In this post, I’ll share 3 unique advantages of investing in rental real estate in a market you already visit frequently.

One of the biggest obstacles to getting started on your real estate investing journey is picking where to invest.

The most comfortable answer is usually wherever you live. You know the area well and may even have some contacts for repairs & maintenance issues.

Unfortunately as interest rates and home prices have both soared, most people find they can’t afford to invest in their home markets.

So, naturally, you are forced to look elsewhere if you want to invest. Luckily, there’s a whole country full of options.

Now I know looking at a blank map feels daunting…

But I have an idea for you that has served me well on my journey so far.

Why not start with somewhere you already visit frequently?

There are likely places you go that you’ve never considered investing in:

• Did you grow up in a smaller city or a less expensive market?
• Do you go visit your Grandparents once a year (insert city here)?
• Do you and your family travel to a specific domestic vacation destination every year?

Think of the places that you have real experience visiting and observing with your own eyes.

Now, most folks have the same fears when it comes to the idea of long-distance investing:

Market-specific risk: You don’t know what you don’t know.

• A market may appeal to you based on price-to-rent ratios, cash-on-cash returns or other fancy spreadsheet metrics. That’s great but there are so many “X factors” that will influence your investment’s long-term value.

Cost: Things add up quickly.

• Property management.
• Contractors & repairs.
• Potential travel expenses if something goes wrong.

Lack of oversight: We have all heard the old adage “Trust but verify”

• You can build remote teams on the ground, but the best way to truly know what is going on with your teams & properties is to see them with your own eyes.

Now let’s address those concerns from above and even uncover some amazing benefits.

Here are 3 amazing benefits of investing in a market you already visit regularly:

1: Tax Write-Offs:

If you already visit frequently, you may be able to write off significant portions of your travel expense as long as you perform real estate-related activities (always confirm with your CPA)

2: Day-To-Day Life:

Knowing what day-to-day life feels like will give you an edge in pricing your rental, placing tenants, and understanding trends in your market

3: Networking & Relationship Building

You’ll have an opportunity to build face-to-face relationships with your team members (agent, PM, lender, vendors, etc)

That sounds like a good deal to me…

In this post, I’ll share my 7 book recommendations to get you started strong in Real Estate Investing in 2024 and beyond.

These books contain useful information for investors of all experience levels.

It’s not news to anybody at this point that we live in an age of information abundance.

• There are over 6 million new blog posts every day across 1.9 billion global websites.
• YouTube averages 3.7 million new videos every day at an average length of 4.4 minutes!

This has been both a blessing and a curse to the curious mind, especially when it comes to where & how you invest your money.

The good:

• You can discern the equivalent of a college degree’s worth of information for FREE on sites like YouTube
• The world’s most influential creators often publish high-value content for free on their websites or newsletters

The bad:

• Deciding where to spend your precious minutes of free time is exhausting
• There is a lot of snake oil out there, ESPECIALLY in real estate investing

With all the content on the internet, it’s easy to forget about good old-fashioned books. But we didn’t forget, did we?

Thankfully, there are some incredible (and timeless) books to help you get started in real estate investing, all of which are less than $20.

Here are my top 7 book recommendations to start strong in 2024:

1. The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner

Brandon spent 10 years turning the BiggerPockets podcast into the #1 real estate show in the world. 

This book provides a comprehensive overview of ALL the high-level components of what it takes to be a Real Estate Investor.

If you only have time for one real estate investing book this year, this is the one I recommend.

Buy it on Amazon here or directly through the BiggerPockets store here.

The BP version comes with bonus video interviews and deal analysis tutorials.

2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This book has single-handedly inspired more people to dive into real estate investing than any other source. Through the power of storytelling, Kiyosaki illustrates just how powerful cash-flow investing can be.

You will walk away with an evolved mindset on how to make your assets work for you. There’s a reason this is the #1 cited real estate investing book in the world.

Buy on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.

3. Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene

Most people look at their local real estate prices and say, “There’s no way I can afford to invest here.”

Greene gives you the full playbook in this book to buy, rehab, and manage properties long-distance so you can access more affordable markets.

Buy it on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.

The book is cheaper on the BP store and comes with valuable bonus content.

4. Real Estate: By The Numbers by J. Scott & Dave Meyer

This book came out in October 2022 and immediately became one of my favourites.

If your eyes glaze over when you think about financial statements and deal analysis, this book will help you break the spell.

You will get a thorough rundown of the basics of real estate finance, as well as practical examples of how to use them in your daily life as an investor.

Buy it on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.

The bonus content at BP is particularly valuable with this book. Excel templates, video walkthroughs, and property analysis deep-dives. Worth it.

5. The Book on Negotiating Real Estate by J. Scott, Mark Ferguson & Carol Scott

Yes…another dry topic…but I promise you this book is anything but dry.

There are hundreds of books on negotiation out there, but this is by far the most practical real estate negotiation book on the market. Every single negotiation principle is underscored with a real-life example.

You’ll learn that an offer is so much more than just a DocuSign envelope with a number on it. There is a real human element to negotiating real estate.

Learn to negotiate, and you will gain a much-needed competitive edge over the crowded field of RE investors.

Buy it on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.

As with the others, the BP version comes with bonus content.

5. The Small & Mighty Real Estate Investor

This book is a top-to-bottom playbook for everyday investors who are looking for a simple, sustainable approach to real estate investing.

Author Chad Carson’s “Small & Mighty” philosophy is based on the idea that investors seek as few properties as possible to achieve their financial goals. This allows investors to build a lifestyle they enjoy without sacrificing the things most important to them such as their jobs & family.

It should come as no surprise that this has become one of my favorite books and a must-have for all real estate investors. 

7. Invest. Profit. Repeat. By Myself (Aaron Ameen)

Authored by me, this 27-page e-book shares a simple 7-step process to buy your first rental property. You can read this entire book in one short sitting and get straight to work..

Sharing my experiences and guidelines on investing, making good return on investment as profit and how to parlay it into steady income (Repeat)

Get the e-book for FREE Here

I hope this list provides you with some tools to cut through the noise and build your baseline knowledge in real estate investing.

It’s important to note that reading real estate investing books is not a prerequisite to investing in real estate.

I hadn’t read a single one of these books until after I owned 4 rental properties.

With that said, I would’ve had a stronger foundation and prevented some avoidable mistakes if I had.

Here’s to building & sharing our knowledge together in 2024 and beyond!