Does the BP podcast have anything for the truly average American?

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Does the BP podcast have anything for the truly average American?

Daniel K Houck
Member since 2018 · 4 posts · 7 votes

Hi. I've been listening to the BP podcast for a couple years now and it's honestly a pretty good podcast even though after a while it gets a little repetitive. But I always enjoyed Brandon's energy and humbleness. I took about a year off because I was getting a little frustrated because it seemed like all the guys and girls who went from "zero to hero" weren't in my shoes. I'm a married man with three kids and one on the way. I currently rent. I'm a nurse. My wife doesn't want to house hack. Most of the podcast guests had $100k to pull out their retirement or like Brandon, started house hacking at a young age. Is there a podcast for a married guy with kids with very little cash reserves? Of course the most recent podcast was "10th grade dropout to 400 unit apartment complexes (WITHOUT raising money)." So like I fool I thought this person worked a couple jobs putting in 80 hour weeks and rehabbed his own house etc. Come to find out- in this show a couple started a business, and 25 years later sells it for one billion dollars, and now has over 1000 units. So... congratulations on not needing to raise any money? Again, I'm sure this business took a lot of work, but I'm almost 35 and don't want to spend the next two decades on a business... Is there a realistic path to financial freedom (not a billionaire) before I'm 40? 

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Erik Browning
Lender · CO CA TX WA ID OR · Member since 2020 · 419 posts · 542 votes
4y

TLDR: Question your mindset first, then talk to a lender that specializes in helping regular people achieve their real estate goals. Felons. Buy your wife flowers.

Hey @Daniel K Houck - first thing, congrats on achieving the dream of having a beautiful family with a solid wife that loves you enough to have 4 children :)

Second, is sounds like you are comparing yourself to the people on the podcast - don't. While these folks have achieved success at one area of life, you have exceled in ways that they cannot. We all have gifts that serve a purpose for the benefit of our communities, you do as well.

As far as "having anything for the truly average American," yeah - they do. BP is not only a real estate informational tool, but it also provides you with something to work toward in the form of entertainment. BP will not do anything for you tangibly except for maintaining the platform to investors to share their stories that in turn inspire others. You listen to it because you are inspired to do some of this yourself - correct? You continue to listen because you have the confidence in yourself that you can also participate - that's what BP offers.

Married parents, single parents, and felons have all been on this platform sharing their stories with you. They each found a way to do it - you can too. You likely have obstacles around convincing your family, capital to fund a deal, and location - but every single one of these obstacles can be solved.

If you are really serious, you should talk to a lender about what you qualify for and see if there is an opportunity where you live in to purchase a home for 0% down - it is absolutely possible and have seen clients, and myself, actually do it. Then, once you figure out a plan with your lender, it's up to you to convince your basketball team of a family to follow your hair-brained idea. You are the leader here, you have control over your life, and you have the ability to inspire your family to engage in financial pursuits.

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  • Erik Browning
    Lender · CO CA TX WA ID OR · Member since 2020 · 419 posts · 542 votes
    4y

    TLDR: Question your mindset first, then talk to a lender that specializes in helping regular people achieve their real estate goals. Felons. Buy your wife flowers.

    Hey @Daniel K Houck - first thing, congrats on achieving the dream of having a beautiful family with a solid wife that loves you enough to have 4 children :)

    Second, is sounds like you are comparing yourself to the people on the podcast - don't. While these folks have achieved success at one area of life, you have exceled in ways that they cannot. We all have gifts that serve a purpose for the benefit of our communities, you do as well.

    As far as "having anything for the truly average American," yeah - they do. BP is not only a real estate informational tool, but it also provides you with something to work toward in the form of entertainment. BP will not do anything for you tangibly except for maintaining the platform to investors to share their stories that in turn inspire others. You listen to it because you are inspired to do some of this yourself - correct? You continue to listen because you have the confidence in yourself that you can also participate - that's what BP offers.

    Married parents, single parents, and felons have all been on this platform sharing their stories with you. They each found a way to do it - you can too. You likely have obstacles around convincing your family, capital to fund a deal, and location - but every single one of these obstacles can be solved.

    If you are really serious, you should talk to a lender about what you qualify for and see if there is an opportunity where you live in to purchase a home for 0% down - it is absolutely possible and have seen clients, and myself, actually do it. Then, once you figure out a plan with your lender, it's up to you to convince your basketball team of a family to follow your hair-brained idea. You are the leader here, you have control over your life, and you have the ability to inspire your family to engage in financial pursuits.

    18Reply
  • Dan NelsonBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago and Kansas City · Member since 2016 · 95 posts · 86 votes
    4y

    I absolutely loved this response by @Erik Browning.  

    @Daniel K Houck I totally understand how you feel this way.  I have two comments and then some advice. 

    1) Because you are on Bigger Pockets, it seems like most people do this, but the reality is almost no one does.  I cannot tell you how many renters I have where I say, "you could buy a condo or a home for this price.  Let me help you."  And they just can't do it.

    2) You did not say how old you are now, but I suspect it absolutely achievable.  

    And here is my advice.  

    Having money is not your obstacle.  It is just a small problem. Everything about having a career in real estate is solving with small problems.  There are very few problems that are big. I agree that buying your first property is the hardest.  The second is hard too.  Third also hard.  After that, it is just up to what you want to do.  Regarding my first point, very few people do this because they don't tackle that small problem or instead focus on what seems impossible.  it is not impossible.  If you come back here and say, you called every lender on biggerpockets and sat in the chair of every local bank in your town and no one had any idea how you can get a loan, we can tell you what to do next.  Start there though.  I am a realtor. I just sold a 2-unit property to a 25-year-old kid that had no money.  Every place we looked his mother came with him and told him he was making the dumbest mistake in his life.  I suspect by the time he is 40, he will have $4-5 Million dollars in real estate.  Everyday you get up and decide to go to work.  You make sure your family has food and a roof overhead.  That is 100,000 times harder. And more important.  Best of luck.

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  • Rosie Small
    Member since 2020 · 37 posts · 24 votes
    4y

    I get where are you coming from, 10 years ago I bought a course :how to invest in real estate , but raising my teenager daugthers by myself and having a 80 hours week job didn't work for me, but I ALWAYS fantazise with the idea, well my daugthers now are professionals and doing their own lives . I adquired 10 rentals in the last 2 years and Im purchasing a triplex in a couple days. Just be patient , it will be the moment where it will work for you and your wife. And by the way at the age of 50 years old and no savings after putting my kids through college, I clear my 401k and brrrr like crazy and I still have my 80 hours a week job. If I can do it You can do IT too. 

    5Reply
  • Bill B.
    Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    4y

    Even as someone who has “made it” in real estate. I find very few of the latest generation of episodes applicable/interesting to me. It’s all mindset and systems and getting huge. That’s never what I wanted. (Just a dozen or so properties to give me the freedom to do what I want.) That being said, it’s their podcast and they’re going to interview people who are interesting to them at their point in investing. 

    But Take heart. The seeing Greene or ask David Greene episodes are truly interesting even when they have nothing to do with the situation you are in. Give them a try, I think you’ll like them. 

    If you’re looking for more. I like Rental income podcast and the rent prep one. They tend to focus on “midsize” landlords, people with 4-30 properties. 

    2Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @Daniel K Houck:

    Hi. I've been listening to the BP podcast for a couple years now and it's honestly a pretty good podcast even though after a while it gets a little repetitive. But I always enjoyed Brandon's energy and humbleness. I took about a year off because I was getting a little frustrated because it seemed like all the guys and girls who went from "zero to hero" weren't in my shoes. I'm a married man with three kids and one on the way. I currently rent. I'm a nurse. My wife doesn't want to house hack. Most of the podcast guests had $100k to pull out their retirement or like Brandon, started house hacking at a young age. Is there a podcast for a married guy with kids with very little cash reserves? Of course the most recent podcast was "10th grade dropout to 400 unit apartment complexes (WITHOUT raising money)." So like I fool I thought this person worked a couple jobs putting in 80 hour weeks and rehabbed his own house etc. Come to find out- in this show a couple started a business, and 25 years later sells it for one billion dollars, and now has over 1000 units. So... congratulations on not needing to raise any money? Again, I'm sure this business took a lot of work, but I'm almost 35 and don't want to spend the next two decades on a business... Is there a realistic path to financial freedom (not a billionaire) before I'm 40? 


     I'm a regular guy. Born and raised just above the poverty level, spent 21 years in the military, bought my first house at age 30 for $87,000. After retiring from the military I couldn't find a full-time job, so I eventually got my real estate license and started managing rentals. If I'm going to earn a below-average income, why not do something I enjoy? :) I kept plugging away and started to earn a decent salary after about six years and that enabled me to start saving a little. I started watching podcasts and reading books, spread the word that I wanted to get into real estate investing, and after about four months, someone brought me a deal: a little hoarder house for $55,000. I cleaned it up, the same renter has been there for six years, and it's now worth around $275,000.

    After that, I started doing real estate sales to increase my earnings. Every commission earned goes into an account for real estate investing. I've continued learning, saving, and looking for opportunities. I'm now at 33 residential/commercial rentals and 135 self-storage units. I'm also married, trying to protect three teenagers from their own stupidity, run a business with seven employees, etc.

    I consider myself a success story, but I have C-class rentals in a small market nobody knows/cares about, and I don't have the infectious personality that makes for good TV. There's value in podcasts, but spend time networking with people in the forums or at local investor groups.

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  • Nicholas L.Pro Member
    Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck wow, great responses from the community on this one.  

    Here's a small tidbit for you - if you want an "average investor" podcast, check out "The Rental Income Podcast with Dan Lane."  He generally interviewers "smaller" investors, and goes into great depth on their monthly income and expenses.  Listen to a few and see what you think.

    1Reply
  • Timothy Allen
    New to Real Estate · Pittsfield, MA · Member since 2022 · 64 posts · 19 votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck you should be the guest that your mentioning not seeing on the show!! Figure out the way make it happen then be that "Average Income with a Family Guy"

    1Reply
  • Nick Barlow
    Warsaw, IN · Member since 2017 · 229 posts · 270 votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck I have 2 kids and a wife and they don’t want to house hack either so I can relate to your post.

    The BP Money series interviews a bunch of people where Financial Independence is achieved through frugality, REI, and investing.

    The story is the same there-start young, make sacrifices before kids, rent out your bedroom in your apartment and sleep on a sofa and grow your own food and use K-cups twice and count each piece of toilet paper etc…and by your mid 30s you are free!

    I have accepted I won’t achieve FI until the kids are out of the house-there are just too many expenses and even though RE is amazing, and the best investment in my opinion, my expectations have to be grounded in the reality I have.

    I recommend Michael Zuber-one rental at a time. Create a goal for 4 rental properties. Figure out how to do that in your situation.

    Worry about scaling bigger than that after you get to the first step.

    Also, never, EVER, read the posts about no money down and 100s of units with millions of net worth. Those folks are in an entirely different stage of life than you and I, have the time to hustle for those one in a million chances, and don’t have kids to play catch with or dance recitals to attend or a family that tells them they love them. You’re comparing apples and oranges. Good luck! I feel your pain.

    1Reply
  • Sam YinPro Member
    Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2021 · 584 posts · 738 votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck I was in your shoes. Married, 3 kids, wife does not want to house hack. I classified us as average, or below average Americans. I'm a refugee that came to the US with no money, no English, no support network. My wife, born here, came from a family of 5 that was renting a room and barely making ends meet in the slums of LA. I enlisted in the Army at 18 to get citizenship with a 3 yrs contract... there was no money in the military back in the 90s.

    We now live in a dilapidated looking house in a lower middle class neighborhood (by choice). We drive old cars and I repair them myself (by choice) since I have been a motorcycle mechanic for over 20 years. Our kids are in elementary and Jr High. My mom now lives with us because she has long Covid after a 6 month coma.

    I accidentally discovered BP podcast and a few others about 2 yrs ago. They just suddenly popped up on YouTube and I must have clicked on it by accident. I got inspired and got hooked. Four month later, I began to employ some concepts I heard. 2 years later, we are at roughly 50 units. No partners, no syndication, and only OPM from bank. Currently in 2 escrows and approved for funding on an 80 unit and a 64 unit... which I may or may not pursue. Because its summer vacation for my kids and we want to travel. Because family should always trump profits. Because the podcasts helped us achieve F.I. and I was able to R.E., well before 50 yrs old. My wife still works because she is still worried. I'm now a stay at home dad influencing my kids.

    What I am trying to say, and what the other responders are saying, is that MINDSET is everything. Find your WHY. You will find your way. Find a partner if you have to to help get your foot in the door. BP is what YOU make of it. Dont compare to others.

    NOTE: my wife DOES NOT agree to any of the moves I made because she was worried we would lose it all... our disagreements almost caused me to end my pusuit of wealth building. she does not listen to any investment podcasts. I was asked to present to a group of local investors yesterday and I forced her along. Not sure if she paid attention, but she said she did not like the risk but will always let me have the final say in finances.

    Best of luck. Dont give up. Keep asking questions. I still have a lot to learn and I think I just scratched the surface of Financial Intelligence.

    MINDSET, FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND CLEAR SET GOALS with get you to where you want to go.

    7Reply
  • Scott Mac
    Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    4y

    If you don't have the "dough" you don't have the "go".

    Based on what you are saying you will need 20% down payment for a rental + closing costs + operating reserves (in cash).

    Most people will not have this--some will do what they need to do to get it--some will not, some can not.

    A good first step might be to save up as much as you can for a year in a special savings account--by living frugally for 12 months.

    Then explore down payment assistance programs in your area for first time home buyers of a primary residence--if you qualify (and the home is in a good area for your 'Family" vs Gunshot Alley, then buy a home for yourself and your family.

    Getting on the track of being a homeowner will give you some additional strength, after a few years of ownership, re-asses your situation.

    Or work 2 jobs and save the 20% down, closing costs and operating capital you will need, but if you do that and your wife divorces you for it, then you will be in a worse situation than you are now.

    In the mean time, [1] read Rich Dad Poor Dad, and [2] have fun with your family doing things together (while you have the time), rent a boat for an afternoon, go on a pic-nick, hike in the woods, etc...(they have needs other than money that need to be attended to also).

    Just my 2 cents.

    1Reply
  • Dell J.
    Member since 2010 · 210 posts · 158 votes
    4y

    A regular guy who buys one property would not make for an entertaining podcast.  A regular guy who buys many properties wont be so regular after a while.

    Is there a path to financial freedom? Yes.  start saving for the downpayment and start looking for deals. You can get into a property for 3.5%  down.  You dont need to buy 10 properties a week for financial freedom.  A few good deals will do it.  Create a plan for your self.  

    4Reply
  • Sam YinPro Member
    Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2021 · 584 posts · 738 votes
    4y

    @Dell J. Well said sir! Gonna have to steal this... file this one away up my sleeves for the future. Thanks.

    1Reply
  • Ali Boone
    Real Estate Coach · Venice Beach, CA · Member since 2012 · 6k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4y
    I love this post so much. It definitely is usually the zero to heroes that tend to voice up. Brandon is an exception to this, but so many of them have this air about them that feels like not only do they go on and on about how they got there, but they somehow look down on the people who can't also go zero to hero at some fast speed, which really isn't fair at all. Everyone's in different situations, and it's just flat-out not that easy. Even starting with a $100k is tough. Start with $1M? Now that's a different story. But how many of us are doing that? (not many, is my guess)

    So, the place to start is by focusing on coming up with something that will be feasible from you. You can listen to all the other guys, but just pull anything from their experiences that might be useful for you. 5 years isn't a lot of time. If you can't come up with a 5-year plan, don't feel bad. I'd call that an overnight success and there aren't many of those in this industry. While you look around and come up with ideas that fit you, more actively be sure to think about smaller baby success steps. For some people, just getting that first rental property is a big step. If you only ever focus on FI, and especially FI in 5 years, you're likely going to stay so overwhelmed and discouraged that you don't actually start on anything.

    No question, the thing that's going to bring every single person the most success that it can is going to be the thing that's best suited for them. The thing you're best at, most natural at, derive some amount of joy from (or grace, at least, maybe not full-on joy), and feel drawn towards... that's what's going to bring you the most success. And that answer is different for everyone, and it's not always an answer that makes sense on paper.

    I realize I'm giving what probably sounds like a hippity dippity world peace kind of answer, and it's certainly not a technical answer or anything about next steps, but I assume most everyone else will respond with that stuff and I can be different and throw in an injection of mindset. Hopefully it's at least a little helpful!
    5Reply
  • Todd Dexheimer
    Rental Property Investor · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4y

    Do you want to be average? If so, stop listening to podcasts and just keep doing what the rest of society does. 

    If you don't want to be average, the listen to people who've done something great and use the guests on the podcast as inspiration, not as a comparison. I started with only $20k and now own 4,000 units, but you could look at my story and say "I can't be like him, because that's not my story." You have your own life and journey, so learn what you need, network with the right people and take action. 

    In my mastermind, I helped mentor a client that is in his upper 30's to buy large apartment buildings. He used the podcasts as motivation, not comparison and got after it. I'm buying a building right now from a guy that started buying single family homes and duplexes in his late 50's with very little money, then bought a few apartment buildings. He's now late 60's and going to make a great profit on this 150 unit apartment building that cash flowed nicely for him.

    1Reply
  • Daniel K Houck
    OP
    Member since 2018 · 4 posts · 7 votes
    4y

    Hi everyone. I wasn’t expecting any replies but I really appreciate the kindness and support. I will continue to take steps as able. I appreciate the encouragement and advice 

    1Reply
  • Alicia MarksPro Member
    Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4y

    I was a podcast guest, but I consider myself remarkably average, and I'm okay with that. You have a different set of circumstances than the 20 something who can couch surf and eat only ramen to get a downpayment. It doesn't mean you won't get there. I am a single mom who started out working 4 jobs just to make ends meet. I got fed up and decided to hustle in a new way. It's not easy, and those of us who are "average" sometimes have to risk a bit more, but we can be strategic. I have a few units that are bringing in some cashflow, but I was able to BRRR them for infinite returns. I'm using that money plus my side hustles to save up. I've also tried a partnership for the first time to help grow and share risk. Don't hold yourself to the expectation of people in a different point in their life as you. Head down, focused on the mindset will get you there. I make small moves in the right direction everyday, and I make smart strategic decisions for my personal finances and my business. I'm still making mistakes, but I'm using them to improve going forward. Do what you can with what you've got. Work with your wife to decide what is realistic and that you can be okay with as a couple, then hold yourselves accountable to what you both agreed to doing. You will get there!

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  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @Daniel K Houck:

    Hi. I've been listening to the BP podcast for a couple years now and it's honestly a pretty good podcast even though after a while it gets a little repetitive. But I always enjoyed Brandon's energy and humbleness. I took about a year off because I was getting a little frustrated because it seemed like all the guys and girls who went from "zero to hero" weren't in my shoes. I'm a married man with three kids and one on the way. I currently rent. I'm a nurse. My wife doesn't want to house hack. Most of the podcast guests had $100k to pull out their retirement or like Brandon, started house hacking at a young age. Is there a podcast for a married guy with kids with very little cash reserves? Of course the most recent podcast was "10th grade dropout to 400 unit apartment complexes (WITHOUT raising money)." So like I fool I thought this person worked a couple jobs putting in 80 hour weeks and rehabbed his own house etc. Come to find out- in this show a couple started a business, and 25 years later sells it for one billion dollars, and now has over 1000 units. So... congratulations on not needing to raise any money? Again, I'm sure this business took a lot of work, but I'm almost 35 and don't want to spend the next two decades on a business... Is there a realistic path to financial freedom (not a billionaire) before I'm 40? 

    Thoughts:

    1. Well, you can listen to the BP Podcast I was on - it's in my signature - Josh even calls me an "Average Joe" on there. I started off worse than you, because I sunk a bunch of money into new construction and didn't get it back. There are other stories in the same spirit as mine on there - just read through the show notes. You don't have to listen to every episode. The "I started with food stamps and now I manage 5 million doors" crew creates excitement, which inspires people to listen, which is why there is and will always be more of those. How many people want to hear "I started with less than zero dollars and eventually after a decade of busting *** got to own 16 properties?" Not as many, but that angle is offered (like mine). There are also other podcasts. I've been invited to tell my story on Joe Fairless and a couple of others. They certainly didn't have me on there for my good lucks, though I am a rock star extraordinaire :D

    2. The BP Rookie Podcast is a good start for someone starting off and is geared more towards people who don't have anything yet but would like to have something. The BP Money Podcast will help you better get your head right, which is a prerequisite to any investing unless you win the lottery or collect an inheritance.

    3. 35 is not that old but starting from zero and a realistic path to financial freedom before 40? Probably not. You're wanting to create a business that will sustain itself and you in less than 5 years with no money to start with. That's pretty unlikely, especially with the price of real estate at this time. Before 50? Absolutely doable. One house a year for 15 years will give you a hell of a portfolio. Not Warren Buffet style but easily enough money to live on. I (re)started a little later than you so I had to speed up the process - I did about 2 houses a year. And worked my regular W2 job which paid well less than $100k, did a lot of the rehab work myself, and did some side jobs for extra cash to speed things up. For a solid 8 years I busted serious ***. Now I can cruise and I'm in my early 50s.

    You got to start somewhere. You can worry about the fact that it's unlikely to do what most of these people (appear) to do on podcasts, even if you wanted to do it that way, or you can go buy your first property and get in the pool. That's pretty much the bottom line.

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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck where there's a will, there's a way.

    Many people are always looking for the "easy way" to success.

    It doesn't exist.

    Success stories are meant to be inspiring, not plans to copy exactly.

    It's just like how we mature - we watch those around us, draw bits & pieces from them and grow.

    Your network becomes your networth, so the more you network with successful people, the more your networth will improve.

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  • Christopher Abele
    Investor · Toledo, OH · Member since 2020 · 88 posts · 101 votes
    4y

    @Daniel K Houck

    Great post that truly resonates with me. I just turned 44 this month with two young kids (3 & 6.) We're not a high income family (my wife works in our church) and we live in the Midwest which also creates a different set of challenges. We also just got started last year with our first purchase. Here's what I've learned so far...

    1.) I agree that the BP "success stories" are not average Joe. There's a starting point for everyone - high income, rehab skills, etc. The average desk jockey doesn't have these skills. 

    2.) They don't tell you how exhausting it is. Get up at 5:30, work all day, make dinner for the family, then put in another 6 hours working on rehabs. 

    Like you, I'm probably not going to become a billionaire. I started too late, I have too many sunk costs (and expenses) to leave it all behind, and we're not going to rent extra rooms or move into a duplex. (If it was just me, then fine!) My goal is to get to 10 houses over the next 15 years. My thoughts for us average Joes:

    -Start by managing your household like a business. My experience has been that most small business target around 30% net profit. Is your household bringing in more money than it spends? What is your household's profit margin?

    -Look for a local REIA and begin attending meetings. Have lots of conversations! You'll likely find the average joe investor there.

    -BP focuses primarily on real estate as a business, but when you're first starting out you're really creating another job for yourself. You might someday turn that job into a business or it might just be... another job. Its not all sunshine and passive income rainbows, especially when starting out. 

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    4y

    As great as the Podcasts are, listening to them will get you nowhere if you don't take action. You should be able to put away enough with your salary to buy something - anything - somewhere in this great country. Keep reading this forum and ask questions, you can get there easier than you think.

    1Reply
  • Chris Webb
    Investor · Central Virginia · Member since 2020 · 394 posts · 253 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Nick Barlow:

    @Daniel K Houck I have 2 kids and a wife and they don’t want to house hack either so I can relate to your post.

    The BP Money series interviews a bunch of people where Financial Independence is achieved through frugality, REI, and investing.

    The story is the same there-start young, make sacrifices before kids, rent out your bedroom in your apartment and sleep on a sofa and grow your own food and use K-cups twice and count each piece of toilet paper etc…and by your mid 30s you are free!

    I have accepted I won’t achieve FI until the kids are out of the house-there are just too many expenses and even though RE is amazing, and the best investment in my opinion, my expectations have to be grounded in the reality I have.

    I recommend Michael Zuber-one rental at a time. Create a goal for 4 rental properties. Figure out how to do that in your situation.

    Worry about scaling bigger than that after you get to the first step.

    Also, never, EVER, read the posts about no money down and 100s of units with millions of net worth. Those folks are in an entirely different stage of life than you and I, have the time to hustle for those one in a million chances, and don’t have kids to play catch with or dance recitals to attend or a family that tells them they love them. You’re comparing apples and oranges. Good luck! I feel your pain.


    I am curious if you continued your journey or if you looked at another investment avenue. I agree with following Zuber, in 2023 I went from 1-10 units (3 buildings) and it can be done. Do you go to local REI events?

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