All Forum Posts by: Kevin Bartel

@Kevin Bartel I would say pick the type of real estate that matches your situation best. 

A house hack sounds like it might be a good fit for you since you need somewhere to live anyway. It would probably not be really time consuming. If you were to buy, let's say a three bedroom or four bedroom home and rent out the other rooms to other single people.

If you were to get a short term rental, you would probably want to have somebody else manage it and right now your average short term rental isn't doing really well. But if you're really good at it, then you can get a short term rental to perform well. But you'll have to either manage it yourself and develop a really good skill set in that or get a smaller company that doesn't have too many properties to manage who has a high skill set management for you, but then you need to pay for that. So my opinion for short term rentals is, if you don't have the time to manage yourself, then just buy it if you want to visit there a lot.

Another option might be to find a successful operating partner. You can be the money partner, and the other partner can manage the operations and then you can both split the profit. 

@Kevin Bartel welcome to BP. it's true the SFH or small multifamily rentals barely will pencil anywhere these days for a couple of years now even though it's the best way to really learn RE investing as a beginner. syndication/private equity deals have a much better chance of penciling and providing decent CoC as there are more economies of scale and sophistication at the GP/operating group level in general.

@Kevin Bartel happy to meet up for a drink! I could give you the good, bad, and ugly of investing in Colorado as well as the good, bad, and ugly of investing out of state or in a syndication.

@Kevin Bartel

Since you're in a high-income, time-constrained position, passive investing is a strong option, but there are multiple paths depending on your goals. Syndications are great for truly passive income, offering tax benefits and diversification, but require high minimum investments and long-term commitments. Short-term rentals (STRs) can generate strong cash flow, especially in tourist-heavy areas, but come with higher upfront costs, regulatory risks, and active management needs. House hacking can reduce living expenses and build long-term wealth but won't provide significant immediate income. If your priority is passive income, syndications or out-of-state STRs in strong markets (Smoky Mountains, Gulf Coast, Scottsdale) make the most sense.

Good luck!

@Kevin Bartel I would go for a house hack on a multi-family property like a house and cottage where you can do an STR in the cottage unit in Denver.

Going a syndication is a good option too and you can learn a lot from the main syndicators. 

Another route you could do is be a money partner for someone buying real estate that does cash flow like STRs or Co-living in Colorado or out of state or even partnering for flips. My friend @Miller McSwain does partnerships for co-living properties to get similar returns to syndications. He is also writing the newest Bigger Pockets Book on Co-Living!