SparkRental’s Bucks Outside the Box Podcast:
Uncommon Cents for Unconventional Investors
Challenge assumptions. Question the status quo. Build an extraordinary life.
The Latest from SparkRental’s Bucks Outside the Box Podcast:
No Jargon or Fluff: A Real Estate Podcast of Quick Bites!
In 2018, SparkRental cofounders Brian Davis and Deni Supplee started broadcasting live every week to the SparkRental Facebook page and Landlords & Real Estate Investors’ Hub. Eventually they started publishing broadcasts as their Live Off Rents podcast, and eventually started challenging conventional wisdom with their Bucks Outside the Box show.
Today, we still release new episodes every week, interviewing some of the sharpest minds in personal finance, investing, real estate, and financial independence.
We pack a ton of information in concise 5-15 minute episodes. From stock investing strategies to real estate, passive income to active earning, early retirement, active vs. passive real estate investing and beyond, we’ve got you covered.
Most of all, we help you keep the big picture in mind: building the life you want and reaching financial independence.
Happy listening!
Want all the benefits of real estate investing without the headaches?
Learn how to invest passively in group real estate investments.
Every month, our Co-Investing Club vets a new real estate syndication deal. All deals are open to all members (including non-accredited investors).
Our target returns: 15-30%.
Curious? Watch this 86-second video.
Prefer Reading? Check Out Our FIRE & Real Estate Blog!
20 Questions to Ask Before Starting the Rental Application Process
Time is worth more than money. You can always earn more money, but your remaining time on this earth is limited – and more so every minute of every day. Which is probably why you became a landlord in the first place: to build passive income. And if you’ve been around...
How to Calculate Rental Property Cash Flow: Know Your ROI Before Investing
I cringe every time I hear a new rental investor say “Well the mortgage payment is only $1,000, and the rent is $1,300, so that’s a $300/month cash flow!” Sound the air raid siren, because that investor’s dreams are going to end in flames. How to calculate rental...
The 3-Step Strategy to Win Your Spouse Over to Real Estate Investing
When I first started dating my (now) wife, she saw me lose money on a real estate deal. As a first impression for real estate investing, it left a lot to be desired. And it’s been a long road since, in warming her to the enterprise of real estate investing. It’s a...
Rising Interest Rates and Real Estate: What’s Going to Happen?
Introduction to US interest rates: The US economy has entered a stage of quantitative tightening. This is characterized by a consistent increase in interest rates. According to the CME Group FedWatch Tool, the current interest rate is 200 – 225 basis points, and it is...
Vacant Unit? How to Write Irresistible Rental Listings
If you want good returns, you need long-term, excellent renters who will pay on time and treat your property with respect. Tenant screening will help you spot the best rental application in your pool of applicants, but how do you attract the biggest, highest-quality...
What to Expect to Pay for Today’s Investment Property Mortgage Rates
Captain Obvious here: a investment properties are supposed to make you money. Whether you renovate and flip the property or buy it to rent and hold onto it long-term, as a real estate investor you quickly find that financing investment properties is not the same as...
Curious about other passive real estate investments?
Check out our comparison chart of Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms. Our cofounder G. Brian Davis has invested in most of them personally, for firsthand experience. Here’s a quick preview of just a few:
| Concreit | Groundfloor | Fundrise | Ark7 | Lofty | Arrived | Connect Invest | Streitwise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min. Investment | $1 | $10 | $10 | $20 | $50 | $100 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Investment Format | Pooled Fund of Loans, Fractional Ownership in Rentals | Secured Loans | Pooled Funds & REITs | Fractional Ownership in Rentals | Fractional Ownership in Rentals | Fractional Ownership in Rentals | Short-Term Notes | REIT |
| Real Estate Type | Hard Money Loans & Apartment Buildings | Residential (Short-Term Loans), Notes, Cash Flow Advances | Residential & Commercial | Single-Family Rentals (Long-Term & Airbnb), Multifamily | Single-Family Rentals, Mixed-Use, Commercial | Single-Family Rentals (Long-Term & Airbnb), Multifamily | Secured Residential & Commercial Loans | Commercial Office Buildings |
| Dividend Freq. | Weekly | N/A | Quarterly | Monthly | Daily | Quarterly | Monthly | Quarterly |
| Dividend Yield Last Year | 6.24% (more with referrals) | N/A | 7.70% | Avg. 4.6% | Varies by property | 1.9 - 8.3% (long-term rentals), 1.4 - 5.6% (short-term rentals) | 7.5-9% | 5.1% |
| Total Return Last Year | 6.24% (more with referrals) | Avg. 9.78% | 7.70% (income account); 0.68% (growth account) | Avg. ~8% | Varies by property | Varies by property | 7.5-9% | 5.1% |
| Hold Time w/o Penalty | 1 Year (but no principal penalty) | 2-18 Months | 5 Years | 3 Months | None | 5 Years | 6-24 Months | 5 Years |
| Built-In IRA | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Year Launched | 2018 | 2013 | 2012 | 2019 | 2018 | 2021 | 2015 | 2017 |
| Brian Invests Personally | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not Yet | Yes | Not Yet | Yes |
| Learn More | Concreit | Groundfloor | Fundrise | Ark7 | Lofty | Arrived | Connect Invest | Streitwise |
Is This Podcast for You?
If you don’t want to work forever, it’s for you.
At SparkRental, we’re all about helping you replace your day job income with passive income from investments. Build enough investment income, and your day job becomes optional. You can quit to spend more time with your family, choose a career you’re more passionate about, travel, volunteer full-time.
Or you can keep working your current job if you love it, and build even more wealth.
While we tend to focus on building passive income through rental properties, we know that financial independence and/or retiring early — FIRE — works best with diverse income streams. So yes, we talk about finding motivated sellers, tools like free rental income calculators, finding rental property loans, and property management tips & tricks. But we also explore wider FIRE issues like savings rate, safe withdrawal rates, and how the FIRE lifestyle can save you money in surprising ways.
Most of all, we want to help you think differently about your money, and about lifestyle design: creating your own personal ideal life. Real estate is merely a means to that end!
