logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
42m 24s

Reaching Financial Independence with 5 P...

BIGGERPOCKETS
About this episode

Can real estate investing still propel you to financial independence in 2024? Despite starting with very little money or know-how, this investor found creative ways to build a real estate portfolio of five rental properties and reach his financial goals!

Kadeem Leslie was just fifteen years old when he learned about FIRE (financial independence retire early) and set a lofty goal of retiring by thirty. He knew that real estate would need to be part of his journey, but like many new investors, he had very little money to start. So, he used the Airbnb arbitrage strategy, sleeping on his couch while guests rented his bedroom. In the first month, he covered his rent, and by the third month, he had already doubled his rental income. With proof of concept, Kadeem started renting out virtually any space he could find—from podcast studios to parking spaces—giving him money to buy his own rentals!

Today, Kadeem is financially free, but he has used several strategies and side hustles to get there. In this episode, you’ll learn how to combine real estate investing and other revenue streams to fast-track your portfolio. You’ll also learn why the one-percent rule is still possible in today’s housing market and why finding a top real estate agent is the key to uncovering a great deal!

Looking to invest? Need answers? Ask your question on the BiggerPockets Forums!


In This Episode We Cover:

How Kadeem was able to achieve financial freedom with real estate investing

FIRE (financial independence retire early) explained and how to achieve it

How to use rental arbitrage as a stepping stone toward property ownership

Creating additional revenue streams to help build your real estate portfolio

Why working with a top real estate agent is crucial for finding deals in today’s market

How to achieve the one-percent rule with the house hacking strategy

And So Much More!


Links from the Show

Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile

Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums

Get 10% Off Any BiggerPockets Book with Code “Ashley” or “Tony”

Buy “The Book on Rental Property Investing”

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

See Ashley and Tony at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

Airbnb Arbitrage: How to Make Money Without Owning Property

Kadeem’s Instagram

Airbnb

PadSplit

Peerspace

Neighbor


(00:00) intro

(00:57) The Journey to FIRE

(03:53) Rental Arbitrage 101

(12:41) Building Income Streams

(20:47) Current Portfolio & Partnerships

(24:54) Kadeem’s Most Recent Deal

(30:34) Advice for New Investors

(34:46) Connect with Kadeem!


Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-455

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
5 Ways to Buy Rentals Without a Huge Bank Account
Most rookies think you need a mountain of cash to buy a rental property, but the truth is that the financing strategy you choose matters much more than the size of your bank account. Today, we’re breaking down five of the best (and sometimes overlooked) ways to get your hands on ... Show More
38m 3s
Oct 6
4 Overlooked Real Estate Investments That Pay Big in 2025
There are dozens of ways to make money in real estate—including some tactics that are currently flying under the radar and quietly making smart investors a ton of money in 2025. The best part? Many of them are easier to implement than you probably think, and in this episode, we’l ... Show More
43m 39s
Oct 3
BRRRR for Beginners & The “Lazy” Method to Raise Rents (Rookie Reply)
Welcome to another Rookie Reply, where Ashely Kehr and Tony J. Robinson answer questions from the BiggerPockets Forums and Real Estate Rookie Facebook group. This time, we’re covering questions like: A more beginner-friendly BRRRR method for those without six figures Strategies t ... Show More
32m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
‘Building’ 7-Figure Wealth with ONE Very Lucrative Rental Property
Though only five years into his rental property investing career, David Rosenbeck is making a seven-figure wealth-building move. If it all pans out, he’ll be one million dollars (or more) richer, with a brand new investment property that’ll spit out $7,000 cash flow monthly! This ... Show More
38m 35s
Aug 2024
From $17K/Year Teacher Salary to Financial Freedom with Repeatable Rentals
How does a teacher with a LOW salary achieve financial freedom, let alone invest in real estate? Surprisingly, it’s not as hard as you think, and if you repeat the strategy from today’s show, you could reach financial freedom much sooner than you’d planned. In this episode, we’re ... Show More
41m 42s
Jan 2025
How to Make More Passive Income with Fewer Rentals (& ACTUALLY Retire Early) w/Chad Carson
Want to retire early? Then, STOP buying rental properties. You heard that right; buying more rental properties may actually push you further away from early retirement IF you’ve crossed a certain threshold. Today’s guest proves you don’t need dozens of rental properties to reach ... Show More
47m 38s
Mar 2025
13 Rental Units with a “Rinse and Repeat” Investing Method
This investor built a multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio with low-money-down loans and little cash-to-close. Thanks to his smart “rinse and repeat” strategy, he’s quickly scaled from zero to 13 rental units in just four years, all while collecting thousands of dollars of c ... Show More
38m 14s
Aug 2024
240: BiggerPockets Real Estate Episode 1,000: Real Estate Is Changing, and So Is BiggerPockets
For the past 999 episodes of the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast, we’ve heard stories from investors who have achieved financial freedom through rental property investing. However, when we started this podcast in 2013, it was a different time. The housing market had crashed jus ... Show More
47m 42s
Jul 2024
544: 80-Hour Workweeks to Lean FIRE in 8 Years through Real Estate
Reaching financial independence and becoming a millionaire before the age of thirty?! While this path requires several years of ruthless saving, smart investing, and unwavering discipline, there’s no reason why YOU can’t enjoy financial freedom and attain the lifestyle you want! ... Show More
48m 49s
Jul 2024
998: How to Create Multiple Streams of Income Through Real Estate Investing
If you know how to create multiple streams of income, you can build wealth FAST. Thankfully, real estate has dozens (if not hundreds) of ways to make money, and there’s a good chance that what you’re doing right now in real estate could lead you to two, three, or four different i ... Show More
36m 32s
Jan 2025
The Opportunity is Coming in Commercial Real Estate (How to Take Advantage)
The multifamily and commercial real estate crash seems to be nearing its end, which means some incredible buying opportunities are on the way. Big apartment owners have been decimated after their occupancy rates dropped, interest rates shot up, and loans got called due. But when ... Show More
40m 19s
Jul 2016
Ep #36 - Michael Del Prete A full-time real estate investor and an all-around problem solver, Michael is known for providing top of the line advice and strategies to real estate investors at all lev
A full-time real estate investor and an all-around problem solver, Michael is known for providing top of the line advice and strategies to real estate investors at all levels to achieve tangible results that create cash flow. Michael actively participates in real estate and curre ... Show More
30m 56s
Jul 2016
Ep #32 - Peter MacKercher started in real estate as an investor in July of 2003 during the summer of his junior year of college. He found a four-unit property that required a full gut to fix up and ju
Peter started in real estate as an investor in July of 2003 during the summer of his junior year of college. He found a four-unit property that required a full gut to fix up and jumped in, living and managing at the property. The next year he graduated with a degree in business a ... Show More
30m 28s