Want financial freedom through real estate investing? Then the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast is for you. Sit down every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with D...
How to Make More Passive Income with Fewer Rentals (& ACTUALLY Retire Early) w/Chad Carson
Want to retire early? Then, STOP buying rental properties. You heard that right; buying more rental properties may actually push you further away from early retirement IF you’ve crossed a certain threshold. Today’s guest proves you don’t need dozens of rental properties to reach financial freedom. Chad Carson, the “small and mighty” investor, is back to share why he scaled down his rental portfolio and now only works two hours a week because of it!
Don’t know Chad? He’s the investor who did it right. After building a real estate business way too big for his liking, he and his partner thought, “Is this the life we dreamed of?” It wasn’t, so they began scaling down, only keeping the properties they loved and selling the rest. Now, Chad does what he wants full-time, including traveling the world and living abroad with his family, coaching other investors, and spending a fraction of his waking hours on his rental property portfolio. This is an investor who has actually retired early with real estate.
Want to copy Chad’s blueprint to financial freedom in just ten to fifteen years? He’s sharing the three “phases” every investor goes through, including the most important one—the “harvesting” phase that allows you to retire early. How do you get to the “harvest” after all your hard work, and what should you do once you get there to unlock ultimate financial freedom? Chad is sharing it all, step-by-step, in this episode.
In This Episode We Cover:
How to retire early with fewer rental properties than you’d think
The three “phases” of financial freedom investing (and how long it’ll take to retire early)
How to start building your real estate portfolio even if you have no money or experience
Why cash flow is far less important than you think when building a rental portfolio
Why Chad sells some of his successful rental properties to pay off others (this is a cheat code!)
Three tools you can use to start “harvesting” your portfolio and retire early
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
BiggerPockets YouTube
BiggerPockets Money Podcast
Set for Life by Scott Trench
Zeckendorf: The autobiography of the man who played a real-life game of Monopoly and won the largest real estate empire in history
Find Your Next Real Estate Deal with PropStream
Grab Chad’s Book “The Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
BiggerPockets Real Estate 1004 - How to Retire Early with Fewer Rental Properties Than You Think w/Chad Carson
Connect with Chad
Connect with Dave
(00:00) Intro
(01:52) Financial Freedom, Not Just Getting Rich
(05:09) The "Harvesting" Phase
(09:51) 3 Phases of Financial Freedom Investing
(18:32) How to "Grow" the Right Way
(24:29) What About Cash Flow?
(26:58) How to Start "Harvesting"
(33:55) Consolidating Your Portfolio
(36:32) Spending Your Time Freedom
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1072
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
47:38
The Macro Analysis is Clear: Why We Are Reallocating (Away From Stocks) to Real Estate in 2025
Is it a good time to invest in real estate? Yes, and we have proof that real estate may be underpriced, even as we hover around the most expensive average home prices in history. How can real estate be undervalued when prices are at historic highs? Dave is sitting down with Scott Trench, CEO of BiggerPockets, who has condensed ten hours' worth of research into one episode to prove to you that, without a doubt, real estate will be winning over the next few years. Plus, he’s about to make a BIG financial bet on it.
We’ve been talking a lot about entering the “upside” era recently—the new cycle of real estate investing—and wanted Scott’s take on it, too. He has invested in real estate for over a decade, reached financial independence through rental properties, and has been openly critical about multiple sectors of the real estate industry over the past few years.
Today, Scott makes a compelling case for real estate as a better investment than stocks, crypto, or gold. Some specific real estate niches could see prices drop even more, making 2025 (and 2026) phenomenal opportunities to buy. Make your choice: tune into this episode and build wealth while others sit on the sidelines or wish you had done so in a few years.
In This Episode We Cover:
Why residential real estate may actually be undervalued in 2025
One sector of real estate with enormous buying opportunities nobody is noticing
Scott’s MASSIVE real estate bet and why he’s selling much of his stock portfolio
Where interest rates will be in 2025 and whether they could rise even more
Rental housing demand and the almost irrefutable case that rent prices will rise
Why Scott believes Bitcoin will be going to $0 in the long term
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
BiggerPockets YouTube
BiggerPockets Money Podcast
Rent Growth
Treasury Yields
Real Median Household Income
Median Sales Price of Houses
S&P 500 Ten-Year Returns vs. S&P 500 P/E
Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise
Grab Scott’s Book, “Set for Life”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
The Rational Investor’s Case Against Bitcoin
Connect with Scott
Connect with Dave
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1071
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
54:56
Should You Pay Off Debt or Invest in Real Estate? (Follow This Rule) | AMA (Ask Meyer Anything)
Can’t figure out how to buy multiple rental properties a year with your current income? Wondering whether you should get rid of your student loans before buying your next property? Maybe your market is too expensive, so is it time to go out of state instead? These are some of the most common questions we see on the BiggerPockets Forums, and today, we’re answering them so you can get to your next rental(s) faster, even if you’ve got debt and even if your home market is too expensive.
First, we’re explaining when and why we buy properties without ever seeing them in real life. Isn’t that a huge risk? Yes—if you do it the wrong way. Next, should you invest out-of-state if your home market is too expensive, and if you decide to do so, what should you know BEFORE buying a property well outside driving distance? Want to scale faster? We’re discussing purchasing multiple rental properties a year and when it’s time to grow your real estate portfolio.
Got student debt? You’re not alone! Henry had his student loans until recently and still heavily invested in real estate. But, if your interest rate crosses a certain threshold, we’d definitely recommend reconsidering real estate investing. Stay tuned; we’ll share when your debt is too much to invest.
Join BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to supercharge your investing this year!
In This Episode We Cover:
How to buy multiple rental properties a year and when it’s time to scale
Paying off debt vs. investing and whether six-figure student loans are stopping you
Buying rentals sight unseen, the risks, and why we do it under certain circumstances
Out-of-state investing 101 and signs it’s time to leave your home market to invest elsewhere
Keeping vs. selling a negative cash-flowing rental property (and when to hold for equity)
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
BiggerPockets YouTube
Grab Dave’s New Book, “Start with Strategy”
Get Fully Customizable Insurance Coverage for All Phases of Occupancy on One Monthly Schedule and Bill with NREIG
Sign Up for BiggerPockets Momentum 2025 to Supercharge Your Investing This Year
Property Manager Finder
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
Connect with Henry
Connect with Dave
(00:46) Buy Rentals Sight Unseen?
(06:03) Out-of-State Investing 101
(10:59) Ask Us Questions LIVE!
(12:37) Buy 2 Rentals in 1 Year?
(16:12) Invest While in Debt?
(21:46) Keep Negative Cash Flow Property?
(27:03) Post Your Question!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1070
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
35:03
The Financial Freedom Formula Has Changed (2025 Update)
Can you still achieve financial freedom with real estate investing? Around a decade ago, it was common knowledge that with a few rental properties, you could easily replace your income, retire early, and be fast-tracked to financial independence within just three to five years of investing. Is that possible anymore? How long will financial independence actually take if you start investing in real estate in 2025? And if you feel like you’re almost there, should you quit your job and dive head first into real estate?
We’ve got two financially free investors on the show, each taking different paths to get there. Dave kept his full-time W2 to pay for his more passive real estate investments, while Henry quit his job to buy rentals and flip houses full-time. Would they both be okay if they lost their “active” income today? Yes! But they STILL choose to work to build the dream life that goes far beyond basic financial freedom.
Today, they’re sharing how the financial freedom formula has changed, what you need to do to get on the path to financial independence/early retirement in 2025, and whether you should stay at your W2 while you build your rental portfolio or quit your job to pursue real estate full-time. The good news: financial freedom through real estate is still a significantly quicker route to retirement, but which path will you choose to get there?
In This Episode We Cover:
What “financial independence” really means and how long it will take for you to get there
The cash flow myth that most new real estate investors believe (this could hurt you later!)
Full-time real estate investing vs. keeping a nine-to-five and why you NEED “active” income to scale fast
What to know about full-time real estate investing BEFORE you quit your job
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
BiggerPockets YouTube
Grab Dave’s New Book, “Start with Strategy”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
How to Retire Early with Fewer Rental Properties Than You Think w/Chad Carson
Connect with Henry
Connect with Dave
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1069
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
35:53
J Scott: We’re Due for a Recession, But It Isn’t All Bad for Real Estate
Will mortgage rates remain above seven percent in 2025? Are we closer to a recession than most Americans realize? Why does it feel like this economic cycle of high rates and a struggling middle class will never end? The biggest question is: What do all these factors mean for real estate, and should you still be investing? We brought on the man who literally wrote the book on Recession-Proof Real Estate Investing to give his 2025 outlook.
J Scott has flipped over 500 homes, manages and owns thousands of rental units, and has been involved in tens of millions of dollars in real estate transactions. He started investing in 2008; he’s seen the worst of recessions and the highest of pricing peaks. We brought him back on the show as our industry expert to provide his time-tested take on what could happen in 2025 and share his economic framework for forecasting what’s coming next.
J says we’re long overdue for a recession—and the red flags are popping up more frequently. While signs of a global recession loom, J explains what this means for mortgage rates and home prices and why now might still be the time to invest.
In This Episode We Cover:
Why J believes we’re closer to a global recession than most people think
New Trump presidential policies that could have huge impacts on inflation (and mortgage rates)
Whether mortgage rates will stay in the seven percent range EVEN as the Fed lowers rates
The broken economic “cycle” we find ourselves in and the only way to fix it
Could home prices correct/crash if mortgage rates finally do fall?
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums
BiggerPockets YouTube
J's Newsletter
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise
Grab J’s Top Real Estate Investing Books
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
Read the Latest Blog Posts from J
Connect with J
Connect with Dave
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1068
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected].
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Want financial freedom through real estate investing? Then the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast is for you. Sit down every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Dave Meyer, the Head of Real Estate at BiggerPockets, as he uncovers tried and true tactics and shares candid conversations with real estate investors who are building wealth in today’s market. Join Dave to walk through deals that went right (and wrong) and learn the strategies you can deploy—start growing your side income today to take control of your financial future.
New Zealand