Real Estate Rookie

Need more money to buy your first (or next) rental property? The right real estate side hustle could help you learn the industry AND pocket some extra change to put toward your next investment. In this episode, we reveal a low-cost real estate business that nets $4,000 a month. Don’t believe us? Tony’s done it himself, and he’ll show you how to get started!   Welcome to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re answering questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group, and to kick things off, we’ll hear from an investor who’s tired of house hacking. What’s the best way to transition to another investing strategy without sacrificing the killer cash flow that renting by the room provides? We’ll share our favorite pivots!   Next, we’ll discuss buying mortgage points, a strategy that could help you save money and create more monthly cash flow—IF you plan to keep the property for the long haul. And finally, launching a side hustle is a great way to break into real estate, learn the industry, and make more money to buy rentals. We’ll share an overlooked Airbnb business that has very low startup costs yet could net you $4,000 per month! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover How to make an extra $4,000 a month with an “overlooked” side hustle The pros and cons of the house hacking and rent-by-the-room strategies Telltale signs it’s time to pivot to a different investing strategy Mortgage points explained (and whether they’re worth the cost) Crucial systems and processes for managing short-term rentals And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-559 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 dream of ditching your nine-to-five and living off rentals full-time? Today’s guests did more than dream—they engineered their exit from corporate America and built a $10,000,000 rental portfolio in just FOUR years. And the best part? They did it without a ton of money and without swinging a single hammer! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Niti Jamdar and Palak Shah spent 15 years climbing the corporate ladder before realizing they weren’t really building wealth. So, they set a clear goal—to leave their W2 jobs in just five years with real estate. They ended up crushing that goal, building a multimillion-dollar portfolio in just four years! If you want to scale your real estate portfolio fast, there’s arguably no better investing strategy than the BRRRR method (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat), which allows you to continuously tap into your equity to buy more rental properties. In this episode, Niti and Palak will share their “SCALE” framework, step by step, which simplifies this strategy so that even the greenest investor can understand it! In This Episode We Cover: How Niti and Palak built a $10,000,000 portfolio in just four years Growing your real estate portfolio faster with the “SCALE” framework How to create time, location, and financial freedom with real estate investing Tips and tricks for managing a successful rehab project from start to finish Leveraging commercial financing to scale faster than you thought possible Boosting rents with high-ROI renovations and tenant-friendly finishes And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPockets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply “Like” Real Estate Rookie on Facebook Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Niti & Palak’s Instagram Grab Niti and Palak’s Book The Investor Accelerator Baselane: Automate your real estate finances with banking and AI-powered bookkeeping. Claim your $100 bonus! Catch Niti and Palak at BPCON2025 in Las Vegas Grab Niti and Palak’s Book, “Accelerate Your Real Estate” Sign Up for the Real Estate Rookie Newsletter Property Manager Finder What Is the BRRRR Method & How to Use It to Invest in Real Estate Connect with Niti Connect with Palak Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-558 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 would you do with $8,500 in monthly cash flow? Quit your W2 job? Travel the world? Reinvest it? The possibilities are endless, and by blending investing strategies and getting creative when hunting for deals, today’s guest was able to “snowball” to $8,500/month with 10 rental units in just a few years! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! In this episode, we’re chatting with Kelsey Porter, a real estate agent who caught the investing bug when a client introduced her to BiggerPockets. While most new investors focus on one strategy, Kelsey has tried a little bit of everything—house hacking, live-in flips, and short, medium, and long-term rentals. She has even rented out her primary residence for months at a time, a move that fully funded her wedding! With “smedium”-term rentals, unique experiences, and even a Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb—which features a full-blown scavenger hunt—Kelsey has built a highly diversified real estate portfolio. Stay tuned to learn about Kelsey’s strategy for finding off-market deals and the “all-in-one” mortgage she used to tap into her home equity and scale fast! In This Episode We Cover: How Kelsey makes $8,500 in monthly cash flow from just 10 rental units Blending investing strategies to maximize your rental cash flow Tapping into home equity with the “all-in-one” mortgage How to land more off-market real estate deals with strategic lead nurturing How to diversify (and lower your risk) within your real estate portfolio And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPockets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply “Like” Real Estate Rookie on Facebook Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Earn Passive Income by Investing in Shares of Rental Properties with Realbricks Grab the Book “Start with Strategy” Sign Up for the Real Estate Rookie Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Which Real Estate Investing Strategy Is Best for Your Goals? Connect with Kelsey Kelsey’s Instagram Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-557 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 money getting in the way of you and your first (or next) rental property? You’re not alone! This is perhaps the most common pain point for new investors. Fortunately, we have some game-changing tips to help you get financing for rental properties—even if you don’t have a high-paying job or perfect credit score!   Welcome to another Rookie Reply! Today’s first question is from a student looking to purchase their first house hack. They’re not sure if they’ll be able to qualify for a mortgage based on their current income and job history, but we’ll provide some actionable steps to help them reach their end goal as soon as possible.   Next, we’ll hear from an investor who’s looking to tap into their home equity and fund their next rental property. The catch? If they refinance, their new interest rate will jump up by 5%. Is the investment worth it? We’ll weigh the pros and cons. To wrap up, we’ll tackle some common landlording problems—high utility bills, tenant headaches, and more! In This Episode We Cover Common money problems new investors face (and how to overcome them) How to find the best financing terms for your rental properties Several ways to tap into your home equity (and fund your next property) The pros and cons of cash-out refinancing at a higher interest rate Keeping your utility costs under control and managing difficult tenants And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-556 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 if you could create multiple income streams and live for “free” with just ONE rental? Today, we’ll show you why a small multifamily property is still one of the best investments you can make and how buying one in 2025 could catapult you toward financial freedom! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! With less competition than both single-family homes and large multifamily properties, small multifamily is the “sweet spot” for investors looking to break into real estate and buy their first rental property. Ashley started her investing journey with a duplex and still believes this is the best investing strategy for rookies today. In this episode, she will show you how to find and buy your first small multifamily property, step by step! Along the way, you’ll learn everything from developing your buy box and analyzing rental properties to getting the best financing terms with the house hacking strategy. But that’s not all. Once you have your property under contract, you’ll need to know how to find and manage tenants, so we’ll share the biggest (and most common) multifamily management mistakes to avoid! In This Episode We Cover How Ashley would invest in small multifamily if she were starting in 2025 House hacking to get low-money-down financing and live for “free” The investing strategy that gives you cash flow, appreciation, and tax-free gains The two biggest multifamily management mistakes (and how to avoid them) Why it’s easier to scale with small multifamily rentals than single-family homes And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-555 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

Growing to $8,000 in monthly cash flow and 35 rental units—all while working a W2 job?! Just two years ago, today’s guest knew nothing about real estate investing. But he found a deal and brought it to someone with money, and this single move launched his investing journey. Want to do the same, starting from zero? Then you don’t want to miss this one! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Luke Tetreault was miserable at his W2 job. When he had finally reached his breaking point, he decided to take a swing at real estate—and at first, it wasn’t pretty. Without any investing knowledge or experience, Luke found his first property on Facebook Marketplace and didn’t even have the money to close it himself. So, he reached out to an old contact, who ended up funding the deal. Over time, he grew his network until he had contractors and private money lenders for all his deals! He started with a single-family home, but his most recent deal? An 18-unit mobile home park he bought with creative financing. Stick around as Luke teaches you how to find off-market deals no one’s looking for, use your everyday hobbies to build out your investing team, and scale your portfolio starting with little to no cash! In This Episode We Cover How Luke scaled to $8,000 in monthly cash flow and 35 units (in TWO years) Boosting your cash flow by pivoting to another investing strategy Buying an 18-unit mobile home park with zero money out of pocket Creative ways to find off-market real estate deals at a deep discount Two signs you’re ready to leave your W2 job for real estate investing Leveraging your own hobbies and passions to build your investing team And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠ and ⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-554 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

Finding the right rental property isn’t easy. It needs to fit your budget and buy box, and if you’re house hacking, you’ll want to buy in a neighborhood you’re comfortable living in. These are just a few of many roadblocks rookies face, but we’re going to show you how to thread the needle in today’s episode!   Welcome to another Rookie Reply! We’re back with more questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and the Real Estate Rookie YouTube channel, and first up, we’ll hear from an investor who is struggling to find a property that checks all the right boxes. Should they settle for what they can afford or save up for something better? Should they shop around for different types of financing? Stay tuned to find out!   We’ll also hear from an investor who wants to use the home equity from their first rental property to help buy their next one. Should they get a HELOC (home equity line of credit), use a cash-out refinance, or sell their property? We’ll weigh the pros and cons and help them make the smartest move. Finally, if you own rentals for long enough, you’re bound to have friction with neighbors. We’ll show you how to defuse tension and build rapport! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover The biggest hurdles new investors face when buying their first rental property Settling for the property you can afford versus saving for something better Narrowing down the right neighborhood for your first house hack Three ways to tap into the equity you’ve built up in your property How to find the right financing for your first real estate deal The best ways to respond to neighbor complaints (that build rapport) And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-553 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

A traditional rental property gives you one stream of income, but what if you could multiply that cash flow by two, three, four, or more times? You’re about to get a masterclass on the co-living strategy, and to help break it all down, we brought on someone who not only quit their job with this model but also wrote the book on it! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Co-living is making waves in 2025, but it’s not just a fleeting trend or gimmick. This is an investing strategy with real staying power, and you’re about to find out why. Today, we’re joined by Miller McSwain, a nuclear rocket scientist turned real estate investor and author of the brand-new book, Co-Living Cash Flow. Miller’s six-property portfolio brings in a whopping $8,000 in monthly cash flow, which has allowed him to quit his nine-to-five and focus on real estate full-time! In this episode, Miller will tell you everything you need to know about co-living—including how to pick your market, analyze properties, and convert unused square footage into rentable space. He’ll also provide some potentially property-saving tips, like how to reduce turnover and keep renters living in harmony! In This Episode We Cover The secrets Miller used to scale to six properties and $8,000 in monthly cash flow Everything you need to know before using the co-living strategy in 2025 Three ways to determine whether a new strategy will work in your market How to make more income by converting unused space into extra rooms Why co-living has staying power and will likely avoid an Airbnb-like “crackdown” The keys to happy renters, longer leases, and minimal tenant turnover And So Much More! Links Mentioned in the Show BiggerPockets Agent Finder BiggerPockets Calculators Real Estate Rookie 486 - Quitting His Job with Real Estate After Cracking the Cash Flow Code w/Miller McSwain  Miller’s Room Rent Calculator Miller’s Instagram Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-552 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

Want to leave your nine-to-five for a “job” that gives you more time, flexibility, and potentially more money? Rentals could be your golden ticket to financial freedom. After tragedy turned her world upside down, today’s guest went all in on real estate investing. Just ONE year later, she makes $13,000 in monthly cash flow and has waved her W2 goodbye! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Shortly after buying her first rental property, Allison Craft lost her brother in a tragic accident. With a new perspective on life, she decided to chase after what she valued most—more time with her young family. With just one short-term rental and a new co-hosting business, she now brings in more income than she ever did at her corporate finance job of 10 years! In this episode, Allison shares how she bought, renovated, and furnished her first rental property with limited cash and launched a real estate business that cash flows close to $10,000 a month. If you want to do the same—build a profitable business without owning rentals—stay tuned because Allison has the secrets to finding clients and scaling fast! In This Episode We Cover: How Allison scaled to $13,000 in monthly cash flow (in just ONE year) Building a profitable real estate business from scratch (step by step) How to make money in real estate without owning rental property When to quit your W2 job and go “all in” on real estate investing Fast-tracking your investing journey with networking and mentorship And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPockets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply “Like” Real Estate Rookie on Facebook Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram BiggerPockets Agent Finder BiggerStays YouTube Channel Garrett’s Instagram Allison’s Website Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-551 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