Real Estate Rookie

“Tiny” investments with BIG upsides? Today’s guest turned a $12,000 down payment (all the money he had) into four rental properties and a unique real estate investing business. After an injury from his time in the Army left Manny Reyna with altered life plans, he had to decide what to do next. He didn’t have much money but wanted to provide for his wife and young son. The best option: use his VA loan to buy a house.  With every dollar he had, he bought a home, knowing it could one day be a rental, but little did he know that it would kickstart a very different real estate investing journey. Fast forward a few years later, and Manny has a glamping/tiny house business that he started with just $20,000. This tiny home brings in some respectable cash flow but wasn’t without its struggles. In this episode, we’re going through the big ups (and big downs) of Manny’s journey, from having to literally move a house to bad guests ruining his first short-term rental, installing utilities on completely raw land, and managing his properties from very far away (he’s in Japan right now!).    In This Episode We Cover: Why every veteran or active duty military member should use THIS loan to buy a house How to start investing without much money by buying “tiny” investment properties  Whether you should hire property management or self-manage your first property  Why lowering your rent price is worth it to avoid prolonged vacancies (don’t make Manny’s mistake!) How much it cost Manny to install utilities (electrical, septic, etc.) on a raw land for his glamping properties  And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Get Casita on Instagram  Sign Up for BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year Grab the Book, “Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth” Property Manager Finder $11,000/Month with One VERY Unique Rental Property w/Garrett Brown Connect with Manny (00:00) Intro (02:10) First House for $12K Down! (06:00) Hiring Property Management (09:34) I Can't Get Tenants! (10:37) $50K Tiny Homes and Land Investing (16:15) Setting Up Utilities on New Land (21:21) Tiny House Amenities (24:11) Cash Flow and Current Rent (26:37) Tenants Trashed My Property! (29:58) Buying MORE Tiny Homes (33:44) Managing Properties from Abroad (35:09) Connect with Manny! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-518 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you need more money to buy your first rental property? Fortunately, there are all kinds of real estate side hustles you can use to supercharge your savings, all while learning the ropes of real estate investing. And in this episode, we’re going to share some of our favorites that YOU can start today! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re tackling more of your recent questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and BiggerPockets Facebook groups. First, a new investor has a lofty investing goal they want to achieve in just five years, and we’ll share our best advice and side hustle ideas to help them reach it. Next, we’ll hear from an investor who wants to buy their dream home. Can they leverage their current real estate portfolio to help fund it? Should they sell their rentals? Stay tuned to find out! Finally, what’s the best way to structure a real estate investing partnership? Should you go into business with a family member? We’ll share some crucial dos and don’ts! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover: The BEST side hustles for making extra money and learning real estate Whether it’s ever too late to start your investing journey How many rental properties you need to achieve your cash flow goals Our biggest fears, headaches, and lessons learned when WE started investing How to leverage your current real estate portfolio to buy your next property What you must know before forming partnerships (and how to structure one!) And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram “Like” Real Estate Rookie on Facebook Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply Grab Tony & Ashley’s Book “Real Estate Partnerships” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders 6 Real Estate Side Hustles to Make Extra Money & Gain Experience (00:00) Intro (00:35) Cash Flow Goals (07:24) Biggest Fears & Headaches (11:36) BEST Side Hustles (18:42) Buying Your Dream Home (24:24) Partnerships 101 (32:02) Ask Your Question! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-517 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Managing rental properties doesn’t have to be hard. You can do it without the midnight tenant phone calls, “lost” rent checks, and other common landlord headaches. Looking to buy your first or next rental property? Today, we’re giving a masterclass on how to manage a rental property, even if you’re a real estate rookie with zero experience in investing. Ready to start? Here’s what we’re breaking down in this episode: What to do before you buy, getting your lease agreement together, handling maintenance requests and repairs, move-ins and move-outs, security deposits, and more! What software do we use to streamline all the tenant communication so we don’t deal with a dozen phone calls a day? How do we handle tenant complaints and damages to the property without having our hair fall out (Tony optionally shaves his head!)? We’re giving you complete lists of every app and software we use so you can manage with ease, too! Also, why did Ashley publicly weep in a courthouse early in her real estate career? She shares one key tip to save you time, money, and tears! In This Episode We Cover: What you should do BEFORE you buy your first/next rental to make your life much easier Lease agreements 101 and the crucial additions that most landlords miss  How Ashley handles all her tenant maintenance requests without picking up a single phone call What you MUST have a tenant fill out when moving into your property (this will save you a TON of money) Every rental property software Ashley uses to manage her long-term rentals  What you should NEVER do during an eviction filing (Ashley’s BIG mistake)  And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube BiggerPockets Resource Hub Lease Agreements by State Rookie Resource Hub RentRedi Stessa Sign Up for BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year Grab the Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Property Manager Finder 9 Incredible Resources To Help You Self-Manage Your Rental Properties (00:00) Intro (00:28) BEFORE You Buy (07:40) Lease Agreements 101 (15:11) Maintenance, Repairs, Tenant Requests (20:17) Move Ins and Move Outs (26:39) Security Deposits (28:05) Best Rental Property Software Best Rental Property Software (33:49) Landlord-Tenant Laws (40:23) You’re Ready for Your First Rental! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-516 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small multifamily investing might seem scary to a new investor, but what if we told you these properties are less risky than single-family homes and even easier to buy in many cases? In this episode, we’ll bust the most common multifamily myths that keep rookies on the sidelines so that YOU can take down your first multifamily property in 2025! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Today, Amelia McGee and Grace Gudenkauf return to the show to deliver a masterclass on small multifamily investing. They’ll show you how to find off-market real estate deals at a deep discount, why cash flow is king when analyzing multifamily properties, and which neighborhoods to target for long-term appreciation. We’ll also get into zoning and permitting issues to be wary of—pitfalls that could wipe out your cash flow if you’re not careful! But that’s not all. Of course, the BIG question on every rookie’s mind is, “How do I get financing for these deals?” and we’ve got the answer! Amelia and Grace will show you how to buy larger properties with low money down and provide you with the perfect pitch for seller financing!   In This Episode We Cover: Why small multifamily properties are even less risky than single-family homes Boosting your cash flow by using multiple investing strategies for the same property Taking advantage of HUGE appreciation by targeting developing areas Buying multifamily properties with LOW money down by house hacking The BEST way to pitch seller financing for off-market multifamily deals Multifamily investing “myths” new investors are taught (and why they’re wrong!) Common zoning and permitting issues that can kill your cash flow The keys to managing multiple tenants (and how to keep them happy!) And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Real Estate Rookie 111 - 26 Doors in 1 Year? Here’s How You Can Do It Too! Get RentRedi for FREE with BiggerPockets Pro Membership Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA Buy Amelia & Grace’s Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Real Estate Rookie 401 - Boost Your Cash Flow in 2024 with These “Self-Management” Tips Connect with Amelia Connect with Grace (00:00) Intro (02:27) Small Multifamily 101 (08:32) Finding Deals & Choosing Markets (16:55) Due Diligence & Tenant Management (25:13) Creative Finance Strategies (29:20) Key Systems & Processes (32:11) Connect with Amelia & Grace! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-515 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to scale your real estate portfolio in this market? What if you only have one income? Getting past one rental property is a huge hurdle in every investor’s real estate journey, but increasing your rental income and lowering your mortgage costs can help you maximize your cash flow and get over the hump. And in this episode, we’ll show you how! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re diving back into the BiggerPockets Forums and answering your questions. First, we’ll hear from an investor who wants to scale their portfolio but feels stuck with one rental. We’ll show them how to squeeze more money out of their property and fund their next purchase. Our next question is from an investor who wants to refinance a “unique” property that doesn’t have comparables. What type of loan do they need? Should they sell the property? Stay tuned to find out. Finally, we’ll help a few landlords with some “unusual” rental maintenance headaches! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover: Whether you can build and scale a real estate portfolio on ONE income House hacking, renting by the room, and MORE ways to grow your rental income Homeowners insurance, property taxes, and MORE mortgage costs you can reduce How to turn your accessory dwelling unit (ADU) into a short-term rental Creative ways to get refinancing for a “non-traditional” rental property How to handle unusual (or unreasonable) maintenance requests from tenants What you MUST keep in mind when working with Section 8 tenants And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube AirDNA Ownwell Land More Off-Market Deals with Crucial Property Owner Contact Information from DealMachine Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply Grab the Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders Real Estate Rookie 443 - How to Use “Asset Management” to Build Wealth (Even with a Small Portfolio) (00:00) Intro (01:01) Scaling with 1 Income (11:14) Refinancing “Unique” Properties (17:08) “Unreasonable” Maintenance (26:05) Section 8 Tenants (31:37) Ask Your Question! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-514 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you need to know about the 2025 real estate market before you buy your first (or next) investment property? Dave Meyer, host of the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast and one of the industry’s most respected analysts, will tell you everything a rookie real estate investor needs to know when buying in 2025. We’re talking about the best markets, predictions, and one type of property that could be a phenomenal buy this year. Dave believes now is a great time to invest and is backing it up by increasing his investments in 2025. But, he says you need to find the “upside” in your market or your strategy to make more money this year. What does he mean? Dave spells out a few key ways to find often overlooked “upside” potential so you can build wealth even with high home prices and interest rates. Which markets does Dave believe have the most growth potential this year? He’s laying out his top investing areas and the property types that could see the most demand. Plus, why is it cheaper (and arguably better) to buy a new home in 2025 instead of waiting for homeowners to sell? If you’re ready to invest in real estate, use Dave’s roadmap to invest better than the rest this year.  In This Episode We Cover: The 2025 state of real estate investing and why Dave sees plenty of “upside” to come Why Dave is NOT focusing on “cash flow” when buying his real estate deals Top real estate markets of 2025 and the cities/areas with the most demand  A “big shift” that is pushing more and more renters to certain parts of the city  Free data you can use right now to see which markets will grow or slow in 2025  Why buying a new build could be a much better investment than buying existing homes And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube BiggerPockets Market Finder BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast On the Market Podcast Real Estate Rookie YouTube Channel Real Estate Podcast 1065 - It’s About to Get Good! (2025 Housing Market Predictions) Real Estate Rookie 123 - ‘Building’ Wealth as a 24-Year-Old with 12 New Construction Projects w/Donovan Adesoro Real Estate Rookie 473 - Moving 1,500 Miles Away to Buy His First Rental with Just $25,000 w/Austin Wolff Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-513 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Sides had zero real estate investing experience not too long ago. But, within just six weeks, she made $100,000 on her first real estate deal. How is that even possible? That type of profit is usually reserved for expert real estate investors, not middle-school science teachers! Today, Laura is uncovering the fast-flipping formula that helps her do quick, profitable real estate deals even in her competitive market. During a beach vacation to Florida, Laura read the personal finance and investing classic Rich Dad Poor Dad, and, seemingly overnight, her brain rewired as she became dead set on multiplying her money instead of working for every dollar. So, she took out a HELOC (home equity line of credit) to buy her first real estate deal, but where would it come from? A chance encounter with a neighbor would set her on a path that would change her life forever. Now, she’s cracked the house flipping formula, has two killer rental properties she uses as her own vacation homes, and makes significantly more than her teacher’s salary working on her schedule, building wealth her way. Want to be like Laura? We ALL do, and today, she’s sharing how you can do it, too! In This Episode We Cover: How Laura made a six-figure profit in just six weeks on her FIRST real estate deal The house flipping formula Laura uses to buy low-stress, quick flips that make great profits Why you should ALWAYS be friendly with your neighbors (they might sell you their house) Using a HELOC (home equity line of credit) to buy your first investment property  What Laura looks for on property listings as telltale signs they’ll be good deals  And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Rich Dad Poor Dad Laura’s Instagram Land More Off-Market Deals with Crucial Property Owner Contact Information from DealMachine Buy the Book, “The House Flipping Framework” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area How to Start Flipping Houses for Huge Profits in 2025 (Step-by-Step!) Connect with Laura (00:00) Intro (01:02) ZERO Investing Experience (04:49) I’ll Buy Your House! (08:56) $100K Profit on FIRST Deal!? (12:41) From 1st Flip to Beach House (19:55) Laura’s Portfolio (22:32) The Fast Flipping Formula (26:41) Finding Deals (34:18) Connect with Laura! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-512 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thinking about buying a duplex, triplex, or even a quadplex? Small multifamily properties are often some of the BEST investments for cash flow, especially if you plan to live in one of the units! But how does this type of property differ from a single-family home? What do you need to know before buying? Listen in to find out! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re scouring the BiggerPockets Forums and answering more of your questions. After covering the ins and outs of small multifamily investing, we’ll get into financing your first property. What’s the best loan for first-time home buyers—FHA, conventional, or another option entirely? We’ll put them head-to-head and point you in the right direction! Finally, we’ll discuss several ways to use your home equity to grow your real estate portfolio. From 1031 exchanges to lines of credit, there are all kinds of options! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover: What you NEED to know before buying a small multifamily property The pros and cons of FHA and conventional home loans Putting twenty percent down versus paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) with less money down How to defer capital gains tax through a 1031 exchange The BEST ways to leverage the home equity in your rental property And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube FreddieMac PMI Calculator Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply Buy the Book “The Multifamily Millionaire, Volume 1” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders Real Estate Rookie 261 – How Nancy Rodriguez from ‘Love Is Blind’ Hit Financial Freedom BEFORE Fame Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-511 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Home renovations can substantially increase your equity and cash flow on a rental property, but when doing one, there are two key things you need to pay attention to: budgets and timelines. Today, rookie real estate investor Rene Hosman is back to teach you how to do both after just finishing a three-month, $36,000 rental renovation where she turned an outdated apartment into a cash-flowing condo! Rene was able to rehab the entire unit (two bedrooms, one bathroom) with a budget of around $30,000, and although she may have gone slightly over, her returns look nothing less than phenomenal. How did she do everything—new floors, electrical, bathroom, AND furnishings—with such a reasonable budget? If you’re ready to renovate your home or rental property, take her tips. Rene goes through every aspect of the project: the good (renting it out right after finishing) and the bad (a BIG flood in the master bedroom), plus everything in between. She’ll share what she chose to DIY, what was smarter to hire out, and how she paid for it all. We also get the final numbers of the renovation—what the property appraised for AND how much it’s renting for now! In This Episode We Cover: How to stay on budget and on timeline when doing your next home renovation  Unexpected costs that led to thousands of more dollars in renovation expenses  Whether you should buy the materials or let your workers buy them instead (cost-saving tip!) Furnishing your rental property for cheap and where Rene finds low-cost, quality furniture  How to negotiate with your bank so you can get a LOWER interest rate when you refinance  How much cash flow Rene will make off of this small (but mighty) medium-term rental  And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube BiggerPockets Forums $1,000,000/Year with 22 Rentals by Focusing on This Ultra-Profitable Niche w/Jesse Vasquez  Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA Join BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year Grab Your Copy of “The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders How to Do Your FIRST House Flip in 2024: Budgets, Renovations, and Loans w/Rene Hosman Connect with Rene (00:00) Intro (01:07) Property Renovation Progress (03:35) How to Hit Your Renovation Timeline (06:56) Staying On-Budget (11:38) Unexpected Costs... (19:29) Building Your Renovation Budget (21:18) Paying for Materials and Rehab Expenses (30:42) Furnishing the Property (32:18) Refinancing and Rent Numbers (40:12) Connect with Rene! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-510 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices