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
How to Get a Mortgage for an LLC-Owned Rental Property
The Big Picture On Getting A Mortgage For An LLC-Owned Rental Property: Before applying for a mortgage, it’s essential to have your business entity properly set up. This involves registering your LLC with the appropriate state department, obtaining an Employer...
Subject-To Loans: How to Buy Real Estate Subject to a Mortgage
The Big Picture On A Subject-to Mortgage: Subject-to loans allow buyers to take over existing mortgages without needing to secure new financing, saving on closing costs and potentially securing lower interest rates. Subject-to transactions can close more quickly since...
A Landlord’s Guide to Credit References for Rentals
The Big Picture On Credit References: Utilizing credit references is crucial for landlords in distinguishing responsible tenants from potential problem renters. Landlords are advised to rigorously verify the authenticity of the credit references provided. This...
Free Skip Tracing Tools for Real Estate: Free & Paid Tools Compared
The Big Picture On Skip Tracing Tools: Skip tracing tools come in different varieties that allows investors to choose tools that align with their specific operational scale and target properties. Using such tools is similar to how investors select from various...
Should I Pay Off My Mortgages or Invest in New Rental Properties?
The Big Picture On Should You Pay Off Your Mortgages Or Invest In New Properties? Maintaining some level of debt can be strategically advantageous, as it allows for leverage in acquiring more properties. However, excessive debt increases risk and can strain cash...
How Many Mortgages Can You Have as an Investor?
The Big Picture On How Many Mortgages Can You Have As A Real Estate Investor: Real estate investors can often have more than one mortgage at a time, with some options providing up to 10 or more. A variety of financing options are accessible for real estate investors,...
Best Ways to Increase Rent Without Losing Valued Tenants
The Big Picture On How To Increase Rent Without Losing Tenants: Understanding local rental laws is essential for legally implementing rent increases, ensuring landlords comply with specific regulations regarding notice periods and maximum allowable rent hikes....
House Hacking: 14 Ways to Get Free Housing
The Big Picture On House Hacking: House hacking offers financial benefits by reducing or eliminating personal living expenses through rental income. Implementing house hacking can significantly accelerate the path to financial independence by leveraging real estate...
Proof of Residence Letter Sample: How to Write an Affidavit of Residence
The Big Picture On Writing A Proof Of Residence (With Samples): Writing a proof of residence is an easy process that can be broken down into even easier steps. Alternatively, landlords can download sample proof of residence from this article, along with other related...
6 Ways to Find Expired Real Estate Listings
The Big Picture On Ways To Find Expired Real Estate Listings: Expired real estate listings present investors with the opportunity to buy properties at below market prices. Accessing the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and networking with real estate agents are crucial...
Can Landlords Charge Tenants to Replace the Carpets?
The Big Picture On Can Landlords Charge Tenants to Replace the Carpets: Carpets are subject to normal wear and tear, and landlords need to consider this as an eventual expense. However, tenants can also cause damage to carpets. Landlords should know the difference...
How to Flip Houses With No Money: 10 Creative Ways
The Big Picture On How To Flip Houses With No Money Down: Outside of traditional mortgages, house flippers have several options and methods for financing their project without little to no money down. The different methods for house flipping with no down payments...
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
Beyond Education: Group Real Estate Investment Club
Learning is wonderful, and we offer nearly endless free education content for real estate investors. 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 of other investors. Every month, we meet on a video call to vet a new passive real estate investment. These group real estate investments range from private parnetships to private notes to real estate syndications and funds for 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 $50,000 – $100,000 needed for a typical private equity real estate investment 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.
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.
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.
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.
