https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-268

The American Dream was once an everyday reality for most Americans. Now, it’s seemingly impossible for even high-income-earning households to achieve. What went wrong, and is it still possible for financially savvy families to realize the American Dream? A new article dissecting the cost of the American Dream shows that the white picket fence, single-family home, and two new cars cost significantly more than you might think.

In this episode, we’re going over the eye-watering costs of the American Dream, the income you’ll need to achieve it, and why most Americans may never get there. But, as financially independent podcasters, we’re living proof that you don’t need everything this article describes to reach financial freedom. We’re sharing what you might want to give up to achieve your version of the American Dream.

From college costs to raising kids, buying cars, and purchasing a home, we’ll walk through the costliest factors of the American Dream—and some good news, as one big expense is actually getting cheaper.

Can You Afford the American Dream?

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-479

Can you start investing in real estate WITHOUT a stable W2 job? How will you get a loan? What happens if you have a fluctuating income? Are you completely out of luck? Not at all! Today’s guest, David Sladewski, proves that you can STILL invest in real estate no matter your age, experience, or whether you have a “stable” job. At just twenty years old, he already has three rental units and a live in flip; plus, he did it all while self-employed.

At the age of seventeen, David learned about real estate from his brother. Poised to become his own boss and make money without an earning “ceiling,” he decided that getting his real estate license and becoming an agent was the best bet. Within half a year, he went from having no money to building a solid real estate agent business and was ready to invest. The problem? Lenders WON’T give you a loan without multiple years of income history. 

But that didn’t stop David. He was able to buy a great first rental property, a duplex, thanks to one brilliant move. David then found other lender “loopholes” that helped him close on his dream rental property and a flip he’s working on as we speak. How did he get around the seemingly impossible task of finding funding WITHOUT a W2 job? Stick around to find out!

Investing in Real Estate WITHOUT a W2? How I Bought 3 Properties in 2 Years!

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1039

Is property “rezoning” the trick to making much more money in real estate? Our guest is using zoning laws to his favor by finding areas with hidden potential but NO space left to build. He then changes the zoning, builds new homes, and sells them FAST (and often over-asking price) to the local buyers waiting in line for inventory to arrive. You can do it, too, but you’ll need some beginner information before you start.

Since 2016, Stuart Udis has been building homes in areas most investors overlook. The average investor sees an area with growing demand but realizes that they can’t build a home because a piece of land may NOT allow residential units, so they give up. Stuart instead gets both the city AND the local residents on his side, having all parties favor a zoning change, helping him be the only investor to build on that once-overlooked piece of land.

So how do YOU do this, too? In this episode, Stuart walks through how he finds hidden opportunities in often-overlooked neighborhoods, the groups you’ll have to meet with before you try to change the zoning, and the types of units he’s building that give him the highest return on his money.

The Hidden Opportunity of Property “Rezoning” Making This Investor Wealthy

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-578

Should you move to reach FIRE? And if so, where to? In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain and revealing the best places to retire in the US in 2024. Living in one of these states could help fast-track financial freedom, and moving there for retirement could help your nest egg go further and improve your quality of life!

Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Alex Gailey, a lead data reporter at Bankrate, has ranked all fifty states for retirement based on five weighted “buckets” made up of dozens of crucial data points. Today, she joins the show to share her findings with us. Whether you’re looking to put down roots in a low-cost-of-living area or find a location that delivers your ideal retirement lifestyle, this list of states is a useful launching point for one of the most important life decisions you’ll ever make!

In this episode, you’ll learn how changing your address could accelerate your financial independence timeline and allow you to retire early. Alex will break down the five factors people value most in retirement—affordability, well-being, cost and quality of healthcare, weather, and crime. Stay tuned to find out which states came out on top and which states you might want to avoid. The results even surprised us!

The Best (and Worst) States in the US to Retire in 2024 (FIRE Faster?)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1040

Can you invest in real estate with just $75,000? And not only invest but can you find cash-flowing rentals in solid markets with long-term profit potential without spending six figures? Yes, to both. Today, we’re proving it’s more than possible because we’re finding on-market rental properties for sale that can be bought, renovated, and rented with a $75,000 (or less) investment. These are LIVE deals, meaning you could make an offer on them right after this podcast airs (seriously!).

To help us out, Dave asked fellow investors Ashley Kehr and Henry Washington to bring a deal to the show that:

1. Has an all-in cost of $75,000 or less

2. Is on-market (on the MLS)

3. Isn’t a house hack (you don’t have to live in the property).

Dave found his own deal and brought it along, too. So today, we’re sharing three actual deals in three solid real estate markets, all that you can invest in with $75,000 or less.

We found rental properties that not only cash flow hundreds of dollars a month but come close to (or beat) the 1% rule, AND one is already renovated, meaning you just need to find renters, and you’re already making money. Don’t let the naysayers fool you—this is PROOF you can find good rental properties even in 2024. 

Can You Still Find On-Market, Cash Flowing Rentals in 2024? (We Found Some)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-480

Real estate investing could help you achieve your financial goals, whether it’s to make enough cash flow to replace your W2 income or build wealth for an early retirement. Like many, today’s guest is chasing financial freedom, and thanks to a unique property that brings in $5,000 in monthly cash flow, he’s well on his way!

Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Rocky Gibson knew he wanted to invest in real estate since his college days, so after landing his first “real” job out of school, he wasted no time buying his first property. Since then, it’s been full speed ahead for Rocky, and in just five years, he has built and scaled his real estate portfolio from zero to fifteen units and two flips. His main investment property, an eleven-unit RV park, nets $5,000 per month alone!

In this episode, Rocky talks about the power of renting by the room, leveraging your personal network, and using home equity to grow your portfolio and get access to private deals. You’ll even hear about the $100,000 mistake that Rocky almost made and how altering his strategy allowed him to not only salvage the deal but also make a profit!

Making $5K/Month Cash Flow from ONE Property (and Dodging a $100K Mistake)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-579

Yes, it’s possible to retire early, even if you’re just now diving into the FIRE movement. Early retirement could be within reach whether you’re in your twenties, thirties, forties, or fifties. Imagine having complete freedom in a decade or less: no office politics, no boss, and, best of all, no spreadsheets! That’s the life Arik Peterson built when he retired early at forty-four, leaving behind a demanding career in corporate investing.

After reading Mr. Money Mustache’s unmatched FIRE blog, Arik drastically changed his saving and investing habits, increasing his savings rate to seventy percent and redirecting his money into simple, steady investments many overlook. Today, his life looks vastly different—he spends his days fishing, biking, creating art, and working on DIY projects instead of staring at a computer screen, crunching numbers.

In this episode, Arik shares his complete strategy for reaching financial independence, why he’s skeptical of the 4% rule, his current investment choices, and how an unexpected layoff turned into his golden opportunity. Ready to ditch corporate America? Follow Arik’s plan!

How to Retire Early in Your 40s by Supercharging Your Savings

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1041

So you want to start investing in real estate but have ZERO experience. What should you do? The good news is that even if you don’t know how to invest in real estate, you can get started relatively quickly, especially if you avoid the common rookie mistakes. To help you jump over the investing hurdles, instead of running right into them, Dave brought on Tony Robinson, top short-term rental investor, and Henry Washington, repeat co-host and long-term rental investor, to share exactly what they’d do if they were starting from scratch in 2025.

Both Henry and Tony have scaled very fast. They own seven-figure real estate portfolios producing hundreds of thousands in rent yearly. But neither of them has been investing for more than ten years. How did they scale their real estate portfolios so quickly? They learned from their mistakes FAST and are teaching you the same lessons on today’s show.

In this episode, we’re going through the beginner steps you should take to build a real estate portfolio starting in 2025. We’ll discuss whether you should buy long-term or short-term rentals, how to choose a market to invest in, knowing how much you can afford, the many ways to find real estate deals, and the one thing Henry and Tony WISHED they had done earlier. Ready to start investing in 2025? This is your quick guide!

How to Invest in Real Estate in 2025 (with NO Experience)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-481

You’re planning to move soon and are asking yourself, “Should I sell or rent my house?” What if you’ve got little-to-no cash flow potential? Is future appreciation worth betting on? Maybe you need to renovate before you sell or rent; now, the question becomes, “How to finance home renovations?” Don’t stress; we’ve got you covered on all fronts in this episode as we walk through how to decide whether to sell or rent, the best ways to fund home renovations, and answer the mother of all rookie questions, “Is house hacking dead?”

With mortgage rates rising yet again and home prices still unaffordable in many areas of the country, does house hacking (renting out other rooms/units to pay your mortgage) still make sense? What if you can’t live for free anymore? Should you abandon the house hacking strategy entirely? We have some interesting thoughts on why we would or wouldn’t house hack in this housing market.

Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question on the BiggerPockets Forums!

Should I SELL or RENT My House? + How to Finance Home Renovations (Rookie Reply)

BiggerPockets’ goal is to make 1 Million Millionaires by sharing the power of investing in Real Estate to create financial freedom in your life. 

Join our hosts and guest to become part of the growing community taking control of their financial journey on our largest and longest-running podcast that breaks down real estate investing strategies that work today—from deep-dive interviews to coaching calls, news analysis, and more. 

Make your next real estate investing move with confidence…tune in to the #1 real estate investing podcast.

Can You Afford the American Dream?

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

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