starting out in 2026?

Question

Hello,

Just started reading Brandon Turner's "The Book on Rental Property Investing." I find myself thinking, "yeah this worked in 2015 but times have changed." I know that basic bottom line fundamentals have not, but how realistic is it these days to find positive cash flow rental properties that you can get at 80% value?

I am 40, a physician and make good money but am interested in this to do something different, and to try to become truly financially independent and build greater wealth/be able to retire early. I find myself thinking... is it really worth it investing the time and effort in this vs just investing in stock market ETFs?

It's not that I'm not willing to do the work, but just wondering if I am showing up to the party when it's winding down.

Thank you.

Melanie Thomas · Answer

Love this question…a lot of people are thinking it.

You’re not late, it’s just not “easy mode” anymore. The 80% deals and easy cash flow aren’t sitting on Zillow, but they still exist if you know where/how to look.

Big picture:

• ETFs = simple, passive, consistent
• Real estate = more work, but more control, leverage, upside

With your income, you don’t need to force deals. Be picky.

You didn’t miss the party…you just missed the free drinks. Still worth being there if you play it right. Good luck & happy investing!

Taylor Dasch · Answer

Yevgeniy — the strategies still work, but the math looks different than what   Brandon wrote about in 2015. The 2% rule is mostly dead on-market. What   hasn't changed: real estate still lets you use leverage, force appreciation     through rehab, and generate tax-advantaged income. You just need tighter   underwriting and realistic expectations.

In Temple, you can still buy a 3/2 SFH for   $180K–$220K that rents for $1,400–$1,650/month as a long-term rental. That's  not a 2% deal, but with 20% down at current rates you're looking at modest   positive cash flow plus principal paydown plus depreciation. As a physician, the depreciation alone might be worth the exercise — talk to a CPA about Real  Estate Professional Status or cost segregation before you buy anything.

The party isn't winding down — the easy money era ended. What replaced it  rewards people who do actual analysis instead of buying sight-unseen off  Zillow. Your medical training already wired you for evidence-based decision  making. Apply that same rigor here: pick a market, learn the real numbers (not   estimates), and run conservative scenarios.

One edge you have: mid-term rentals near hospitals. Traveling nurses on       13-week contracts pay 30-50% premiums over LTR rates. If you're connected to   the medical community, you understand that demand driver better than most       investors ever will.

Happy to share more data if you want to dig deeper on specific markets or     strategies.

Stevan Stojakovic · Answer

You didn’t miss it, you just missed the easy version.

80% deals still exist, but they’re off market and relationship driven now, not sitting online.

ETFs are passive and reliable. Real estate is active but gives you leverage, tax advantages, and control. With your income, that matters.

Today’s market punishes average deals and rewards discipline. That’s an advantage if you’re patient.

If you only buy strong deals, it’s absolutely still worth it.

Stevan

Jesse Tourino · Answer

@Ken M. How do you go about it?

Maria Valverde · Answer

As mentioned above, the deals are not on market like they used to be and are largely relationship based with off market wholesalers or realtors. I always tell people that you need time, money & education to invest in real estate. For example if you don't have the time to look or market for these higher equity deals you will have to pay for them (to a wholesaler). I highly recommend looking to connect with people at local real estate networking events. That is where you are more likely to find the right people in your market to point you in the right direction. A lot of people look to do BRRRRs with rehabbed properties in order to get the equity needed to get all their money out and get a DSCR loan. We lend and see people do it all the time but they defitnely are spending a significant amount of time doing that.

There are cash flow markets and appreciation markets. Some may allow you to collect a lot of rent but may not appreciate a lot. Some markets won't give you much but the appreciation can be super strategic in say, 5 years, to refinance and purchase more property.

I definitely think every investor would agree with saying they wish they would've bought sooner. Even if they changed the strategy later on, those early investments have been pivotal for a lot of people.

Janice Carter · Answer

Yevgeniy, you are not too late to the party. The fundamentals still work but the strategy has shifted. If you are willing to learn and build the right team, it is absolutely still worth it. You just need to play the game differently than in 2015.

starting out in 2026?

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