Best real estate strategies for military members

Starting Out
1yFollow

Best real estate strategies for military members

James Ryan
New to Real Estate · Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 7 votes

As an active member member I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations or suggestions for when the best real estate strategy/strategies (flipping, short-term rentals, long-term rentals, Airbnb's, BRRRR's, and more) to start looking into. I want to do as much as I can while not overwhelming myself or my family.

Thank you for your time. 

3Reply
35 views

Most Popular Reply

Caleb Brown
Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
1y

The best is using your VA loan and buying a 2-4 unit. VA loans is no DP so great way to preserve capital and save. Start with a house hack and do it a couple of times.

1Reply
See this reply in the discussion

10 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Jaycee GreenePro Member
    Real Estate Consultant · St. Louis MSA · Member since 2024 · 3k+ posts · 728 votes
    1y
    Quote from @James Ryan:

    As an active member member I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations or suggestions for when the best real estate strategy/strategies (flipping, short-term rentals, long-term rentals, Airbnb's, BRRRR's, and more) to start looking into. I want to do as much as I can while not overwhelming myself or my family.

    Thank you for your time. 

    Hey @James Ryan, welcome to the BP Forum! What strategy most interests you and/or what are the more abundant opportunities in your area?

    [email protected]
    1Reply
  • Caleb Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    The best is using your VA loan and buying a 2-4 unit. VA loans is no DP so great way to preserve capital and save. Start with a house hack and do it a couple of times.

    1Reply
  • Joe FunariBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Keller, TX · Member since 2017 · 850 posts · 825 votes
    1y

    @James Ryan I am a fellow veteran, real estate investor, and realtor in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. I would recommend you go with long term rentals and purchase multifamily properties. I have helped many veterans (and active duty) personnel purchase multifamily properties utilizing their VA Guarantee (Many call it a VA Loan) to acquire the property. Best benefit from the VA is you can acquire the property with zero down payment. But VA requires that you occupy one of the units for a least a year. Thus, after a year you get your VA COE (Certificate of Eligibility) restored and repeat the process. When you move out of the exiting unit you lease it out to a tenant. You can also do this with single family residences too. But better to acquire mutliple doors with one purchase versus one. There are a lot more details to this. And takes an expert agent (like me) to help you navigate all the nuances. Especially finding a lender that not only is a VA approved lender but knows how to navigate the VA COE process and getting you qualified for a multifamily purchase. Because not all lenders are equal in this regard. And you guessed it. I have the perfect lender that is local here in the DFW area, a fellow investor, and a fellow veteran(important to get your deal accepted when submitting offers on multifamily properties that sellers know the lender is local and a fellow investor). My preferred lender I have used for years has helped me personally & many of my clients for many years this with this specific exit strategy.

    So depending on if your stationed CONUS and soon to ETS I would recommend you follow this exit strategy. But if your OCONUS I would strongly recommend you wait until you get back to the land of the "Big PX" to start your REI journey. Hope this helps. Reach out directly if you have any further questions.

    0Reply
  • Nadeem Alamgir
    Real Estate Agent · Member since 2023 · 831 posts · 577 votes
    1y

    Hey James, the best strategy is whatever offers the least resistance for you to get started. I have many new investors reach out to me looking to begin with fix-and-flip or BRRRR strategies, and once I present these deals, they are taken back by the amount of rehab required, which is due to their lack of experience with renovations.

    If the price makes sense in your local market, then you should definitely consider that option first. If you're looking out of state, you should consider turnkey or light renovation projects to help you build a foundation in the market before investing in higher rehab projects. Best of luck and hope this advice was helpful. 

    0Reply
  • Mike PaolucciBusiness Member
    Realtor · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2022 · 504 posts · 556 votes
    1y
    Quote from @James Ryan:

    As an active member member I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations or suggestions for when the best real estate strategy/strategies (flipping, short-term rentals, long-term rentals, Airbnb's, BRRRR's, and more) to start looking into. I want to do as much as I can while not overwhelming myself or my family.

    Thank you for your time. 


    Hey James, welcome to BP! For your first investment, I wouldn't recommend flipping or BRRRR's. I'd recommend either STR / MTR / LTR as they'll be less of a financial liability than flipping / BRRRR's. There's plenty of seasoned investors who lose a lot of money on flips / BRRRR's. Those are also more labor intensive than most people realize because you have to really be on top of contractors, timelines, budgets and making sure everything is done correctly.

    I'd recommend a turnkey / LIGHT value add rental that you can use as a first step in your investing journey. This is a marathon and not a sprint. If you can invest locally (within 2-3 hours of where you live) and self manage everything without issue, then you'll do 2 things: 1) Learn firsthand what it's like owning & managing property (in all facets). 2) you won't have to pay a PM to do everything for you, which means more money in your pocket after it's all said and done. 

    Good luck with your investing journey! 

    [email protected]614-892-9184
    Reafco - Mike Paolucci 512 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Jared Smith
    Real Estate Agent · Lakeland, TN · Member since 2015 · 214 posts · 105 votes
    1y

    @James Ryan you should check out the Active Dury Passive Income (ADPI) podcast and Facebook page. Lots of folks like us out here that have started our journey while on active duty. Now I help folks like you find turnkey.

    0Reply
  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 13k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    1y

    Started out mcuh like you, trying to do a bit of everything - it didn't go well:(

    What I learned was that it was more profitable to focus on a specific type of investing and get real good at it.

    Along the way, I naturally learned more about other types of investing just by exposure.

    I picked lanlording to start, then branched into Fix & Flip, which then led to Wholesaling.

    [email protected]248-209-6824
    Logical Property Management4.9462 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Matthew Masoud
    Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2014 · 363 posts · 408 votes
    1y

    That VA loan is gold. Use it for a 0% down 2-4 unit.

    Thank you for your service. 

    0Reply
  • Kerlous TadresBusiness Member
    Realtor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Hey James, if you're just starting, I'd recommend long-term rentals or a light BRRRR. They build cash flow and equity without the daily intensity of flips or Airbnbs. Once you're comfortable with one property and have your systems in place, you can branch into more active strategies like flipping or short-term rentals.

    [email protected]614-490-1163
    Kerlous Tadres | Reafco Real Estate542 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free