When Jamie Dietz started investing in real estate, he focused on building and selling properties and believed he could make money by timing the market. He was chasing big profits, but he was not paying enough attention to monthly cash flow.

That approach eventually caused him to lose several properties.

That experience taught Jamie that appreciation can be unpredictable, but cash flow is what helps an investor survive over the long term. He changed his strategy and began buying rental properties that produce dependable income every month.

On this episode, Jamie explains why cash flow now drives every investment decision he makes. He breaks down one of his rental deals, including how he found it, how he financed it, what he spent on renovations, the rent, mortgage payment, repair budget, and monthly cash flow.

Jamie also talks about transitioning from self management to professional property management, why he prefers simple properties that make solid long term investments, and why buying a cheap property does not always mean you are getting a good cash flowing deal.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode582

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

PadSplit - Earn 2.5X more rental income with PadSplit's shared housing model.

Ridge Lending Group - Ask about the All-In-One loan. A first-position HELOC on rentals.

Augie Cortez has reached the point that many real estate investors dream about. His rental income covers all of his family's living expenses, giving him a comfortable, low-stress lifestyle. As long as he keeps his properties rented and in good condition, the rentals cover the bills.

In this episode, Augie shares how he built his portfolio by buying single-family homes, primarily renting to Section 8 tenants in a great school district. He explains why keeping all of his properties close together has made self-management much easier, why he does most of his own repairs, and how tenant-proofing his rentals has dramatically reduced maintenance headaches.

He also explains why providing great service and keeping the properties in good condition has led to tenants staying for many years, which, in turn, reduces his turnover expenses.

We also talk about the importance of keeping leverage low and building equity, the lessons he has learned about allowing pets, the toughest challenge he has faced as a landlord, and the advice he would give to anyone who wants to build a rental portfolio that provides financial freedom and peace of mind. 

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode581

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

PadSplit - Earn 2.5X more rental income with PadSplit's shared housing model.

Ridge Lending Group - Ask about the All-In-One loan. A first-position HELOC on rentals.

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

Chris Sherman runs a successful business, but he knows that no business is guaranteed forever. That's why his goal is to build enough rental income to eventually replace the income his business generates, giving him financial security no matter what happens.

On this episode, Chris shares the strategy he's using to grow his portfolio while aggressively paying down debt to create long-term cash flow.

We break down the numbers behind his rentals, including total rental income, mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance costs, and how he budgets for repairs, vacancies, and unexpected expenses.

Chris also explains how much cash he keeps in reserve, why he and his wife self-manage all their properties, and how they divide responsibilities to make portfolio management efficient. He also talks about why he prefers buying rentals close to home and the advantages that gives him as a self-manager.

We also dive into Chris's commercial office suite, which he purchased for his business and paid off in just 50 months. He explains how his LLC structure works, why leasing the office back to his own business creates tax advantages, and the different financing strategies he's used to acquire rental properties over the years.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode580

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Ridge Lending Group - Ask about the All-In-One loan. A first-position HELOC on rentals.

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant cash flow on day 1.

Do you want to tell your investing story on the podcast? Contact Dan Lane here.

On this bonus episode, we're joined by Caeli Ridge, President of Ridge Lending Group, to talk about one of the most powerful financing tools available to rental property investors: the HELOC.

Caeli explains how investors can use a traditional HELOC to buy more rentals, why seasoning requirements matter, and how married couples should structure ownership to avoid underwriting headaches. She also shares the terms and conditions investors need to pay close attention to when getting a HELOC.

We also take a deep dive into the All-In-One First Position HELOC, a unique loan product that combines a line of credit and a checking account into a single account. Caeli explains how it works, how it can dramatically reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan, and the simple strategy that helps investors build equity faster in their properties.

Finally, we discuss one of the biggest advantages of using a HELOC: flexibility. Caeli explains why it's much easier to access equity through a line of credit than after paying down a traditional mortgage, when you have to do a cash-out refi or sell the property to access equity. We also discuss how borrowers can tap into funds quickly when a great investment opportunity arises, and why the ability to skip required monthly principal payments during tight financial periods can provide valuable peace of mind for real estate investors.

Contact Caeli:

https://ridgelendinggroup.com

[email protected]

855-747-4343

Ten years ago, Chase Bauer was commuting to work and listening to the Rental Income Podcast every day, dreaming about buying his first rental property. He had no idea how to get started, but after hearing enough success stories, he finally took the leap and bought a rental that generated just $400 per month in cash flow.

Fast forward ten years, and Chase has built a portfolio that generates more than $1 million per year in rent and nets over $40,000 per month after expenses.

On this episode, Chase shares exactly how he scaled from one rental to 80 doors. We discuss how his original goal was simply to own 15 doors, and how each purchase became easier as he gained experience, built systems, and developed relationships with contractors. He explains how he came up with down payments, the price range he targeted, and why keeping his properties concentrated in one small geographic area has been a major advantage.

We also talk about his market, why most of his tenants use Section 8 housing assistance, and how that has provided a consistent source of qualified tenants. Chase explains how he self-manages the entire portfolio while still working a full-time job, the biggest challenges he faces as a landlord, and the level of rehab he typically performs on newly acquired properties.

Finally, we dive into the numbers. Chase breaks down his portfolio's rental income, mortgage payments, maintenance costs, and overall profitability. He also walks us through the numbers on his most recent acquisition and shares practical advice for listeners who want to follow a similar path.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode579

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

The Guarantors – Protect your property against losses, rent defaults, vacancies, lease breaks, damages, and more. All without increasing your operating expenses.

Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.

A lot of real estate investors think the biggest hurdle to buying more rentals is saving enough money for down payments. Nick Disney has taken a different approach.

Instead of waiting years to build up cash, Nick uses HELOCs and private lenders as short-term financing tools to acquire and renovate properties. Once the property is stabilized, he refinances into long-term financing, pays back the HELOC or private lender, and frees up that capital to do it all over again.

On this episode, Nick breaks down his strategy for scaling a rental portfolio without constantly saving for the next down payment. He explains how he finds private lenders, the types of people most likely to become funding partners, and how paying off a few rental properties created new opportunities through HELOCs.

Nick also walks us through a recent deal, sharing the actual numbers and showing exactly how he used private money to make the purchase work.

Plus, we discuss the biggest expense in his rental business and the strategies he uses to keep tenants longer and reduce turnover.

If you've ever wondered how investors continue buying properties without piles of cash sitting in the bank, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can put to work right away.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode578

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant cash flow on day 1.

Ridge Lending Group - Ask about the All-In-One loan. A first-position HELOC on rentals.

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

Buying rental properties wasn't Jenny Brown's dream at first. It was her husband's. In fact, Jenny got pulled into real estate investing because her husband kept handing her paperwork to complete. But once she got involved, she discovered a passion for building wealth through rental properties. Today, she and her husband own a portfolio of rental homes in solid rental neighborhoods.

On this episode, Jenny shares the story of buying her first rentals, renovating them, and renting to students attending a nearby college. She discusses how they financed their early purchases, the lessons learned from managing their first ten properties, and the moment she began to see the long-term potential of real estate investing. Jenny also explains how she eventually made the decision to leave her job and focus full-time on managing their growing portfolio.

We also dive into the nuts and bolts of running a rental business. Jenny explains how they handled rehabs themselves in the early days before building a trusted team of contractors, how they manage maintenance requests, and a simple system they've developed that dramatically reduces the time spent showing vacant properties.

She also discusses their plans to sell underperforming rentals and trade up into better assets, along with practical advice for investors looking to build a successful rental portfolio of their own.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode577

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant cash flow on day 1.

Many real estate investors avoid C- and D-class neighborhoods due to crime, older housing stock, and management challenges. Mike Bonadies sees opportunity where others see problems.

On this episode, Mike explains why he focuses on lower-income neighborhoods and how those properties have allowed him to build and scale a large portfolio. We look at the types of properties he's buying, what he's paying, how much rehab they're typically needing, and the numbers that make these deals work.

With a lower barrier to entry and strong cash-flow potential, Mike believes these markets can offer opportunities difficult to find elsewhere.

We also get into the realities of owning low-income housing. Mike talks about working with Section 8 and other government assistance programs, dealing with inspections, navigating government red tape, and why these properties are anything but passive investments.

He shares some of the biggest challenges he's facing today, including applicants using AI-generated pay stubs and bank statements, as well as the steps he's taking to verify income and avoid costly mistakes. Finally, Mike reveals the key numbers he tracks and the one thing investors can do to increase their chances of success in low-income housing.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode576

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Rentec Direct - Automate the day-to-day work and make property management easy. Use promo code RIP to get 10% off your first 6 months.

Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.

MidSouth HomeBuyers – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis, Little Rock, and Dallas. Instant cash flow on day 1.

Steve Whetzel has tried real estate investing three different times over the last 30 years, and the first two attempts didn’t end the way he hoped.

On this episode, we look back at each chapter of his investing journey to see what went wrong, what went right, and whether it would have been possible to hold onto the properties instead of selling. Steve shares how each experience shaped the investor he is today.

Steve bought his first rental properties back in 1996, long before podcasts, YouTube channels, and online communities made real estate investing easier to learn. As a young entrepreneur, he figured things out on his own and quickly bought two properties. The investments were working, but he was also trying to grow a business and eventually realized he didn’t have the time or focus to do both. A few years later, he sold the properties and moved on.

About 15 years later, Steve decided to give investing another shot.

This time he bought five out-of-state rentals and found what looked like great opportunities. We talk about how he found the deals, and the painful experience of losing $20,000 to a contractor who disappeared with his money. Steve explains how he recovered from that setback, found a better contractor, and got things back on track.

 But life took another turn when he went through a divorce and suddenly found himself raising five kids as a single dad. With so much on his plate, he made the difficult decision to sell the properties again.

Now, Steve is back for a third attempt at investing, and this time things are different.

His kids are older, the timing in his life is better, and he’s focused on building a portfolio of out-of-state Airbnb properties. We talk about what he’s doing differently today, the lessons he learned from his previous failures, and why those earlier experiences may have been exactly what he needed to become a better investor now.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode575

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.

Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. 

Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.


Rental Accounting Software Made Easy. Free 30 Day Trial.

Ryan Thomson has gone all in on house hacking and believes it’s one of the fastest ways to build a rental portfolio. Ryan loves house hacking because of the favorable financing. Instead of putting 20–25% down like a traditional investment property, he was able to buy properties with as little as 5% down while also getting some of the best interest rates available.

Today, Ryan generates over $30,000 a year in profit from just 5 rentals that all started as house hacks.

On this episode, Ryan explains how he was able to live for free while doubling the mortgage payment with rental income from roommates and tenants.

We talk about why he uses a property manager even though he lives in the properties, and how he sets up chores and systems to keep shared living spaces clean and organized. Ryan also talks honestly about what it was like moving every year for 5 years straight and why, despite how difficult it was, the financial freedom it created made it completely worth it.

What makes Ryan’s story even more interesting is that he wasn’t making a huge income when he got started, proving that building a portfolio doesn’t require a high salary if you’re willing to sacrifice and think creatively.

We also dive into assumable mortgages, which Ryan has become an expert on.

Ryan explains how investors can buy properties and take over existing 2%, 3%, or 4% mortgage rates from sellers. We talk about which types of loans are assumable, how to approach sellers that may not even realize this is an option, how much cash you typically need to bring to the deal, and the timeframe to get an assumable loan approved.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode574

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Flock Homes - Retire from real estate investing and landlording (whether it’s one problem property or your whole portfolio) through a 721 Exchange. 

Ridge Lending Group - Making the investment mortgage process simple and stress-free. Sign up for a free 30-minute investor strategy session.

Revenued - Get working capital for your rentals quickly with a line of credit.