How We Found and Funded Our First Rentals (Low Money!)

Jun 11, 2025

Discover how one messy rental property can kickstart your real estate journey! The hosts share their personal stories about finding and funding their first investments. Learn why securing your first deal is crucial, even if it's not perfect. They delve into creative financing options and the power of partnerships to grow your portfolio. Explore the trials of remote renovations and the valuable lessons learned throughout their initial experiences. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to dive into real estate investing!

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ANECDOTE

Tony's First Deal Discovery

Tony chose to invest in Shreveport, LA after visiting family there and recognizing low property prices.
He researched neighborhoods, met agents and property managers to understand the market before buying.

ADVICE

Be Honest Building Your Network

Be honest when building networks by sharing you are a first-time investor seeking advice.
Talking to a knowledgeable property manager can provide invaluable insights on neighborhoods, rents, and tenant screening.

ANECDOTE

Ashley's First Investment Experience

Ashley ghosted an agent out of fear after learning a property had flooding and foundation issues.
Her first actual deal was a duplex with cosmetic repairs she managed, partnering with the seller's son for funding.

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One messy, imperfect, low-cash-flow rental property could change your life forever, but maybe not in the way you’d think. No one retires off ONE property, but that first property can provide the education, mindset, and momentum to fuel your second, third, and fourth deals. Today, we’re breaking down our first real estate deals—the ups, the downs, and mistakes we made that YOU should avoid!

Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! In this episode, we’re winding back the clock and sharing how we got started in real estate. While Ashley invested in her own backyard and found a partner to help fund the deal, Tony invested out of state and managed renovations remotely. You’ll hear how we stabilized the properties, rented them out, and, eventually, sold them for a big payday!

Whether you’re new to the world of real estate investing or struggling to take action, this episode has something for you. We’ll share why finding your first deal is more important than finding the “perfect” deal, how to use real estate partnerships to fast-track your investing journey, and what we’d do differently if we were starting over today!

In This Episode We Cover

How Ashley and Tony found and funded their first real estate deals

The secret to managing a successful renovation project from afar

Creative ways to buy your first rental property with little money out of pocket

How to use the power of partnerships to scale your real estate portfolio

Why we ended up selling our first properties (and how much we made!)

And So Much More!

Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-573

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

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