Real Estate Rookie

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

  “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! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram Get Casita on Instagram  Sign Up for BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year Grab the Book, “Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth” Property Manager Finder $11,000/Month with One VERY Unique Rental Property w/Garrett Brown Connect with Manny (00:00) Intro (02:10) First House for $12K Down! (06:00) Hiring Property Management (09:34) I Can't Get Tenants! (10:37) $50K Tiny Homes and Land Investing (16:15) Setting Up Utilities on New Land (21:21) Tiny House Amenities (24:11) Cash Flow and Current Rent (26:37) Tenants Trashed My Property! (29:58) Buying MORE Tiny Homes (33:44) Managing Properties from Abroad (35:09) Connect with Manny! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-518 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Fund Your FIRST Rental Property with These Side Hustle Ideas (Rookie Reply)

  Do you need more money to buy your first rental property? Fortunately, there are all kinds of real estate side hustles you can use to supercharge your savings, all while learning the ropes of real estate investing. And in this episode, we’re going to share some of our favorites that YOU can start today! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re tackling more of your recent questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and BiggerPockets Facebook groups. First, a new investor has a lofty investing goal they want to achieve in just five years, and we’ll share our best advice and side hustle ideas to help them reach it. Next, we’ll hear from an investor who wants to buy their dream home. Can they leverage their current real estate portfolio to help fund it? Should they sell their rentals? Stay tuned to find out! Finally, what’s the best way to structure a real estate investing partnership? Should you go into business with a family member? We’ll share some crucial dos and don’ts! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover: The BEST side hustles for making extra money and learning real estate Whether it’s ever too late to start your investing journey How many rental properties you need to achieve your cash flow goals Our biggest fears, headaches, and lessons learned when WE started investing How to leverage your current real estate portfolio to buy your next property What you must know before forming partnerships (and how to structure one!) And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Follow Real Estate Rookie on Instagram “Like” Real Estate Rookie on Facebook Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply Grab Tony & Ashley’s Book “Real Estate Partnerships” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders 6 Real Estate Side Hustles to Make Extra Money & Gain Experience (00:00) Intro (00:35) Cash Flow Goals (07:24) Biggest Fears & Headaches (11:36) BEST Side Hustles (18:42) Buying Your Dream Home (24:24) Partnerships 101 (32:02) Ask Your Question! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-517 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• How to Manage Your First or Next Rental (and Save Thousands of Dollars)

  Managing rental properties doesn’t have to be hard. You can do it without the midnight tenant phone calls, “lost” rent checks, and other common landlord headaches. Looking to buy your first or next rental property? Today, we’re giving a masterclass on how to manage a rental property, even if you’re a real estate rookie with zero experience in investing. Ready to start? Here’s what we’re breaking down in this episode: What to do before you buy, getting your lease agreement together, handling maintenance requests and repairs, move-ins and move-outs, security deposits, and more! What software do we use to streamline all the tenant communication so we don’t deal with a dozen phone calls a day? How do we handle tenant complaints and damages to the property without having our hair fall out (Tony optionally shaves his head!)? We’re giving you complete lists of every app and software we use so you can manage with ease, too! Also, why did Ashley publicly weep in a courthouse early in her real estate career? She shares one key tip to save you time, money, and tears! In This Episode We Cover: What you should do BEFORE you buy your first/next rental to make your life much easier Lease agreements 101 and the crucial additions that most landlords miss  How Ashley handles all her tenant maintenance requests without picking up a single phone call What you MUST have a tenant fill out when moving into your property (this will save you a TON of money) Every rental property software Ashley uses to manage her long-term rentals  What you should NEVER do during an eviction filing (Ashley’s BIG mistake)  And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube BiggerPockets Resource Hub Lease Agreements by State Rookie Resource Hub RentRedi Stessa Sign Up for BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year Grab the Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Property Manager Finder 9 Incredible Resources To Help You Self-Manage Your Rental Properties (00:00) Intro (00:28) BEFORE You Buy (07:40) Lease Agreements 101 (15:11) Maintenance, Repairs, Tenant Requests (20:17) Move Ins and Move Outs (26:39) Security Deposits (28:05) Best Rental Property Software Best Rental Property Software (33:49) Landlord-Tenant Laws (40:23) You’re Ready for Your First Rental! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-516 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  48:20
• The Beginner’s Guide to Finding (and Funding) Small Multifamily Real Estate

  Small multifamily investing might seem scary to a new investor, but what if we told you these properties are less risky than single-family homes and even easier to buy in many cases? In this episode, we’ll bust the most common multifamily myths that keep rookies on the sidelines so that YOU can take down your first multifamily property in 2025! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Today, Amelia McGee and Grace Gudenkauf return to the show to deliver a masterclass on small multifamily investing. They’ll show you how to find off-market real estate deals at a deep discount, why cash flow is king when analyzing multifamily properties, and which neighborhoods to target for long-term appreciation. We’ll also get into zoning and permitting issues to be wary of—pitfalls that could wipe out your cash flow if you’re not careful! But that’s not all. Of course, the BIG question on every rookie’s mind is, “How do I get financing for these deals?” and we’ve got the answer! Amelia and Grace will show you how to buy larger properties with low money down and provide you with the perfect pitch for seller financing!   In This Episode We Cover: Why small multifamily properties are even less risky than single-family homes Boosting your cash flow by using multiple investing strategies for the same property Taking advantage of HUGE appreciation by targeting developing areas Buying multifamily properties with LOW money down by house hacking The BEST way to pitch seller financing for off-market multifamily deals Multifamily investing “myths” new investors are taught (and why they’re wrong!) Common zoning and permitting issues that can kill your cash flow The keys to managing multiple tenants (and how to keep them happy!) And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube Real Estate Rookie 111 - 26 Doors in 1 Year? Here’s How You Can Do It Too! Get RentRedi for FREE with BiggerPockets Pro Membership Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA Buy Amelia & Grace’s Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Real Estate Rookie 401 - Boost Your Cash Flow in 2024 with These “Self-Management” Tips Connect with Amelia Connect with Grace (00:00) Intro (02:27) Small Multifamily 101 (08:32) Finding Deals & Choosing Markets (16:55) Due Diligence & Tenant Management (25:13) Creative Finance Strategies (29:20) Key Systems & Processes (32:11) Connect with Amelia & Grace! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-515 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  39:37
• Stuck at ONE Rental Property? The Secrets to Scaling Your Portfolio

  Is it possible to scale your real estate portfolio in this market? What if you only have one income? Getting past one rental property is a huge hurdle in every investor’s real estate journey, but increasing your rental income and lowering your mortgage costs can help you maximize your cash flow and get over the hump. And in this episode, we’ll show you how! Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, we’re diving back into the BiggerPockets Forums and answering your questions. First, we’ll hear from an investor who wants to scale their portfolio but feels stuck with one rental. We’ll show them how to squeeze more money out of their property and fund their next purchase. Our next question is from an investor who wants to refinance a “unique” property that doesn’t have comparables. What type of loan do they need? Should they sell the property? Stay tuned to find out. Finally, we’ll help a few landlords with some “unusual” rental maintenance headaches! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover: Whether you can build and scale a real estate portfolio on ONE income House hacking, renting by the room, and MORE ways to grow your rental income Homeowners insurance, property taxes, and MORE mortgage costs you can reduce How to turn your accessory dwelling unit (ADU) into a short-term rental Creative ways to get refinancing for a “non-traditional” rental property How to handle unusual (or unreasonable) maintenance requests from tenants What you MUST keep in mind when working with Section 8 tenants And So Much More! Links from the Show Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile Join BiggerPockets for FREE Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group Real Estate Rookie YouTube AirDNA Ownwell Land More Off-Market Deals with Crucial Property Owner Contact Information from DealMachine Ask Your Question for a Future Rookie Reply Grab the Book “The Self-Managing Landlord” Find Investor-Friendly Lenders Real Estate Rookie 443 - How to Use “Asset Management” to Build Wealth (Even with a Small Portfolio) (00:00) Intro (01:01) Scaling with 1 Income (11:14) Refinancing “Unique” Properties (17:08) “Unreasonable” Maintenance (26:05) Section 8 Tenants (31:37) Ask Your Question! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-514 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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