Why Your Small Town Is (Probably) the Best Place to Buy Rentals

So you want to start investing in real estate but have ZERO experience. What should you do? The good news is that even if you don’t know how to invest in real estate, you can get started relatively quickly, especially if you avoid the common rookie mistakes. To help you jump over the investing hurdles, instead of running right into them, Dave brought on Tony Robinson, top short-term rental investor, and Henry Washington, repeat co-host and long-term rental investor, to share exactly what they’d do if they were starting from scratch in 2025. Both Henry and Tony have scaled very fast. They own seven-figure real estate portfolios producing hundreds of thousands in rent yearly. But neither of them has been investing for more than ten years. How did they scale their real estate portfolios so quickly? They learned from their mistakes FAST and are teaching you the same lessons on today’s show. In this episode, we’re going through the beginner steps you should take to build a real estate portfolio starting in 2025. We’ll discuss whether you should buy long-term or short-term rentals, how to choose a market to invest in, knowing how much you can afford, the many ways to find real estate deals, and the one thing Henry and Tony WISHED they had done earlier. Ready to start investing in 2025? This is your quick guide! In This Episode We Cover: Best beginner real estate investments and whether you should buy or build your first rental What to do when you don’t have tons of money to invest and how to calculate your buying power How to find real estate deals even if you’re low on time or money The one thing Henry and Tony advise every rookie real estate investor to start doing NOW Emergency reserves and why you must keep cash on you when you start investing And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Real Estate Rookie Podcast On the Market Podcast  Get a Quote on Your Next Short-Term Rental Loan with Host Financial Start from Scratch with “The Book on Rental Property Investing” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Real Estate Investing For Beginners: How To Get Started Connect with Henry Connect with Tony Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:01) Best Starter Investments (03:08) Short-Term Rentals (08:42) 1. Choose a Market (10:04) Long-Term Rentals (14:42) 2. Know Your Buying Power (18:39) 3. Finding Real Estate Deals (24:21) 4. Document EVERYTHING (28:39) 5. Start a “Reinvestment” Fund Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1041 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 you invest in real estate with just $75,000? And not only invest but can you find cash-flowing rentals in solid markets with long-term profit potential without spending six figures? Yes, to both. Today, we’re proving it’s more than possible because we’re finding on-market rental properties for sale that can be bought, renovated, and rented with a $75,000 (or less) investment. These are LIVE deals, meaning you could make an offer on them right after this podcast airs (seriously!). To help us out, Dave asked fellow investors Ashley Kehr and Henry Washington to bring a deal to the show that: 1. Has an all-in cost of $75,000 or less 2. Is on-market (on the MLS) 3. Isn’t a house hack (you don’t have to live in the property). Dave found his own deal and brought it along, too. So today, we’re sharing three actual deals in three solid real estate markets, all that you can invest in with $75,000 or less. We found rental properties that not only cash flow hundreds of dollars a month but come close to (or beat) the 1% rule, AND one is already renovated, meaning you just need to find renters, and you’re already making money. Don’t let the naysayers fool you—this is PROOF you can find good rental properties even in 2024.  In This Episode We Cover: How to invest $75,000 in real estate if you want cash-flowing rental properties  Three distinct real estate markets that all offer below-average rental property prices  How much to keep in cash reserves for your first investment property  “Value-add” potential you can spot that’ll help you boost equity in your property  The one cost that you really need to check before you buy in a new market  Key indicators that point to a real estate market growing (or slowing)  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Grab Henry’s New Book, “Real Estate Deal Maker” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Top 10 Real Estate Markets for Cash Flow in 2024 Connect with Ashley Connect with Henry Connect with Dave Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1040 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

Is property “rezoning” the trick to making much more money in real estate? Our guest is using zoning laws to his favor by finding areas with hidden potential but NO space left to build. He then changes the zoning, builds new homes, and sells them FAST (and often over-asking price) to the local buyers waiting in line for inventory to arrive. You can do it, too, but you’ll need some beginner information before you start. Since 2016, Stuart Udis has been building homes in areas most investors overlook. The average investor sees an area with growing demand but realizes that they can’t build a home because a piece of land may NOT allow residential units, so they give up. Stuart instead gets both the city AND the local residents on his side, having all parties favor a zoning change, helping him be the only investor to build on that once-overlooked piece of land. So how do YOU do this, too? In this episode, Stuart walks through how he finds hidden opportunities in often-overlooked neighborhoods, the groups you’ll have to meet with before you try to change the zoning, and the types of units he’s building that give him the highest return on his money. In This Episode We Cover: Why “rezoning” property might be one of the most overlooked investing strategies  The big cash flow mistake that Stuart made earlier on in his investing career  The #1 reason you must look into school districts BEFORE buying in an area  Getting approval for rezoning from the city and the neighbors you MUST get on your side  How to tell exactly what a buyer/renter will want BEFORE you rezone/build  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab Henry’s New Book, “Real Estate Deal Maker” Grab Dave’s Newest Book, “Start with Strategy” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Can You Build Wealth by Rezoning Your Property? Yes! Here’s How Connect with Stuart Connect with Henry Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:20) Buying $50K Houses! (05:06) BIG Cash Flow Mistake (09:05) Finding a Hidden Opportunity (13:45) Changing “Zoning” to Meet Demand (20:36) Getting Zoning Approval (24:57) What Buyers/Renters Want (26:37) Buying, Building, and Renovating Rentals Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1039 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

Real estate investing is great…sometimes. Other times, it’s NOT fun to be a real estate investor. While the pros, like financial freedom, generational wealth, and passive income definitely outweigh the cons, there are times when real estate investing makes you sit back and think, “Wow, I’m not having fun right now.” So we’re here to vent some of our biggest frustrations about the real estate industry, and if you’re an investor, landlord, house flipper, or property manager, you’ll probably relate.  These are the things that grind our gears the MOST. Now we’re not saying to ditch rental properties and real estate investing because of these downsides. Despite all these investment property pains, we still believe real estate is the best asset class for investing. But you will be hit with the headaches that we go through if you decide to invest. The good news? We will give you actionable tips to avoid the worst of these throughout the episode. If you’re brand new to real estate investing or are thinking of buying your first property, this is advice you need to hear before you begin so you can make the most money with the least amount of stress.  In This Episode We Cover: Why you really (really) don’t need to become an agent just to invest in real estate  Getting blinded by “exit strategies” and how it’ll cost you in the long run How Henry learned to work with contractors so he doesn’t get scammed or ghosted Why we’re begging you to stop doing “virtual staging” when selling a house  Etiquette for agents writing property descriptions (stop saying everything is “cozy”) How to improve your relationship with your tenants so you both can enjoy your lives  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab Henry’s New Book, “Real Estate Deal Maker” Property Manager Finder How to Work With Contractors and Manage a Job Site as a Flipping Newbie Connect with Henry Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (00:41) 1. Becoming an Agent Just to Invest (04:58) 2. Bad/Slow Communication (07:30) 3. Being Blinded by Exit Strategies (12:30) 4. Unrealistic Expectations (17:03) 5. Working with Contractors (23:22) 6. Agent Property Descriptions (25:07) 7. Virtual Staging (30:47) 8. SO. MUCH. PAPERWORK. (33:19) 9. Shady Wholesalers (37:36) 10. Tenants vs. Landlords Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1038 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

Discounted real estate deals could be coming THIS winter as the housing market begins to “thaw.” Today, Dave is flying solo, bringing you a housing market update on all the crucial factors real estate investors are looking at—home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and rent prices. Even with home sales falling by a massive margin, home prices are still at all-time highs, and the housing market is “stuck,” but we could see some sellers taking price cuts this winter if you’re willing to take advantage. Okay, but how can home prices still be THIS high when the total home sales are twenty percent lower than average and around fifty percent under the recent highs? It’s simple—affordability struggles. High rates, high prices, and “locked-in” homeowners staying in place keep the market frozen. So, why does Dave believe sellers will be more inclined to drop their prices this winter? Where does he believe interest rates will be by the end of the year? And what’s the one thing that could get the housing market “unstuck”?  In This Episode We Cover: Why Dave believes real estate deals are coming THIS winter  Mortgage rate predictions and how low rates could go by the end of this year Whether to buy now or wait for affordability to improve, prices to drop, and rates to fall  Why home prices are still rising EVEN with homebuyer demand plummeting  The MASSIVE drop in home sales since the pandemic boom and why prices have remained high  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Nearly A Quarter of Prospective First-Time Homebuyers are Holding Off Until After the Election: Redfin Survey Grab Dave’s Book, “Real Estate by the Numbers” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area The Fed Finally Cuts Rates, but Will It Even Matter? Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (00:50) Home Prices Are Changing (04:57) The Deals Are Coming (06:05) MASSIVE Decline in Home Sales (11:12) So…Why Are Prices High? (16:19) Mortgage Rate Forecast (18:14) Buy Now or Wait? (19:17) Rents Still Struggling (21:56) Winter Opportunity Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1037 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

These two college teammates built a sizable real estate portfolio in just three years by using what they call the “delayed BRRRR strategy.” They’ve used this specific real estate investing tactic (and the regular BRRRR strategy) to turn one duplex into more than a dozen rental properties for their portfolio. They didn’t start with a ton of money and only got into investing together in 2021 when housing competition was high, and rates were soon to rise sharply. So, how does their strategy work, and how can YOU use it to buy more rental properties? In this episode, these innovative investors, Joe Escamilla and Sam Farman, talk about why it’s CRUCIAL to have great real estate investing partners and how choosing the right one can be the rocket fuel you need to build a financial freedom-enabling rental property portfolio. They share the new “BRRRR” strategy (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) they’re using to get steady real estate cash flow AND boost their equity at the same time.  We’ll also talk about raising private capital and creating your own real estate syndication so you can buy more real estate using other people’s money and pass along the returns to your investors. Joe and Sam have built a real estate portfolio most investors can only dream of achieving, and they did it all in only three years, during high rates, and while working full-time jobs. Stick around to hear how you can do it, too!  In This Episode We Cover: The new-and-improved “BRRRR” strategy that lets you “recycle” your money  Signs of a perfect real estate partner and why getting this right is CRUCIAL for growth  Cash-out refinancing to reinvest in real estate and grow your portfolio faster  Why you DON’T want to sit on the sidelines while rates are high and competition is low Syndications and how to raise money for your next real estate deal  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Rich Dad Poor Dad Grab the Book on the “BRRRR” Strategy Find Investor-Friendly Lenders The Beginner’s Guide to “Infinite Investing” with the BRRRR Method Connect with Joe Connect with Sam Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:26) The Perfect Partnership? (03:59) First Duplex in 2021 (11:38) This Works WITH High Rates (16:25) Using Other People’s Money (23:33) The New 2025 “BRRRR” Strategy (28:25) Who Does What? Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1036 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

“Lake Effect” cash flow is starting to make landlords rich in this under-the-radar region of the United States. For the past few decades, mainstream real estate investing platforms have almost forgotten this region, and we’ve even overlooked it a few times. Here, landlords can buy affordable homes, make serious cash flow, and see significant investing advantages they can’t get in most other areas. Where are we talking about? Salt Lake? The Great Lakes? Lake Tahoe? Welcome back to this week’s BiggerNews, where we’re discussing everyone’s favorite subject—cash flow (and a LOT of it). We brought Real Estate Rookie co-host Ashley Kehr, a predominantly cash-flow investor, to the show to share why her home region is finally getting the recognition it deserves for real estate investing. If you want the residual income that will lead you to financial freedom and an early retirement, this is the region to look at. You can buy homes for a fraction of what they cost elsewhere, all while getting surprisingly high rent prices, leaving you with a serious supply of cash flow at the end of the month. We’re talking about the MOST affordable cities in this area, why the tech industry is moving in, and one crucial advantage that makes this market almost future-proof.  In This Episode We Cover: “Lake Effect” cash flow and why it’s making landlords wealthy in this affordable area  The most affordable (and cash-flowing) markets in this under-the-radar region Why more and more tech companies are moving into this overlooked area  Appreciation potential and the cities with cash flow AND rising home prices  The “booming” area that has serious infrastructure support for more jobs/businesses  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Get Banking Built for Landlords with Baselane Ready to Start? Grab “The Book on Rental Property Investing” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Top 10 Real Estate Markets for Cash Flow in 2024 Real Estate Rookie Podcast 10 Deals on a $20K Waitress Salary With Ashley Hamilton Connect with Ashley Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (03:22) Still SUPER Affordable (08:32) Most Affordable Markets (11:30) Tech Industry is Moving In (14:57) Climate Resilience (18:56) Under-the-Radar Markets? (28:58) This Area is Booming (32:18) Even More Advantages? Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1035 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

“Should I refinance my home NOW or wait?” If you have bought a property in the past two years, every day looks like a better and better time to refinance your mortgage. After the Fed’s big rate cut last month, mortgage rates did the unexpected…they went UP. But, even with these slightly inflated rates, now is looking like a good time to refinance if you bought a home with a higher interest rate. So, should you take the risk of waiting for mortgage rates to drop or lock in these substantially lower rates now? We don’t know what will happen next, so we brought on veteran lender Caeli Ridge to answer some of our more nuanced questions. Caeli summarizes where rates were, where they are today, and where they could be headed. If you want to know what refinance and HELOC (home equity line of credit) rates are right now, stay tuned because she shares exactly what her clients are getting. What about paying no or low interest on your next HELOC? Caeli shares what may be the greatest HELOC hack we’ve ever heard of—one that gives you lots of liquidity while keeping your interest payments at the absolute rock bottom. You may have never heard of anything like it, so don’t miss this one! In This Episode We Cover: Where mortgage rates are right now for refinances and HELOCs The HELOC hack that greatly minimizes your interest in your next equity line  Caeli’s interest rate forecast and where she thinks rates could be in the near future  When waiting to refinance could cost you, and whether rates may go UP again  The metrics that influence where mortgage rates will go next (what to pay attention to) And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Wall Street wants a strong economy. It also wants Fed rate cuts. The two aren’t necessarily compatible Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation Grab Dave’s Book, “Real Estate by the Numbers” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders With Mortgage Rates Falling, When Should Investors Refinance? Connect with Caeli Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:52) Interest Rate Update (06:34) Why Rates Went UP (11:59) Should You Refinance? (18:17) Current Refi Rates (19:37) Best HELOC Hack (29:01) Interest Rate Forecast Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1034 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

What if you could not only replace but make MUCH more than your W2 salary with real estate investing? Now, imagine you could do it all in just two years. Sounds impossible, right? Today’s guest did precisely that, with more barriers than most. Jon Boyd left his W2 job to pursue real estate investing full-time, all while having to provide for his family of six! Now, he’s making much more than his job ever paid him and is building serious wealth in the process. How’s he doing it? It’s simple: direct-to-seller strategies anyone can try.  Unlike many real estate investors, Jon skipped heavily investing during the 2010s, so his wealth is NOT due to the rapid appreciation of 2020 - 2023. As his W2 whittled him down day by day, Jon knew he needed an exit option. So, he tried one simple direct-to-seller marketing strategy, found a great deal, made a serious profit, and decided, “Let’s go ALL-IN!”  Now, just a few years later, he’s a full-time real estate investor, doing over a dozen house flips in a year, with a portfolio of five rental properties, and making MUCH more than his job was paying. The best part? He does almost all of it himself, and if you’re willing to push past your comfort zone, you can, too! In This Episode We Cover: The one direct-to-seller marketing strategy Jon uses to find off-market, undervalued deals How to plan your financial safety nets when quitting your job for real estate  How to talk to a potential seller so they feel comfortable giving you the deal  The one thing you should do before you quit your job (or you’ll regret it!) How Jon does over a dozen house flips a year with ZERO employees  An unbelievably creative seller finance deal that most investors would never think of  And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab Henry’s New Book, “Real Estate Deal Maker” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders 10 Steps to Kickstart a Winning Direct Mail Campaign Connect with Jon Connect with Henry Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (01:09) Given Golden Advice Early (03:43) Quitting His W2 Job (08:54) Taking a Big Risk (12:21) Looking for Off-Market Deals (16:10) Profit on Direct Mail (19:09) How to Talk to Sellers (22:56) Jon's Current Portfolio & Business (24:24) Doing 12-14 Flips by HIMSELF! (28:28) Most Creative Real Estate Deal Ever? (31:49) Can Anyone Do This? Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1033 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 there “clues” that point to phenomenal real estate investing areas? We mean the areas nobody knew about until it was too late. The neighborhoods that seem to jump in price overnight, and everyone ends up saying, “I should have bought there when I had the chance!” What if there was a way to easily identify WHICH areas are in the “path of progress” and could make you serious wealth IF you buy today? We brought in an expert with two decades of experience picking these markets. James Dainard is a rental property investor, house flipper, private money lender, and every other role you can think of in real estate. He’s been investing primarily in one market for his entire career: Seattle, Washington. But, even though he’s sticking to this specific market, he’s diversified by having investments all around the entire metro area, even in places most people wouldn’t DARE to buy in. Today, he’s sharing his secrets, showcasing precisely what he looks at to identify these hidden but growing real estate areas WITHIN a market. We’ll discuss whether you should focus on the deal or the neighborhood first, “clues” that point to a solid investing area, why zoning will become your wealth-building best friend, and how to identify markets with solid cash flow or appreciation.  In This Episode We Cover: The “clues” that point to a rising real estate area most people DON’T know about yet Whether to choose a neighborhood FIRST or evaluate a deal based on its neighborhood  The magic of “upzoning” and how James uses this to boost his portfolio’s worth  The “path of progress” that will have your home value rising FAR faster than others  What to be cautious of when investing in a new area (these could ruin your real estate deal) Data sources you can use right now to pinpoint exactly where to buy And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Grab James’ New Book, “The House Flipping Framework” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Is That Neighborhood Up-and-Coming? Here’s How to Tell Connect with James Connect with Dave (00:00) Intro (02:35) Neighborhood or Deal First? (06:51) “Clues” of a Great Neighborhood (13:14) This is CRUCIAL (19:57) The Path of Progress (25:41) Stay Away from This (31:44) Do This FIRST Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1032 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