He had no money, no experience, and no idea how to renovate a house... but he still pulled off two real estate deals by 22. Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Today’s guest, Steele Evangelisti , shares how he went from a 16-year-old stock dabbler to a full-time W2 employee buying a duplex right out of college. With just a 5% down conventional loan, $3K in seller assist, and pure hustle, Steele pulled off a house hack/live-in flip hybrid that came with a leaky roof, an electrical nig...
Jun 10, 2025•22 min
Want to invest in real estate but fear you don’t have the time or energy? You DON’T need to quit your day job to build a cash-flowing real estate portfolio , and today’s guest is proof. In just two years, he scaled to six rentals (12 units) while holding down his nine-to-five —all thanks to a strategy that stretches your money further than you thought possible! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! After immigrating to the US, Hoai Nguyen took the traditional path of college, career, ...
Jun 09, 2025•37 min
Welcome to another Rookie Reply , where Ashley Kehr and Tony J Robinson answer questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group . This time, we’re covering questions like: What real estate investing strategy should an investor start with in today's market? How much money do you actually need for your first deal? What happens if your property is cash flow negative, and how to pivot? Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here ! Check out more resources fro...
Jun 06, 2025•29 min
Money —it’s the number one thing that keeps new investors from buying a rental property . Maybe you’ve got your market and buy box figured out, but the finances ? Not so much. But not to worry—today, we’ve brought a personal finance expert on to help with these common challenges. Whether you’re starting from zero or already working hard to build a financial foundation , this episode is for you! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Amberly Grant , fellow real estate investor and co-ho...
Jun 04, 2025•41 min
You DON’T need a huge network, online presence, or social media following to invest in real estate . This small-town investor got started the old-fashioned way—picking up the phone and pounding the pavement—which helped him scale his real estate portfolio to 25 rental units in just five years . Want his personal playbook? Then stay tuned! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! When the University of Minnesota Crookston dropped its football program, former offensive coordinator Jared Ho...
Jun 02, 2025•43 min
Should you use retirement funds to buy rentals , pay for renovations , or scale your real estate portfolio faster? Saving for a down payment can be tough, and dipping into a retirement account might seem like a tempting shortcut. But is it worth paying the hefty penalty? We’re breaking it all down on today’s episode! Welcome to another Rookie Reply , where Ashley and Tony answer questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group . First, what do you do when a tenant wa...
May 30, 2025•26 min
Is 2025 a scary time to invest in real estate or your biggest opportunity yet? Whether you’re scaling back or doubling down , this episode is your survival guide for today’s shifting market . Ashley and Tony are sharing the pivots they’re making to shore up their rental portfolios and grow their wealth faster ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! When your portfolio no longer aligns with your investing goals , it’s time to make changes. That’s exactly what Ashley and Tony are doing ...
May 28, 2025•49 min
Are you tethered to your W2 job as your main (or only) source of income? What if it disappeared tomorrow? After a huge wake-up call, today’s guest realized he needed to take control of his financial future as soon as possible. In just two years , he scaled to 10 rentals that bring in a whopping $6,000 in monthly cash flow …and he’s not done yet! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Lorenzo Decaria thought his 18-year software engineering career was stable until his employer started m...
May 26, 2025•43 min
The economic landscape is shifting fast . With tariffs driving up material costs , does the BRRRR (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) method still work? In this episode, we’ll share some creative tips and tricks that will help keep your renovation projects on budget and make the numbers work in any market! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! Today, Ashley and guest co-host Garrett Brown are answering more of your recent questions. First, we’ll hear from an investor who is looking to buy in their...
May 23, 2025•33 min
Which rental renovations give you the biggest bang for your buck , turning a few thousand dollars of materials and labor into hundreds of more dollars of rent per month and tens of thousands more in home value ? Today, we’re going through each tier of rental renovations: easy and cheap ( $5,000 or under), moderately challenging and expensive ( $25,000 – $50,000 ), and hard/pro-level ( $50,000+ ). This will give you a roadmap of high-ROI rental renovations you can make right now to increase your ...
May 21, 2025•37 min
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 so...
May 19, 2025•34 min
Home prices are seeing some serious cuts—but is this happening across all markets, and what does it mean for new investors ? For many beginners, this could be the perfect time to buy a rental property , and in this episode, we’ll share what YOU can do to take advantage of a shifting housing market ! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! Today, we’re back with more questions from the BiggerPockets Forums , and first, we’ll hear from an investor who has noticed sharp price cuts in major markets . Shou...
May 16, 2025•38 min
Do you really need an LLC for rentals ? What about a trust ? What kind of insurance should you get? With so many questions (and confusion) surrounding asset protection for real estate investors , we’ve brought on an expert to set the record straight so you can protect your assets—without going overboard or breaking the bank! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Today, we’re chatting with real estate attorney and fellow investor Bonnie Galam about the nuances of asset protection. The ...
May 14, 2025•40 min
Could rentals help YOU achieve financial independence and even retire early ? That’s the goal for today’s guest, who, despite growing up with very little, is now building wealth with real estate . In just three years , she has already scaled to 10 properties …and counting! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! After discovering the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) , Lindsay Barrientos decided that real estate investing would be the lifeline from her high-stress W2 ...
May 12, 2025•35 min
Need more money to buy your first (or next) rental property ? The right real estate side hustle could help you learn the industry AND pocket some extra change to put toward your next investment. In this episode, we reveal a low-cost real estate business that nets $4,000 a month . Don’t believe us? Tony’s done it himself, and he’ll show you how to get started! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! Today, we’re answering questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group , a...
May 09, 2025•32 min
Do you dream of ditching your nine-to-five and living off rentals full-time ? Today’s guests did more than dream—they engineered their exit from corporate America and built a $10,000,000 rental portfolio in just FOUR years . And the best part? They did it without a ton of money and without swinging a single hammer! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Niti Jamdar and Palak Shah spent 15 years climbing the corporate ladder before realizing they weren’t really building wealth . So, the...
May 07, 2025•47 min
What would you do with $8,500 in monthly cash flow ? Quit your W2 job ? Travel the world? Reinvest it? The possibilities are endless, and by blending investing strategies and getting creative when hunting for deals , today’s guest was able to “snowball” to $8,500/month with 10 rental units in just a few years! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! In this episode, we’re chatting with Kelsey Porter , a real estate agent who caught the investing bug when a client introduced her to Bigge...
May 05, 2025•42 min
Is money getting in the way of you and your first (or next) rental property ? You’re not alone! This is perhaps the most common pain point for new investors . Fortunately, we have some game-changing tips to help you get financing for rental properties —even if you don’t have a high-paying job or perfect credit score ! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! Today’s first question is from a student looking to purchase their first house hack . They’re not sure if they’ll be able to qualify for a mortgag...
May 02, 2025•27 min
What if you could create multiple income streams and live for “free” with just ONE rental ? Today, we’ll show you why a small multifamily property is still one of the best investments you can make and how buying one in 2025 could catapult you toward financial freedom ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! With less competition than both single-family homes and large multifamily properties , small multifamily is the “sweet spot” for investors looking to break into real estate and buy ...
Apr 30, 2025•52 min
Growing to $8,000 in monthly cash flow and 35 rental units —all while working a W2 job ?! Just two years ago, today’s guest knew nothing about real estate investing . But he found a deal and brought it to someone with money, and this single move launched his investing journey. Want to do the same, starting from zero ? Then you don’t want to miss this one! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Luke Tetreault was miserable at his W2 job. When he had finally reached his breaking point, h...
Apr 28, 2025•36 min
Finding the right rental property isn’t easy. It needs to fit your budget and buy box, and if you’re house hacking , you’ll want to buy in a neighborhood you’re comfortable living in. These are just a few of many roadblocks rookies face, but we’re going to show you how to thread the needle in today’s episode! Welcome to another Rookie Reply! We’re back with more questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and the Real Estate Rookie YouTube channel, and first up, we’ll hear from an investor who is st...
Apr 25, 2025•32 min
A traditional rental property gives you one stream of income, but what if you could multiply that cash flow by two, three, four, or more times? You’re about to get a masterclass on the co-living strategy, and to help break it all down, we brought on someone who not only quit their job with this model but also wrote the book on it! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Co-living is making waves in 2025, but it’s not just a fleeting trend or gimmick. This is an investing strategy with re...
Apr 23, 2025•43 min
Want to leave your nine-to-five for a “job” that gives you more time, flexibility, and potentially more money? Rentals could be your golden ticket to financial freedom . After tragedy turned her world upside down, today’s guest went all in on real estate investing . Just ONE year later, she makes $13,000 in monthly cash flow and has waved her W2 goodbye! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Shortly after buying her first rental property , Allison Craft lost her brother in a tragic ac...
Apr 21, 2025•44 min
Great cash flow is hard to come by in this market, but fortunately, there’s a strategy that can help you maximize your property’s rentable space and profits. In this episode, we’ll show you how to convert your own rental property for co-living or renting-by-the-room ! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! Tony and guest co-host Garrett Brown are diving back into the BiggerPockets Forums , and first up, we have a question about one of 2025’s up-and-coming strategies —co-living. This rookie investor w...
Apr 18, 2025•29 min
If you bought and held 10 rental properties —each being paid down by tenants —imagine where you would be 10, 20, or 30 years from now. Financially free? Retired ? Today’s guest isn’t worried about cash flow or making a quick buck. He’s using a proven, repeatable formula to build wealth with real estate , and in this episode, he’ll show YOU how to mirror his success! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! Zach Stanley went from selling printers to buying a pair of rentals without really...
Apr 16, 2025•44 min
Making $65,000 in yearly cash flow from three rental properties ?! Today’s guests are on a mission to create generational wealth, and they’re doing it with an investing strategy YOU can use to scale your real estate portfolio fast, too—small multifamily properties! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Daniel and Rebeca Hawthorne didn’t come from money, but they’re looking to reverse that trend and give their family a much better life. In just FIVE years, they have built a small multif...
Apr 14, 2025•41 min
You’ve got some money . You’ve got your strategy. You’ve even analyzed a bunch of rentals . But you still can’t find real estate deals that cash flow . What gives? Today, we’re going to share three things YOU can do to turn more “okay” deals into great deals! Welcome to another Rookie Reply ! We’re back with more questions from the BiggerPockets Forums , the best place to ask your questions and get top-notch advice from other investors. First, it can be disheartening to analyze rental properties...
Apr 11, 2025•32 min
Could rentals give YOU financial freedom ? Today’s guest took a giant leap of faith to invest in real estate , and it allowed her to quit her low-paying W2 job in just five years. If you’ve yet to take the first step in your investing journey, this rags-to-riches story will inspire you to get off the sidelines and into the game! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Earning just $28,000 a year as a lab tech and struggling to pay rent on a property she didn’t even own, Deandra McDonald ...
Apr 09, 2025•44 min
Seeing investors with hundreds of rental units can be intimidating, but you DON’T need a massive real estate portfolio to achieve your financial goals. As you’re about to hear, buying just one rental property could allow you to live rent-free and put you on the path toward financial independence ! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast ! From a young age, Ronny Heredia knew he wanted to achieve financial independence, but there had to be a better way than grinding away at a W2 job for 40...
Apr 07, 2025•36 min
Do you have around $25,000 saved? Good news—you can invest in real estate ! There are several ways to get started, but which investing strategy reigns supreme? We’ll show you how to get the best bang for your buck so you can buy your next investment even faster! Welcome to another Rookie Reply! We went back into the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group and found more investing questions from beginners just like you. Today’s first question comes from an investor who’s strugg...
Apr 04, 2025•30 min
