764 episodes
- Chris and Ksenia Kim had always wanted to own rental properties, but planning for a family and reaching a breaking point with work travel got them to finally take action. They started with a simple property that fell within their budget, but within a few months, it had turned into something much more: the catalyst for quitting their full-time jobs!
Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Chris and Ksenia were new parents with demanding careers and a goal that felt many years away. But just four years later, they've both left their W-2 jobs and now run 17 short-term rentals together.
How did they do it? In this episode, they share how buying one small property and “accidentally” pivoting to Airbnb spawned an entire real estate portfolio. You’ll hear how they quadrupled their cash flow on one property, used their home equity to fund additional properties, and pinned down the right real estate market and investing strategy for their long-term goals!
If you're struggling to take that first step into real estate investing or are unsure how to scale, Chris and Ksenia’s story is filled with lessons (and answers) to help you through!
In This Episode We Cover
The “repeatable” rental strategy that helped this couple leave their W-2 jobs
Going from zero to nine rental properties (and counting) in just four years
The “accidental” pivot that helped Chris and Ksenia build an entire rental portfolio
How to multiply your cash flow on the same rental property
Funding your next rental property using your existing home equity
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-755.
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 - Once you've decided you want to invest in real estate, the questions only get harder. How do you choose a real estate market? How much will repairs really cost? Should you turn the house you already own into a rental property? We’ve all been there! Stay tuned and we’ll steer you in the right direction!
Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today's questions come straight from the BiggerPockets Forums. First, an investor has a down payment for a house hack but doesn’t know where to buy. This is a common rookie struggle, but we’ll show you how to find the right neighborhood!
Next, we’ll share some of the best (and most accurate) ways to estimate rehab costs so your next renovation project stays on budget. Finally, maybe you’re wondering what to do with your primary residence. Should you leverage your home equity? Should you convert your home into a rental? What about selling it to put a larger amount down? We’ll help you make sense of all your options!
Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here!
In This Episode We Cover
How to handpick the right real estate market for you
Why you should pin down your investing strategy before your market
A simple three-step system for estimating repair costs on any property
How to find great contractors in your area (before you need them!)
What to know before converting your primary residence into a rental property
How to use your home equity to fund your next real estate deal
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-754
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 - There's a rental property out there with your name on it—the “sweet spot” property every rookie investor wants. It's the kind of deal that can give you cash flow, appreciation, and tax benefits and become the launching pad for your entire portfolio. In this episode, we’ll show you what these properties are and where to find them!
Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Today, we’re breaking down why buying a small multifamily property is often the easiest and lowest-risk way for a rookie to get started. We’ll walk you through the "stack” method that could help you scale from zero to nine units in just a few years, and we’ll even compare real numbers from a duplex and a single-family home on the same street.
But that’s not all. Stick around until the end, as we reveal some of the markets where these deals are penciling out right now. If you’ve been looking for a beginner-friendly way to start building wealth with real estate, this episode is the playbook you need!
In This Episode We Cover
Why small multifamily is often the best way to get started in real estate
A side-by-side comparison of small multifamily and single-family rentals (with numbers!)
How to self-manage tenants (or guests) without it taking over your life
The "stack” method that could help you scale from zero to nine units in three years
How to research and pick a small multifamily market (as a complete beginner)
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-753.
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 - You know what's best for you—that's the advice today's guest offers, and it's the exact mindset that took him from house hacking on a teacher's salary in his mid-20s to quitting his job with a four-property portfolio at 30. If you're still stuck answering to someone else, today's guest will show you that you don't have to!
Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Jake Handler took a bet on himself, from buying his first property on a teacher's salary to building a four-property portfolio and walking away from the career he once expected to keep for life. Jake breaks down how he house hacked his way into real estate after a lender told him no, how he negotiated a seller-financed deal that soon housed his in-laws down the road, and how to score someone else's 2.75% interest rate!
If you have a stable career and every reason to stay comfortable, Jake's story is proof that the biggest risk might actually be staying where you are!
In This Episode We Cover
The advice Jake did NOT take from a lender that led to him buying four properties
Jake’s strategy to landing his first deal on a teacher’s salary
Why Jake left teaching to go all-in on a real estate-first career
Negotiating a stellar seller-financed deal with one big caveat and bad tenants
Managing inherited tenants as a new landlord and getting the bad ones to (peacefully) leave
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-752.
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 - Struggling to find your first (or next) real estate deal? What if we told you there are simple, rookie-friendly strategies that even seasoned investors overlook? Today, we’ll share some of them with you so you can take down a great deal in 2026!
Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Today's questions come straight from the BiggerPockets Forums, and they're all about getting out of the research phase without rushing into a bad first deal. Is it worth paying for a course, or is self-study enough? Where do you find rental properties for sale when Zillow feels picked over? And how do you choose one investing strategy when there are SO many options?
We're sharing how we learn best, Ashley's exact Zillow strategy for finding motivated sellers, and how to identify the best starting point for your rental portfolio. If you’re stuck at square one or trying to make the numbers work in 2026, we’ve got answers!
Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here!
In This Episode We Cover
Four ways to find great real estate deals in 2026 (even as a complete beginner)
What most rookies miss when looking for on-market real estate deals
Whether it’s worth paying for real estate coaching, courses, or masterminds
Ashley's favorite Zillow strategy for finding motivated sellers
How to choose the right investing strategy for your lifestyle and long-term goals
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-751.
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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About Real Estate Rookie
New to real estate investing and not sure where to start? Ashley Kehr and Tony J. Robinson break down the basics with real-world deal analysis, investor interviews and listener Q&A.
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