Tired of Renting? How to Save for Your First Property in ONE Year (or Less)

May 19, 2025

Aaron Mann, a dedicated real estate investor, shares his journey from renting to owning his first property in just one year. He reveals the ‘MOAT’ method for identifying scalable side hustles that boosted his down payment savings. Aaron discusses the house hacking strategy, which allowed him to have tenants help cover the mortgage, and offers creative ideas for maximizing rental income. His practical tips and inspiring story are a must-listen for anyone looking to become a homeowner sooner than they thought possible!

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ANECDOTE

Journey to First Property

Aaron and his wife decided to house hack a property in Kenosha, Wisconsin to escape expensive Chicago rent.
They toured about 40-60 houses and negotiated with a motivated seller for concessions on their chosen home.

ADVICE

Weekly Finance Meetings Help Save

Hold weekly finance meetings to review budgets and spot saving opportunities.
Be disciplined and flexible with your home buying timeline to avoid stress and hasty decisions.

ADVICE

MOAT Method for Side Hustles

Use the MOAT method for side hustles: Maximize skills, Outline goals, Amplify skills, then Tailor to go full-time.
This framework helps you grow side hustles effectively and decide when to expand or maintain them.

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Many rookies assume they’re years away from buying rentals, but what if your first (or next) property is much closer (and easier) than you think? Today’s guest devised a detailed plan that took him from having no real estate experience to closing on his first rental property in just ONE year. Tune in to learn the tactics he used and how YOU can copy his success!

Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Aaron Mann was tired of renting, hopping from apartment to apartment, and paying someone else’s mortgage. Once his wife convinced him that homeownership was not just a dream but very achievable, they curbed their spending and saved aggressively. But that’s not all. Aaron also launched a few creative side hustles that boosted their income, accelerated their down payment saving, and helped them buy their new home sooner than expected!

The best part? Now they’re using the house hacking strategy to help cover their mortgage payment. Whether you’re actively saving for a home or need an inspirational nudge to get started, this episode has something for you. Aaron shares the “MOAT” method that helps him find side hustles worth scaling, how to negotiate with sellers, and more!

In This Episode We Cover

How to buy your FIRST rental property (much faster than you think!)

Fast-tracking your property down payment with wildly creative side hustles

Having others pay down your mortgage through house hacking

Maximizing your monthly rents with the rent-by-the-room strategy

How to discover scalable side hustles using Aaron’s “MOAT” method

And So Much More!

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

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