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
Property Taxes by State & County: Lowest Property Taxes in the US Mapped
Where are the lowest property taxes in the US? The highest property taxes? Some states offer no surprises. New Jersey, for example, charges the highest property taxes in the nation as a statewide average. But Texas also ranks among the top five highest property taxes...
Is an “Eviction Tsunami” Looming in 2021?
Millions of Americans remain out of work in the coronavirus pandemic, after the economy has recovered only half of the 22 million jobs lost in the spring of 2020. Meanwhile, the stimulus checks and extended unemployment benefits are ancient history by November. This...
Real Estate Contingencies: A Guide for Buyers & Investors
Real estate investors and buyers need protection when entering a sales contract for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Price comprises just one piece of the puzzle. Buyers and sellers must agree on all aspects of the transaction, and contingencies in real estate offers...
Can You Roll Closing Costs into a Mortgage?
I hear new real estate investors and homebuyers ask all the time: "Can you roll closing costs into a mortgage?" The short answer is yes for refinance loans, no for purchase loans. But it’s not always possible even for refinances, and even when it is, that doesn’t mean...
Financial Independence with Rentals in 3 Years: How Becky Did It
Three years ago, Becky Nova had no interest in even owning a home, much less becoming a real estate investor. Today she owns ten units and teaches women how to invest in real estate and build passive income from rental properties. “I’m a traveler, the free spirit type...
De-Urbanization: Are Americans Fleeing Cities in the Wake of COVID-19?
As a city dweller myself, I’m all too familiar with the challenges of urban living during the coronavirus pandemic. My family shares a small apartment with no outdoor space – and it certainly got harder to stay cooped up in it as the weeks and months of social...
How to Convert Your Airbnb into a Long-Term Rental Property
Even as the economy slowly reopens and people adjust to a “new normal,” the future of the home-sharing market remains uncertain. Vacation rental companies such as VRBO and Airbnb saw a collapse in demand and revenue due to travel restrictions and the economic fallout...
How Long Does Each Part of Your Rental Property Last? (Infographic)
Ever had a tenant fly into a rage because their refrigerator went out, ruining all of their food? Landlords know what a big deal it is when things break at their properties. Sometimes it’s something small like a window AC unit, but sometimes it’s something major like...
Unemployment Rates by County: Interactive Map
When renters lose their jobs, landlords tend to lose their rental income. Sure, most got several stimulus checks, and can go on unemployment to receive temporary assistance. But with over 10 million Americans unemployed, many renters in decimated industries like...
A Guide to Tactful Follow-Up for Scoring Deals in COVID-19
The full extent of the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the real estate market is not yet known, and with uncertainty comes more risk. If you’re buying houses to flip or for long-term investment, do you really know what the value will be in the coming months and...
Late Fees for Rent: What Landlords Can Charge in Each State
What can landlords legally charge as late fees for rent? It depends on your state’s landlord-tenant laws, and in some cases your local city regulations. Many states don’t explicitly limit the amount that landlords can charge, but require that it be “reasonable.” Talk...
Infographic: The Impact of Coronavirus on Real Estate Investors
As the coronavirus continues rattling investors and shuttering businesses around the world, people keep asking me the same question over and over: What will the impact on real estate be? Because no one knows how long the global pandemic will last, no one can know how...
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.
