BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

984: Pay Off Student Loans or Invest in Real Estate: Which Makes You Wealthier? Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Should you pay off student loans or invest in real estate? This is the question Tom Keating had to ask himself back in 2018. At the time, he had no real estate investing experience and only picked up The Book on Rental Property Investing by chance. He still had student loans but decided to spend his savings (which could have made him debt-free) on the down payment for his first rental property. Now, just six years later, Tom has an entire real estate portfolio of passive and active investments and is free from his W2!

If you’ve got some form of debt—student loans, credit card debt, medical debt, etc.—you might think you can’t invest in real estate, but you’d be wrong. In today’s episode, Tom breaks down the simple equation you can use to figure out whether you should pay off your debt or invest. Tom took the path less traveled, and now, he’s benefiting from it, being able to go anywhere in the world, live where he wants, and control his schedule.

Tom also shares a simple yet unbelievably valuable way to find the hottest real estate markets and areas to buy rental properties. The best part? The data he uses is FREE, and you can copy his same strategy to get cash flow, appreciation, or a bit of both!

In This Episode We Cover

Whether to pay off student loans or invest and the simple calculation you can use to decide

The super simple way to find hot real estate investing areas with appreciation potential

Quitting your W2 job and becoming a full-time real estate investor, even with a small portfolio

How to diversify your real estate portfolio with both passive and active investments

Why Tom invests across multiple states (and strategies) instead of drilling down on one area

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Property Manager Finder

Find Investor-Friendly Lenders

See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

Find Your Next Investing Market with BiggerPockets Market Finder

Grab “The Book on Rental Property Investing”

Should I Pay Off My Student Loan or Invest in Real Estate?

(00:00) Intro

(01:41) Serial Side Hustler

(05:29) Buying His First Duplex

(06:57) Invest vs. Pay Off Debt

(12:42) Tom’s Portfolio

(14:40) Investing in Multiple Markets

(20:01) Finding Hot Investing Areas

(26:08) Working Less, Making More

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-984

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983: BiggerNews: With Slow Spring Homebuying, Zillow Predicts Price Drops in 2025 Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

Zillow’s latest housing market forecast shows a decline in home prices over the next year after a very slow spring homebuying season. While spring is traditionally the hottest time of the housing market, with more sellers and buyers hitting the market at once, this year was stunted significantly. Will this trend continue as housing inventory remains at rock-bottom levels, or are things gradually improving, with a return to normalcy in sight? We’ve got Dr. Skylar Olsen, Chief Economist at Zillow, on to share the latest forecast and which markets could be in trouble.

With mortgage rates still hovering around seven percent, homebuyers and sellers are stuck. Sellers don’t want to trade into a more expensive mortgage payment, and buyers can’t afford today’s median home price. As a result, some under-the-radar, affordable real estate markets are seeing home and rent prices increase, while some traditionally hot markets are already seeing price corrections.

Where will the next correction hit, and which markets will have the most opportunity for real estate investors? Skylar explains it all, plus why Zillow updated their recent home price forecast to show a DROP in home values over the next year.

In This Episode We Cover

Zillow’s updated housing market forecast and why they’re predicting prices to drop

The spring homebuying season’s “extra slowdown” and why buying/selling is so stunted

Skylar’s 2025 housing market and mortgage rate predictions

What happens when mortgage rates get cut, and whether this could fire up the housing market again

The real estate markets seeing the most price corrections, plus hot markets Zillow is keeping an eye on

Markets with the strongest rent growth (for single-family AND multifamily investors)

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Property Manager Finder

Find Investor-Friendly Lenders

See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

Access Zillow’s Free Housing Data

BiggerNews: 2024 Housing Market Update and Why Prices Are Still Rising

(00:00) Intro

(01:36) Homebuying Sees “Extra Slowdown”

(06:51) Homes Sitting Longer

(08:34) More Inventory On the Way?

(13:19) Zillow Updates Forecast

(17:54) Markets Seeing Price Corrections

(20:58) Hot Markets

(22:22) Where Rents Are Growing

(26:33) Investors, Watch THIS

(29:16) 2025 Predictions

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-983

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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982: How Military Members Can Use Real Estate Investing to Fast-Track Their Financial Freedom Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Military real estate investing is perhaps the easiest way for veterans to reach financial freedom. Today’s guest is a prime example, going from broke recruiter to “military millionaire” in just FIVE years. And get this—military real estate isn’t just for service members. Everyday investors can take advantage of certain perks, too!

During his first seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps, David Pere was a serial spender, blowing each paycheck and saving very little money. But when a friend recommended the personal finance classic, Rich Dad Poor Dad, things finally clicked, and David realized the unique investing opportunities the military provided. Within four months, he had taken advantage of the favorable VA loan and bought his first house hack!

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how the military puts you in a great position to take financial risks early in your career. David takes a deep dive into VA loans, their benefits, their requirements, and what buyers and sellers should know. He even shares the best-kept secret in military investing—the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) program—which makes it EASY for investors to score a better interest rate!

In This Episode We Cover

How veterans can build wealth through military real estate investing

Why the VA loan is the “best primary residence mortgage in the world”

What YOU should know about VA loans (even if you’re not a service member!)

What sellers and buyers need to know about assuming VA loans

How to find a lender that specializes in military loan products

Refinancing with the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) program

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Property Manager Finder

Find Investor-Friendly Lenders

See Dave at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

BiggerPockets Real Estate – Episode 734: Seller Red Flags I Should Have Seen Before Doing a Nightmare Deal w/ David Pere

(00:00) Intro

(01:14) Buying His First House Hack

(05:57) Military Real Estate Investing 101

(09:11) VA Loan Benefits & Requirements

(14:57) Reusing VA Loans & Finding Lenders

(18:24) Assuming VA Loans & the “IRRRL”

(23:14) HUGE Military Investing Advantages

(26:21) Connect with David!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-982

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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981: Seeing Greene: Investing with High Rates, Recession Prepping, & RVs vs. ADUs Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

High interest rates are stopping you from investing, so what do you do? Wondering how to prepare for a recession if one hits soon? Should you sell your rentals and pocket some cash, or will you regret dumping your performing properties to secure some short-term safety? These tough questions can’t be answered by just anyone, so we have our expert investors David Greene and Rob Abasolo on to help you navigate through the most financially puzzling parts of real estate investing.

In this Seeing Greene, we’re tackling topics like how to prepare for a recession as a landlord, what to do when high interest rates kill your deals, and whether you should build an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) or simply park an RV on your land and rent it out instead. But that’s not all; a contractor wants to know how to work with investors while making even more money. Is he barking up the wrong tree, or is going the investor instead of the residential route a better choice for those trying to grow their contracting business?

Plus, how long a tenant turnover should take and whether your property manager is moving too slowly. All that, and much more, is coming up in this Seeing Greene show!

In This Episode We Cover

How to invest in real estate during a high interest rate environment (and find lenders!)

Whether or not to sell your rentals if a recession hits in the near future

Renting out an ADU vs. an RV and which will make you more money and come with a lower cost

The power of compound interest and David’s genius method to pay off properties fast

Tenant turnover times and how long it should take for your property manager to find new renters

How contractors can get consistent work from investors by doing this

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Ask Your Question and Network with Investors on the BiggerPockets Forums

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Grab David’s BRRRR Book, “Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat”

Property Manager Finder

Real Estate Podcast 900 – The Truth About Real Estate Investing in 2024 (What Investors NEED to Know) w/Brian Burke, J Scott, and Scott Trench

Ask David Your Real Estate Investing Question

See David and Rob at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

(00:00) Intro

(01:37) How to Invest with High Rates

(07:24) Renting Out an RV?

(14:00) Questions from the Comment Section

(15:41) Sell Rentals to Recession Prep?

(23:56) What Contractors Must Know

(33:58) Subscribe for More Seeing Greene!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-981

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980: Does Buying a Business Beat Real Estate Investing in 2024? Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Today’s guest makes up to $100,000 per year, PER investment, by buying businesses. Yep, you heard that right. We’re not talking about a few hundred bucks a month in cash flow like most rental properties get you. Instead, you can make a living by buying a business “no one wants,” which is exactly what Matt DeBoth is doing.

Matt saw the writing on the wall after building up a sizable real estate portfolio. Low interest rates flooded buyers into the housing market, putting those with properties to sell in a great position. So, Matt sold many of his rental properties and wondered where he should put the money into. Over the next year, he spent his days researching businesses to buy, talking to business brokers, and eventually landed on a local pizza franchise. Matt was able to turn it around, and after months of hard work, he’s collecting serious cash flow from a business that only takes a few hours a week to manage!

If you want to buy yourself a six-figure income stream and feel like now is the perfect time to take a pause from real estate investing, Matt’s story may be just what you need to get started. He shares how much it costs to buy a small business, how to manage it, what to look for in business investment opportunities, and what you can do TODAY to get started!

In This Episode We Cover

How to create a six-figure income stream by buying small business franchises

Buying the businesses “no one wants” and how to easily spot an investing opportunity

Why a poorly run business can mean tremendous potential for you to make more money

The low-money-down small business loans that Matt is using to buy businesses

How to manage your business the right way so you only need to work a few hours a week

Who should (and shouldn’t) buy businesses, and how to pick one

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(01:34) Buying When No One Else Would

(04:02) House Hacking an Apartment?

(06:09) Selling Off His Rentals?!

(13:06) Ditching Rentals to Buy Businesses

(15:32) Buying His First Business

(17:45) Finding Investment Opportunities

(21:07) $100K/Year Income Streams?

(24:55) Managing the Businesses

(28:28) Who Should Buy Businesses?

(30:58) How to Get Started

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-980

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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979: BiggerNews: What Happens to The Housing Market if Mortgage Rates Stay High? Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

Mortgage rate s were supposed to be going down by now, but what happened? Even in late 2023, many housing market experts predicted that we’d be seeing high to mid six percent mortgage rates at this point and hovering around the high five percent rate mark by the end of the year, but the Fed isn’t showing any sign of lowering rates soon. Some experts even believe rates could go UP again this year as the job market stays hot and the economy sees unprecedented strength. This begs the question: What IF mortgage rates remain high?

It’s a reality many of us don’t want to see, but 2024 could end with minor, if any, rate cuts, keeping monthly mortgage payments high and affordability low. So, what should an investor do in this situation? Sit on the sidelines? Invest in a different asset class? Pray to Jerome Powell? While that last option may be worthwhile, top real estate investors are saying that NOW is the time to buy BEFORE rates fall. What do we mean?

We’ve got the entire expert investor panel from On the Market here to give their take on what investors should do IF rates don’t fall. From house flipping to long-term buy and hold rentals, our nationwide panel of investors shares exactly what they’re doing to make money even with high interest rates. Plus, we’ll give our predictions on when rates could fall, what will happen to housing inventory, what young people should do NOW to get their first house, and why investors need to “reset” if they want to thrive in this high rate housing market.

Support today’s show sponsor, Rent App: the free and easy way to collect rent!

In This Episode We Cover

Mortgage rate predictions and when interest rates could finally start falling

What should investors do IF mortgage rates stay high throughout 2024

The “lock-in effect” and whether or not high rates are leading to lower inventory

The homes that are flying off the market in many areas (and the ones that are sitting)

How young people can creatively get into their first home or investment property

Why investors MUST “reset” their expectations if they’re to build wealth in this housing market

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(04:45) When Could Mortgage Rates Fall?

(13:48) Inventory is Getting Gobbled Up

(19:56) Can Young People Make It?

(24:19) Investors Must "Reset"

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-979

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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How to Buy Your First, Second, or Third Rental Property! Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

“The stack” method is how to buy rental property faster than you thought possible. With so many real estate investing beginners wondering how to build a real estate portfolio, especially in today’s market, Dave Meyer, VP of Market Intelligence at BiggerPockets, decided to reintroduce “the stack” on today’s podcast. In it, he’ll show you exactly how someone with zero real estate investing experience can go from one to two to three rentals and beyond by following this simple framework.

If you’ve struggled to buy your first rental property or never made it past the first deal, this is the episode to watch. Dave walks through how you can use “the stack” method to explode your real estate portfolio, the three simple steps to start buying rental properties today, and the one tool top real estate investors use to buy more real estate and find financial freedom faster. Beginner or investing veteran, if you’re feeling stuck but want to reach your financial goals, this might be just what you need.

Sign up for BiggerPockets Pro to get unlimited access to the rental property calculator and all the tools from today’s video. Use code “FIRSTPOD24” to receive 20% off!

In This Episode We Cover

How to buy your first, second, or third rental property using “the stack” method

The easiest way to find real estate deals in today’s market, even if you have no experience

How to analyze a rental property in just minutes with the BiggerPockets Rental Property Calculator

Financing and funding your first/next deal and why it’s not as hard as you think

The best real estate investing tool for those who want to explode their portfolios

Why real estate is the perfect investment for financial freedom

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(00:35) How to Buy Your First Rental Property

(02:53) Achieving Financial Freedom

(05:03) Scared to Invest?

(09:44) "The Stack" Method

(12:11) 1. Finding Deals

(14:20) How to Analyze a Rental Property

(25:36) 2. Finding Financing/Funding

(28:34) 3. Finding Direction

(31:14) 3-Step Recap

(32:40) What Pro Investors Do

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-no-number-2

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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978: How to Build Your Real Estate Investing Team (Agents, Contractors, Lenders) Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

If you want to grow your real estate portfolio faster, make more money with less headache, and achieve whatever financial dreams you desire, you need one thing—a real estate team. Most people don’t realize that the top real estate investors rarely do everything themselves. Instead, they’ve hand-picked real estate investing rockstars to grow their businesses FOR them. We’re talking investor-friendly agents, lenders, contractors, property managers, and more. If you can find the right people to fill those roles, you’ll be able to grow your passive income faster than you thought possible. So, where do you find them?

Dave Meyer and Henry Washington are back to give a masterclass on building your real estate team. They’ll walk you through each role—real estate agents, lenders and brokers, insurance agents, property managers, and contractors—describing what to look for, red flags to run from, and exactly where you can find the best of the best in your market. Get this right, and you’re on a fast track to real estate riches, but get it wrong, and you could delay your financial freedom!

Ready to build your investor-friendly real estate team? Check out BiggerPockets’ free team-builder to find agents, lenders, and more in your area!

In This Episode We Cover

How to build an investor-friendly real estate team from scratch

The sign of a great investor-friendly agent and clear red flags experienced investors notice

Why some lenders will lend to you much more easily than others

Why Henry ALWAYS uses an insurance broker (NOT an agent) to find policies

How to incentivize your property manager to make you more money (NOT just collect fees!)

A unique way to find quality contractors in your area and how to inspect their work BEFORE you hire them

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(02:24) Real Estate Agents

(12:15) Lenders and Brokers

(22:08) Insurance

(25:27) Property Managers

(34:26) Contractors

(44:07) Where to Find Your Team

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-978

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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977: Seeing Greene: Exiting Bad Deals, Going Over Budget, & the BEST First Rental Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Every investor would love some extra cash flow…but at what cost? Does it make sense to go all in on a large down payment so that more money trickles in each month? If you want minimal debt, have no plans to scale, and are confident that your new property will appreciate, perhaps. But if your goal is to buy more rental properties and build your portfolio as quickly as possible, there are much better ways to leverage your cash position. In this Seeing Greene, we help a new investor navigate this exact scenario when buying his first property!

Next, we hear from someone whose earnest money deposit (EMD) is wrapped up in a failed medium-term rental. Should she cut her losses and walk away from the deal or weather the storm until the property can cash flow? Stick around to find out! Finally, we chat with an investor who has gone over his rehab budget and finds himself knee-deep in high-interest credit card debt. David and Rob walk him through the steps that will allow him to consolidate his bad debt and turn a ROUGH situation into MORE rentals!

Get a BIG incentive on turnkey rentals from today's show sponsor, Rent to Retirement. Visit them at RentToRetirement.com or text "REI" to 33777!

In This Episode We Cover

Whether you should ever force cash flow with a larger down payment

The BEST first rental property to buy (and how much money you’ll need)

Saving up for ONE property versus buying multiple rentals

Creative ways to get out of a BAD deal (and when to ride it out instead!)

How to get back in the green after overshooting your rehab budget

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(01:30) Which Rental Should I Buy?

(07:34) The Medium-Term Rental Fiasco

(15:23) Comment Section Callout

(19:06) Help, I’ve Gone OVER Budget!

(33:05) Ask Us Your Question!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-977

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

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976: How to Start Mobile Home Investing (The Right Way) for Just $15,000 Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Can you start investing in real estate with just $15,000? Yep, and mobile home investing is how you do it. We know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to own trailers! I want to invest in “real” houses where the “real” money is at!” That’s what today’s guest John Fedro thought too some twenty years ago when he stumbled into mobile home investing, which, at the time, was even too embarrassing for him to share. But, over the past two decades, this at-first “embarrassing” investment has made him wealthy, and if you follow his lead, it can do the same for you.

John has successfully made money with mobile homes in various ways: buying and flipping, wholesaling, renting, and seller financing, the main topic of today’s episode. He provides a masterclass on how to make money buying and selling mobile homes, where you essentially take on the role of the bank. However, it’s crucial to be cautious. Mishandling this could lead you into an ethical gray area and potentially harm your buyer. On the other hand, getting it right can create a win-win situation for both the buyer and seller while making you wealthy.

John shares his whole strategy, plus how he’s getting into deals for $15,000 and often making DOUBLE his money and $400 per month (or more) cash flow per door when he seller finances these properties. If you want a way to get into real estate investing without a ton of cash but with the potential to make a serious return on your money, this may be your winning strategy.

In This Episode We Cover

The three “levels” of mobile home investing and how much each costs to get into

The danger of seller financing the wrong way and how it can hurt your buyer

Why you MUST background check EVERYONE you seller-finance a mobile home to

One thing that new mobile home investors overlook that can ruin your properties

The exit strategies you must know about to avoid losing money on your next deal

Whether or not we would invest in mobile homes (and our concerns with seller financing)

And So Much More!

(00:00) Intro

(02:32) Seller Financing...Mobile Homes?

(11:18) Win-Win Seller Financing

(16:52) 3 "Levels" of Mobile Home Investing