06 October 2025
Turning a $25,000 Rental Property into a $5,000/Month Rental Portfolio
BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast
About
This investor turned a $25,000 rental property (yes, you read that right) into a real estate portfolio producing $5,000/month in actual cash flow. He had no experience, lived in a small town many would write off, and was working 60 hours a week. But small towns mean less competition and lower prices, and Dustin Cardenas was ready to take advantage. Seven years later, he’s financially free thanks to his small rental portfolio!
Dustin’s small town of 30,000 people is located in one of the most affordable parts of the country. Houses routinely sell for $30,000 to $50,000, a down payment for many investors across the US. He’s what you’d call an “everyman”—he’s worked in pest control, as a car salesman, and in a juvenile detention facility. In other words, he had no silver spoon.
When a local investor in town told him, “You can do this,” he took the chance. Now, seven years later, he’s got 20 rental units, left his full-time position at work, and is making a life-changing amount of rental income. These affordable, cash-flowing towns exist throughout the US, and like Dustin, you could use them to reach financial freedom!
In This Episode We Cover
The uber-affordable small Midwest towns where rentals are less than $50,000
The perfect starter real estate investment Dustin used to scale fast
Why you must ask your bank for a line of credit if you’re ready to invest more
Dustin’s tips to save money on your next rental renovation (huge savings!)
Better than Airbnb? Why Dustin ditched his short-term rental and makes phenomenal cash flow with this strategy
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1183
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
Dustin’s small town of 30,000 people is located in one of the most affordable parts of the country. Houses routinely sell for $30,000 to $50,000, a down payment for many investors across the US. He’s what you’d call an “everyman”—he’s worked in pest control, as a car salesman, and in a juvenile detention facility. In other words, he had no silver spoon.
When a local investor in town told him, “You can do this,” he took the chance. Now, seven years later, he’s got 20 rental units, left his full-time position at work, and is making a life-changing amount of rental income. These affordable, cash-flowing towns exist throughout the US, and like Dustin, you could use them to reach financial freedom!
In This Episode We Cover
The uber-affordable small Midwest towns where rentals are less than $50,000
The perfect starter real estate investment Dustin used to scale fast
Why you must ask your bank for a line of credit if you’re ready to invest more
Dustin’s tips to save money on your next rental renovation (huge savings!)
Better than Airbnb? Why Dustin ditched his short-term rental and makes phenomenal cash flow with this strategy
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1183
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