About this episode

Dave Jacobs discusses his regret over paying off his rental properties and the implications of leveraging debt for real estate investment.

Davethought he was making the smart move. By paying off several of his rental properties, he figured he’d lower his expenses, boost his cash flow, and simplify his portfolio. But after doing it, he started to feel like he made a mistake. Today, Dave believes he would have been better off keeping the debt and using that money to buy more properties. He shares why he thinks a larger portfolio with leverage could have outperformed a smaller, paid-off portfolio over the long run, and how losing the mortgage interest deduction changed the numbers. On this episode, we break down how Dave paid off his rentals, when the regret set in, and why he’s hesitant to do a cash-out refinance to pull that equity back out. We also talk about the benefits of owning properties free and clear, so you can hear both sides of the argument. We dig into Dave’s portfolio, including his strategy of owning properties in the same neighborhood and how self-managing helps him keep expenses low. He shares his actual numbers, including total rent, expenses, and net income, along with some of the toughest situations he’s faced as a landlord. We also get into whether Dave thinks investors are better off using LLCs…

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