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Billy Moore
Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 3 votes

Hey everyone, my name is Billy and I've been wanting to get into the rental market for a while now. I've been reading trying to learn more about it. I was wondering if there was any books that align with my goals that made a difference in your path to success. Any suggestions?

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Brad SeidBusiness Member
Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 122 posts · 31 votes
5d

@Billy Moore Welcome, Billy! There are a lot of great books out there, but nothing beats learning by doing. Once you find a deal you’re interested in, feel free to reach out if you need help with financing. Happy to help you explore your options!

[email protected]248-408-3855
West Capital Lending5122 Reviews
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  • Jay TolugantiPro Member
    Investor · Clearwater, FL · Member since 2025 · 223 posts · 75 votes
    5d

    Welcome. I would recommend below books:

    Strategy:

    Rich man in Babylon

    Robert Kiosaki

    • Rich Dad Poor Dad
    • Cashflow Quadrant
    • Guide to investing
    • Real book of Real Estate

    Real Estate Journey:

    Ken McKelroy

    • ABCs of Real Estate Investing
    • Advanced book of Real Estate Investing
    • ABC of Property management
    1Reply
  • Brad SeidBusiness Member
    Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 122 posts · 31 votes
    5d

    @Billy Moore Welcome, Billy! There are a lot of great books out there, but nothing beats learning by doing. Once you find a deal you’re interested in, feel free to reach out if you need help with financing. Happy to help you explore your options!

    [email protected]248-408-3855
    West Capital Lending5122 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Arman AhmedPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 905 votes
    5d
    Quote from @Billy Moore:

    Hey everyone, my name is Billy and I've been wanting to get into the rental market for a while now. I've been reading trying to learn more about it. I was wondering if there was any books that align with my goals that made a difference in your path to success. Any suggestions?

    Welcome, Billy! I’d start with The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner. More than anything, start looking at real deals while you learn. If you’re open to investing out of state down the road, I’d also put the Midwest on your radar, especially Ohio. There are still markets where the numbers can make sense without the crazy price tags you see elsewhere.

    [email protected]614-418-6081
    0Reply
  • Min ZhangBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4d

    Hey Billy! Welcome to BiggerPockets! There are a lot of good books out there, but I’d say it really depends on what you want to focus on with rentals. I’d start with the basics of finding and analyzing deals, then learn more about financing and property management as you go. Best of luck getting started!

    [email protected]614-412-2912
    Reafco.512 Reviews
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  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    2d

    If I was starting out again with what I know now, I'd look to acquire a 2-4 unit property with an FHA 3.5% low-down payment mortgage.

    I'd also look into using an FHA 203k renovation loan, allowing me to buy something ugly, thus unqualified for a standard mortgage, which would weed out a lot of competition and push the price lower.

    To maximize my cashflow and gain landlording experience, I'd do STR and MTR in the other units, as well as the other bedrooms in my unit.

    Since most cities won’t allow basement rental units, I’d consider finishing the basement, just well enough for me to live down there (cities don’t care if owner chooses to live in basement), so I could rent out ALL the units/rooms.

    I'd save all my cash and look to refi the property in 1-2 years out of the FHA mortgage, so I could use it again if necessary. Depending on how close I was to having 20% equity in the property and being able to avoid PMI, I'd consider using some of my cash to pay down the mortgage when I refinanced. Otherwise, I'd save my cash for the next acquisition.

    I’d also be posting on every social media platform and telling everyone I knew that I was looking for more real estate deals. I’d aim for low downpayment land contracts and lease options.

    After refinancing out of the FHA mortgage, I'd evaluate if I wanted to repeat the 2-4 unit FHA 203(k) process again or if I had the 20% down to target 5+ units.

    While still living in the property, AFTER the refi out of the FHA mortgage, I'd also explore securing a HELOC to tap my equity for emergencies.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

    [email protected]248-209-6824
    Logical Property Management4.9450 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
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