From Making $35K/Year to Quitting His W2 with 11 Rental Properties

Episode #596

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Most people think money is the biggest barrier to buying rental properties—it’s not! Inaction is what keeps most rookies on the sidelines. Today’s guest was making $35,000 a year and had very little money saved, yet found a way to buy his first property. Since then, he has built an 11-property rental portfolio and walked away from his W2 job. If he can do it, you can, too!

Welcome back to the “Real Estate Rookie” podcast! With just a $35,000 salary to support himself, his wife, and a baby on the way, Matt Krueger knew he needed to make changes to forge a better future for his young family. Thankfully, his in-laws had modeled the power of real estate investing, having retired with rentals many years earlier. So, Matt took action—hunting down his first property and negotiating until he was all in for just $2,500!

Feel like money is getting in the way of your first deal? It doesn’t have to! In this episode, Matt shares the “hacks” he used to lower his down payment and closing costs. He also talks about how pivoting to short-term rentals fast-tracked his financial goals and the moment he realized he could ditch his nine-to-five!

00:00 Intro
00:55 Life Before Real Estate
03:27 Matt’s Portfolio & First Property
08:08 Sponsor: Baselane!
09:06 Buying MORE Rentals
14:05 Matt’s Buy Box
21:22 The Power of Equity
23:29 Pivoting to Short-Term Rentals
26:26 Leaving His W2 Job
32:52 Self-Management 101
35:35 Connect with Matt!