Real Estate Rookie

Not many college students get their real estate license while in college, let alone during freshman year. Andres Bustamante did just that, becoming a leasing agent so he could cover his housing and tuition costs. Andre didn’t know if he would go into real estate full-time after college, but when he found the BiggerPockets Podcast in the Summer of 2019, he decided to make the jump. Andres reached o...

After Richard Kelly shadowed a veterinarian for the day, he realized that his passion wasn’t performing surgery on animals, it was actually money. This led him to become a banker and after he was given the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, his interest in real estate investing was sparked. After deciding he wanted to become a landlord, Richard found BiggerPockets and started listening to every episode of th...

Andres Bernal came to America to play tennis with only $500 in his pocket. He thought that professional tennis is what his life would end up revolving around. After playing for 2 years and being burnt out from work, Andres decided to take some advice from his family members: start buying real estate. After buying his primary residence, he started looking into multi-family homes that could make him...

Most rookie real estate investors want to hit a home run on their first deal, Annie and Trey Johnson did it completely on accident. Neither of them were interested in being landlords or real estate investors, but after they made six figures profits on their first home, they realized there was real money in the real estate game. Annie and Trey were looking for a home to raise their family in. They...

Not one, not two, but three real estate rookies join us on the first Real Estate Rookie episode of 2021! Beth Henson, Jackson Seedott, Jordan Crockett all started their real estate investing careers in 2020, but are in different stages of the game. They each have contrasting strategies, goals, and visions for 2021, making this interview even more interesting! Beth acquired 6 units in 2020! She’s a...

You asked, we answered! This week we’re tackling the most common and most interesting questions asked on the rookie request line! If you’ve sent in a voicemail, you may be featured on this week’s episode! Questions such as: What is better, LLCs vs. Sole Proprietorships for buying properties? How to find a great real estate agent What do you do after you’ve bought your first rental? The best invest...

Jacqueline Smith knew that she didn’t want to have a big loan on her first house. The way she solved the problem: buy a foreclosed home and do a live in flip! It worked out so well, that she later decided to do it again, on her second home. Her and her husband then had the idea to go at it full time. Even during COVID-19, Jacqueline and her husband have 4 flips in the making, and are looking to ad...

Lauren Keen Aumond was only 22 years old when she got her primary residence under contract, and 23 when she purchased it. She realized that the rents in her area were higher than the mortgage payment of buying a house, so she bought a home, leased out a room, and incidentally discovered house hacking. At 23 she was only paying $200 a month to own a home that would appreciate for many years to come...

Kyle Mack was only a senior in college when he bought his first duplex, house hacked it, and caught the real estate bug. Since graduating he’s held a handful of jobs, from retail, to becoming a leasing agent, and even a commercial real estate broker. But that wasn’t what Kyle’s degree was in, he was actually planning on becoming a doctor. Kyle talks through how he gained the confidence to take on...

Investor couple Anam and Aamir have been hard at work during COVID, locking down deals and BRRRR-ing more and more houses. Through years of system-building and deal mistakes/lessons, they were able to create a system that allows them to save time searching for deals and know immediately whether a property is worth the investment or not. After pinpointing exactly what they wanted in a deal, Anam an...

Thomas Tsitouridis is truly a jack of all trades. As a kid, he was used to helping on the project-management side of his parent’s 64-unit apartment building (taking out the trash, helping with tenants, and so on). He later realized that real estate investing would hold a special place in his future. Thomas later worked for a construction manager, then chose to start his own construction business,...

Feeling stretched for time in your investing career? Today we talk with Adam Whitney, an active duty military member, working full-time, with children, a wife, and an active investment portfolio! With so much going on at once, Adam makes it look easy, juggling his hectic military life while accomplishing his long term goals. Adam started learning about real estate over a decade ago, but didn’t div...

Big news: previous guest Tony J Robinson is back... he's now your new co-host alongside Ashley. Today, you'll get reacquainted with Tony and learn how he rapidly expanded his portfolio this year. In fact, he went from owner of 2 houses when he appeared on the show in March... to closing on his 7th property (!) next month. ...How tho? Tony spells it out today: from finding new financing options in...

BiggerPockets Senior Producer Kevin Leahy shares some news about a change in the Real Estate Rookie host lineup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Gary Janica, a Jacksonville, FL investor who loves his "stress-free job"... but realized he needed side hustle income to better support his family. Enter real estate investing! Gary's portfolio is on the smaller side – he owns 2 duplexes – but he's been able to drastically change his financial picture by house hacking and extracting hidden value with "garage apartments." If you sh...

From $25,000 purchase prices last week to $300,000+ group houses this week! We head to the Bay Area today to meet pharmacist Ryan Chaw, who ventured about an hour away from his hometown and began buying 1 house per year and renting them by the room to college students. Ryan collects nearly $11,000/month from 18 tenants, and is creating the kind of generational wealth his grandfather used to put bo...

What do you get when you combine Dave Ramsey-style frugality with aggressive deal-finding tactics? You get teacher Amy Barber and her fiancé, Jay – and their $6,000 monthly cashflow in rural Iowa. In this episode, Amy shares her strategies for buying foreclosed ranch houses in cash, cleaning them up, then refinancing so she can repeat the process again and again. Think no one's doing deals during...

Today we bring you another mentor/mentee conversation, where Joe Roberts shares his experience working alongside Steve Rozenberg to buy his first long-distance investment property. Joe is a U.S. Marine helicopter pilot who regularly deploys to combat zones, so efficient systems are a must for him. Steve, a commercial airline pilot and experienced investor, loves designing standard operating proced...

Frontline healthcare worker... Air Force Reservist... real estate investor! 24-year-old Prescott Williams is a renaissance man committed to building real wealth through real estate while serving his community and his country. Today he walks us through his first 2 deals, and the 3 deals he's currently working on in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. Prescott shares some great shortcuts for investor...

So... how do partnerships work in real life? Today, you'll learn how – from two new(ish) real estate investors: Amy Swayze and Chris Lawrence. Amy breaks down her partnership with her adult son, who used his retirement fund to jumpstart their investing career earlier this year (right before COVID hit!). Here's the arrangement: Amy's son brings the money and crunches the numbers; she manages rehabs...

"I know partnerships can help me build wealth, but how do they actually work in practice?" This is one of the most common questions we get... and today Felipe and Ashley outline 6 rules for partnering on your real estate investments. From identifying the missing piece that's holding you back, to defining clear lanes and avoiding common pitfalls... this show is a must-listen for any new investor wh...

Expensive market? Busy with a career and other priorities? There are a lot of compelling reasons to consider turnkey investing in a more affordable area – where a local "operator" sells you a tenanted property designed to pump out cashflow from day one. All you have to do is "turn the key," hand things off to a property manager and... voilà! You're rich. You can now kick back and sip margaritas on...

We all have the same 24 hours per day... so be like Marsay Winder and make the most of them! He calls himself the "Property Pastor," and he owns 8 properties (24 units) in the Virginia Beach, VA area. Marsay juggles his business with his family life and a full-time career in manufacturing, so landlording systems are a must – and he breaks them down for us in this episode. You'll also hear about hi...

Aaron Chapman ran into major obstacles on his first 2 real estate deals... obstacles you might face as you launch your own investing career. Wouldn't you like to know how to react when you're turned down for a loan? Today, you'll learn how! From a duplex purchase that seemed doomed when he lost his job while in escrow... to a triplex purchase that a bank wouldn't touch, this Louisville, KY investo...

Derek Tellier didn’t start investing in real estate until he was over 40. Unhappy with what was going on in his life, a friend plugged him into healthy eating, exercising, and long-distance running. Once his health was back on track, he realized he didn’t like the trajectory his life was on, and made major changes. That same running friend introduced him to real estate investing. Derek got license...