The fast filter experienced investors use to throw out 90% of properties before spending real time on the remaining 10%.
Read the article →Each section dives deep into a specific area of real estate investing.
BRRRR, house hacking, multifamily, value-add tactics.
Cap rate, cash-on-cash, mortgage payments — free tools.
Passive real estate exposure without operations.
Cap rate, NOI, DSCR, 1031 — the terms you must know.
In-depth essays on real estate investing, written by working investors.
Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. The strategy that built thousands of portfolios in the 2010s is harder now. Here is what actually still works.
Conventional, FHA, DSCR, hard money, seller financing. The trade-offs explained without the salesmanship.
Live in one unit. Rent the others. Cover your housing cost. The math nobody put on a billboard.
The asset class that quietly produces the most durable real estate wealth, and the specific path from one duplex to twenty units.
The classic real estate screening rule was useful for a decade. Then the world changed and almost no one updated their thinking.
After ten years and several mistakes, here is the honest framework for choosing between the two ways to own real estate.
Depreciation, 1031 exchanges, cost segregation, and the entity decisions that change what an investment property is worth.
You can start with as little as $3,500–$10,000 using an FHA loan for house hacking (3.5% down on a 2-4 unit property where you live in one unit). For pure investment properties, expect 20–25% down plus closing costs and reserves. REITs allow you to start with just a few hundred dollars. The right strategy depends on your capital and time horizon, not on a single number.
Yes, but with thinner margins than during the low-rate era. Higher interest rates have squeezed cash flow on refinances, and renovation costs have roughly doubled since 2019. The strategy still works when the all-in cost stays below 70-75% of after-repair value, and when underwriting is disciplined. We cover this in detail in our BRRRR Method 2026 article.
It depends on the market. In high-cost coastal markets, 4-5% is typical. In cash-flow markets in the Midwest and Southeast, target 6-8%+. Below 5% in the current rate environment, properties usually cannot cash flow with financing. We recommend targeting at least 6% cap rate, paired with an 8%+ cash-on-cash return.
They serve different purposes. REITs offer liquidity, no operational work, and access to property types (data centers, industrial, healthcare) most investors cannot buy directly. Direct ownership offers leverage, tax advantages (depreciation, 1031 exchanges), and operational control. The right answer depends on your time, capital, and life stage.
The IRS lets you deduct the cost of a residential rental building over 27.5 years, even while the property appreciates. On a $300,000 property with $250,000 in depreciable value, that is roughly $9,090 per year in deductions against rental income — reducing taxable income without spending cash. Cost segregation can accelerate this further on larger properties.