https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-265

Evictions suck—for everyone. They’re bad for the property owner, the tenant, and America as a whole. On the lowest end of the spectrum, evictions cost Americans over $14,000,000,000 (that’s BILLION) per year. With this massive sum spent on court fees, attorneys, moving trucks, and lost rent, how do we STOP evictions before they happen? What can landlords do to ensure they NEVER have to kick out another tenant for nonpayment? Today, we’re discussing the true cost of evictions and how to avoid them.

We’ve brought our own Market Intelligence Analyst, Austin Wolff, back to the show to share how much evictions cost for the landlord, how much they cost to the tenant, and how much they cost society. We’re breaking down which costs hurt real estate investors the most during the process and how long it may take you to get a non-paying tenant out of your house.

Once you’ve been seriously sticker-shocked by the price of an eviction, James brings us some actionable steps he uses daily to avoid evictions at his rentals. He recently had one of the worst evictions, costing him SIX FIGURES. He shares what to do so this DOESN’T happen at your investment property, plus the type of rental you can provide that attracts the highest-quality tenants.

Why the True Cost of an Eviction Is (Much) Higher Than You Think

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-583

If you follow the almost unbelievable path of today’s guest, you, too, could achieve financial independence in your thirties. Would we recommend mimicking his strategy step-by-step? No! Because if you get it wrong, you could be further from FIRE than when you started. Only the most prudent, risk-tolerant, and financially savvy among us could do what Andrew Schrader did.

After racking up six figures in car loans and student debt, Andrew knew something needed to change quickly. Thanks to his financial discipline, he paid his debts down fast, but what would he now do with the money he was sending toward debt every month? After a coworker threatened to quit on the spot without a care in the world (the coworker was FI), Andrew knew exactly what his next goal was.

So, he set out to do the impossible: Stretch his dollar as frugally as possible, spending in a year what many Americans live off of for a month and taking calculated bets that he knew the risks of. His unbelievable journey to FI will have you squirming in your chair (like Mindy did!) as you hear what incredible lengths you can go to reach your financial goals WAY faster than most Americans.

FI by 34 After Making “Calculated” Bets that 99% of Us Would NOT Take

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1045

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.

Financial Freedom in 8 Years by Investing for Equity (NOT Cash Flow)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-485

This rookie has grown his real estate portfolio to seven properties, $5,000 in monthly cash flow, and over $1 million in total equity in just SIX years. His strategy isn’t flashy or sexy, but it’s highly repeatable. Even the greenest investor can use it to snowball one rental property into the next!

Jefferson Calloway was plunged into the world of real estate after meeting the world’s best tenant—an investor and mentor who not only sold Jefferson his first property but also moved in and knowingly rented it from him for a profit! Through this experience, Jefferson quickly learned the incredible scalability of buying properties owner-occupied, converting them into rentals, and repeating the formula. Now, through the power of delegation and automation, he earns active income from near-passive investments that require just one hour of his time each week. This allows him to focus on his home remodeling business, where he earns even more income to pour into real estate!

As you’re about to learn, you can find great investment properties in virtually any market, but you’re going to need the right people in place when investing out of state. In today’s episode, Jefferson provides the blueprint for finding more on-market and off-market real estate deals in competitive markets, building out teams, and mitigating risk within your portfolio!

Snowballing to 7 Properties in 6 Years with This Rinse-and-Repeat Formula

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-486

Want to quit your job with real estate investing? Rookie investor Miller McSwain has a strategy anyone can copy to make serious cash flow. This investing strategy is rookie-friendly and allows you to learn the real estate investing ropes while making serious money. Miller now has six properties with forty-one units in total, and today, he’s sharing this easily repeatable strategy for quickly building wealth.

Miller will be the first to tell you that his “coliving” strategy is not rocket science. He should know—he’s a former rocket scientist. After house hacking and renting out the rooms in his home, he realized how much cash flow the rent-by-the-room strategy makes. But instead of buying houses with as many rooms as possible, he began focusing on community living and homes with inviting common spaces, allowing for higher rents.

So, how do you start with this strategy? Miller explains, in detail, precisely what makes a great coliving investment property, how to market your rooms to get the most tenants possible, and what to do when conflict arises between roommates. After six properties, he’s still hunting for more, and if you’re looking for higher cash flow rentals, this is a strategy you should definitely try.

Quitting His Job with Real Estate After Cracking the Cash Flow Code

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1046

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!

Landlords, What Are Your Wildest Tenant Stories?

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1047

Has the Federal Reserve gone too far? Many Americans are critical of the Fed’s move to raise interest rates sharply, pause for years, and then slowly start implementing rate cuts. The arguably most prominent critic of the Fed? President-Elect Donald Trump, who, shortly after nominating the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell, reversed his opinion on whether Powell was the right person for the job.

Now, with Trump coming back to the White House, Powell’s job hangs in jeopardy—or does it? Can a President fire the Fed chair? Does the President have the authority to influence how the Fed operates? What would happen if Trump decided to go after Powell and request his resignation? Nick Timiraos, reporter at The Wall Street Journal and Federal Reserve expert, is on to answer these questions.

Nick gives us the latest update on rate cuts, where the Fed is headed, how the future of the Fed looks with Trump back in office, and why some politicians champion “Fed Independence,” while others argue that Fed power has overstepped its bounds. Are Trump and Powell more aligned than they think, and is this government drama all talk? We’re getting Nick’s expert viewpoint on it all.

Can Trump Push Jerome Powell Out of the Fed?

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-487

Want to estimate your NOI (net operating income) BEFORE you buy a rental property? Calculating NOI in real estate isn’t hard, and after doing this dozens and dozens of times, we’re sharing how to estimate things like taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs so you know you’re buying a killer deal. Speaking of first deals, how much do you need to get started investing? $20K? $50K? $100K? A fellow rookie has $70K ready to invest but doesn’t know the next best move. We’re sharing exactly how they should start, and you can copy these steps no matter how much money you have.

It wouldn’t be a Rookie Reply if we didn’t discuss tricky tenant situations. One investor has a tenant who is FED UP with a broken outlet. Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Well, the tenant is giving the landlord an unreasonable ultimatum. What should the investor do? Let the tenant take care of things on their own (and potentially damage the property) or put their foot down and follow the lease agreement?

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

Calculating NOI for Real Estate and How to Start Investing with $70K (Rookie Reply)

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-272

Did economic sentiment decide the 2024 presidential election? For many Americans, the economy was top of mind when deciding who to vote for in this past election. With inflationary worries, high home prices and mortgage rates, and general unaffordability, many Americans chose President-Elect Trump to turn the economy around. So, what does the housing market look like under Trump’s economy? And how will proposed changes (like tariffs) influence home prices?



Matthew Walsh from Moody’s Analytics is on to give us some context about consumer sentiment, future home prices and mortgage rates, and what tariffs mean for the average American. Matthew brings up a good point: Even with inflation steadily declining, most Americans are still experiencing sticker shock due to our constant comparison of pre-pandemic pricing. Even with the economy doing well, it’s easy to understand why Americans feel in a worse spot than five years ago.



So, with inflation cooling, will housing affordability catch up? A big part of affordability is mortgage rates, and with the Fed cutting rates, are we on the cusp of a return to (somewhat) normalcy? Matthew shares the shocking statistic on what mortgage rates would have to be for us to reach 2019 levels of affordability. Finally, we’re talking about tariffs and how higher prices for homebuilding could translate to your final home price. 

What Does Trump’s Economy Mean for the Housing Market?

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-274

It’s the season for housing market predictions, and we know who to call! Altos Research and HousingWire’s Mike Simonsen joins the show to share where his team thinks mortgage rates, home prices, housing inventory, and buyer demand will be in 2025. Every year, the HousingWire team puts together a phenomenal housing market forecast, touching on the topics investors, agents, lenders, and housing nerds care about while recapping the wildest surprises of the year prior.

Will mortgage rates finally fall below six percent in 2025? Will home prices dip with housing inventory up a substantial percentage year-over-year? And could agents and lenders finally get some relief with home sales, or will we still see sluggish purchasing and buyer activity? Not to spoil it, but Mike is optimistic about the 2025 housing market and what will come over the next twelve months.

Mike breaks down each prediction and what could affect YOU the most, whether you’re buying or selling homes. Plus, he shares the one metric his team is watching carefully to see which direction the 2025 housing market is headed.

HousingWire’s 2025 Housing Market Predictions: Rates, Prices, and More

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-273

Discounted real estate deals could be coming THIS winter as the housing market begins to “thaw.” Today, Dave is flying solo, bringing you a housing market update on all the crucial factors real estate investors are looking at—home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and rent prices. Even with home sales falling by a massive margin, home prices are still at all-time highs, and the housing market is “stuck,” but we could see some sellers taking price cuts this winter if you’re willing to take advantage.

Okay, but how can home prices still be THIS high when the total home sales are twenty percent lower than average and around fifty percent under the recent highs? It’s simple—affordability struggles. High rates, high prices, and “locked-in” homeowners staying in place keep the market frozen. So, why does Dave believe sellers will be more inclined to drop their prices this winter? Where does he believe interest rates will be by the end of the year? And what’s the one thing that could get the housing market “unstuck”?

The Housing Market is Changing (Deals Are Coming in Winter)

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. 

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Why the True Cost of an Eviction Is (Much) Higher Than You Think

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

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