Rene Hosman, a rookie real estate investor and community manager at BiggerPockets, shares her journey of transforming an outdated apartment into a cash-flowing condo with a budget of $36,000. She discusses her strategies for staying on budget and timeline, revealing the highs and lows of renovations, including a flood disaster. Rene offers valuable tips on DIY projects, smart hiring decisions, and cost-saving materials. Listeners will benefit from her insights on managing unexpected expenses and maximizing rental returns.

Thinking about diving into real estate? Great news! You can start investing in 2025, even as a beginner. Discover how to find your first property and finance it, while building a supportive team. Uncover market insights and the types of properties to target this year, plus helpful tips to conquer your fears and avoid common pitfalls. Learn the importance of defining your 'buy box' and setting realistic expectations to foster your growth in the real estate world. It’s time to jump in!

Is the dream of finding great real estate deals over? Not quite! Discover innovative strategies to uncover off-market properties that others miss. Learn key factors for choosing the perfect investment market and why thorough deal analysis is essential. The hosts share insights on effective negotiation techniques, community networking, and tips to retain your best tenants while minimizing turnover. Tune in for a treasure trove of real estate wisdom!

Serena Norris, a seasoned real estate investor with over 200 deals under her belt, shares her invaluable insights on home renovations. She breaks down the entire rehab process from forming effective partnerships to estimating costs accurately. Listeners will learn about creating a detailed pricing sheet and managing contractor relations. Serena also reveals common mistakes to avoid and offers smart strategies for sourcing reliable contractors. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to streamline their renovation projects and maximize profits!

Steve Rosenberg, a former airline pilot turned entrepreneur, shares his inspiring journey of building a multimillion-dollar property management company. He discusses the essential mindset shifts needed for success in real estate, particularly while balancing a full-time job. Listeners will learn about the two critical mistakes new investors often make and how to avoid them. Steve outlines a blueprint for scaling a business, emphasizing the importance of systems and processes, and shares insights on adapting strategies to thrive in dynamic market conditions.

Explore the debate between paying off your rental properties versus expanding your portfolio. Learn about the pros and cons of FHA loans and other low-money-down financing options. Discover hidden closing costs you can't overlook and practical strategies to attract serious rental applicants. The hosts also share insights on streamlining the rental application process, ensuring you fill vacancies faster. Get ready for valuable tips that can shape your real estate investment journey!

Ariel Herrera, a data scientist and real estate investor, shares her journey of merging data analysis with real estate to find profitable deals. She offers practical tools that don’t require coding, making data-driven insights accessible to novice investors. Listeners learn about utilizing equity for expanding portfolios, house hacking strategies, and identifying investment opportunities across state lines. Ariel emphasizes the importance of technology, including web scraping, for uncovering off-market deals and streamlining the property search process.

Mike Simonsen, an analyst from Altos Research and HousingWire, dives into predictions for the 2025 housing market. He discusses the potential for mortgage rates to dip below six percent and the rise in housing inventory. Mike examines the impact of economic uncertainties, migration trends, and job transitions on home sales. With optimistic projections, he highlights a key metric to watch for gauging market direction. If you're a buyer or seller, this insights-packed conversation is a goldmine for understanding upcoming changes!

This might be the fastest path to FIRE we’ve ever seen. In just two years, Emily and James were able to retire early and travel the world full-time. They didn’t have a trust fund, some huge inheritance, or a winning lottery ticket. But they did make some serious sacrifices, cutting almost everything unnecessary out of their lives to retire early and quit the jobs they were itching to get out of. How’d they do it? After realizing they were throwing away every cent they made, James stumbled upon a popular personal finance blog. He devoured it that day at work and came home a changed man. The AC temperature was going up, the restaurant expenses were going down, and he was deadset on achieving financial freedom. His wife, Emily, needed some convincing. But, with time, they both became locked in on FIRE. They moved to a cheaper house, rode bikes to work, and rarely ate out anymore. Just two years after discovering FIRE, they achieved it, and they did it without millions of dollars in the bank. And here’s the thing: you might be able to do it, too, IF you’re willing to put in the work. How much money are they living on? How did they cut their expenses so significantly? And how do you convince your partner or spouse to follow you on the path to financial independence? Emily and James are showing you how in today’s episode!  In This Episode We Cover:How NOT to convince your partner/spouse to chase FIRE (do THIS instead)Cutting your expenses significantly and how to save money every single monthThe big lifestyle changes you must be willing to make to retire early Rental property investing and how to have income property cash flow fuel your FIREWhy you DON’T need to be a millionaire to retire early And So Much More!Links from the ShowAshley's BiggerPockets ProfileTony's BiggerPokckets ProfileJoin BiggerPockets for FREEReal Estate Rookie Facebook GroupReal Estate Rookie YouTubeThe BiggerPockets Money PodcastRethink The Rat RaceCheck Out "BiggerPockets Money"Reach FIRE Faster with the Personal Finance Classic “Set for Life”Find Investor-Friendly LendersThe Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Saving MoneyConnect with ScottConnect with Mindy(00:00) Intro(01:51) Poverty to Overspending(06:42) Convincing Your Spouse on FI(09:39) 0% to 85% Savings Rate (17:00) Buying $50K Rentals(23:59) Retiring on $31K/Year(30:10) The Secret to FIRE(33:13) Are They Still Retired? (35:06) Advice for Finding FIRE (36:54) Connect with James and Emily! (37:49) Use These FIRE TipsCheck out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-502Interested 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

Mike Baum owns just one rental property, but this one property alone has changed his life. It’s allowed him to become such an investing expert that he’s constantly being asked for his opinion on the BiggerPockets forums, and he provides some of the most well-thought-out investing advice on the internet. So why does he have just one rental property, and why doesn’t he grow using his expertise? The answer isn’t that obvious. You wouldn’t know it, but Mike is permanently disabled. After overworking so hard that he ended up losing his vision, he was placed on disability for the rest of his working career. This high achiever was forced to slow down and find something else that could replace his day job. Shortly after his diagnosis, he found BiggerPockets and turned a family vacation home into a short-term rental.Now, he’s got systems and processes that help him self-manage with very few headaches, and he will probably keep this property as his one and only rental for life. Why didn’t he “FOMO” in when everyone was gobbling up real estate in 2020? Why didn’t he grow his portfolio to become the next tycoon? Mike has some clear answers for why he did what he did, and after listening to him, you might change what you want, too. In This Episode We CoverWhy you DON’T need a large real estate portfolio to find financial success when investingWhy Mike tells beginner investors that they should NOT buy a short-term rental propertyThe systems and processes Mike made to automate his vacation rental self-management (so he works less!)One thing you should do NOW before you start investing in real estate (it’s free!)The real result of “FOMO” investing and how to stop shiny object syndrome from blowing you off course And So Much More!LinksShort-Term Rental & Airbnb Investing ForumThe BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast(00:00) Intro (03:03) Losing Sight After Overworking (05:53) Empty Lake House? (09:21) Managing a Vacation Rental (12:49) Know This BEFORE You Buy (18:00) Just ONE Property (21:25) No-FOMO Investing (26:49) A “Very Interesting” 2025 Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-501Interested 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