What do you need to know about the 2025 real estate market before you buy your first (or next) investment property? Dave Meyer , host of the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast and one of the industry’s most respected analysts, will tell you everything a rookie real estate investor needs to know when buying in 2025. We’re talking about the best markets , predictions , and one type of property that could be a phenomenal buy this year. Dave believes now is a great time to invest and is backing it up...
Jan 22, 2025•44 min•Ep. 513
Laura Sides had zero real estate investing experience not too long ago. But, within just six weeks, she made $100,000 on her first real estate deal . How is that even possible? That type of profit is usually reserved for expert real estate investors, not middle-school science teachers! Today, Laura is uncovering the fast-flipping formula that helps her do quick, profitable real estate deals even in her competitive market. During a beach vacation to Florida, Laura read the personal finance and in...
Jan 20, 2025•38 min•Ep. 512
Thinking about buying a duplex , triplex , or even a quadplex ? Small multifamily properties are often some of the BEST investments for cash flow , especially if you plan to live in one of the units! But how does this type of property differ from a single-family home ? What do you need to know before buying? Listen in to find out! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! Today, we’re scouring the BiggerPockets Forums and answering more of your questions. After covering the ins and outs of small mu...
Jan 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 511
Home renovations can substantially increase your equity and cash flow on a rental property, but when doing one, there are two key things you need to pay attention to: budgets and timelines . Today, rookie real estate investor Rene Hosman is back to teach you how to do both after just finishing a three-month, $36,000 rental renovation where she turned an outdated apartment into a cash-flowing condo! Rene was able to rehab the entire unit (two bedrooms, one bathroom) with a budget of around $30,00...
Jan 15, 2025•44 min•Ep. 510
Want to start investing in real estate but don’t know where (or how) to begin? Even as a brand-new beginner, you can buy your first investment property in 2025 , regardless of how high home prices and interest rates get. Today, we’ll break down how to find your first investment property, finance it, build a team (so you’re not doing all the work), and manage it to start building real estate wealth . Feeling scared to start? Thousands of rookies were in your shoes at the start of 2024 and are now...
Jan 13, 2025•49 min•Ep. 509
Are great real estate deals gone for good? Not so fast! High interest rates , inflated home prices , and low inventory have made things difficult for investors, but by looking beyond the multiple listing service (MLS) , you could uncover off-market properties that fly under the radar. In today’s episode, we’ll show you how! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! If you’re struggling to make the numbers work in today’s housing market , you’re not alone! Tune in to learn how we find “rare” rental ...
Jan 10, 2025•30 min•Ep. 508
Fixing up a distressed property might be the BEST way to add value , whether you’re looking to flip houses , BRRRR (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat), or charge higher rents . But to avoid losing money, you’ve got to know what you’re doing! Today’s guest is an expert in home renovations , and in this episode, she’ll walk you through the entire process! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Investor Serena Norris has done over 200 deals (including more than 130 flips ) in just TEN y...
Jan 08, 2025•47 min•Ep. 507
Want to build a thriving real estate business in 2025? There’s a major mindset shift you need to make if you want to be successful in today’s market . Whether you want a couple of cash-flowing rental properties or dream of building a multimillion-dollar company , like Steve Rozenberg did, you won’t want to miss this episode! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! When Steve was furloughed from his job as an airline pilot, he knew he needed another way to make money . He dabbled in seve...
Jan 06, 2025•45 min•Ep. 506
What’s the “right” way to build your real estate portfolio ? Once you’ve taken down your first rental property , should you focus on paying it off ? Or should you buy more properties, even if it means taking on even more debt ? You’ll want to hear where we stand in today’s episode! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! Today, Tony and Ashley are digging through more of your recent real estate-related questions. First, we’ll discuss paying off your mortgage versus using that money to buy more re...
Jan 03, 2025•33 min•Ep. 505
Do you lean into data when analyzing real estate deals ? In a competitive market , ANY kind of advantage goes a long way towards helping you land better deals. And guess what? Harnessing the power of data is much easier than you think. Today’s guest delivers a handful of helpful tips, tricks, and tools that all rookie investors can use! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Today, we’re joined by Ariel Herrera — data scientist by day and real estate investor by night. Five years ago, ...
Jan 01, 2025•47 min•Ep. 504
It’s the season for housing market predictions , and we know who to call! Altos Research and HousingWire’s Mike Simonsen joins the show to share where his team thinks mortgage rates , home prices , housing inventory, and buyer demand will be in 2025. Every year, the HousingWire team puts together a phenomenal housing market forecast , touching on the topics investors, agents , lenders, and housing nerds care about while recapping the wildest surprises of the year prior. Will mortgage rates final...
Dec 30, 2024•33 min•Ep. 503
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...
Dec 27, 2024•42 min•Ep. 502
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 overworkin...
Dec 25, 2024•31 min•Ep. 501
Covering your entire mortgage payment in ONE day?! Today’s guest is proof that you don’t need a full-blown real estate portfolio to start making money. She has only ever owned one property, her primary residence , but it brings in up to $16,000 a month being rented out part-time ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! When searching for her first home, Nicole Lulinski Weill wanted a property that could bring in some extra income. She started looking at duplexes and homes with accessor...
Dec 23, 2024•41 min•Ep. 500
What’s the right investing strategy for YOU? In this episode, we’re going to hear from an investor who has scaled their real estate portfolio to twenty rentals in just TWO years ! Despite their rapid success, they feel “stuck” and aren’t sure which strategy to use moving forward. Stay tuned as we show you how to choose the right strategy while helping them get unstuck! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! Today, Ashley and Tony are diving into the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Fa...
Dec 20, 2024•34 min•Ep. 499
Don’t have a ton of money to invest in rental properties? No problem! You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to start building wealth . Chris Young , a (not-so) rookie investor from Southern California, started with just five percent down . He bought a $500,000 home in pricey Los Angeles for just $25,000 out-of-pocket . Now, Chris has four rental properties , one of which he uses as a vacation home, and hundreds of thousands in equity! Plus, he did it all while working a W2 ! Chris knew...
Dec 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 498
You can make money in real estate —with or without owning rentals ! How? There’s a growing segment of the industry that rookies NEED to know about. It’s more lucrative than long-term rentals , more consistent than short-term rentals , and today’s guest is bringing in $1 million a YEAR with it! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Jesse Vasquez has mastered the medium-term rental strategy, bringing in over $1 million in revenue each year from twenty-two rentals . But here’s the thing....
Dec 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 497
Are you looking to grow your real estate portfolio and build wealth faster ? There’s a tax “loophole” that allows you to sell your property and roll your equity (and profits) into a bigger and better rental property —all while deferring thousands of dollars in taxes . Stay tuned to learn how to use a 1031 exchange to your advantage! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! Today, Ashley and Tony are answering some of your recent questions from the BiggerPockets Forums . After discussing 1031 excha...
Dec 13, 2024•27 min•Ep. 496
Burned out at your W2 job ? Tired of climbing the corporate ladder? Starting a real estate business could give you financial freedom , but is it worth giving up the security of a biweekly paycheck? This entrepreneur thinks so, and today, she’ll give you the blueprint for forging your own path in real estate ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Melissa Shelton is not only an investor, but also the founder of Dear Valentine , a business that blends luxury, hospitality, development, a...
Dec 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 495
$50,000 cash flow from ONE rental !? Not many properties will give you this kind of return in today’s housing market , but this investor beat his competition to an innovative investing strategy , and it’s paying huge dividends. Want to find out what it is and how he did it? You don’t want to miss this one! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Garrett Brown envisioned himself running restaurants or operating hotels before real estate investing took him down a different path. He got hi...
Dec 09, 2024•48 min•Ep. 494
Many people invest for appreciation . Others invest for tax benefits . But some investors want enough monthly cash flow to replace their W2 income and help them quit their nine-to-five jobs . When can you go full-time with real estate investing ? How many rentals do you need? Stay tuned! Today, Tony and co-host Garrett Brown are diving into the BiggerPockets Forums , and our first question comes from someone who has launched six vacation rentals in just five years . Should they diversify their p...
Dec 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 493
Do you want to buy a rental property in 2025 but fear money could get in the way? Putting 15%-20% down is a huge hurdle for new investors, but there are several strategies you can use to limit your expenses , grow your income , and even put LESS money down . If you want to know how to save for a down payment as quickly as possible, you need these money-saving tips ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Before you can invest in real estate , you need to lay a solid financial foundatio...
Dec 04, 2024•45 min•Ep. 492
When interest rates rose, many investors stopped buying. But not Ryan Irwin . This rookie doubled down on real estate , choosing whichever investing strategy made the numbers work. Even in a tough housing market , Ryan’s big bet on real estate paid off, as he’s now up to seven deals and earns a solid chunk of cash flow each month! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! It can take a new investor months, sometimes years , to find their first deal. But when Ryan was just starting out, he...
Dec 02, 2024•40 min•Ep. 491
Are you leaving cash flow on the table? Even if you own a single rental property , there are all kinds of strategies you can use to generate more rental income , whether it’s house hacking , renting by the room , or converting your long-term rentals to short-term rentals . And we’re just scratching the surface! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply ! Today, we’re diving back into the BiggerPockets Forums to answer some more of your recent questions. First, we’ll hear from someone who’s at a cross...
Nov 29, 2024•36 min•Ep. 490
Today, we’re talking about the real estate deals we did in 2024 . What went right, what went wrong, and what mistakes did we make that you must avoid in 2025 ? This year was wild for the real estate market—you probably felt it, too. Whether you were buying rentals, flipping houses , or just getting started, this year felt hot, cold, and lukewarm all at the same time. So, how did we end the year? Did we hit our 2024 goals , or was this wild housing market just too much for us? We’re sharing exact...
Nov 27, 2024•43 min•Ep. 489
At the age of twenty-seven, this “rookie” has already completed over 100 real estate deals . The key to her success? She’s been in real estate since she was just seventeen years old. Seriously! By starting early and taking action, she has been able to make mistakes, sharpen her skills, and set herself up for success! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! While her peers headed off to college, Dominique Gunderson got her real estate license and started learning the ropes. Before long, s...
Nov 25, 2024•44 min•Ep. 488
Want to estimate your NOI (net operating income) BEFORE you buy a rental property? Calculating NOI in real estate isn’t hard, and after doing this dozens and dozens of times, we’re sharing how to estimate things like taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs so you know you’re buying a killer deal. Speaking of first deals, how much do you need to get started investing? $20K? $50K? $100K? A fellow rookie has $70K ready to invest but doesn’t know the next best move . We’re sharing exactly how they s...
Nov 22, 2024•36 min•Ep. 487
Want to quit your job with real estate investing? Rookie investor Miller McSwain has a strategy anyone can copy to make serious cash flow. This investing strategy is rookie-friendly and allows you to learn the real estate investing ropes while making serious money . Miller now has six properties with forty-one units in total, and today, he’s sharing this easily repeatable strategy for quickly building wealth. Miller will be the first to tell you that his “ coliving ” strategy is not rocket scien...
Nov 20, 2024•41 min•Ep. 486
This rookie has grown his real estate portfolio to seven properties , $5,000 in monthly cash flow , and over $1 million in total equity in just SIX years . His strategy isn’t flashy or sexy, but it’s highly repeatable. Even the greenest investor can use it to snowball one rental property into the next! Jefferson Calloway was plunged into the world of real estate after meeting the world’s best tenant —an investor and mentor who not only sold Jefferson his first property but also moved in and know...
Nov 18, 2024•43 min•Ep. 485
How much should your down payment for investment property be? Should you increase your down payment to maximize cash flow, or does putting all your financial eggs in one basket limit your ability to build and scale your real estate portfolio ? Or should you instead pay off that high-interest-rate mortgage early to keep all the cash flow at the end of the month? We’re answering these questions in today’s Rookie Reply ! With high mortgage rates, one rookie asks whether it’s better to pay off their...
Nov 15, 2024•33 min•Ep. 484
