Can real estate investing still propel you to financial independence in 2024? Despite starting with very little money or know-how, this investor found creative ways to build a real estate portfolio of five rental properties and reach his financial goals!

Kadeem Leslie was just fifteen years old when he learned about FIRE (financial independence retire early) and set a lofty goal of retiring by thirty. He knew that real estate would need to be part of his journey, but like many new investors, he had very little money to start. So, he used the Airbnb arbitrage strategy, sleeping on his couch while guests rented his bedroom. In the first month, he covered his rent, and by the third month, he had already doubled his rental income. With proof of concept, Kadeem started renting out virtually any space he could find—from podcast studios to parking spaces—giving him money to buy his own rentals!

Today, Kadeem is financially free, but he has used several strategies and side hustles to get there. In this episode, you’ll learn how to combine real estate investing and other revenue streams to fast-track your portfolio. You’ll also learn why the one-percent rule is still possible in today’s housing market and why finding a top real estate agent is the key to uncovering a great deal!

Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question on the BiggerPockets Forums!

In This Episode We Cover:

How Kadeem was able to achieve financial freedom with real estate investing

FIRE (financial independence retire early) explained and how to achieve it

How to use rental arbitrage as a stepping stone toward property ownership

Creating additional revenue streams to help build your real estate portfolio

Why working with a top real estate agent is crucial for finding deals in today’s market

How to achieve the one-percent rule with the house hacking strategy

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile

Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums

Get 10% Off Any BiggerPockets Book with Code “Ashley” or “Tony”

Buy “The Book on Rental Property Investing”

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

See Ashley and Tony at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

Airbnb Arbitrage: How to Make Money Without Owning Property

Kadeem’s Instagram

Airbnb

PadSplit

Peerspace

Neighbor

(00:00 ) intro

(00:57 ) The Journey to FIRE

(03:53 ) Rental Arbitrage 101

(12:41 ) Building Income Streams

(20:47 ) Current Portfolio & Partnerships

(24:54 ) Kadeem’s Most Recent Deal

(30:34 ) Advice for New Investors

(34:46 ) Connect with Kadeem!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-455

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices