Build Passive Income with Real Estate
Who says you need to work until you’re 65?
A Passive Income Blog for the Obsessed
Want 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
Rental Applications In California: A Guide For Landlords
The Big Picture On Rental Applications In California Screen tenants thoroughly with rental applications that follow laws to avoid issues with problematic renters down the road. California law permits landlords to charge $62 max for a screening fee and pass other app...
The Investor’s Guide to Seller Financing: What Is Owner Financing & How Does Work?
The Big Picture On Owner Financing: Owner financing means the person selling the home lends money to the buyer instead of the buyer getting a traditional bank loan. Buyers can find homes with owner financing by looking at listings online, talking to real estate...
Apartment Application vs. House Rental Application: What Landlords Need to Know
The Big Picture On House Rentals Vs. Apartment Applications: Effective tenant screening through comprehensive rental applications is crucial for landlords to safeguard their investment and income. Recognizing variances between apartment and house rentals, such as...
Is Rental Income Active Or Passive Income? How Much Labor Landlords Should Expect
TL;DR on Is Rental Income Passive Or Active For tax purposes rental income can be defined as passive income so long as you do not qualify as a real estate professional. In the truest sense of the word, rental income is not “passive” income, as it requires extensive...
How to Retire at 40 With Real Estate Investments & Stocks
The Big Picture for How To Retire At 40: Retiring at 40 is not easy—but it is possible. The best way to retire at 40 is to combine many income streams, including diversified stocks and real estate investments. You can take advantage of Roth IRAs and your 401(k) but...
Non-Qualifying Mortgages: Uses & List of Non-QM Lenders
TL;DR On Non-Qualifying or Non-QM Loans: Non-QM loans provide flexible financing options for real estate investors who do not qualify for traditional mortgages. Non-QM loans allow investors to secure financing for unique property types like fix-and-flips, multi-units,...
How to Make Money in Real Estate: 18 Investing Strategies
TL;DR on How To Make Money In Real Estate: Real estate has offered higher returns with about half the stock market's volatility over more than a century. Investors can make money by owning investment properties, like buying a multi-family home and renting spare units...
Interest Rates on Loans for Investment Properties: March 2024 Rates
The Big Picture for Getting A Loan For Rental Property: Various financing options are available for rental properties, including conventional mortgages, portfolio loans, fix & flip loans, and private financing, each tailored to different investment strategies and...
What Is An Accessory Dwelling Unit Or ADU For Housing and Community Development?
TL;DR On Accessory Dwelling Units An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a separate living space on the grounds of a single-family home, with its own entrance, kitchen, bath, and living/sleeping areas. ADUs can be used as extra living space for yourself or to house...
How to Buy Turnkey Properties Sight Unseen
TL;DR on Buying Turnkey Properties Sight Unseen: Turnkey properties are real estate assets that are fully renovated, furnished, and ready for rental or already have a tenant at the time of purchase—but the definition doesn’t apply to everyone. “Sight unseen” refers to...
Best Ways to Find Pre-Foreclosure Homes For Investors To Score Bargains
The TL;DR On Finding Pre-Foreclosure Homes: There are several ways to find pre-foreclosure homes. However, there’s a window between when a borrower defaults and when the property goes to foreclosure auction, during which you can potentially score a great deal. You...
23 Rental Property Income Tax Deductions For Landlords In 2024
TL;DR Overview on Rental Property Tax Deductions: Landlords have different rental property tax deductions that can help with keeping more of their income in their pocket. They can deduct virtually every real estate investing business-related expense, and they...
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
Ep. #172: Enhancing Your Edge as a Real Estate Investor: Unconventional Strategies and Hidden Niches
In the realm of real estate investment, gaining a competitive advantage often involves exploring avenues beyond the conventional. Deni and Brian delve into niche investing strategies and markets. Video Broadcast Version Audio Podcast Version Also available on iTunes,...
Ep. #171: From Money Myths to Reliable Wealth Strategies with Stephanie Walter
Which money myths do you fall prey to? How are you planning to build wealth through retirement, and then pass it along? Brian chats with Stephanie Walter about the most predictable paths to build and keep wealth over time. Video Broadcast Version Audio Podcast Version...
Ep. #170: Can You Optimize for Luck? Maximizing “Luck” in Your Investments & Career
Can you create your own luck? It turns out you can, by simply putting yourself in front of more opportunities. Deni and Brian break down ways to increase your luck in both your investments and your career.Video Broadcast Version Audio Podcast Version Also available on...
Ep. #169: How to Buy Properties Long-Distance with Eric Martel
Like the idea of long-distance real estate investing, but don't have a network in place to help you? Eric Martel talks out-of-state investing, and how to tap into other people's networks to invest in properties long-distance. Video Broadcast Version Audio Podcast...
Ep. #168: How to Pick Winners: Vetting Passive Real Estate Investments with Dave Dubeau
How do you vet a passive real estate syndication deal to sift low-risk investments from high-risk ones? Dave Dubeau explains how he quickly and effectively separates the wheat from the chaff in passive real estate syndications. Video Broadcast Version Audio Podcast...
Ep. #167: How to Invest at Each Phase of the Housing Market Cycle with M.C. Laubscher
In this episode, we dive deep into: ✨ Understanding the Housing Market Cycles✨ Strategies for Each Phase - Bull, Bear, and Recovery✨ Pro Tips for Successful Real Estate Investments✨ Common Pitfalls to Avoid in the Housing Market M.C. Laubscher is a seasoned expert in...
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:
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.
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.
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.