logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
1h 3m

824: Bankruptcy to Financial Freedom by ...

BIGGERPOCKETS
About this episode

Jason Lewis made it his life’s goal to hit financial freedom by thirty-five. After watching his family go bankrupt, lose their multi-generational farm, and have to give up their dreams, Jason knew that this was NOT what he wanted his future to look like. Instead, Jason would build a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio. One without high risk, high leverage, or a bank breathing down his neck when things went sideways. A portfolio that would make him MILLIONS in tax-free income, using techniques every average American can repeat.

Jason quickly learned the right way to use debt. After securing a loan at the young age of seven, Jason started raising hogs. When he became the Grand Champion for hog raising at his local fair, he was given a check for a couple thousand dollars—MORE than enough for any seven-year-old. This lesson later helped Jason repeat the same strategy, but with real estate, always adding value and ALWAYS paying his debts.

Jason’s “opportunistic” way of investing allows him to buy anything and everything that makes money. House hacking, fix and flips, mobile homes, and oil and gas leases are just SOME of the asset classes that Jason has invested in. One of these allowed him to make $1.9 million using a strategy that ANYONE listening to this episode can take advantage of. Want to hear how? Stick around!

In This Episode We Cover:

The danger of “overleveraging” and how it can ruin your chance at financial freedom

House hacking and how to make tax-free millions simply by living in your home

Syndication hype and why you should NEVER “fake it till you make it” in real estate

Jason’s “No B.S.” advice to find real estate deals WHEREVER you are

Partnerships and when it’s a wiser move to fly solo in your investing career 

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Agent

Find a Lender

BiggerPockets Youtube Channel

BiggerPockets Forums

BiggerPockets Pro Membership

BiggerPockets Bookstore

BiggerPockets Bootcamps

BiggerPockets Podcast

BiggerPockets Merch

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Learn About Real Estate, The Housing Market, and Money Management with The BiggerPockets Podcasts

Get More Deals Done with The BiggerPockets Investing Tools

Find a BiggerPockets Real Estate Meetup in Your Area

Davids's BiggerPockets Profile

David's Instagram

Rob's BiggerPockets Profile

Rob's Instagram

Rob's TikTok

Rob's Twitter

Rob's YouTube

House Hacking 101: What It Is and How to Get Started

Is Leveraging Really That Risky?

The 30-Something’s Guide to Financial Freedom

Tune into the “Creative Real Estate Podcast” with Jason

Connect with Jason:

Jason's BiggerPockets

Jason's Facebook

Jason's Instagram

Jason's LinkedIn

Jason's TikTok


Click here to listen to the full episode: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-824

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
2025 Long-Distance Investing Blueprint (Listen Before Buying)
Can’t make the numbers work in your local market? No worries—long-distance real estate investing is the natural next step. We’ve done it before, many times, and made the beginner mistakes, so you don’t have to. Now, we’re gearing up to do it again. Dave and Henry are heading out ... Show More
41m 2s
Jul 7
Replacing His Income with Rentals (in 3 Years!) by “Recycling” Money
In just three years, this investor scaled up to making over $100,000 per year thanks to real estate. He did it all starting in 2022 when interest rates were beginning to rise, the market was turning, and many investors decided to sit on their hands. Thanks to a strategy that allo ... Show More
40m 2s
Jul 4
How to Buy Real Estate Without Banks (Private Money Lending)
Can’t (or don’t want to) get a bank loan? We have another option for funding your real estate investments: private money lending! If your DTI (debt-to-income) is too high, you’ve maxed out how many mortgages you can get, or you need quick cash to finance a renovation, house flip, ... Show More
40m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
MI Rewind: Biggest Lessons of Entrepreneurship w/ Jason Saltzman
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: 02:46 - What inspired Jason to go down the path of entrepreneurship. 07:16 - The biggest lessons Jason learned in working with over 20 start-ups over his life. 38:28 - The problems Jason is working to solve in the consumer debt space. 38:28 - Where ... Show More
47m 40s
May 2023
407: 8 Rentals in 8 Years and Unlocking MASSIVE Tax Breaks with One Career Move
Think it might be too late for you to enjoy the spoils of real estate investing? Well, you’d be wrong! Regardless of age, background, or financial circumstances, it’s never too late to switch careers and become a real estate investor. Just ask today’s guest!In this edition of the ... Show More
58m 38s
Sep 2023
323: 10 Real Estate Deals in 18 Months After Losing 80% of His Income w/Matt Ramirez
Completing ten real estate deals in only eighteen months might seem ambitious for a rookie investor, but today’s guest had no choice after experiencing a MAJOR loss of income.In this episode of the Real Estate Rookie podcast, we’re chatting with fitness mentor, professional stunt ... Show More
55m 10s
Dec 2022
359: Finance Friday: My Home Renovation Put Me in a HELOC Hole
The house hack strategy doesn’t always run smoothly. Turning an old home into a modern, rentable masterpiece takes money—especially if you’re doing a big renovation. One of the easiest ways to get the rehab funds you need? A home equity line of credit (HELOC). But, when used inco ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2022
365: Finance Friday: How to Become Real Estate Ready in 2023
Don’t know how to become a millionaire? There’s a pretty simple formula for seven-figure wealth that the average American doesn’t know about. It isn’t complicated, but it does take a fair amount of time to come to fruition. If you follow the same strategy, regardless of where you ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2022
189: House Hacking: How to Live for Free and Build Wealth in The Background
House hacking is one of the easiest ways to get into real estate investing. Thanks to its flexible financing options, low down payment loans, and ability to cut your rent in half (or eliminate it), house hacking is truly a phenomenal investing strategy. In short, house hacking is ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2020
17: 3 Rentals in His First Year & the Power of a Real-Life 'Rich Dad' Mentor with Derrick Ziglar Jr.
From humble beginnings... to Division 1 football, military service, and now three rental properties in his 20s!Derrick Ziglar Jr. is a man on a mission, and today he shares how he converted a wrong turn into a $30K duplex purchase that kick-started his journey toward generational ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2020
20: Using Lines of Credit to Kickstart Your Investing Career with Charlie Ashley
Today: how Lexington, KY investor Charlie Ashley uses lines of credit and construction loans to build his portfolio while working full-time.Charlie walks us through his year-long education phase, his first couple deals, and the expensive lessons he learned while renovating a prop ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 2022
348: Finance Friday: How to Start Investing After Becoming Debt-Free
Unless you’re a money nerd, knowing how to start investing from scratch isn’t as easy as it seems. With so many options out there and the economy faltering, how do beginners avoid getting burnt? Is something like real estate investing out of reach for new investors in times like ... Show More
1h 8m
Apr 2023
REI177: Building Wealth One Deal at a Time w/ Patrick Donley
Patrick Donley sits down with Nick Hill and Dan Foch from The Canadian Real Estate Investor podcast where they interview Patrick on how he got started in his real estate investing career, his real estate investing strategies, the pros and cons of running a fix and flip business, ... Show More
1h 1m