Financially independent investors with 100+ doors explain the 6 ways to make money in real estate
“A lot of people don’t think about rental properties as a business,” says investor Kenji Asakura. “But ultimately, each property is a mini-business.”
A couple started buying real estate to free themselves from 80-hour workweeks. After scaling to more than 100 units, they work part time and travel half the year.
Feeling burnt out from their medical careers, one couple started buying investment properties to buy back time.
A 32-year-old real estate investor who retired early to Japan shares 2 software tools that helped him set up a profitable Airbnb business he can manage from abroad
Investor Manny Reyna manages his properties remotely, with help from a property manager and two software tools: AirDNA and PriceLabs.
A financially independent real estate investor shares the book that changed his strategy and helped him build a profitable portfolio of rentals
Manny Reyna used “Blue Ocean Strategy,” among other books, to develop his real estate investment strategy, which focuses on mid-term rentals.
Real estate investors say mid-term rentals are the ‘sweet spot,’ offering a way around Airbnb red tape and more cash flow than long-term rentals
One investor told BI that mid-term rentals are “a whole different vibe from short-term rentals and way less stressful.”
A tiny-house investor racked up $20,000 in credit card debt to set up a property. Now the 384-square-foot home brings in up to $1,500 a month.
Manny Reyna, a real estate investor, shares all of the unexpected costs that came with setting up a tiny home, including how much he paid for land.
A real estate investor started with $12,000 and a VA loan. He scaled to 4 properties and retired early to Japan.
Manny Reyna drained his savings to purchase his first home. From there, he expanded to four properties, including two tiny homes.
A 24-year-old learned about real estate investing on TikTok. Now he plans to convert a $2 million motel into apartments.
A Waffle House worker become a wholesaler after learning about the real estate investing strategy on TikTok. Now he’s eyeing his biggest project yet.
‘Slow and steady’: How a couple retired early by buying one rental property a year with 5% down payments
“All we wanted was one deal a year — it wasn’t like we were looking for 10 — so it was easy.”
Why ‘rent by the room’ earns the most cash flow for a financially independent couple among 4 rental strategies
Jeff White and Suleyka Bolaños have experimented with short-term rentals, long-term rentals, Section 8 housing, and rent-by-the-room.
Best Real Estate Investing Apps of June 2025
See our picks for the best real estate investing apps in June 2025. Compare fees and investment options to grow your wealth.
Financially independent real-estate investors are starting with a simple but overlooked step before even looking at properties
Many financially independent real estate investors get started by attending a local meetup or networking event.
How one couple ‘house hacked’ their way to early retirement in 6.5 years
After years of unconventional living, one couple fully replaced their salaries with their rental income and retired in their 30s.
Here’s why a big tax refund might not be a good thing — and what you should do if you get one
If you get a big tax refund, it means you’re overpaying on taxes during the year.
What are REITs?
Learn about REITs (real estate investment trusts), how they work, their benefits and risks, and how to invest in them for portfolio diversification.
Buying rentals isn’t the only way into real estate. Investors share 3 less traditional strategies they’re using to hit financial independence.
One investor builds his own rentals. Others are using private money lending and syndication to generate passive returns.
I chose homeownership over my marriage. I bought 5 homes post-divorce and inspired my single daughter to buy one, too.
A divorced boomer started buying homes in the 1980s. She only regrets not keeping past properties to use as rentals and pass down to her daughter.
Lending money can earn you passive, double-digit returns — but you’ll need 2 things to compete
“The private lending generates such a nice return that it’s difficult to be like, ‘No, we don’t want to have the easy money.'”
A Gen-Xer fell behind on savings, changed his investment strategy, and now plans to retire early. 2 books changed his mentality.
Like most Gen Xers, Brannon Potts didn’t learn basic personal finance lessons in school, but two books helped turn his finances around.
Real estate investors explain why they’re willing to pay nearly double in interest to work with private money lenders
Working with private money lenders allows them to close deals in as little as eight days and avoid mountains of paperwork.