Build Passive Income with Real Estate

Who says you need to work until you’re 65?

A Passive Income Blog for the Obsessed

Denise Supplee & Brian DavisWant to work forever?

We certainly don’t. Which is why we’re so obsessed with passive income. And while we love stocks, our true passion is passive real estate investing.

My name is Brian Davis, and I’m a passive real estate investor, personal finance writer, co-founder of SparkRental, and world traveler. I get to spend most of the year living abroad hiking, scuba diving, wine tasting, and breaking toes trying to learn how to surf.

Deni (my partner) and I have a simple goal: to help 5,000 people reach $5,000/month in passive real estate income. Want to be one of them? To start stacking up streams of passive income? To reach financial independence and retire early with rental properties or real estate syndications?

We created this real estate investing blog to help you stop relying so heavily on your 9-5 salary and start living more intentionally. Welcome!

The Latest from Our Real Estate Investing Blog

High-Performance Portfolio Optimization: Why Fewer and Deeper Wins

High-Performance Portfolio Optimization: Why Fewer and Deeper Wins

The Big Picture on Portfolio Optimization With The “Fewer and Deeper” Strategy:  While diversification protects against downturns, excessive diversification dilutes returns, increases complexity, and leads to missed opportunities. Managing too many investments is...

Buck$ Outside the Box: Challenging Traditional Investment Wisdom

Buck$ Outside the Box: Challenging Traditional Investment Wisdom

The Big Picture on Our Buck$ Outside the Box Launch: Buck$ Outside the Box will explore unconventional investment insights beyond passive income and real estate. Moving away from interviews, the podcast will now feature twice-weekly episodes (5-10 minutes each) that...

Is Stock or Real Estate Faster in Building Wealth?

Is Stock or Real Estate Faster in Building Wealth?

The Big Picture On Whether Stock or Real Estate Is Faster In Building Wealth: US stocks average 10.13% returns p.a. with higher volatility. US residential real estate averages 11.6% p.a. with better stability and leverage options than stocks. Neither is universally...

Can Non-Citizens Invest in U.S. Real Estate Syndications?

Can Non-Citizens Invest in U.S. Real Estate Syndications?

The Big Picture On Whether Non-Citizens Can Invest In U.S. Real Estate Syndications: Non-citizens can legally invest in U.S. real estate syndications, often through LLCs or limited partnerships, allowing them to participate in investment opportunities even without a...

Is Real Estate An ‘Alternative Investment’?

Is Real Estate An ‘Alternative Investment’?

The Big Picture on Real Estate As an Alternative Investment:  Real estate’s income generation, tangible value, and standardized valuations align it more with traditional investments than speculative alternatives. Real estate’s "alternative" label stems from advisory...

Ark7 Review: Fractional Shares of Rental Properties with Full Liquidity?

Ark7 Review: Fractional Shares of Rental Properties with Full Liquidity?

The Big Picture On This Comprehensive Ark7 Review: Ark7 is a real estate crowdfunding platform that enables investors to purchase fractional shares in rental properties, including single-family homes, multifamily units, and short-term rentals. With a minimum...

How to Handle a Bad Contractor

How to Handle a Bad Contractor

The Big Picture On How to Handle a Bad Contractor: Keep detailed records of all agreements, payments, communications, and any issues with the contractor's work. Photos of the work and a written record of all interactions can provide valuable evidence if you need to...

Best Cities for Real Estate Investment by GRM (Price/Rent Ratio) in Q4 2024

Best Cities for Real Estate Investment by GRM (Price/Rent Ratio) in Q4 2024

The Big Picture On The Best Cities for Real Estate Investment By GRM: As of the start of Q4 2024, the national average GRM in the U.S. stands at 13.78, though this figure varies significantly across different regions, highlighting the importance of local market...

FIRE Movement: Your Path to Financial Independence and Early Retirement

FIRE Movement: Your Path to Financial Independence and Early Retirement

The Big Picture on Financial Independence and Retiring Early: The FIRE movement is about achieving financial independence and early retirement by maximizing savings, minimizing living costs, and investing in income-generating assets like stocks and real estate. Key to...

The “Live Off Rents” Podcast

Prefer to watch or listen to your real estate investing and FIRE tips & tricks? No sweat.

Deni and Brian have been broadcasting live every week to the SparkRental-sponsored Facebook groups since 2017, and started releasing the content via podcast in 2020. Each episode is quick, 15-20 minutes, but jam-packed with actionable content.

No fluff, just advice you can put to work immediately to build passive income from real estate.

If you enjoy the episodes, share them, and please rate and review on iTunes or wherever else you listen!

 

Recent Episodes

Who Is this Real Estate Investing Blog For?

Well, sure, it’s for aspiring and active investors and landlords. We write about the nuts and bolts of investing passively in real estate syndications or actively in rental properties. We cover topics ranging from real estate crowdfunding to tax benefits, tenant screening to collecting rents, single-family to multifamily to self-storage and beyond.

But while the “how-tos” and “avoid these mistakes” are important, they’re only part of the picture.

The bigger picture? How real estate investing fits into your larger strategy for building wealth and passive income.

Specifically: reaching financial independence to give you the freedom to retire early, if you so choose. Or to supplement your current lifestyle so you can live better or switch to your dream work.

So who is this “real estate investing blog” for? It’s not just for passive real estate investors or active landlords — it’s for anyone looking for creative ways to reach FIRE through real estate investing.

 

Beyond Education: Group Real Estate Investments Club

Learning is wonderful, and we offer nearly endless free education content for real estate investors and landlords. But nothing beats getting in the trenches and actually investing to earn real returns.

At your request, we created a real estate investment club that lets you “earn while you learn” with a club full of other investors. Every month, we propose a new passive real estate investment. These group real estate investments — also known as real estate syndications — let you buy fractional ownership in an apartment complex, self-storage facility, retail or other large property. You get all the benefits of real estate investing, from cash flow to appreciation to tax benefits, without the headaches of buying properties yourself.

Best of all, you can invest with a lot less money. Rather than the $50-100K needed for a typical real estate syndication or rental property down payment, you can invest with $5,000 per deal.

Oh, and non-accredited investors are welcome on all deals. We intentionally propose inclusive deals open to all investors.

 

Real Estate Investing & Landlord Education

Our real estate investing blog includes hundreds of articles personal finance articles, property management tips, and detailed real estate investing advice. Browse it, search it, use it as a free resource.

But our landlord education doesn’t end with the blog.

We offer a range of free webinars and online masterclasses for real estate investors. We offer a premium course called FIRE from Real Estate, to help you reach financial independence and retire early in years rather than decades. Our weekly newsletter keeps you abreast of rental industry trends, landlord tips, and the best of real estate investing blogs from around the web. And every week, Deni & Brian hop on live video on Facebook for a 15-minute live vlog and answer questions.

What for? Why do real estate investors and landlords need continuing education, anyway?

Because investing in rental properties is not like throwing money in an index fund.

Buying real estate investment properties takes skill (at least if you want to make money). Managing rental properties takes skill.

Your returns on rental investment properties are directly proportionate to your knowledge and skill, both as an investor and as a landlord. If you want to reach financial independence from real estate, you’re going to need to know what you’re doing.

That’s why we’re obsessed with ongoing real estate education at SparkRental. We want you to make as much passive income as possible, as fast as possible, on the fewest real estate investments possible.

 

Beyond the Real Estate Blog: More Resources for Investors

Had enough of us going on about the importance of real estate investing education?

“Cut to the goods already Brian! Gimme some free stuff!”

All right, all right. Here are some free real estate investing resources, to help you on your quest for financial independence from real estate:

Property Depreciation Calculator

Real Estate Investing Calculators

Real estate investing involves math. But it doesn’t have to be hard math. Use our free rental income calculator, house hacking calculator, property depreciation calculator and more to get ahead in the game of life.

real estate investing maps

Interactive Real Estate Maps

It’s a big country, with thousands of towns you could invest in. Where should you invest? Why? Check out our interactive maps of the hottest housing markets, cooling real estate markets, best cities for real estate investing by price/rent ratio, and more.

Real Estate Crowdfunding Comparison

Wondered whether real estate crowdfunding investments are worth considering? The answer: some are, others aren’t. But which are worth it? Check out our comparison of real estate crowdfunding platforms — and which we invest in ourselves.

Tenant Screening Reports

Landlord Software & Mobile App

Use our free landlord software to screen tenants, collect rent online, and automate your rental accounting. Sync your bank account, automatically label income and expenses, and use one-click Schedule E tax statements.

Want more free landlord resources? Check out our list of Free Real Estate Investing Tools.

Cheat Sheet Inbound!

 

Not only do you get the free Security Deposit Cheat Sheet, but we'll also send you our free passive income mini-course. How's that sound?

You're in! Click here to download the security deposit cheat sheet

Real Estate FIRE Escape: What It Takes to Retire in 5 Years with Rentals

 

Want a plan to retire in 5 years? We won't tell you it's easy... but we will tell you how to do it.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Never File Eviction Again: 3 Secrets to Getting Renters to Respect the Rules

 

Evictions are ROI-killers! We'll show you how to whip your renters into shape and prevent future evictions.

You're in! Click here to download our free rental application

Real Estate FIRE Escape: What It Takes to Retire in 5 Years with Rentals

 

Want a plan to retire in 5 years? We won't tell you it's easy... but we will tell you how to do it.

You're in!

Real Estate FIRE Escape: What It Takes to Retire in 5 Years with Rentals

 

Want a plan to retire in 5 years? We won't tell you it's easy... but we will tell you how to do it.

You're in!

Rental Application Inbound!

 

Not only do you get our free rental application, but we'll also send you our free passive income mini-course. How's that sound?

Awesome! Check your email to confirm to download :-)

Ready to Build Passive Income?

Ready to Build Passive Income?

 

We'll email you the course videos over the next week, so enter your best email!

You're in! Check your email to confirm.

Ditch Your Day Job: Free 8-Video Course

 

Our brand new course on how to reach financial independence and retire early (FIRE) with rental properties is open for one week from Oct. 23-30!

You're in! Check your email for the link, or click here for the 1st video!