Want financial freedom through real estate investing? Then the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast is for you. Sit down every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Dave Meyer, the Head of Real Estate at BiggerPockets, as he uncovers tried and true tactics and shares candid conversations with real estate investors who are building wealth in today’s market. Join Dave to walk through deals that went right (and wrong) and learn the strategies you can deploy—start growing your side income today to take control of your financial future.

Every landlord has some wild tenant stories. We’re sharing the ones you probably won’t believe in this episode. And we’re not just talking about a bad eviction or an upstairs neighbor blasting loud music. Instead, we’re talking about identity theft, living room toilets (this actually happened), random people sleeping on YOUR couch, and the mystery of the magically appearing staircase. 
Being a landlord isn’t always easy, but some stories make real estate investing truly worth it. We’ve seen some of our tenants turn their lives around completely, all by having a safe place to live. Even with all the chaos, broken toilets, non-paying tenants, and occasional hard conversations, being a landlord can be pretty rewarding. 
Do you have a tenant story you want to share? Drop it in the BiggerPockets Forums!

In This Episode We Cover:
Why you MUST have a (secured) separate entrance when house hacking 
The reason Henry now double-checks the identity of his tenants before signing a lease with them
Turning bad tenants into good friends by taking shots with them 
What to do when your tenants turn your living room into a bathroom (this one was pretty bad)
Why taking a chance on a tenant isn’t always a bad thing and how being a great landlord can turn people’s lives around 
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Landlord the Right Way with “The Book on Managing Rental Properties”
Property Manager Finder
12 Tenant Nightmare Stories I Swear Are Actually True
Connect with Henry
Connect with Dave

(00:00) Who's In My House?! 
(05:20) My Tenant Isn't Really My Tenant...
(12:04) Taking Shots with My Tenant
(16:39) They Did WHAT in the Living Room?
(25:53) The Tenants Everyone Wants
(29:35) Tenant Turning His Life Around

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1045
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BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Landlords, What Are Your Wildest Tenant Stories?

What if, within ten years, you could reach financial freedom? Imagine it. You may have a high-stress job where you’re working long hours and making good money but feeling burnout creeping in. You NEED an exit strategy if you’re going to keep up with this lifestyle because before long, you may need an early retirement. That’s precisely how Benjamin Aaker, emergency medicine physician, felt.
Benjamin loves his work, and he’s still working today, but now, he has the option to leave when the burnout gets too much. After becoming an “accidental landlord,” Benjamin quickly saw the benefits of investing in real estate. He bought a few more houses and a multifamily building, then went bigger and bigger. Now, he’s equity-rich with a real estate portfolio that can support his lifestyle if he decides not to work.
Even if you’re not stressed out at your job (yet), Benjamin encourages you to financially prepare to exit your career, if just for peace of mind. He talks about how you can scale smarter, faster, and better with partners, why sometimes you need to get dirty to succeed in real estate, and how to juggle investing with your full-time job. 

In This Episode We Cover:

How to scale your real estate portfolio fast and reach financial freedom 
The crucial mistake Benjamin made when he bought his first big property 
Determining your financial independence timeline and when you want to be able to quit 
Appreciation vs. cash flow and the surprising choice Benjamin made to reach financial independence faster 
Vetting a real estate partner BEFORE you invest and red flags to look for
Syndication investing for beginners and using other people’s money to buy real estate 
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Invest in Turnkey Properties with REI Nation
Grab “The Intention Journal”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
How to Build a Real Estate Portfolio & Quickly Scale Your Investments
Connect with Benjamin
Connect with Dave

(00:00) Intro
(00:48) Got a High-Stress Job?
(02:30) The “Accidental” Landlord
(03:54) Becoming Work-OPTIONAL
(10:22) Equity Over Cash Flow
(14:31) Multifamily and BIG Syndication Mistakes
(23:55) A Really Crappy Problem
(27:30) Finding (and Vetting) Partners 
(30:35) WAY Bigger Deals


Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1045
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.
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Financial Freedom in 8 Years by Investing for Equity (NOT Cash Flow)

What makes a “good” real estate deal in 2025 and beyond? How much of a return should your investment property be producing? Are real estate returns good enough in this tough housing market to beat out other performing assets like stocks? Today, we’re sharing our exact investing criteria, defining what makes a “good” real estate deal to us, and how you can use key indicators to identify deals worth the effort.
We’re breaking this episode into a few parts as we touch on the primary types of investment properties: long-term rentals, short-term rentals, and house flips. Garrett Brown is our resident vacation rental expert and shares how he’s routinely getting twenty percent (or greater) returns by reinvesting in his short-term rentals. Next, familiar face James Dainard discusses the unbelievable house-flipping returns he nets, but are they worth the risk?
Finally, Dave shares the metric he goes after when investing in long-term, low-risk rental properties. Plus, we’ll share when it’s a better use of your money to reinvest in your current properties vs. going out and buying new ones!

In This Episode We Cover:
What makes a “good” real estate deal in 2025 and beyond
The massive return James is making with house flipping (and the HUGE risks he takes)
Garrett’s unique short-term rentals pulling in twenty percent (or higher!) average returns 
IRR (internal rate of return) explained and why everyone should calculate this when investing
When to buy more properties vs. reinvest back into your performing portfolio
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Get a Quote on Your Next Short-Term Rental Loan with Host Financial
Calculate IRR with Dave’s Book, “Real Estate by the Numbers”
Property Manager Finder
What's a "Good" Deal in Real Estate? 5 Criteria to Consider
Connect with Garrett
Connect with James
Connect with Dave
﻿
(00:00) Intro
(00:51) What's a "Good" Return?
(06:21) IRR (Internal Rate of Return) Explained 
(07:59) What Makes a "Good" STR Deal?
(11:14) Flipping Houses (High Risk/Reward)
(16:43) Long-Term Rentals (Low Risk)
(23:17) When to Reinvest vs. Buy More
(29:23) Do This NOW!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1044
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BiggerNews: How Much of a Return Should Your Investment Property Produce?

Today, we’re talking about the easiest way to find profitable rental properties in 2024 (and 2025!). It’s not through cold calling homeowners, sending mailers, networking with wholesalers, or doing any other “off-market” strategy. It’s so easy that even real estate investing beginners will have no trouble finding deals. What are we talking about? On-market, MLS (multiple listing service) properties for sale.
You might think, “But everything on the market is overpriced; there are NO good deals left!” That’s where you’re wrong, and today’s guest proves it. Dan Nelson has been buying on-market investment properties for two decades now, and he’s built an entire portfolio doing so (even in recent years). Dan knows there’s a time and place for off-market deals, but he has found so many hidden opportunities on the market that he keeps returning to buy.
During this episode, Dan shows YOU precisely what to look for when browsing listing websites for rental properties or potential house flips. He shares the hidden opportunities most investors miss and why you should NOT be focused on properties that make money from day one. Instead, he walks through his simple strategy to create serious cash flow only a couple of years after purchasing properties most investors overlook.

In This Episode We Cover:
Why (for the most part) off-market deals are NOT great for beginners 
The reason Dan doesn’t care about “day one cash flow” when buying rentals 
Signs that you should offer a lower price on a potential rental property 
Why you should always look for on-market deals BEFORE deciding on a market 
When it’s time to start buying off-market deals (Beginners should avoid this) 
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
BiggerPockets Rental Property Calculator
BiggerPockets Real Estate Rent Estimator
Grab Dave’s Newest Book, “Start with Strategy”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Top 10 Real Estate Markets for Cash Flow in 2024
Connect with Dan
Connect with Dave

(00:00) Intro
(02:16) Why Buy On-Market Deals 
(03:26) On-Market vs. Off-Market Explained
(06:57) HUGE On-Market Opportunity
(13:24) Buy at Asking Price?
(15:19) The Cash Flow Secret
(19:13) Where Does This Strategy Work?
(25:47) Where Does This Strategy Work?
(31:59) When to Look Off-Market?
(32:55) Buy Your FIRST Rental!

﻿Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1043
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast by BiggerPockets

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