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Why Most People Will Never Retire In 10 Years If your plan to retire in 10 years relies on: The stock market is going up Your boss gives you raises every year Cutting more lattes and clipping more coupons You do not have a plan. You have a wish. In my experience, if you are...

How to Analyze a Multifamily Deal in 10 Minutes: A Beginner’s Guide If you are new to real estate, analyzing a multifamily deal can feel overwhelming. You hear terms like underwriting, cap rates, debt coverage ratios, and expense ratios. It sounds like you need a finance degree or a spreadsheet the size of a dining...

Most investors focus on interest rates, cap rates, and rent growth. But there is a quieter threat eating into property returns across the country: rising HOA fees. HOA fees are increasing at their fastest pace in more than a decade. In many communities, the growth rate of HOA dues is outpacing rent growth, inflation, and...

America is the greatest experiment in democracy and capitalism ever created. But anyone paying attention can feel that something is shifting beneath the surface. The frustration, the polarization, the rising tension, it all feels new, but the root causes are not. What we are seeing today is the collision of philosophy, technology, and money, and...

Every week we hear new warnings about artificial intelligence. Some analysts say AI will replace lower and middle-income jobs. Others argue it will concentrate even more power in the hands of the top one percent. Ray Dalio recently pointed out that sixty percent of Americans cannot read at a sixth-grade level. He believes that makes...

How to Use a Self Directed 401k to Invest in Real Estate Without Taxes or Penalties Most people never realize this, but there is a legal way to move your 401k into real estate without triggering taxes or penalties. It is called a self directed account, and it allows you to take control of where...

The real estate market has undergone a significant shift from its state just a few years ago. Prices have cooled in several regions, interest rates remain elevated, and investors are learning quickly that cash flow, not speculation, is what keeps your portfolio healthy. Recently, Rent To Retirement analyzed hundreds of deals nationwide, utilizing rent-to-price ratios,...

As multifamily investors, one of the first things we track is rent growth. It tells you everything about supply, demand, and the health of a market. According to new data from CoStar and Apartments.com, U.S. rents saw their sharpest October decline in more than 15 years. That is not something you see often, and it...

Most people grow up hearing one thing about debt. Debt is bad. Stay out of debt. Cut up your credit cards. Live below your means. Experts like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman often convey this message because they are speaking to people who already struggle with debt. They are teaching basic financial safety. I respect...

When ultra-luxury New York City housing markets stir, it’s more than just a headline—it’s a signal. A recent wave of high-net-worth residents in NYC is reportedly deciding to relocate to suburban markets or other states. While headlines often focus on politics or tax issues, as real estate investors, we need to look beneath the surface:...

Ken McElroy’s November Reading List: 10 Books That Build Leadership, Mindset, and Financial Intelligence November is the perfect month to pause, reset, and intentionally prepare for the months ahead. As the year winds down, it’s natural to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what skills you want to strengthen. It’s also a season of...

When President Trump recently floated the idea of a 50-year mortgage, most people laughed at first. But according to multiple reports, this proposal is highly probable, and if it happens, it will fundamentally change how Americans buy homes. Let’s unpack what this means for buyers, renters, and real estate investors. Lower Payments, Not Cheaper Homes...

Popular finance advice often says to get out of debt. That message helps people who struggle with consumer loans, but it ignores a key truth. Debt can be one of the most powerful tools for building wealth when you use it correctly. The first step is understanding the difference between good debt and bad debt....

I have been through multiple real estate cycles over the last three decades. Peaks, crashes, sideways years, euphoric markets, fear-driven markets. And every cycle has something in common: Most people only recognize opportunity after it has passed. Right now, we are entering a period that smart investors have been waiting for.A rare window where leverage...

I did not come from money. I did not have wealthy parents, a trust fund, or special connections. When I started in real estate, I was earning $700 a month managing a 60-unit apartment building. Today, I own over 10,000 units, and those properties pay me every single month whether I work or not. People...

I’ve been in real estate for over three decades, and one thing has always been true: the market rewards investors who see shifts early. Right now, one of the biggest shifts underway isn’t grabbing mainstream headlines, but it’s transforming how investors build wealth. Welcome to the rise of build-to-rent communities (BTR) and alternative rental asset...

For the first time in years, renters, not landlords, have the leverage. Apartment owners across the country are offering months of free rent, slashing asking prices, and throwing in incentives just to keep occupancy up. According to The Wall Street Journal, the national average rent fell 0.3% last month, the biggest September drop in over...

If there is one thing I have learned in more than 30 years of real estate investing, it is this: emotion is the enemy of profit. Nowhere is that more obvious than in real estate bidding wars. A new study from the Rochester Institute of Technology analyzed 14 million home sales over 20 years. The...