https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-440

Real estate investing offers a roadmap to financial freedom, but it’s far from easy. If you’re feeling the stress of ownership, whether it’s due to a difficult tenant or unforeseen expenses, you may be ready to throw in the towel. But before you sell your investment property out of frustration, you’ll want to hear what Ashley and Tony have to say!

Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Are you looking to increase rents? Choosing the right renovations is key, and in today’s episode, we’ll help you determine which projects to prioritize. We also talk about the one-percent rule—a popular benchmark investors use to determine whether a deal is good or bad. Should you buy a rental property that falls short of this golden number? Our answer might surprise you! Finally, we dive into turnkey properties, their pros and cons, and what you should know about them before you buy!

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

Real Estate Rookie Podcast

Rookie Reply: Rent-Raising Renovations, the 1% Rule, & Quitting Real Estate

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-277

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this episode and written below are solely opinions of the hosts, guests, and writers and do not reflect the views of BiggerPockets.

Is it about to get even worse for NAR (National Association of Realtors)? After a ground-breaking agent commission lawsuit settlement forced the organization to pay out hundreds of millions, NAR has been on thin ice. They had just come off of a massive change in leadership, with some executives facing sexual harassment accusations, only to have the spotlight put on them once again. But it’s not over.

A new investigative piece from The New York Times reporter Debra Kamin uncovers a web of hidden donations to political groups that many NAR members aren’t aware of. NAR, the largest lobbyist group in the country, is well-known for donating to political causes that benefit their industry. However, it seems those donations heavily lean to one side of the political spectrum.

So, is this a problem? Could it even be illegal? Debra reveals that many of these donations go to groups unrelated to real estate, leaving some members frustrated with how their dues are being spent. Could this be the final blow to NAR, paving the way for more competition among real estate agent organizations? Debra is on to break the story.

NAR Hit with Another Blow After Shocking “Donation” Discovery w/NYT’s Debra Kamin

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-495

Burned out at your W2 job? Tired of climbing the corporate ladder? Starting a real estate business could give you financial freedom, but is it worth giving up the security of a biweekly paycheck? This entrepreneur thinks so, and today, she’ll give you the blueprint for forging your own path in real estate!

Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Melissa Shelton is not only an investor, but also the founder of Dear Valentine, a business that blends luxury, hospitality, development, and management. Quitting her nine-to-five job to become a full-time entrepreneur wasn’t an easy decision since she had worked tirelessly for many years to reach the top of her field. But, in the end, her “why” won out, and she mustered up the courage to go all-in on her dream!

In this episode, Melissa will show you how to launch a “small and nimble” real estate business. You’ll learn how to set goals, grow your clientele from scratch, and build a business plan that keeps you afloat. But that’s not all. Melissa also has tips for limiting overhead costs, finding deals that give the highest returns, and hiring people who propel your business forward!

Leaving Her W2 Job to Chase Financial Freedom with THIS Real Estate Business

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-496

Are you looking to grow your real estate portfolio and build wealth faster? There’s a tax “loophole” that allows you to sell your property and roll your equity (and profits) into a bigger and better rental property—all while deferring thousands of dollars in taxes. Stay tuned to learn how to use a 1031 exchange to your advantage!

Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today, Ashley and Tony are answering some of your recent questions from the BiggerPockets Forums. After discussing 1031 exchanges and “like-kind” properties, we’ll help an investor determine if they should sell or rent a property that, despite the potential to bring in decent monthly cash flow, has some costly capital expenditures looming. Next, is it better to stabilize a rental property by making home improvements that help you raise rent or use the same funds to buy another property? We’ll dive into the numbers and show you which option gives you the highest return!

Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here!

Build Wealth Faster with This Tax “Loophole” (1031 Exchange) (Rookie Reply)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1054

Why does this veteran real estate investor say that early retirement and financial freedom are a bad idea? Why does he think renting, NOT buying a house, makes more sense for most Americans in 2025? And what’s the one mistake that lost him hundreds of thousands of dollars even after being an experienced investor for decades? Jonathan Greene, one of our favorite repeat guests, is back on the show to share.

Jonathan’s father, a serial real estate investor, taught him everything about rental properties early on. Together, they walked potential properties, snuck into foreclosed homes, reviewed the profits and figures line by line, and even dealt with evictions together. This equipped Jonathan with the skills to not only build generational wealth for his family but also financial freedom for himself. However, once he achieved it, Jonathan realized that early financial freedom wasn’t worth it. But why?

This episode looks into the mind of one of the most experienced investors in the entire industry. Jonathan shares why he still decided to work even after building a real estate portfolio, the investment he made that cost him severely, why he’s moving his money into a more “passive” investment, the reason renting makes MORE sense than buying in 2025, and what a beginner should do RIGHT NOW to start investing in real estate.

The Expert Investor: Early Retirement is a Mistake, Rent INSTEAD of Buying!

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-588

Many people struggle with money anxiety, even those in the FIRE community. Your money fears could keep you on the sidelines, or it could have the opposite effect, making you ultra-conservative with your retirement savings. Today, we’re diving into five of the most common financial fears, whether they’re worth fretting about, and what to do about them!

Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Do you ever worry about your finances? You’re not alone! Maybe you’re concerned about your FIRE number being too low and running out of money in retirement. Maybe you’ve wondered whether you’ll ever be able to afford a house or if the “grind” to financial independence is even worth it. We’ve pulled the most common concerns about money and are going to respond to each of them in today’s show!

Tune in to learn how much money you actually need to comfortably retire, how to deal with burnout on the journey to FIRE, and if you’re “missing out on life” by practicing frugality in your youth. Scott and Mindy will even debate whether the returns from real estate investing are worth the trouble of managing rental properties!

The 5 Biggest Money Fears Keeping You from FIRE (and How to Overcome Them)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-589

Alex Preziosi wants to reach financial independence by the age of forty-five, and with several hundred thousand dollars in retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, and savings, she’s on pace to do just that. But now, she’s thinking about quitting her W2 job. Can she still hit her FI goal? Today’s guest has good problems, but problems, nonetheless!

Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Since we last spoke with Alex, she has made two major leaps on her journey to financial independence. First, she has taken up house hacking, which pays for most of her mortgage in an expensive area of the US. But that’s not all. She has also grown her side hustle as a real estate agent into a full-fledged business, where she now earns more than she does at her W2 job! These moves have only widened the gap between her income and her expenses, and, as a result, she’s sitting on an even bigger pile of cash.

Now, Alex finds herself at yet another crossroads. Is her W2 holding her back? Should she pursue full-time entrepreneurship while she has such a strong cash position? Stay tuned as we dive into the numbers and try to figure out Alex’s best path to FI by forty-five!

Finance Friday: Can I Still Reach FI by 45 If I Quit My Job?

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1055

Should you keep, refinance, or sell your rental property? If you’re sitting on a low mortgage rate and plenty of equity, you’ve probably asked yourself this once or twice within the past year. Most people who bought a rental property before 2020 have seen unprecedented appreciation and rock-bottom interest rates and are likely sitting on a war chest-sized home equity position. But that equity could be better spent investing in new properties than keeping your old ones.

This is Dave’s exact predicament. He’s got a property he bought back in 2016 that has over $300,000 in home equity. It’s cash flowing a solid $500 per month with a mortgage rate of just under four percent, but only producing a measly two percent cash-on-cash return. He’s getting four times the return on his recent investment property purchases, so should he sell? Not so fast; we’re doing the math to figure out whether he should keep, refinance, sell, or change strategies on this property.

Got the same good problem? Stick around as we even drop a fifth option most investors overlook entirely, which gives you the best of both worlds.

Should I Sell My 4% Interest Rate Rental Property? ($300K in Equity!)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1056

Redfin just released their highly-anticipated 2025 housing market forecast, and today, we’re reacting to each of their ten crucial housing market predictions. We’re touching on the exact numbers you want to hear about—home prices, mortgage rates, home sales, rent prices, and housing supply. Knowing what’s coming could give you an edge as an investor, agent, or first-time homebuyer.

First, we’re reviewing Redfin’s home price predictions for 2025. Will things get any more affordable, or will high home prices persist into 2025? Will mortgage rates finally reach the low sixes, maybe even into the high fives? Dave disagrees with Redfin’s take on interest rates, so where does he think they’ll be headed?

If you’re a real estate agent, broker, loan officer, or in the industry, listen up! Redfin has some good news you want to hear about home sales! Renters and landlords, take note—Redfin’s predictions suggest rents could become more affordable for everyday Americans. But that’s not all; we’ll also review their housing inventory, agent commission, and migration predictions for 2025!

Redfin’s 2025 Housing Market Predictions (Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, & More)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-278

Ever seen those YouTube videos titled “A housing crash is coming THIS year!” or “Prices are falling 50% in *insert state*”? If so, you’re not alone. There’s so much housing market clickbait being thrown at you daily that it’s hard to distinguish the actual data from the “expert takes” only done for clicks. So today, we’re breaking down some of the most hyped housing market takes from YouTube, examining the data they’re using, and giving our thoughts.

To join us is Jeb Smith, a real estate broker associate with over 18 years of experience and a fellow YouTuber who’s just as tired as we are of the constant “crash bros” populating your YouTube homepage.

Together, Dave and Jeb are breaking down a couple of recent videos, one talking about the “50% price cuts in California” and a “major housing crash,” as well as one video anticipating that “all hell breaks loose” come this December (wait, isn’t it December already?)

Together, our goal is to ensure you never get fooled by easily manipulated data so you can make the best investing decisions.

“50% Price Cuts!” and Other Outrageous Housing Crash Clickbait w/Jeb Smith

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-279

If you didn’t buy real estate in 2024, you missed out. While all the YouTube crash bros and mainstream media were hyping up how overpriced the real estate market is, we were out buying deals—and we bet many of you were, too! So, as we wind down 2024, we’re looking back on the best real estate deals we did this year and how 2024 turned out to be a much more profitable investing year than any of us would have expected.

For some of us, 2024 was our best year yet for real estate investing! One of us made half a million dollars (yes, $500,000+) on a single real estate transaction. We picked up on-market deals for fifty percent off (while the competition completely overlooked them) and sold house flips for higher-than-asking-price as buyers returned to the market.

We’re sharing our actual profit numbers, exactly how much we bought (and sold) some of these properties for, and the tactics we used to beat the masses. If you didn’t invest in 2024, don’t miss out again in 2025—there are still plenty of great opportunities waiting!

Revealing ACTUAL Profits from Our 2024 Best Real Estate Deals

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.

Rookie Reply: Rent-Raising Renovations, the 1% Rule, & Quitting Real Estate

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast