{"id":178200,"date":"2024-10-11T11:16:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=178200"},"modified":"2024-10-11T11:47:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T17:47:25","slug":"creative-ways-to-pay-for-your-childrens-college-using-real-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/creative-ways-to-pay-for-your-childrens-college-using-real-estate","title":{"rendered":"6 Creative Ways to Cover Your Kids\u2019 College Costs with Real Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When you start them early enough, your investments can perform shocking feats of strength. They can even keep pace with the runaway cost of college tuition\u2014which has more than doubled since 2000. The average <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">cost<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> of private college tuition and fees has reached $38,768, according to the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/educationdata.org\/average-cost-of-college\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Education Data Initiative<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and you can expect that to keep skyrocketing between now and when your little one reaches college age.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fortunately, real estate can help. Try these creative approaches to paying for your kids\u2019 college education so you can stop worrying and start getting excited about your children\u2019s university years.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">1. Let Your Tenants Pay for Tuition<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Imagine that the year your child is born, you buy a rental property for $360,000 and <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/down-payment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">put down<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> 20% on it. You borrow the rest ($300,000) with a 30-year mortgage at 6% interest.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Here\u2019s how the next 18 years of property equity look:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe title=\"Property Equity Over 18 Years (30-Year Loan)\" aria-label=\"Interactive line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Idch0\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/Idch0\/1\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"443\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After 18 years, you now have $554,870 in <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/what-is-home-equity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">equity<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. That\u2019s a tidy sum to pay for tuition, hopefully with plenty left <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">over<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to go toward your retirement.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Your tenants have paid <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">down<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> your mortgage balance even as your property has appreciated <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in value<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> I assumed a 4% annual appreciation rate. For context, U.S. home prices appreciated an average of <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/griffinfunding.com\/blog\/mortgage\/average-home-appreciation-per-year\/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20recent%20release,through%20July%202023%20is%204.8%25.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">4.8% annually from 1987-2023<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Oh, and that says nothing of your <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rental-property-cash-flow-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">cash flow<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Your rents have risen alongside inflation, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">even as your mortgage payments remained<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> fixed.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Your rental property should be paying a princely sum each month by now. It probably cash flows so well that you won\u2019t want to sell or refinance it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you want to get even more aggressive with paying <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">down<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> your loan balance, you could buy with a 15-year mortgage. Just beware that your cash flow will take a hit. Here\u2019s that chart, too:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe title=\"Property Equity Over 18 Years (15-Year Loan)\" aria-label=\"Interactive line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-9yqBB\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/9yqBB\/1\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"443\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2. BRRRR: One Down Payment to Rule Them All<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you wanted to get more aggressive with your rental strategy, you could follow the <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/guides\/brrrr-method\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">BRRRR strategy<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> (buy, renovate, rent, refinance, repeat). The idea is <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">that you<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> force equity through renovation, then refinance to pull your initial down payment back out.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the example, you still had to plop down $60,000 plus closing costs\u2014no trivial amount. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Imagine instead that you buy<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> that property\u2019s run-down neighbor for $240,000, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">put<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> $50,000 into renovating it, and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">borrow<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the same $300,000 mortgage.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You end up with all the same long-term numbers for appreciation and rental cash flow. But now you don\u2019t have a penny tied up in the property. You can reinvest that money in stocks, syndications, or <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">more<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> rental properties.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In fact,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> you could repeat the same BRRRR process indefinitely to generate <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-to-generate-infinite-returns-in-real-estate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">infinite returns<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Because there\u2019s technically no limit on how many times you can recycle and reinvest the same capital, there\u2019s technically no limit on your returns.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3. Infinite Returns on Real Estate Syndications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The BRRRR strategy <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">comes with<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> a huge drawback: It requires a lot of labor. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sure, you can get your money back <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">out of<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> each property, but <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">your<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> time?<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> That\u2019s gone forever as a less visible but no less <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">real<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> part of your investment in each property.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Some passive real estate syndications follow a similar strategy<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, just<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> on a far larger scale.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> A syndicator buys a dilapidated apartment complex, renovates and repositions it as a higher-end property, and leases the units for much higher rents. They then refinance it and return passive investors\u2019 initial capital\u2014but all the passive investors retain <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">their<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> ownership interest.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In other words, you and I get our money back, which we can reinvest elsewhere. But we also keep collecting cash flow from the original property.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Many syndications target annualized returns in the mid-teens or higher.<\/span> <em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cUh, don\u2019t most syndications require a minimum investment of $50,000-$100,000?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">They do indeed\u2014if you invest by yourself. That\u2019s why I don\u2019t. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Our Co-Investing Club meets <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">every month<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to vet deals together, and members (including me) can go in on them <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">together<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with $5,000 or more.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> I use it as a form of <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/dollar-cost-average-real-estate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">dollar-cost averaging<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, a way to consistently invest more manageable <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">amounts each month<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> in high-performance real estate investments.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">And the math shifts even more to your favor when you get your principal back to reinvest again and again. But that\u2019s messier to project forward into the future, so we\u2019ll leave the graph at the standard compounding rate.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Besides, we invest in other <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">types of<\/span> <a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/passive-real-estate-investments-im-investing-in-right-now\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">passive real estate investments<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, such as <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/why-our-team-is-passively-investing-with-private-partnerships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">private partnerships<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, private notes, debt funds, and more. Infinite returns sound great on paper, but I\u2019m more interested in finding <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/the-extra-downside-protection-i-look-for-in-investments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">asymmetric returns<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">4. Flip Houses with Your Teens<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As your kids get closer to college, you can involve them in paying for their <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">own<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> higher education.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Flip a few houses with them. The profits from each <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/guides\/how-to-flip-houses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">house you flip<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> could cover the cost of tuition for a year or more.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Even better, your teen will learn real-life skills such as forecasting ROI, negotiating, budgeting for projects, managing contractors, navigating bureaucracy such as permits and inspectors, and home improvement.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">And maybe they\u2019ll <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">actually<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> show up for those 8 a.m. classes if they helped pay for them by swinging a hammer and sweating all summer.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">5. Kiddie Condo House Hacking<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It turns out<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> there\u2019s a loophole for owner-occupied mortgage financing: Your adult children can satisfy the occupancy requirement.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That means you can buy student housing for them and their roommates with a primary residence loan. And their roommates can cover the mortgage payment for you, removing the need for either you or your child to pay for housing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Again, your kids can learn <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">some<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> real-life skills<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, such as<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> property management.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Just <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">make sure<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> you only partner with them if you can trust them to manage an asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When they graduate, you can decide whether to keep the property as a rental or sell it and <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">hopefully<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> walk away with some profits.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">6. Roth IRA Real Estate Investments<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Roth IRAs offer more flexibility than any other retirement account. You can withdraw contributions at any time, penalty- and tax-free. You can even withdraw earnings early if you put them toward <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/credits-deductions\/individuals\/qualified-ed-expenses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">qualified education expenses<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tuition and fees<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Books and other school supplies<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Equipment required for attendance<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The cost of special needs related to attendance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Imagine you invest in passive real estate investments for those 15% returns in the chart through a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/self-directed-ira-real-estate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">self-directed IRA<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. After 18 years, you decide you have enough to spare to help your kids with tuition\u2014and so you do, tax-free.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Just make<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> sure you <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">actually<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> can spare it.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Your kids have dozens of ways to pay for college. You only have one way to pay for retirement.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Look Into Creative Combinations of Real Estate Investments<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">You can mix and match all these strategies, like Lego sets, to build an education fund. And these are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Have you considered house hacking your <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">own<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> residence? You don\u2019t necessarily need to <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/newbie-house-hack-duplex\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">move into a multifamily<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> or bring in a housemate\u2014my cofounder at SparkRental and her husband <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/suburban-house-hacker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">hosted a foreign exchange student<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and the stipend covered most of their mortgage payment. Or you could add an <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/accessory-dwelling-unit-cash-flow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ADU<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Or you could rent out some or all of your home as a <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/guides\/the-ultimate-guide-to-short-term-rental-properties\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">short-term rental<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, perhaps even when you\u2019re not using it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As mentioned, it helps if your kids have some skin in the game. Make them contribute <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in some way<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and make your help contingent upon performance. That could mean a minimum GPA or some other metric to <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">make sure<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> they don\u2019t take your help for granted.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Get creative with paying for college with real estate. It doesn\u2019t have to take a huge bite out of your net worth, but it does require advanced planning, thoughtful strategizing, and clean execution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_bc32156f546cd566321aa4112ebb71e6\" class=\"visibility-group  hidden\">\n        \n\n<div id=\"hero-block_f0cc1279967fc1774710253411e7b7e5\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4  alignwide   has-background has-theme-gold-light-background-color has-text-color has-theme-gold-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\" flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 w-full \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-theme-gold-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:800\">Get the Best Loan Today<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-slate-900-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px\">Find trusted, <em><strong>investor-friendly<\/strong><\/em> lenders who specialize in your strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_daf44e69aa2fbdf6635ec685e8bfdd17 class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/business\/finder\/lenders\" x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track(&#039;Blog Block | B2C Marketplace Lender Finder&#039;, {\n      referrer: &#039;https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/creative-ways-to-pay-for-your-childrens-college-using-real-estate&#039;,\n    });\" class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-gold-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Find a Lender<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\" first:mt-0 relative h-full lg:flex lg:items-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"object-cover w-full relative z-20 my-0  rounded-md hidden lg:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marketplace-Blog-Blocks-Lender-v3.png\" alt=\"investor friendly lender, investor friendly real estate loans\" title=\"\">\n        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n    \n  <div id=\"visibility-group-block_64dd31c79f00f\" class=\"visibility-group  \">\n        \n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"hero-block_64dd2875dba9d\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-100-background-color has-text-color has-theme-slate-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\" flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 w-full \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading my-0 tracking-tight font-extrabold has-theme-slate-dark-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\">Join the community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-theme-slate-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\">Ready to succeed in real estate investing? Create a free BiggerPockets account to learn about investment strategies; ask questions and get answers from our community of +2 million members; connect with investor-friendly agents; and so much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_64dd2888dba9e class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/signup\" x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track(&#039;Blog Block | Acquisition | Free Membership Signup&#039;, {\n      referrer: &#039;https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/creative-ways-to-pay-for-your-childrens-college-using-real-estate&#039;,\n    });\" class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-blue-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Sign Up<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div>\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you start them early enough, your investments can perform shocking feats of strength. They can even keep pace with the runaway cost of college tuition\u2014which has more than doubled [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158586,"featured_media":178203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7385],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-178200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wealth-management"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}