BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

If you’re in your 40s, or even 50s, and think it’s too late to build a comfortable retirement, think again. We’ve done the math, we’ve crunched the numbers, and we've run the playbook ourselves—using rental properties, you can replace a significant portion of your income in just around a decade. Today, we’re sharing the exact strategy to get you there.  Most retirees have a small sum in savin...

When the dot-com bubble burst, Matt (the “Lumberjack Landlord”) watched his 100% stock portfolio go to dust. Having lost everything he had saved throughout his early twenties, his only option was to rebuild. But with what? He needed something that could help him offset his living expenses today and propel him toward retirement. That “something” was rentals. But Matt didn’t just buy a couple of ren...

One day, Remington Lyman was brought into his boss's office, told that he did above-and-beyond at his job, and was handed a 2% raise with a smile. All the extra hours, all that hard work, equaled the equivalent of an inflation-matching salary bump. That was it—it was time to put his financial freedom in his own hands. Remington began building an income-replacing rental property portfolio, so when...

How many rental properties do you need to retire? A lot fewer than you think. When people start investing in real estate, they think they need 20, 50, or even 100 rental units to build wealth, retire early, and secure financial freedom for themselves and their families. This is not the case…and it’s not even close. The average American only needs eight—yes, eight—paid-off rental properties to reti...

We’re all here for passive income, and when you say “passive income,” many people immediately think of rental properties. But, is real estate investing really the best path to get the income streams you’re dreaming of, and is there a certain threshold where it’s not worth the effort? You’re listening to this show because you’re either interested in or investing in real estate, but we’ve been invit...

In just six years, this single mom of three became a self-made multimillionaire with rental properties. She didn’t start with a ton of cash; she worked full-time, and she often put very little down. Using an owner-occupied strategy that 99% of investors won’t dare to try, she’s reached financial freedom while raising three kids.  So how’d she do it? Today, we’re talking to Rachel Duck from central...

New to investing in real estate? In an area that has high housing prices, tough landlord laws, or little-to-no cash flow potential? We’ve got you covered. We’re sharing 12 markets that are making money for real estate investors right now. Regardless of your strategy, we have markets for you. From long-term rentals to short-term rentals and Airbnbs, house hacking cities that will help cover your mo...

Is buying rental properties still worth it in 2026? There’s no denying that rising interest rates, sluggish rent growth, and other factors have taken the shine off many properties that would have been home-run deals only a few years ago. But this is real estate we’re talking about. Buy-and-hold investing tends to reward people in the long run. It’s just that, to buy in this market, you’ve got to a...

Britton Eads was making $15 per hour putting up fences all day. He had no college degree; he dropped out of the electrician trade and didn’t have many other options. One day, he read Rich Dad Poor Dad, and realized his life didn’t need to stay on the same track it was going. Now, just four years later, he’s got over 15 rental units, his rental income replaced his fence job, he’s sitting on $200,00...

The housing market is doing what nobody expected—and none of the mainstream media is covering it. Trends are forming that most Americans thought were impossible in this type of economy, greatly impacting home prices, days on market, and buyers' negotiating power. If you know the truth, you can take advantage. If you don’t, you’ll miss what’s actually happening behind the scenes. This is our June 2...

Morgan Housel, best-selling author of The Psychology of Money, Same as Ever, and The Art of Spending Money, has a “system” for building wealth that seems too simple, too easy to be true—but is. Most Americans think getting wealthy is only for those willing to work 100+ hour weeks, build a business from scratch, inherit millions, or get a high-paying six-figure job. That’s not the case. The average...

Ten years ago, Erika Brown bought her first investment property. Now, a decade later, she’s financially free, with a portfolio she’s slowly starting to scale down so she can do less, enjoy her life more, and build the early retirement lifestyle she had always dreamed of. But it wasn’t always like this.  Back in 2012, Erika was working at a bank, climbing the corporate ladder, with no thought of ev...

Anyone can flip a house after hearing this episode. If you’ve got around 30 minutes and want to make a faster return on your money than rental properties, this is how you do it. And this isn’t just hype—Dave is putting this knowledge to the test, flipping his first house with the help of expert house flipper James Dainard.  James has flipped over 4,000 houses, has made more mistakes than almost an...

In the early 2010s, Joseph Moore was a history professor earning $60,000/year with no real estate investing experience. Now, he’s a real estate millionaire, still working the job he loves, with fewer rental properties than you’d think, and financially free from a handful of real estate investments. He got there by following the historical lessons of the wealthy that he’s sharing in today’s episode...

You don’t need a big, expensive, stressful rental property portfolio to retire on your terms. Today’s guest was able to leave her W-2 job in her late 30s, all thanks to a small, smart rental property portfolio. Most people think they need a dozen (or more) doors to reach a level of “freedom” that lets them walk away from their job. Lucy Hinds did it with half that amount. Did we mention she only s...

Buying just one rental every two years can make you financially free—and by a lot.  So many real estate investing influencers constantly talk about buying dozens, even hundreds of rental units to live your dream life and become a millionaire. But, as someone who’s been consistently investing, doesn’t own dozens of properties, and has made millions from real estate, I thought I’d do the math. Today...

This is arguably the best real estate investing loan on the market today. It funds the purchase, renovation, closing costs, and up to six months of mortgage payments, so you’re not on the hook when renovating a vacant property, all for 3.5% down.  Today’s guest used it to put down just $9,000 on a house and, less than a year later, had $150,000 in equity. It changed his life and enabled him to bec...

Before building an entire real estate portfolio, Matthew Garland was laid off from the TSA. He went from searching for contraband in your suitcase to searching for jobs ASAP. He had no degree, no office job experience, but he was good at connecting with people.  He got a job as a loan officer and was making money hand over fist. Then the market crashed, his savings dwindled, his credit score plumm...

There are six “green flags” most real estate investors completely miss, but can make them serious wealth. Any of these six will allow you to buy an undervalued investment property, increase its value (and rents), and walk away wealthier than the other investors who simply glanced past it. The best part? These are often turn-offs for ordinary homebuyers, so your competition is even slimmer. Henry h...

If you’re about to buy your first rental property, or are buying another, hear this. In today’s market, investors are growing more nervous before making a down payment on a property. That could be tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars you’ve worked for, and putting it in the wrong rental could set you back years to financial freedom. But if it’s the right property, you could fast-track yo...

Want to retire with rentals so you can buy back your time and travel the world? Despite a successful 35-year engineering career, today’s guest was still financially dependent on her nine-to-five—until she pivoted to real estate investing. In just four years, she has bought four rental properties and left her W-2 job for good. When Sandy Lee’s 50th birthday arrived, she realized she wasn’t quite wh...

What if, today, you could “buy” a $500K/year income stream? You could replace your salary. You could become the boss immediately and reach financial freedom faster. It’s not a gimmick, it’s not a scheme, it’s something much more boring than that.  In this episode, we’re talking about how to buy a business, especially small businesses, with Acquiring Minds’ Will Smith. Will spends his days intervie...

You’re looking online and seeing properties priced at $300K, $400K, $500K, or more. As a real estate investor, that won’t cut it. What if you could get a deeper discount—we’re talking $150K rental properties. Don’t think it’s possible? Henry has been getting deals just like this in 2026, buying them, making upgrades, and walking into serious equity with way less money in.  How does he find them? T...

Nick Burke knew he wanted to invest, but in his high-priced New Jersey market, buying a cash-flowing rental property was close to impossible. He needed to find an affordable market, somewhere with population growth, equity upside, and houses below the $100K price point. He did it, but in a city, 99% of investors have completely written off arguably too soon.  Now, Nick owns a rental property portf...

It’s the middle of Spring, traditionally the busiest time in the housing market. But this year…things have changed. The market isn’t following regular patterns; some new concerns and opportunities are emerging and starting to approach the horizon. Are real estate investors prepared for what’s about to come?  We’re back with this month’s housing market update, going over everything from mortgage ra...