankfully) made a bit of money by the end. After taking a decade off from real estate investing, he got back in the game, first by buying a rental from his father and then by purchasing a twelve-unit real estate portfolio from a local friend. He then scaled FAST to a serious amount of rentals, all in a tiny town with a small population. After that, he stumbled upon the best-kept cash flow secret in real estate investing: section 8 rentals. Today, Josh is sharing how he did it without using his own money, and how you can do it, too, whether you’re in a sizable city or a small town. In This Episode We Cover: Why living in a small town is a HUGE advantage for real estate investing Seller financing 101 and how to buy rental properties without getting a traditional loan Using other people’s money to build a rental property portfolio Section 8 rentals, the pros and cons, and why they get you MORE rent than regular rentals The simple way that Josh has found his off-market real estate deals with social media And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Get Free Property Management Software for Landlords with Hemlane Grab Dave’s Newest Book, “Start with Strategy” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun! The Pros and Cons of Accepting Section 8 Housing Connect with Josh Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:27) A Failed "Quick Flip" (05:47) Taking a 10-Year Investing Break (09:17) Buying 13 Units at Once (15:13) Quitting His Job/Business (18:26) Using Other People's Money (20:11) Moving to a Bigger Market (23:53) Making More with Section 8 (30:10) Scaling Fast! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1018 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next Fed meeting is crucial for real estate investors and the economy. So, what will the Fed do? Are we getting the 0.25% rate cut that many experts predict, or will a 0.50% rate cut come due to further weakening of the economy? The job market is already struggling, and the Fed needs to make a move—fast. The question is: will whatever they do next be enough to stop us from falling into a high-unemployment economy? We’re getting into it in this BiggerNews! We brought in the chief economics correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Nick Timiraos, to give us the latest update on the Fed, what could happen in September’s Fed meeting, and what’s in store for rate cuts. Nick agrees that this meeting is more crucial than most and that the decisions made could significantly impact the economy and real estate. How many rate cuts will we get this year? How big will the rate cuts be? And who’s deciding these rate-cut decisions in the first place? Nick knows the Fed better than almost anyone and shares exactly what they’re thinking and where they believe rates are headed in today’s episode. In This Episode We Cover: 2024 Fed rate cuts and how big the first one could be at the next Fed meeting  Why rising unemployment is putting even more pressure on the Fed to make a move Whether or not home prices could shoot back up once mortgage rates fall How many rate cuts is the Fed expecting to make in 2024 (more than we thought before!) The “signal” that the Fed is sending with their decision in the next Fed meeting  And So Much More! Links from the Show Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Try Baselane, the One Platform for All Your Property Banking & Finances Thrive in Any Market with “Recession-Proof Real Estate Investing” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun! The Fed Is Planning to Cut Rates Soon. Here’s How Investors Should Prepare Learn More from Nick Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (02:10) The Fed Explained (03:59) September's Crucial Fed Meeting (07:05) Who Decides the Rates? (13:23) 0.25% or 0.50% Rate Cut? (17:27) Risks to Real Estate (23:30) Unemployment is Rising (29:33) Rate Cut Predictions Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1017 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scale smarter with Kathy and Rich’s new book, Scaling Smart! Own real estate? Feeling burnt out? Then you need to listen to this. You've wondered how to scale your real estate portfolio so you can make more money and finally reach financial freedom. And then, at some point, you realize you own rentals and are making money but have zero time. Now, you’re burnt out, wondering where that “financial freedom” went and how you can get back to it. But you’ve got an entire business riding on your back. You can’t stop, so what do you do? Don’t worry—we have the secret.  Kathy and Rich Fettke felt like this a decade ago. Kathy was so stressed that she had zero interest in growing her business any bigger than it was. It was already taking so much out of her, and the stress was only rising. She turned to her husband, Rich, to help coach her into a better position to scale the business instead of blindly growing it. Now, in 2024, Kathy and Rich have amassed a sizable real estate portfolio, run an investor-centered business, and are doing more in less time with less stress. If you want what Kathy and Rich have, stick around and pick up their new book, Scaling Smart, where they teach you how to scale your business the right way, outsource to free up time, and STOP chasing “more” when it’s coming at the cost of your family or time freedom. Want to scale the right way and build a business, not burnout? Don’t miss this episode. In This Episode We Cover: How to scale your real estate portfolio (or real estate business) the right way  Why “growing” isn’t always the right move and could lead you to stress, burnout, and unhappiness  Making your first hire and how to design the perfect structure for your portfolio  Why you need to STOP doing the things you hate and get someone on your team who loves to do them instead  The two major hurdles most real estate investors face when scaling (and how to overcome them) Knowing your “why” and how to have time freedom instead of mindlessly amassing wealth  And So Much More! Links from the Show Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab Rich and Kathy’s New Book “Scaling Smart” Property Manager Finder See Dave, Kathy, and Rich at BPCON2024 in Cancun! How to Build a Real Estate Portfolio & Quickly Scale Your Investments Connect with Kathy Connect with Rich Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (02:13) Stop Growing, Start Doing This (06:31) Choose Life Over Business (12:57) How to Start Scaling (21:02) Do More in LESS Time (24:42) Making Your First Hire (29:13) When Is It "Enough"? (36:38) Grab "Scaling Smart"!   Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1016 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are high interest rates and large down payments stopping you from investing in real estate? If so, creative finance might be precisely what you need. It’s what today’s guest, Ankit Lodha, used to go from zero rental properties to THIRTY in just a couple of years. Sounds risky? What if we told you Ankit was walking into equity when he bought these deals, keeping him from being overleveraged and helping him build wealth faster? After saving up for over a decade to buy his first property, Ankit quickly realized that building wealth would be a slow grind if he didn’t solve his down payment problem. He was working hard as a data scientist by day, looking for real estate deals by night, and needed a solution to help him creatively buy real estate WITHOUT putting twenty-five percent down on every property. After finding a sweet spot in his local housing market, where he made substantially more rent than other landlords, he knew he needed more properties. Today, Ankit talks about how he scaled from zero to thirty properties using creative financing, seller financing, and traditional mortgages. He’ll talk about how he dodged the high mortgage rates most investors were forced to accept, how he built a team and runs his properties remotely, and the ingenious ways he buys houses for very little down with high cash flow. In This Episode We Cover: Creative financing explained and using it to build your real estate portfolio faster Low money down real estate with seller financing and creating a win-win for you and the seller Making twice his mortgage payment in rent by tapping into this “gray area” of his market Building his team while working full-time and managing his rentals remotely Making a fifty percent return on one very creative real estate deal The risks of creative finance you MUST know about before you start And So Much More! Links from the Show Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Learn Creative Finance with “Wealth without Cash” Property Manager Finder See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun and Email [email protected] For a Chance to Dine with Dave! Creative Financing: How To Use It In Real Estate Connect with Dave   (00:00) Intro (01:47) Data by Day, Deals at Night (05:51) Moving and Remote Management (11:07) Making 2x His Mortgage (17:15) Building the Team (20:38) Creative Solutions with HUGE Returns (29:16) Low Money Down Strategies (30:11) Next-Level Seller Financing (34:25) Creative Finance Risks (37:41) Long-Term Vision Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1015 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are new construction homes a good investment right now? Well, that depends. If you want a lower price for a property in a better condition, with a lower mortgage rate and the ability to charge more rent, then new construction homes are what you need. This “sleeper” investment is now cheaper to buy than a regular rental property, but since it’s a new build, it comes with a fraction of the headaches and repairs than most “used” homes. So if they’re cheaper, better, and make you more money, why isn’t everyone buying a new home? Kathy Fettke has been investing in new construction homes for decades. At first, it was just a way for her to have a more passive real estate portfolio. But now, she knows she can make much more with new homes than buying existing rentals. Since so much of her portfolio is new builds, we brought her to the show to share why this investment may be the best on the market. We’ll get into new construction pricing and why new homes are CHEAPER than existing homes but offer better amenities, safer structures, and often much lower insurance prices. Next, how to get a rock-bottom mortgage rate by negotiating with builders (we’re talking three or four percent interest rates!). Plus, Kathy shares precisely how to ensure you’re buying a new home in the path of progress so you can rake in appreciation. In This Episode We Cover: Why new construction rental properties may be one of the best investments of 2024 Saving serious money on your mortgage with rate buydowns paid for by the developers Why new construction home prices are CHEAPER than existing home prices in 2024 Buying in the “path of progress” to ensure your home value keeps growing Factoring in appreciation into your next deal and whether you should account for it at all And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Pre-Order Kathy’s New Book “Scaling Smart” Property Manager Finder See Dave and Kathy at BPCON2024 in Cancun! We’re in a Home Construction Golden Age—Here’s How Investors Would Benefit From Building On the Market Podcast Connect with Kathy Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (02:03) Buying New Homes at a Distance (06:42) The “Path of Progress” (11:11) New Homes vs. Build-to-Rent (19:25) Get a Lower Mortgage Rate (24:14) Where (Not) to Buy (30:10) Forecasting Appreciation Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1014 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices