Real Estate Rookie

Tiny Investments, Killer Cash Flow, and Starting with Just $12K

Feb 3, 2025

Manny Reyna, a veteran turned real estate investor, shares his inspiring journey of transforming a $12,000 investment into a thriving rental portfolio and a unique glamping business. He discusses the importance of utilizing VA loans and the challenges of starting with minimal funds. Manny dives into the logistical hurdles of setting up utilities for properties and managing rentals from Japan. He also shares hard-earned lessons about pricing strategies and tenant management that every aspiring investor could benefit from.

43:05

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Episode guests

Manny Reyna

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Manny leveraged a VA loan to transform a $12,000 investment into multiple rental properties, showcasing the power of strategic financing in real estate.

His experience with tiny house rentals highlighted the importance of adaptability and market research in overcoming operational challenges for increased cash flow.

Deep dives

Manny's Journey into Real Estate Investing

Manny's entry into real estate investing began unexpectedly after his discharge from the army. During his service, he discovered a strong interest in finance and real estate, largely through extensive reading and resources like popular investing podcasts. Facing a life-altering injury that grounded him for an extended period, Manny found himself with limited options and a small budget of $12,000. Using this money wisely, he purchased his first home as a primary residence, leveraging a VA loan to minimize upfront costs, which ultimately set the foundation for his burgeoning real estate career.

Intro

2min

From Soldier to Landlord

6min

Navigating Tenant Screening and Financial Tools for Rookie Investors

4min

Navigating Real Estate and Glamping Ventures

17min

Sponsorship Spotlight: Financial Solutions

4min

Navigating Short-Term Rental Realities

10min

“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!

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