A Lot Has Gone Wrong With His Rentals…But He Still Thinks Real Estate Is Worth It With Ari Rubin (Ep 573)

Many real estate investors avoid C- and D-class neighborhoods due to crime, older housing stock, and management challenges. Mike Bonadies sees opportunity where others see problems.On this episode, Mike explains why he focuses on lower-income neighborhoods and how those properties have allowed him to build and scale a large portfolio. We look at the types of properties he's buying, what he's paying, how much rehab they're typically needing, and the numbers that make these deals work.With a lower barrier to entry and strong cash-flow potential, Mike believes these markets can offer opportunities difficult to find elsewhere.We also get into the realities of owning low-income housing. Mike talks about working with Section 8 and other government assistance programs, dealing with inspections, navigating government red tape, and why these properties are anything but passive investments.He shares some of the biggest challenges he's facing today, including applicants using AI-generated pay stubs and bank statements, as well as the steps he's taking to verify income and avoid costly mistakes. Finally, Mike reveals the key numbers he tracks and the one thing investors can do to increase their chances of success in low-income housing.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode576Thanks To Our Sponsors:Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant cash flow on day 1.

Steve Whetzel has tried real estate investing three different times over the last 30 years, and the first two attempts didn’t end the way he hoped.On this episode, we look back at each chapter of his investing journey to see what went wrong, what went right, and whether it would have been possible to hold onto the properties instead of selling. Steve shares how each experience shaped the investor he is today.Steve bought his first rental properties back in 1996, long before podcasts, YouTube channels, and online communities made real estate investing easier to learn. As a young entrepreneur, he figured things out on his own and quickly bought two properties. The investments were working, but he was also trying to grow a business and eventually realized he didn’t have the time or focus to do both. A few years later, he sold the properties and moved on.About 15 years later, Steve decided to give investing another shot.This time he bought five out-of-state rentals and found what looked like great opportunities. We talk about how he found the deals, and the painful experience of losing $20,000 to a contractor who disappeared with his money. Steve explains how he recovered from that setback, found a better contractor, and got things back on track. But life took another turn when he went through a divorce and suddenly found himself raising five kids as a single dad. With so much on his plate, he made the difficult decision to sell the properties again.Now, Steve is back for a third attempt at investing, and this time things are different.His kids are older, the timing in his life is better, and he’s focused on building a portfolio of out-of-state Airbnb properties. We talk about what he’s doing differently today, the lessons he learned from his previous failures, and why those earlier experiences may have been exactly what he needed to become a better investor now.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode575Thanks To Our Sponsors:Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Ryan Thompson has gone all in on house hacking and believes it’s one of the fastest ways to build a rental portfolio. Ryan loves house hacking because of the favorable financing. Instead of putting 20–25% down like a traditional investment property, he was able to buy properties with as little as 5% down while also getting some of the best interest rates available.Today, Ryan generates over $30,000 a year in profit from just 5 rentals that all started as house hacks.On this episode, Ryan explains how he was able to live for free while doubling the mortgage payment with rental income from roommates and tenants. We talk about why he uses a property manager even though he lives in the properties, and how he sets up chores and systems to keep shared living spaces clean and organized. Ryan also talks honestly about what it was like moving every year for 5 years straight and why, despite how difficult it was, the financial freedom it created made it completely worth it.What makes Ryan’s story even more interesting is that he wasn’t making a huge income when he got started, proving that building a portfolio doesn’t require a high salary if you’re willing to sacrifice and think creatively.We also dive into assumable mortgages, which Ryan has become an expert on.Ryan explains how investors can buy properties and take over existing 2%, 3%, or 4% mortgage rates from sellers. We talk about which types of loans are assumable, how to approach sellers that may not even realize this is an option, how much cash you typically need to bring to the deal, and the timeframe to get an assumable loan approved.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode574Thanks To Our Sponsors:Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.

When a rental sits vacant, landlords lose money every single day. In the past, many investors waited for the “perfect” tenant, but today, many renters who may look risky on paper could end up being great long-term tenants.The challenge for landlords is figuring out how to reduce the risk of a tenant stopping payment or damaging the property.On this bonus episode, we talk to Jamison Theander from TheGuarantors about how landlords can rent properties faster while reducing risk. Jamison explains how TheGuarantors offers a lease guarantee that will pay the rent if a tenant defaults, at no cost to the landlord.We talk about what TheGuarantors looks for when approving tenants, how quickly approvals happen, and why this can help landlords feel more comfortable approving applicants they might normally pass on.We also discuss the different types of coverage available, including protection for missed rent and damage coverage with deposit replacement protection. Jamison explains why this can provide landlords with significantly more protection than a traditional security deposit, how customizable the coverage is, and what the cost looks like for tenants. If you’ve ever struggled with balancing vacancy, tenant quality, and risk, this episode offers a different way to think about screening and protecting your rentals.More info:https://www.theguarantors.comThanks To Our Sponsor:Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.

Ari Rubin has been investing in rental properties long enough to know that eventually, something is going to go wrong. Really wrong. But despite dealing with nightmare situations that would make a lot of investors quit, Ari says it’s all been worth it.On this episode, Ari shares some of the craziest situations he’s dealt with as a landlord and investor. He talks about a contractor he didn’t hire who broke into one of his properties, demolished the kitchen, and planned to move into the house himself. He also shares the story of a “professional tenant” who moved in and never paid rent, and a property where he spent $60,000 on renovations only to discover a major foundation issue that caused the entire house to shift just six months later.We also talk about a property Ari almost bought that had a dangerously unsafe deck built by the tenant, so bad that contractors didn’t even want to tear it down.Ari shares another unbelievable tenant story involving someone who turned the backyard into a giant litter box.Throughout the episode, Ari explains how he handled these situations, what he learned from them, and why he still believes rental properties are one of the best ways to build wealth despite all the challenges.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode573Thanks To Our Sponsors:Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Davethought he was making the smart move. By paying off several of his rental properties, he figured he’d lower his expenses, boost his cash flow, and simplify his portfolio. But after doing it, he started to feel like he made a mistake.Today, Dave believes he would have been better off keeping the debt and using that money to buy more properties. He shares why he thinks a larger portfolio with leverage could have outperformed a smaller, paid-off portfolio over the long run, and how losing the mortgage interest deduction changed the numbers.On this episode, we break down how Dave paid off his rentals, when the regret set in, and why he’s hesitant to do a cash-out refinance to pull that equity back out. We also talk about the benefits of owning properties free and clear, so you can hear both sides of the argument.We dig into Dave’s portfolio, including his strategy of owning properties in the same neighborhood and how self-managing helps him keep expenses low. He shares his actual numbers, including total rent, expenses, and net income, along with some of the toughest situations he’s faced as a landlord.We also get into whether Dave thinks investors are better off using LLCs, and how he approaches structuring his business.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode572Thanks To Our Sponsors:Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Bianca Barcelos has built her portfolio using both long-term and mid-term rentals, and on this episode, we break down what that actually looks like in the real world.Bianca walks through her experience with both strategies, comparing the pros and cons side by side. We dig into the income differences, the downtime between tenants, and the added effort required to furnish and manage mid-term properties. She shares what she typically spends to furnish a unit, the rent premium she can get, and how she weighs whether that premium justifies the hassle.We also talk about how Bianca is financing her deals and why she prefers smaller properties as part of her strategy. She explains how she budgets for maintenance and unexpected costs and shares a tough situation in which a major expense tested her system.This episode is a great look at how to think through risk, cash flow, and strategy when deciding between long-term and mid-term rentals, and how to build a plan that actually holds up when things don’t go perfectly.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode571Thanks To Our Sponsors:Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant Cash Flow On Day One. (5% Management Fee for 5 Years, and $5,000 towards closing costs).Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Greg Hall did what a lot of investors dream about, he scaled fast.In just three years, Greg built a portfolio of more than 100 rental properties, buying mostly single-family homes in a market about three hours from where he lived. His strategy was simple and effective: buy low, renovate smart, and create quality rentals in solid neighborhoods.He wasn’t slapping lipstick on properties, he was turning distressed homes into places good tenants actually wanted to live. On paper, everything worked.But then something happened that most investors never even consider…The city stepped in and started condemning and demolishing his properties.On this episode, we break down how that’s even possible. What triggers something like this? What happens when you still have a mortgage on a property that no longer exists? And most importantly, how can you protect yourself from a situation like this?Greg shares the full story, what went wrong, what he would do differently, and how he bounced back. We also talk about how his investing strategy has evolved today, and how he’s approaching risk in a completely different way.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode570Thanks To Our Sponsors:The Guarantors – Protect your property against losses, rent defaults, vacancies, lease breaks, damages, and more. All without increasing your operating expenses.Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Ryan is using a simple but powerful strategy to build his rental portfolio, and it all starts with a HELOC.Instead of going through traditional financing, Ryan uses a line of credit to buy properties, using what appears to be cash. That gives him a huge advantage when making offers. After closing, he funds the renovations with the same credit line, focusing on cosmetic upgrades like flooring, fixtures, and paint to dramatically increase value.Once the property is stabilized, Ryan completes a cash-out refinance, pays off the HELOC, and repeats the process.On this episode, Ryan breaks down the exact system he’s using and explains what he believes are the two key steps to building wealth with real estate.We also get into:How he qualified for his HELOCCreative ways to access lines of credit (even outside of real estate)A full breakdown of one of his dealsPurchase price, rehab costs, rent, and mortgage numbersHow he budgets for expenses and manages riskhttps://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode569Thanks To Our Sponsors:MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant Cash Flow On Day One. (5% Management Fee for 5 Years, and $5,000 towards closing costs).Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Mike Thompson isn’t trying to build a massive rental empire. His goal is simple: a handful of solid properties that generate income for retirement and create something he can pass down to his kids.Mike started by buying a 4-unit property in Ohio, where he was living at the time. He self-managed and handled his own maintenance. He enjoyed the hands-on approach and quickly learned the business. But after relocating to South Carolina, everything changed. Turning the property over to a property manager didn’t go as planned, and within a year, Mike decided to sell… walking away with a profit.After taking time to understand his new market, Mike got back in by buying two condos that he now self-manages. On this episode, we break down his numbers, how he budgets for expenses, and how he’s finding deals in today’s market.https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode568Thanks To Our Sponsors:Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant Cash Flow On Day One. (5% Management Fee for 5 Years, and $5,000 towards closing costs).Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.