BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast - Episode Summary

Episode Title: 8 Rentals on a Teacher’s Salary by “Reverse BRRRR-ing”
Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Dave Meyer (Head of Real Estate at BiggerPockets)
Guest: Ben Videvich (High School Teacher & Real Estate Investor, Santa Clara, CA)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Ben Videvich, a high school teacher from California who acquired eight rental units in Indiana over three years—while living thousands of miles away. Ben has built a portfolio that brings him significant monthly cash flow, all starting without a large sum of capital. Guided by a repeatable, low-risk investing formula, Ben shares how he overcame obstacles like out-of-state investing, inherited tenants, and scaling with creative lending strategies, including a unique “reverse BRRRR” approach. This is an empowering story and instructional guide showing how an everyday professional can achieve financial freedom through thoughtful real estate investing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ben’s Background and Motivation

• Ben grew up in the Bay Area around real estate, with his father working as a property manager, but only got actively involved when he sought more financial security for his growing family. (01:53)
  • “As soon as I knew I was going to be a dad, I was like, okay, I gotta, I gotta take action. We gotta stop. You can only learn so much... you have to take a first step, you have to dive in.” – Ben (C) [02:51]
• Teaching provided fulfillment but limited financial upside, especially in high-cost California, which pushed Ben toward real estate.

2. Getting Started: The Mindset and Process

• Ben immersed himself in BiggerPockets forums, books (notably Rich Dad, Poor Dad and David Greene’s Long-Distance Real Estate Investing), and podcasts to overcome analysis paralysis. (02:51, 06:04)
• He recognized the limitations of local Bay Area investing, shifting his focus to affordable markets out-of-state—settling on southern Indiana for its price points, job diversity, and manageability. (05:03, 07:43)

3. The First Deal: Out-of-State, Inherited Tenants

• Buy box: Affordable, “better part of town,” max $200k, down payment around $45k.
• Bought a duplex for $170k after negotiation, inherited tenants, and immediately cash-flowed.
  • “What I really liked... is that it came... with tenants who were paying rent. So... I knew would cover the mortgage, taxes, and insurance from day one.” – Ben (C) [11:01]
• Renovation and management were handled locally through trusted property managers found via referrals.
• Cash flow: Initially ~$200, now over $1,700/month combined for both units. (11:04)
• Ben highlights comfort in inheriting tenants for risk reduction vs. seeking immediate value-add through turnover—a “Slow Burr” approach. (13:22)
  • “To me, the idea... of just, hey, I know I’m going to be able to make my mortgage payments... allows me to build up a cash reserve and get this thing rolling.” – Dave (B) [13:06]

4. Scaling Up: The “Reverse BRRRR” and Leveraging Lenders

• Ben told his lender he wanted to scale, which opened commercial loan options—namely, “subject to appraisal loans.”
  • “It’s kind of like a reverse burr where you get the money up front... you don’t have to do a refinance at the end.” – Ben (C) [18:17]
• Structure: 20-year loan, 5-year adjustable; smaller balances (<$100k); renovation funds released up front.
• Example: Second deal was a $35k SFR needing $35k rehab, all funded via the loan. Total holding costs were low during renovations; cash flow after stabilization was ~$200/month. (21:48–22:51)
  • “I wasn’t using like a general contractor. I was working through my lender and they have their guys... in house property management.” – Ben (C) [21:48]
• Ben stresses the importance of patience in real estate rehab timelines and conservative underwriting. (24:05, 24:36)

5. Combining Leverage Strategies: Leveraged and Free-and-Clear Properties

• Influenced by Chad Carson’s Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor, Ben began supplementing leverage with big “boring” down payments, even buying a property free and clear for stability.
  • “We kind of redeployed that capital into buying one rental that is just free and clear, which has been really kind of a nice breathing room for our portfolio.” – Ben (C) [31:51]
• Utilized equity from paid-off properties to fund down payments for new, leveraged deals—a hybrid scaling approach. (32:40–34:14)

6. Today’s Results

• Eight total units (plus more with partners) in the same Indiana market, yielding ~$2,000+/month in net cash flow (after setting aside reserves). (34:39, 35:15)
• Ben prioritizes intentional, sustainable growth rather than scaling for its own sake. (35:09)
  • “Grow so that you can have security and stability in it.” – Ben (C) [35:09]

7. Impact on Financial Trajectory

• Real estate investing has placed Ben on a markedly improved financial path, providing options and stability impossible on his teaching salary alone.
  • “Three years into this, you have put yourself on the financial trajectory that you were looking for?” – Dave (B)
  • “Oh, 100%. I mean, I don’t want to mislead people to say, I’m retiring tomorrow or anything like that, but there was no trajectory like that. I mean, we were putting money in the market, and we all know the market’s been pretty up and down, and that gives people a lot of panic. But real estate is pretty, pretty steady, very slow, and you can control so much of it…” – Ben (C) [35:57]

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “At some point you have to take a first step, you have to dive in and you'll get better from the practice and the implementation rather than just thinking about it all the time.” – Ben (C) [02:51]
• "You can keep saving the money and you can benefit from the cash flow, the appreciation. And there's just more ways I think it generates wealth than what the traditional path is..." – Ben (C) [03:50]
• “[Out-of-state investing]...You can get pretty far with it. So eventually I, after, you know, having someone tell me no to a couple of deals...I was able to find one that...got me in the game and it gave me proof of concept, which is what I think all the newbie investors need.” – Ben (C) [06:04]
• “I personally really like the approach that you're using. I do the same thing... Having these tenants who I know are going to pay rent reduces so much risk to me.” – Dave (B) [12:59]
• "You got plenty of time to figure this out. Do it in a way that makes sense to you, is not stressful to you, where you're learning and growing a little bit and not taken on more than you can chew." – Dave (B) [22:51]
• “Grow so that you can have security and stability in it.” – Ben (C) [35:09]
• “There was no trajectory like that... But real estate is pretty, pretty steady, very slow, and you can control so much of it.” – Ben (C) [35:57]

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [01:17] – Episode themes and guest introduction
• [03:35] – Early influences and decision to take action
• [05:03] – California limitations and choosing Midwest markets
• [06:04] – Overcoming fear of long-distance investing
• [10:08] – First deal specifics; inheriting tenants
• [12:12] – Inherited tenants: pros and cons
• [18:17] – “Reverse BRRRR” loans for scaling
• [21:48]–[22:51] – Six-month rehab, risk and lender partnerships
• [25:18] – The approach is “replicable for almost anyone”
• [30:49] – Scaling to eight units and using equity
• [35:09]–[35:57] – Current results and big-picture financial impact

Actionable Takeaways

• You don’t need a massive starting bankroll—out-of-state, affordable markets with a sound investing formula can generate real cash flow and growth.
• Inheriting tenants can reduce risk, especially for first-time and long-distance buyers, so long as the rent roll is verified.
• Leverage your relationships with lenders and explicitly communicate your plans to scale—they may offer creative solutions beyond conventional loans.
• Mix strategies: Combine leveraged and free-and-clear properties for both cash flow and risk management.
• Go slow and smart; invest intentionally. Don't rush to scale for its own sake, but balance growth with stability.
• Ask questions and stay involved, even from afar. Don’t be afraid to push for information, updates, and referrals.

Final Thoughts

Ben’s journey demonstrates that everyday professionals can achieve life-changing financial results through accessible real estate strategies. His story provides a blueprint for those looking to begin or scale, especially in expensive markets, by mixing smart financing, out-of-state investing, and a steady, learning-oriented approach.

For more, listen to the full episode or visit biggerpockets.com.