How to Use Home Equity to Buy Your Next Rental Property (3 Ways) (Rookie Reply)
Don’t think you have the money to buy a rental property? Maybe you’re just looking in the wrong place! Today, we’re talking about different ways to invest in real estate using your existing home equity. Whether you’re buying your second, third, or fourth property, this simple strategy could help you build your real estate portfolio much faster! Welcome to another Rookie Reply! We’re back with three questions from the BiggerPockets Forums, the first of which is all about home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). What are they, and how do they work? Meanwhile, another investor is considering not just a HELOC but multiple options for tapping into their equity. Should they do a cash-out refinance? What about selling the property altogether? We cover the pros and cons of each strategy so YOU can make the right choice! Finally, do you really need a property manager? What about when investing out of state? Stick around until the end, as we share our favorite software, systems, and resources for hands-on landlords—no matter the distance! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) explained (and how to use them) Three ways to access the home equity in your investment property How to “recycle” the same funds to buy multiple rental properties Self-managing versus hiring property management when investing from afar The one time you absolutely should hire a property manager for your rental And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-700 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
She Bought 3 Properties in 3 Years: Now She’s Refinancing (Here’s Why)
Is now a good time to refinance your mortgage? If you bought a rental property in the last few years, you may be watching mortgage rates and waiting for the next best opportunity to refinance. But how does the process work, how much does it cost, and when should you pull the trigger? Today’s guest will tell you everything you need to know! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Last time we spoke with Danielle Daly, she had just bought her very first rental property. Since then, she has added two more properties, used the house hacking strategy to “live for free,” and just recently refinanced one of her mortgages. In this episode, she walks us through her thought process and how she determined that now was the right time to lock in a lower rate. But that’s not all. Danielle also shares the two biggest lessons she’s learned to date, her go-to tools and systems for self-managing rental properties, and why she’s pivoting to another investing strategy in 2026! In This Episode We Cover How (and when) to refinance your rental property (step by step) How Danielle bought three rental properties in just three years Must-have tools and systems for growing your real estate business How much money you should have in cash reserves (per property!) Why Danielle is pivoting away from the co-living strategy in 2026 And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-699 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
Making $5,000/Month Cash Flow from One Rental Property (And Retiring in 4 Years)
Want to retire with rentals so you can buy back your time and travel the world? Despite a successful 35-year engineering career, today’s guest was still financially dependent on her nine-to-five—until she pivoted to real estate investing. In just four years, she has bought four rental properties and left her W-2 job for good. How? Stay tuned and she’ll show you! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! When Sandy Lee’s 50th birthday arrived, she realized she wasn’t quite where she wanted to be in life. At a crossroads in her career and still needing at least another five years at her current job before retirement, Sandy was ready for a drastic change (and a new challenge!). Now, with four short-term rentals and a highly profitable real estate business, Sandy has officially retired and designed her dream lifestyle, where she gets to travel throughout the year while spending only a few hours per week on her real estate portfolio. Whether you’re starting in your 20s or 50s, it’s never too early or too late to invest in real estate, and Sandy is living proof! In This Episode We Cover How Sandy built a four-property rental portfolio in just four years Making $5,000 in monthly cash flow from ONE rental property How to build a real estate portfolio that supports your ideal lifestyle Scaling a large portfolio versus having 100% paid-off properties What really moves the needle for Airbnb revenue and occupancy When to hire a “revenue manager” for your vacation rental portfolio And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-698 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
The Best Types of Rental Properties for Beginners to Buy in 2026 (Rookie Reply)
What’s the best type of rental property for a beginner to buy? This is one of the first decisions every rookie needs to make, but between single-family homes, multifamily properties, condos, townhomes, and others, the options can be overwhelming. But not to worry—in today’s episode, we point you in the right direction! Welcome to another Rookie Reply! Ashley and Tony are back with three recent questions from the BiggerPockets Forums. Imagine you’re hearing about real estate investing for the first time. Where should you start? How do you know when you’re ready to invest? We share a three-bucket strategy that will prepare you for that first rental property! Next, where should you invest? If you’re like most rookies, you’re looking for cash flow, in which case we’ll show you how to pick a market with affordable home prices and strong rental demand. Finally, what type of rental property should you buy? We break down your options and show you how to choose based on your investing strategy and long-term goals! Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question here! In This Episode We Cover The best types of rental properties for rookie investors to buy Where to start when you’re completely new to real estate investing How to find a real estate market that delivers strong cash flow The three-bucket strategy that will prepare you for buying rental properties What to do when home prices are unaffordable in your current market And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-697 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
10+ Things to Inspect Before You Buy a Rental Property (Foundation to Roof)
How do you know if the property you’re buying is a cash-flowing investment or a money pit? Too many investors think they’re getting a great deal, so they rush the due diligence process, waive home inspections, and hastily close on properties without knowing what’s really lurking beneath the surface. Don’t let that be YOU! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Ellie Ridge was walking properties, scaling rooftops, and exploring crawl spaces with her contractor father at an early age. Now a top 1% real estate agent in the Bay Area, Ellie blends her deep home inspection knowledge and market expertise to educate home buyers on costly but avoidable mistakes. Today’s episode is just that—a crash course on what every rookie should watch for when walking a property, reading an inspection report, or doing their own due diligence. Whether you’re flipping houses, investing in rental properties, or buying a primary residence, neglecting these line items could cost you thousands shortly after closing. But with Ellie’s tips and tricks, you’ll feel more confident when making offers, renovating, and maintaining your property! In This Episode We Cover 10+ things that too many home buyers miss during the due diligence period How to protect your property’s value with routine rental maintenance What to expect when you receive a typical home inspection report Estimating the age of your plumbing system (and whether it will need to be replaced) Serious hazards to watch out for when inspecting an electrical panel Why an aging roof isn’t as big of a deal as you probably think And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-696 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