6 Years Ago, He Bought His First Rental: Now He’s Doing 24 Deals a Year

Summary

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Podcast Summary: BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Episode: "6 Years Ago, He Bought His First Rental: Now He’s Doing 24 Deals a Year"

Host: Dave Meyer
Guest: Brett Hundley
Air Date: May 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast features Brett Hundley—former NFL quarterback and now a prolific Arizona-based real estate investor. Host Dave Meyer explores Brett’s transition from professional sports to real estate, diving into how Brett scaled from purchasing his first rental just six years ago to completing 24 deals in a single year. Along the way, Brett shares practical investing tactics, leadership insights from his football days, and his philosophy on choosing deals that provide maximum lifestyle freedom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Brett’s Entry Into Real Estate (01:42–04:23)

• Background: Brett Hundley shares his journey from playing football (UCLA & eight years in the NFL) to real estate investing. His first property was purchased in Green Bay while still playing football.
• Mentorship and Peer Learning: Influenced by NFL teammates investing in real estate, including:
  • Larry Fitzgerald (wide range of investments)
  • Devin Kennard (long-term rentals)
  • Prince Amukamara (short-term rentals)
• Quote:

  “I used to sit down with them every day after practice... picking their brain. That’s how I started buying my first short term rental. Then the first new build…” (Brett, 02:22)

• The "real estate club" atmosphere among NFL teammates helped Brett learn the ropes and kickstart his own investing.

The Real Athlete Investor Reality (03:32–04:23)

• Brett dispels the myth that pro athletes are all flush with cash and easily invest.
• Quick NFL stat: Average career lasts 2.3–2.8 years, most players don’t reach huge contracts.
• Key insight: Real estate investing is often pursued for post-NFL financial stability, not just as a side gig.

Process & Systems: Parallels Between Quarterbacking and Real Estate (05:28–06:02)

• Brett draws a direct comparison between quarterback leadership (“putting a team together”) and managing real estate projects.
• Quote:

  “It’s putting a team together… making sure we get to the end goal, which is creating this product and building this thing. And it’s a system.” (Brett, 05:43)

Building Out the Business & Portfolio Strategy (10:01–14:16)

• Chronology:
  • Started with short-term rentals during low interest rates (“could shoot and not miss”)
  • Formed a management company.
  • Tried a new build, then flips in various price ranges—from luxury to entry-level.
• Niche & Efficiency:
  • Discovered his preferred niche is flipping (“return in and out on projects like in capital coming back").
  • Tested big projects vs. more affordable properties—often found similar profits with less risk on the latter.
• Mentorship:
  • Zachary Keeps (“Trash the Cash” slogan), a seasoned flipper, mentored Brett to focus on risk-adjusted returns (12:36–13:10).
  • Quote:

    “I dang near made as much money as I did on the big projects. And I was like, less risk, right?” (Brett, 13:07)

Deal Analysis and Staying Competitive (13:35–15:24)

• Adopts a flexible buy box; analyzes deals sharply rather than sticking narrowly to specific types or price ranges.
• Quote:

  “If the opportunity is there and the risk is worth it as well, I’m sort of open for it.” (Brett, 14:03)

• Staying competitive in a saturated Phoenix market by being open to diverse opportunities and quick to analyze new deals.

Team Leadership & Culture (17:26–22:41)

• Brett emphasizes that flipping is as much about team leadership as it is about real estate acumen.
• Treats his crews like a football team, caring deeply about culture and morale on job sites.
• Examples include project management, creating a supportive environment, and family involvement (his mom is an interior designer and his wife is a real estate agent).
• Quote:

  “You want people who actually enjoy what they’re doing. And I think finding that team for me has been, like, the greatest thing.” (Brett, 18:10) “There has to be, like, a standard of set. And it’s a performance standard.” (Brett, 20:32)

The Tough Parts of Investing (25:59–26:51)

• Least favorite aspect is the unexpected—surprise repairs, budget overruns.
• Memorable moment: Brett describes walking into a property to find water everywhere after a demo team failed to cap plumbing (26:06).

Ambitions & Future Goals (26:51–29:23)

• 2026 Target: Complete 24 projects, including flips and some wholesaling.
• Long-term Aspirations:
  • Add a luxury new build per year (with the goal to live in it for two years—"live-in flip" for capital gains tax advantages).
• Lifestyle Focus:
  • Real estate is about lifestyle freedom (“we want to travel... we don’t want to stop”).
• Quote:

  “Freedom is a big thing... I want, I don’t want to get into something where it’s a 9 to 5... I wake up enjoying [real estate].” (Brett, 29:28)

Scaling and Shifting to Passive (29:28–34:01)

• Brett plans to eventually transition from active flips to owning multifamily properties for passive income.
• Leverage existing crews and systems to renovate small-to-mid-size multifamily units.
• Dave shares his own journey toward a “legacy” portfolio—low LTV, small-to-mid multifamily holdings for long-term stability (31:51–33:22).
• Both emphasize real estate can be a lifelong, evolving pursuit, not just a means to early retirement.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Mindset & Enjoyment:

  “If you commit yourself to being in it for longer, you almost achieve the financial freedom part faster.” (Dave Meyer, 32:16)

• On Risk & Efficiency:

  “I don’t have to take these big swings and risk all this when I can still do in this range and still make some decent money in it.” (Brett, 13:23)

• On Team & Culture:

  “I want everybody to feel like it’s a team. Like, that’s literally what it is.” (Brett, 21:11)

• On Lifestyle:

  “You get to do something you’re passionate about with work, and it’s supporting passions that you have outside of the work. That’s what we talk about on the show all the time.” (Dave Meyer, 31:08)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:42] — Brett’s real estate origin story
• [03:32] — The truth about athlete finances
• [05:28] — Leadership systems: Football vs. real estate
• [10:01] — Portfolio strategy and early markets
• [12:36] — Lessons from a high-volume flipper mentor on risk
• [17:26] — Team-building, project management, and culture
• [25:59] — Biggest headaches: Surprises and setbacks in flipping
• [26:51] — Big goals: 24 deals this year and the live-in luxury flip
• [29:28] — Freedom, travel, and crafting a lifestyle business
• [30:17] — Transitioning toward passive multifamily investing
• [32:16] — Why enjoying the process accelerates goals

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Tone & Language

• Candid and friendly: Both host and guest speak frankly about both wins and challenges.
• Aspirational yet practical: Focuses consistently on building skills, systems, and a life of freedom—not get-rich-quick schemes.
• Team-oriented: Heavy emphasis on mentorship, team-building, and a positive, supportive worksite culture.

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Summary Takeaways

• Start Small, Scale Smart: Leverage your network, learn from mentors, and don’t shy away from iterative growth.
• Be Flexible: A wider “buy box” and sharp deal analysis help navigate competitive markets.
• Team Culture Matters: Successful flipping and scaling relies heavily on choosing and nurturing the right people.
• Go Beyond Money: Use real estate investing as a vehicle for time and lifestyle freedom, not just financial gain.
• Iterate Toward Passive: Build skills, capital, and systems with active deals, then transition to long-term passive holdings for lasting security.

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For anyone wanting to know how a professional athlete used discipline, leadership, and adaptability to achieve freedom through real estate, this episode is packed with actionable insights—plus a real-world playbook for getting from first rental to high-volume deals while maintaining control over your life.

Transcript

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Don't want a boss or a day job deciding your future? What if you could ditch the 9 to 5 for good and replace it with a business that gives you serious income and total control over your time? Today, you'll hear from someone who's actually doing it. At just 32 years old, Brett Hundley has already retired from one career and built a thriving real estate business designed around one real goal. Freedom. Not just money, but the ability to live life on his terms. Take that dream vacation and say yes to opportunities that most people can't. Brett's secret weapon is using the leadership skills he honed during his eight year NFL career to build and manage teams, to run renovation projects dayto day, and hit lofty goals like completing 24 deals per year. If you're ready to build a real estate business that doesn't just cover the bills, but actually funds the lifestyle you want, Brett will show you how to find your lane, scale from zero, and take control of your future. Hey, everyone, I'm Dave Meyer, Chief investment officer at BiggerPockets. We got a great show for you today. It's an investor story with Brett Hundley. He's a former NFL quarterback turned Arizona real estate investor who's doing the exact type of deals that everyone in our community could also be doing. So let's jump in with Brett and hear what he's up to.

[Dave Meyer]

Brett, welcome to the Bigger Pockets podcast. Thanks for joining us, man.

[Brett Hundley]

Thank you for having me. This is a fun one.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, this is going to be a lot of fun. So tell us a little bit about yourself. What's your professional background? How'd you get into real estate?

[Brett Hundley]

Man, I like to say I fell into real estate, but background, I played football, went from Chandler, Arizona and then went to ucla. Played in the league for eight years as a quarterback. And then during my time actually while playing football, I had sort of got into real estate when I was in Green Bay. That's where I bought my first house. And that is essentially what got me into it. And then it wasn't until I got to Arizona who I started sitting down with teammates of mine, Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Kennard is another big one. And I grew up with Devin and then Prince Mukamero, who is another Arizona native.

[Dave Meyer]

Oh, yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

I used to sit down with them every day after practice. Prince was doing short term rentals, Devin was doing long term rentals, and Larry was doing a whole bunch of stuff.

[Dave Meyer]

Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And picking their brain. And then that's how I started buying my first short term rental. Then the first new build, like a

[Dave Meyer]

little real estate club?

[Brett Hundley]

No, 100%. That's like. Yeah, 100%. That's how I fell into real estate.

[Dave Meyer]

You know, I have a Prince of Mukamar jersey.

[Brett Hundley]

Do you really?

[Dave Meyer]

Yes, I'm a Giants fan. It was, it was our first round draft pick.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes. No way.

[Dave Meyer]

I went to the opening game and bought it. Still got it.

[Brett Hundley]

And so Prince too. So he's from Arizon.

[Dave Meyer]

I didn't realize that.

[Brett Hundley]

From Arizona. So it was me, him and Devin Canard on the same team playing for the Cardinals. And Prince was doing short term rentals and he had one day. I was like, dude, like I'm just sort of saving my money. Yeah, like what are you doing? Because I was like, okay, maybe buying some rentals and stuff. And he was like, dude, like check out the short term rental. And he showed me all his numbers. He was like. And it was crushing it. I was like, all right. So I bought my first property like five minutes away from his.

[Dave Meyer]

Really?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

Okay.

[Brett Hundley]

And then. And then it started crushing it. And then Devon Canard as well was doing a lot of long term holds, so I was learning a lot from him. So man, just picking those guys brain sort of got me into it and then I sort of just took off running.

[Dave Meyer]

You know, we've. Devon's been on the show before. He's written a book for bigger pockets. What do you think it is? There seems to just be this overlap between professional sports and real estate. Why do you think that is?

[Brett Hundley]

Let me dispel this thing right now. Because people look at us and they're like, man, you guys have the access, can dump all this money into real estate. And honestly like when you really look at the statistics of making it to the League 1, I mean you're talking.0002% of all athletes who try. But then once you make it, most NFL rosters are made up primarily of undrafted guys. So it's. And then when you, when you hear all these 100 million, 200 million dollar price points, it's not. It might be one or two guys on the roster and the rest are usually like at league minimum. And then if you do get a contract, Most average are 2.3 years, 2.8 years. Wow, that is a career. That's your average career. Most guys. And so that, that doesn't even get you to your pension, which is 3.3. Luckily I was blessed to play years, so I had a great career. But a lot, most of us, if they make it, are going to play for 2.8 years and then have to figure out what's next.

[Dave Meyer]

So is that kind of the mentality, like, when you talk about meeting with Prince and Larry and Devon? Is that what you guys are thinking about and why you're starting to play in real estate?

[Brett Hundley]

I sort of, like I said, I found a passion for it when I did the thing, did the property in Green Bay. And then I actually started outside of that in new build. So I was right. Yeah. It was right in Arcadia area. And I had a friend of mine out here who had built the house I had bought and was living in out here. I'd found a house and I said, hey, dude, would you be cool to partner up? I found a good house I would love to tackle.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And so we tore to the studs and built up new and sold it. And. And that was when Covid happened too. So I. I mean, the city shut down everything. It was a. Ended up making money, but, like, was a two year, three year process. But I. I think a lot of the times when we get into the real estate space, I think for us it's just the process. Like, if you do it right, it is a process. If you're flipping, if you. And that's sort of what we're used to. So I think that's some of the things we look for in other investments.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, it's just kind of a math problem.

[Brett Hundley]

Right.

[Dave Meyer]

I mean, there's process and you have to do the execution, but you can build a system to make it somewhat repeatable, at least.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah, absolutely. And it's almost like, like systems. Like, especially for me, being a quarterback, my whole thought was like, I'm used to leading a team of receivers, knowing the offense, knowing sort of the whole play calls. I view real estate the same. It's putting a team together.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And then knowing what, you know, the triggers of each person is, and then also making sure we get to the end goal, which is creating this product and building this thing. And it's a system. So, like, you know, once you do it once, I think a lot of us say, oh, okay. Like, you know, it was some challenges, but it's not the end of the world. Now let me repeat this. Refine it, make it more efficient and keep it going.

[Dave Meyer]

Awesome. Well, I want to talk to you a little bit more about the leadership part because I think that's super important for our audience here today. And let's talk more about your portfolio, but we got to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[Dave Meyer]

welcome back to the Bigger Pockets podcast.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I'm here with Brett Hundley talking about

[Dave Meyer]

his transition from being an NFL quarterback

[Narrator/Advertiser]

to real estate investing. So it sounds like you got a

[Dave Meyer]

little bit of influence. You said Prince Mukamara is doing short term rentals. You did a little new build, he did a renovation. How do you think about your portfolio strategy when you really started to get into it?

[Brett Hundley]

When I first started did the property in Green Bay, but then I sat down and was sitting with Devin, Canard, Prince and Camara and Prince was doing short term rentals out. Devin was doing long term holds in the Midwest. Larry again was sort of overarching like making big investments and projects and stuff. And I had started with Short term rentals as a rental portfolio and this at the time I do say I got lucky this one. Interest rates were like 2 or 3% so I could probably shoot and not miss. Yeah, I was like I could shoot him, not miss honestly. And so I bought my first property right around the corner from Princess Short Term Rental and we would sit down every day after practice. He would sort of show me everything. He would show me the numbers and I just learned and I just tried to soak it in. And same with Devin. Kadi showed me a lot.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And then from there I bought One Properties. Started a management company as well. Just, yeah, keep it rolling. And then bought another property which I ended up living in and then I bought another property.

[Dave Meyer]

Short term rental or long term?

[Brett Hundley]

All short term rentals at first. And then from there, once I bought three, then I started my new build. And so I was sort of just jumping into things. I was okay, I like the cash flow that's coming from this and then from there. Once we did the new build and finished that, then that's when I sort of analyzed doing a new build, the money I made, the ROI and how long it took. And then I dumped into probably a flip style property. But it was about a 1.5 million dollar resale. I bought probably like 900, sold it for like 141 5. So it was a bigger investment.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

Big swing. And. But then I started, I started working my way down and seeing the price points of all these homes. So I did that and then the next one I jumped into like buying at 350, selling for like, I, I just started seeing what worked and what was the best return on time on capital.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And so I got to find the like from the top to the bottom and the spread of each. And then I sort of found my niche and then just started rolling with that, honestly.

[Dave Meyer]

And the niche is flipping.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah. Yeah. To be honest, like I love new builds. No, no discredit to anybody who does all the new builds. But for me like time wise as far as return in and out on projects like in capital coming back.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

I found, I found a true passion for flipping.

[Dave Meyer]

That's really cool.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

I love what you were saying too about just thinking about efficiency because I think a lot of people hear, oh, you could go out and flip a million dollar home, make a big profit. But you're also buying 350.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

So why would you spend your time doing the lower price home?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah. You know a good, a great friend who was, became a mentor of mine, but now is one of my best friends. Zachary keeps out here. His slogan, trash the cash. Zach, love you man. But he, he has been, he's probably one of the largest single family home owners in Arizona. He's been doing flipping for 20 years and I sought him out and actually just wanted to learn from him as well. And you know, he had, I was telling him what I was doing and he was like, you know the money I was making. And he was like, dude, just try one of these. And I was like I could have tried it. And I dang near made as much money As I did.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

Get on the big projects. And I was like, less risk, right?

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And that's exactly what he was getting at. He was like, dude, your capital is being used. There's so much more risk. You do one of these. And I, like, I think actually one of the properties I did bought it. I made like 100 something. It was just a quick flip.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

But I realized, like, man, I don't. I don't have to take these big swings.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And risk all this when I can still do in this range and still make some decent money in it.

[Dave Meyer]

So did that become your buy box after that? Are you still kind of open to anything that makes sense?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah, I'm honestly open to anything that makes sense. I think for myself, what I've tried to focus more of is just analyzing deals, you know, as sharply as I can, man. Because especially in this Arizona market, like, there's a lot of people doing it and, you know, I. I've been just. It's not like I'm jumping at everything. So a lot of this stuff, most of the stuff I just pass on. But like, if. If the deals anywhere, it's coming from small, big. Like, if. If the opportunity is there and the risk is worth it as well, I'm. I'm sort of open for it.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

That's good advice.

[Dave Meyer]

You know, we have a mutual friend, James Dainard, some awesome post on. On bigger pockets, who does the same thing. Like, he takes these huge swings. He's flipping dollar house and went to beach. Is it cool?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah, it looks.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah. Yeah. He takes these massive swings. Right. But he'll also buy stuff that's like 300,000. And it doesn't really make sense until you think about efficiency. Return on time and return on capital and just being open to anything that meets your underwriting numbers and not being

[Narrator/Advertiser]

too strict on your buy box.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

Is that one of the ways you are competitive in Phoenix? Because Phoenix, I mean, it's as hot a flipping market as I would imagine in the country, right?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah. Saturated for.

[Dave Meyer]

So how do you stand out?

[Brett Hundley]

I think the biggest thing is just having that wider range buy box. And a lot of guys, now that I'm trying to get my name out there a little bit more, and people know I'm buying cash buyer and stuff like that. And I always throw that out there, cash buyer, if anybody,

[Dave Meyer]

but hit them up.

[Brett Hundley]

But, you know, I think it is having that wide range. Like, I just like James and I, you know, I've been around him and been able to pick his brain and study him and watch what he does. But I think it is just a lot of guys I've noticed sort of, and there's nothing wrong with it, they find their sort of sweet spot and they run with it.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

Me, I'm like, dude, if the deal is worth it, even if we're talking a million, two million, six million in James case.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

As long as the returns are there to outweigh the risk. Just like if I'm buying a 300, $400,000 house and doing that, like I'm completely open to it. And honestly I've, I've, I like the less riskier ones.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right.

[Dave Meyer]

I mean if you can make as much money, less risk, why wouldn't you do that? That's a better deal by the numbers. That is a better deal.

[Brett Hundley]

One of the things too that sticks out, especially as athletes and just general society. Everybody wants this big shiny like prod home run, swing, the beautiful things. And I'm like, dude, like you have a nice like probably 3,400,000 dollar house. Like it might not be the big multi million dollar mansion, but like it still is a cash flowing entity. You can make money off of it and it's less risk for sure.

[Dave Meyer]

I mean I would rather risk 50 and make 100 than risk 200 to make 250, you know, like that's just the math. How, how it should work out.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

But I gotta ask you, man, you said you liked flipping and you're passionate about it. I just, I've done two now because James forced me to do it.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

I am on the fence of if I launch living. I gotta be honest. What do you like about it?

[Brett Hundley]

I. I have enjoyed the process of like seeing something completely run down.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And in the matter of a couple months like turning it into something beautiful. Honestly. And I mean it does come with the inherent risk of like getting into the property and finding things that you might not be ready for. But at the same time, like again, everything falls back to underwriting if you underwrite it. Right. You sort of walk it, you know what you're looking at and you do the homework. Like I feel like you get a good understanding of some things to be able to now say I'm taking a bad property in my own stopping grounds where I grew up at.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

You know, value. I think it's an awesome thing.

[Dave Meyer]

I think it's like the one of the most underrated part of real estate investing. It's like you do provide value to your community if you do it in the right Way, there are some shady operators in real estate. Absolutely. Yes. I don't think you are.

[Brett Hundley]

Absolutely.

[Dave Meyer]

But I get good vibes.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah. I want to make sure people get a good home.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, exactly right. And, like, you are restoring something and providing that, especially at those lower price points.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

Some affordable housing is super cool.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

To me, in my very limited experience as a flipper, so much of it is about leading a team. So you talked to them a little bit about that recently. But how has your experience as an athlete, literally a team player and as a quarterback in particular, sort of translated into your flipping career?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah, that has been the one thing that I think is the biggest, like, I found the most joy in, honestly, like, I. I went from leading offense, going out to the field, getting hit and trying to score some touchdowns to now doing the same, but, like, trying to build a property and to. In all transparency, you know, nothing's perfect. You know, you find people. You meet people. You meet contractors that you work with one time, and you probably. You know, I've had experience. I don't work with them again, you know.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And I've went through multiple contractors, but I think finding, like, the right people to fit what I'm looking for. And. And my biggest thing, too, is, like, the culture behind it. Like, I. I want. I also do want people, like, to enjoy what they're doing. You know, like, everybody's out here to make money, get paid, and stuff, but at the end of the day, like, you don't want people walking into a job sloppy, not caring about what they're doing. Like, you want people who actually enjoy what they're doing. And I think finding that team, for me, has been, like, the greatest thing, because now, like, when I get a new project, I'm excited to send out a text, like, all right, boys, we got another one.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

You know, and stuff like that. I think it's been fun for me to, like, just sort of swing by the project, see how things are going, you know, put up the. The pictures, making sure they know whatever, and, like, that's. That's the, like, small joys that I get.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And then to see it come together, you know, and it's not something I got to be there every single day, but, like, when you find the right guys, like, it makes the world's difference.

[Dave Meyer]

I think this is such valuable advice or insights for our audience because, you know, I haven't done a lot of flips. I've done a lot of burrs and renovations and that kind of stuff. And, you know, you don't think about culture because they don't always work with each other. They work different businesses. But there is a culture of the job site almost, where it's like, if you're the flooring guy and you show up and the electrician.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Sloppy.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

And not. Or grumpy or not doing a good job, and you, as the operator, let that slide.

[Brett Hundley]

Yep.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

They might not put in their best effort.

[Dave Meyer]

So it's sort of on you to sort of create the standard and the work environment. People want to be there, and they want to contribute a lot of success, whether you're renovating a bathroom or doing a whole flip.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

That little difference in the culture you create will cascade probably throughout the whole project.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes. And that's that. Like, I always envision it like, Seattle. Pete Carroll is a great example. Like, he had the best. One of the best culture programs. And, like, that's also what I get to learn from and take what I'm trying to put together and building. But, like, Pete Carroll, you know, John Harbaugh, like, these guys at practice, like, it was. It was fun. Like, you enjoyed what you're doing while you're doing it. And, you know, there's been some times and programs when you're losing and stuff, you come in and it might be dreary or whatever, but, like, at the end of the day, like, as long as the culture that you got music blasting in practice, like, I like walking into a job site and I hear the music. I'm running around, said demo team is in there. I'm like, all right, let's, you know, like. Like, yes, I enjoy it, but that's, like, it's. You should come in and, like, we're all in this to make money and enjoy what we're doing, but, like, there has to be, like, a standard upset. And it's a. It's a performance standard. So it's something where everybody knows, like, hey, the music's going. We're all in here working. But, like, we're all trying to get done what we need to in time, you know?

[Dave Meyer]

Totally. Yeah. And if you don't have that and everyone's grumpy, it makes it harder to give feedback, too. I think it's like, if you, you know, the ultimate. You're ultimately accountable for the job. Right. Everyone's pissed.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It's hard.

[Dave Meyer]

They're not going to be receptive if they're having fun, if they feel respected, if they feel like you've got their back and have their best interest at heart. When you put in A change order, they might not look at you like they want to kill you. You know, it'll actually be a little bit better.

[Brett Hundley]

It's so true though, man. Like, I think the, the craziest and the beautiful thing about it is, like, it's everybody. I want everybody to feel like it's a team. Like, that's literally what it is. So, you know, if designer does put in a change order, I unfortunately have to deliver the message.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

You know, but I want, I don't want people looking at me like, you know, I, I want to bring the energy. I want people to have fun while they're.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, I, I love that. That's great advice. What role do you like playing on the team?

[Brett Hundley]

I like being the, the manager.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And. And what's cool about what I. I have built is it's almost like a family affair. So, like, I. My mom by trade is an interior designer.

[Dave Meyer]

Oh, cool.

[Brett Hundley]

And my wife is an agent. So, like, it worked.

[Dave Meyer]

You planned that?

[Brett Hundley]

I didn't.

[Dave Meyer]

That just happened that way.

[Brett Hundley]

It did, man. When I first started buying my properties, my mom, she's a flight attendant as well and does interior designing, went to school for it, and I was like, hey, like, can you just start doing my short term rentals? She did kill those and then got. When I got into the building and the flipping, she then started doing those and it sort of became this cool, like, family team.

[Dave Meyer]

That's awesome.

[Brett Hundley]

And, and yeah, didn't. Didn't plan it. But then in my position, I'm like, okay, well, like, I want it. Like, I'm not the guy who's going to be at the job site every day on people's. But like, I let people breathe and enjoy and do what they need to. But at the same time as I, hey, we need to get this done by then. And I want to make sure if I can get them as efficient as possible. I give them the schedule, I put up the photos, I say, hey, I got cabinets being delivered on Monday. When do you need this? Like, I'm. I'm the middleman between all the.

[Dave Meyer]

So they're like project management, a lot of that stuff.

[Brett Hundley]

That's, that's why I found my sort of niche. And like, what I, what I doing? Yeah, like, okay, hey, we got flooring coming. Cabinets delivered. When do you need this? I. I'll make it happen.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah. All right, Brad, we got to take one quick break, but we'll be right back. Stay with us.

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

Welcome Back to the BiggerPockets podcast. We're here with investor, former NFL player Brett Hundley.

[Dave Meyer]

Let's jump back in. Well, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. So what part do you dislike the most about the process?

[Brett Hundley]

The thing I dislike most is when you get a call about some unexpected. Something unexpected. Like I, I just recently, man, I was laughing with our contractor we had for the demo team. We told him to cap the, when they're demoing, cap the sort of plumbing fixtures. Sure enough, man, like the one of them had to miss it because like I walked in and like there was water everywhere.

[Dave Meyer]

Oh God.

[Brett Hundley]

And like I'm like stuff like that. Like, but you know, you take, you take it with what you get and, but I would say probably the unexpected calls and the, than having to figure out the budgets and stuff like that's, that's least favorite.

[Dave Meyer]

It's a grind. Yeah, it is. But that's every real estate business. You know, you have to take the good with the bad. But it sounds like you found a way to minimize the stuff you don't like and to maximize the stuff you're enjoying.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Dave Meyer]

Sounds like you have a great business going. What are your goals going forward?

[Brett Hundley]

My big hairy, audacious goals. So I want to, I want to do 24 flips this year. Well, okay, one.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And, and so when I say 24, I would say 24 projects. So when I say that too, that does include like me wholesaling deals now. Okay, so I got into that on the side and honestly it was just a way for me to cut out the middleman and start like finding my own deals and hopefully find some better spreads.

[Dave Meyer]

Cash buyer.

[Brett Hundley]

There we go. Cash buyer. Yeah, but I would love to do 24 this year and I'm on track.

[Dave Meyer]

That's awesome.

[Brett Hundley]

I'm rolling right now, but that's intense. It is, but it's, it's almost like you like I, I want the challenge. Like it's, it's, it's I, for what Coach said this, but it's like you change the mindset of like, I get to like do this stuff rather than, you know, and like that to me is what drives me.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, that's a good way to frame it.

[Brett Hundley]

And so if I get to do

[Dave Meyer]

24 profitable projects, yeah, it's amazing.

[Brett Hundley]

And so if, if that is my goal and hopefully I can keep this up through the rest of the year and find more deals that better fit. But like, if I can just maintain that at the end of the year, I'll look back and I'll say like, I did that. And then, you know, I'm sure from there we're going to increase the goals. But that's, that's gonna shoot for.

[Dave Meyer]

Is that like, did you come up with 24 because you feel like that's your max capacity?

[Brett Hundley]

No, I, I wanted to just try to shoot for something. I wanted to think bigger than maybe doing two or three a year where I was probably at, especially while I was traveling in year stuff. And now that I'm here, I was okay. What, like, what is going to keep me every day waking up saying, I got to do this, I got to do and like, push me to be uncomfortable? You know, I think that's the biggest

[Dave Meyer]

thing and that would make me very uncomfortable.

[Brett Hundley]

100%. Like, oh, I, there's been moments where I'm like, man, we got another. We're doing this. I do this. But it's been fun too, man. Like, I, the, the, my biggest, the big goal that I really want to do is I want to be doing these projects, whether it be 24 or whatever a year. But I also do want to do one big build, like a luxury upper, luxury brand new build type thing or like a bigger, like a James. $6 million or $4 million.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And, and the reason being I want to. I would love to do one of those and live in the house for

[Dave Meyer]

two years, living flat. Oh, dude.

[Brett Hundley]

And then sell it. Take a marriage. I get to the capital gains, you know, so that's. I want to do one big project a year and like do that and then just have these rolling.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, that would be very fun. And get to live in tons of cool houses as well. Yeah. But you know, I'm curious, like, how you evaluate these goals. Super ambitious and very impressive. By the way, what are your lifestyle goals? Like, what do you want your day to day to look like? Because I'm, you know, it's tempting as a real estate investor to keep taking

[Narrator/Advertiser]

on more and more projects.

[Dave Meyer]

Some People want the more passive side of things. How do you, how do you find that balance?

[Brett Hundley]

So my biggest thing was freedom and, like, being able to go. And me and my wife are huge travelers. Huge travelers. So, like, we got no kids. We got one dog, 13 years old. So like the old man at this point. So for us, freedom is a big thing. We're heading out to Bali for three or four weeks.

[Dave Meyer]

Like, amazing.

[Brett Hundley]

We want to be able to do that and we don't want to stop. So I think having that flexibility of saying, like, hey, we. I want. I don't want to get into something where, like, I. It's a 9 to 5. Like, I think that's the one thing I've always wanted to stay away from. I've always wanted something that also, like, I wake up enjoying. Like, I wake up excited.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

And I have loved real estate for that reason. But then I think the biggest thing is really just finding passive income. So the end goal for me is really once I get these. These are all operating businesses, operating cash, I want to then start deploying into passive.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah.

[Brett Hundley]

Multifamily or whatever it is that I can now hold, and then off start are offsetting the. The mix. So that's. That's our future goals.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, but you're trying to build up the equity and then buy. Either own a multi family or do passive or.

[Brett Hundley]

So if, if I can own and start acquiring multi families. And my thought is using this stream strategy, if I have the crews who are building stuff like this and the flips, I can then say, okay, I want to buy a rundown 8 unit that might not be managed as well, or 16 or 32. You know, do this and do the same thing at a bigger scale. That's where I want right now.

[Dave Meyer]

Yeah, that's a good place to be right now. Yeah, it makes sense.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

You have the skills to.

[Brett Hundley]

For sure. And that's what. So me and my wife, our thought is like, once we can analyze and find like a 32 unit, like, we're jumping.

[Dave Meyer]

So you're telling me you get to. You get to.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

Do 24 flips a year and go to Bali for like four weeks.

[Brett Hundley]

Absolutely.

[Dave Meyer]

You've killed it. Like, that's. That's the dream.

[Brett Hundley]

Right.

[Dave Meyer]

I mean, I know depending on your family situation, it's not like you. You're getting to do something you're passionate about with work and it's supporting passions that you have outside of the work. I mean, that's, that's what we talk about on the show all the time trying to achieve that is really what everyone's after.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah. That it's. It's been fun and like, it's like I. I embrace the challenge of all this stuff, you know, and what's crazy, too, is it's not like, you know, I. I'm seeing guys. We've been doing this for 20 years, 15 years. And like, I. I feel like I'm just getting started. And, like, that's where I'm, like, the most excited. Like, I'm still learning. Like, I. Man, learning from you. All these guys. Devin Canard. Like, I feel like I'm still getting going in this race. So, like, it's just, it's more fuel to the fire for me that I get to continue learning from guys like yourself. And, you know, I think it's the

[Dave Meyer]

best way to succeed. Right. Like, a lot, you know, a lot of people get into this, myself included, for financial freedom, you know, but it almost is tempting if you get into that mindset to, like, have one foot out the door. You're like, how quickly can I stop doing this?

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

And I really feel like it's almost this, like, weird reverse psychology thing. If you commit yourself to being in it for longer, you almost achieve the financial freedom part.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes. Faster.

[Dave Meyer]

If you commit, like, I enjoy doing this. I'm going to stay with it.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

And just see where this goes. You'll probably get to quit sooner.

[Brett Hundley]

Yes.

[Dave Meyer]

Most people don't wind up doing it, but, like, you'll get that faster than just thinking, like, how fast can I get in and out of this get rich quick kind of thing?

[Brett Hundley]

And. Very true. And like, and honestly, too, even when we were talking, offset a little bit. I am curious, like, because I. Again, I always love learning. But, like, have you built enough to where you're like, that is like a true passive type of thing.

[Dave Meyer]

Well, what I've done is I've actually sold a lot of my.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Not all of them.

[Dave Meyer]

I still own a bunch of active real estate. But we were talking before the show. I moved to Europe. I sold a decent amount and put a lot of. Into passive real estate. So I do a lot of multifamily syndications.

[Brett Hundley]

Got you.

[Dave Meyer]

I actually think that industry has gotten a bad rap, but it's starting to get good again.

[Brett Hundley]

Got you.

[Dave Meyer]

And do some private lending as well. So between those things, I probably could retire, but I haven't because I like working and I like, I like dabbling. I'm still selling and buying stuff. Like, I like doing it, but I am trying to have told our audience. Like, my goal for the next two or three years is to get to what I would call like our. My, like end game portfolio.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

Which is kind of what you're talking about. Getting to eventually is like, how do I buy a couple small multifam, mid sized, multifamily is solid, recently built, great neighborhoods, load LTV, you know, 50% down on something like this and that's my life. And I'll still do stuff, but, like, I know that I can fall back on that forever. So I'm trying to just reposition my assets into that where I'm at.

[Brett Hundley]

See, that's cool, man. I think that's the. I think that's the cool thing about real estate, especially coming from a football background. We know we can't play football for the rest of our life, but like real estate. So like golf, you can play for the rest of your life and just have. Have fun doing it, man. Like that's what's cool. And then it only gets better over time, you know, that's.

[Dave Meyer]

That's what that is really the nice thing.

[Brett Hundley]

Yeah.

[Dave Meyer]

Well, Brad, it's been so much fun. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Bigger Pockets podcast. We appreciate it.

[Brett Hundley]

Thank you so much for having me, man. I appreciate this.

[Dave Meyer]

And thank you all so much for listening to this episode of the Bigger Pockets podcast. I'm Dave Meyer. We'll see you guys next time.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Thank you all for listening to the Biggerpockets Real Estate podcast. Make sure you get all our new episodes by subscribing on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Our new episodes come out Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm the host and executive producer of the show, Dave Meyer. The show is produced by Ian K. Copywriting is by Calico, content and editing is by Exodus Media. If you'd like to learn more about real estate investing or to sign up for our free newsletter, please visit www.biggerpockets.com. the content of this podcast is for informational purposes only. All host and participant opinions are their own. Investment in any asset, real estate included, involves risk. So use your best judgment and consult with qualified advisors before investing. You should only risk capital you can afford to lose. And remember, past performance is not indicative of future results. BiggerPockets, LLC disclaims all liability for direct, indirect, consequential or other damages arising from a reliance on information presented in this podcast.

[Brett Hundley]

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