Real Estate Investing 101: My Journey from Renter to Owner

Let me be honest with you, I didn’t grow up knowing anything about real estate. I didn’t have a trust fund, a rich uncle, or a cheat code. I did have a desire to stop making other people rich by paying rent and start building something of my own.

That’s where my journey into real estate investing began.

From Renting to Ownership

When I first started, I was just trying to reduce my expenses. My job initially provided housing, but it was time for me to transition from that, but rent was high. My salary was decent, but I wanted more breathing room. I didn't just want to pay bills, I wanted to build wealth. That mindset shift led me to house hacking.

House hacking means buying and renting out parts of a property so that the rental income covers most or all of your housing costs. I live in the basement of a multi-unit property while renting out the other units. My mortgage is $2,408. The rental income? $2,800. You do the math.

Why Real Estate?

Because it’s one of the most accessible wealth-building tools out there, you don’t need six figures saved up. Thanks to finding the right lender, I started with 5% down and didn’t pay PMI. And even if you’re not there yet, there are so many paths to ownership: FHA, 203K, VA, even zero-down options like USDA and NACA.

What I Wish I Knew Sooner

• Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio matters. Learn it. Own it. Improve it.

• Not every Realtor understands investment—find someone who gets house hacking.

• Don’t skip the numbers. A cute kitchen means nothing if it doesn’t cash flow.

So… is real estate investing for you?

If you're tired of rent draining your paycheck, if you want your housing to work for you, and if you're ready to stop waiting for “someday”... then yes.

You can start small. You can start scared. But the most crucial part is that you start.

Want the full step-by-step blueprint on how I did it—and how you can too?
Grab my ebook, Live for Free: The Mindful Guide to House Hacking Your Way to Financial Freedom.
It breaks down everything from financing to finding tenants, and even includes templates to get you started.

Get the ebook here →https://www.etsy.com/listing/1881965050/live-for-free-house-hacking-guide-for

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