logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
51m 15s

839: From $10/Hour Janitor to Making $40...

BIGGERPOCKETS
About this episode

Darius Kellar went from making ten dollars an hour as a janitor to a real estate investor with over $1,000,000 in rental properties in less than a decade. By taking advantage of property auctions and investing in areas that most real estate investors wouldn’t even consider, Darius has built a real estate portfolio that will soon bring in six figures in rent every year, most of which he’ll get to keep. How he did it was a lot simpler than you’d expect.

Before real estate, Darius had $100,000 in student debt, was making a close-to-unlivable wage, and knew he needed a way out. He bought his first home six years after the Great Financial Crisis in an economically devastated city. Darius couldn’t get a mortgage and needed to save up to get out of the two-bedroom house he was sharing with six other people. Once he closed on his first house, he knew he had to repeat the system. But this wasn’t easy.

Darius has seen everything from sewer problems to stripped copper piping and wiring, no electric hookups, and renovation headaches, but he never stopped. Now, he makes as much passive income per year as many people’s full-time jobs and can show you how to do the same so you can make more money than you ever dreamed possible.

In This Episode We Cover:

How to buy properties at auctions for THOUSANDS of dollars each (seriously)

The one thing you MUST do before you buy any property (getting this wrong could cost you thousands)

DIY rehabs and how to outsource your home renovations so you can focus on investing

How to use BRRRR (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) to build your real estate portfolio faster

Why Darius’ overlooked area could be a cash flow goldmine for investors

Turning your real estate skills into a business to make even more money

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

Subscribe to David’s YouTube Channel

Rob's BiggerPockets Profile

Rob's Instagram

Rob's TikTok

Rob's Twitter

Rob's YouTube

10 Deals on a $20K Waitress Salary With Ashley Hamilton

Book Mentioned in the Show:

Pillars of Wealth by David Greene

Connect with Darius:

Darius' BiggerPockets Profile

Darius' Facebook

Darius' Instagram

Darius' Website



Click here to listen to the full episode: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-839

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
Jan 2024
353: From Rehab to Real Estate Investor Making $71K/Year from ONE Rental w/Matt McDermott
Making $71,000 per year from ONE rental property is a huge feat for any real estate investor, but it’s even more impressive when you’ve had to work your way from the very bottom. Although today’s guest had to overcome several challenges on his investing journey, his resiliency pa ... Show More
56m 31s
Jun 2024
421: Turning a “Failed” Property Into a $7K/Month Rental by Doing THIS Instead w/Kayley George
A rental property that doesn’t cash flow can be a nightmare for new investors. But when the numbers no longer work, remember that not all is lost. Pivoting to another investing strategy can help save your property and get you right back in the green! Welcome back to the Real Esta ... Show More
48m 13s
Oct 2023
327: From Parents’ Basement to Full-Time Investor and $2,500/Month with ONE Rental w/Noah Sprimont
In just a few years, you can go from no cash flow or investing experience to owning a sizable real estate portfolio, with passive income flowing in and free rent, EVEN if you’re in your early to mid twenties. Not possible? Today’s guest would beg to differ.Welcome back to the Rea ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2023
335: 8 Rentals in UNDER 1 Year: A Rental Property Financing Masterclass w/Tim Yu
Buying eight rental units in under one year—how is that even possible? By the time you’re done with this episode, you’ll know how to fund any rental property purchase, no matter how much money or experience you have. And if Tim Yu can build a rental property portfolio AND do mult ... Show More
56m 22s
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
Aug 2023
317: 7 Deals in 2 Years with HUGE Cash Flow: How to Grow Your Real Estate FAST w/Mackenzie Brogdon
Growing a real estate business with multiple rentals and HUGE cash flow…in just two years!? How do you get so many deals done in such little time? Simply by putting one foot in front of the other, today’s guest was able to create a sizable portfolio in no time—allowing her husban ... Show More
50m 30s
Dec 2023
345: 69 Doors from ONE Real Estate Deal Using Other People’s Money w/Andrew Freed
Taking down a $6.5 million real estate deal might seem like an unlikely feat for a rookie investor, but it’s not if you use other people’s money. When today’s guest had a large portfolio of multifamily properties fall into his lap, he exhausted all of his resources to bring it ho ... Show More
52m 1s
Sep 2023
319: The Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Development (with LOW Money Down!) w/Terry Harris
Getting into real estate development with low money down!? Many rookies assume that you need more money to develop, but there are a variety of ways to fund these projects. It all depends on how creative you’re willing to get! Today’s guest learned quickly that you don’t need a hu ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2024
399: $80,000/Year Cash Flow & Financial Freedom with 7 Properties (in 3 Years!) w/Sarah Msuya
What’s YOUR reason for investing in real estate? For today’s guest, it was to achieve financial freedom and have a flexible schedule. By focusing on education, forming partnerships, and, most importantly, taking action, she was able to quit her job and acquire seven properties in ... Show More
39m 37s
Feb 2023
385: How to Use Equity in Your Home to Reach Financial Freedom Faster
Your home equity could be the secret sauce to earlier retirement. With so many homeowners and rental property investors across the nation sitting on hundreds of thousands in home equity, one asks, “what if you used this trapped equity to build wealth?” And although most homeowner ... Show More
57m 15s