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Get Smarter About Real Estate Investing
REI.School educates real estate investors with hundreds of articles on strategy and analysis, a free newsletter, and through our social media channels, providing insights on various investment strategies.
Join us as we take a deep dive into the inner workings of real estate investing, where we break down the essential resources you need to learn, build, and succeed.
Watch hundreds of videos on our YouTube Channel where experienced investors share strategies, and proven techniques to help you take your real estate investing to the next level, all under one roof.
Featured Video
A DAY IN MY LIFE AS A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
Come take a 2-minute ride through a day in my life as a RE investor (REI.School Guru – Jonathan Mednick) managing our short term rentals, supply runs, wellness checks, and marketing a long term rental property.
Strategies
Should You Assign the Contract or Double Close It?
When I get a property under contract and my exit strategy is to wholesale it, I need to determine if I am going to assign the contract or double close it. Both approaches allow me to flip properties without holding them long-term, but they come with distinct advantages, drawbacks, and financial considerations. Let’s break down each strategy, the closing costs, and when to use one over the other.
April 21, 2025 | 4 Minute Read
Don’t Pay That Contractor Yet. Read This First
A few years ago, I wholesaled a property here in Birmingham, AL to an out-of-state investor based in California. About 18 months later, he calls me up. The house is almost finished, he tell me the contractor is now recommending a full roof replacement. He asks if I can swing by and give him my opinion. When I pull up, I’m immediately confused. The house looks exactly the same as when I sold it to him. I walk inside. No renovations. No materials. No tools. Nothing. It was untouched. And, he already paid this contractor $20,000. Don’t let this be you. Here’s how to avoid getting burned by contractors.
April 21, 2025 | 4 Minute Read
Steal My Very Best Cold Call Opening Lines
If you’ve ever made a cold call, you know how critical the first few seconds are. One of the most common things I hear from investors or agents is, “I’m making calls constantly, and I can’t even get to the first question in the script—let alone generate a lead or appointment.” To help with that, I compiled all the cold call openers and scripts I’ve used over nearly 20 years and I’m going to share my top 5 openers with you.
April 14, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
My Section 8 Secret for Maximum Rents
Nearly 90% of my rental properties are occupied by Section 8 tenants. While there are a few challenges, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Section 8 has added significant stability and consistent income to my portfolio. Let’s break down both the pros and cons of having Section 8 tenants and the most important question you need to ask to get the highest rent possible for your property.
April 7, 2025 | 2 Minute Read
How to Hire the Right Property Manager
I often hear from out-of-state investors looking to offload their rental properties. The reason? Bad property management. It’s a common and costly mistake. A property manager can make or break your investment. Here are the warning signs you need to watch and the questions to ask when hiring a property manager.
April 7, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
REI.SCHOOL Celebrates One Year
April 1, 2025, marks the one-year anniversary of launching REI.School. Over the past year, I’ve published more than 150 real estate articles, coached investors at various stages of their careers through one-on-one sessions, and expanded the REI.School Store to offer essential documents—including calculators, assignment and purchase agreements, and short-term rental resources. Our YouTube channel has also grown, now featuring over 300 videos that highlight different investors and their unique strategies. As we enter our second year, my focus will be on expansion and hope you will continue to support our services.
March 31, 2025 | 1.5 Minute Read
Finding Properties Without Spending Money
When I first started in real estate investing back in 2002, my focus was on wholesaling properties. At the time, I had no marketing budget—actually, I didn’t have any money to spend at all. So, I had to get creative. As I gained experience and started making more deals, I was able to invest in various marketing strategies. In 2006, my business partners and I spent $10,000 a month on TV ads, which brought in $30,000 to $40,000 in monthly revenue. More recently, many of you have heard me talk about losing $10,000 on a local generation lead service. But aside from these two examples, I rarely spend money on marketing to find properties—and I’m still able to find the deals. Let me show you how I do it.
March 31, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
I Made $100,000 This Month. How’d You Do?
March turned out to be a solid month. While in Dallas for a conference, we sold one of our turnkey properties to a hedge fund and walked away with an $81,000 net profit. Not bad for a business trip. But Wait, There’s More! In addition to that payday, our short-term and mid-term rentals netted us $19,146.75. The Final Tally – $100,175.36.
March 24, 2025 | 1.5 Minute Read
You Need Multiple Streams of REI Income
When I first started investing in real estate back in 2002, my sole strategy was wholesaling. It had a low barrier to entry with minimal costs, making it an easy way to get started. And it worked—until 2008. When the market crashed, buyers disappeared, and most wholesalers quickly dropped out. So, how can you protect yourself against market downturns, protect your finances, and thrive in any market cycle? The answer: multiple streams of income.
March 24, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
Analysis
The Wealth Illusion: $8 Trillion Gone
Last week in just 48 hours, U.S. stock markets shed around $8 trillion in value. Overnight, retirement accounts, investment portfolios, and 401(k)s looked a whole lot smaller. So here’s the question we should all be asking: If wealth can disappear that quickly… was it ever truly real? Welcome to the wealth illusion.
April 14, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
The Sneaky Wholesaler
A few weeks ago, an agent submitted an offer on one of my listings. The contract seemed straightforward—no unexpected terms or conditions. It included a 10-day inspection period and a closing contingent on approval, which was reasonable. After some negotiation, we agreed on the final price. The next day, I received a direct call from the out-of-state buyer. After that, the deal went off the rails.
March 31, 2025 | 2 Minute Read
Making an Offer? How to Walk a Property Like a Pro
With 23 years of experience in buying and selling over 2,000 properties, I’ve developed a systematic approach for assessing a property. Here’s my thought process the moment I pull up to a house. Here’s what I think as I walk through a property and most importantly, whether or not to send an offer.
March 17, 2025 | 2.5 Minute Read
Why I Refinanced My Airbnb
I recently completed a refinance on one of my short-term rentals (Airbnb). I had owned the property free and clear for nine years. For the first six years, I rented it to two different Section 8 tenants. A refinance should always have a strategic purpose. In my case, I planned to use the funds to purchase another property. Here is why I did it.
March 3, 2025 | 3.5 Minute Read
The Truth About Selling a Real Estate Portfolio
Selling a rental portfolio is a major financial decision that requires careful analysis. Whether an investor is looking to cash out, diversify assets, or simplify management, understanding the numbers and potential pitfalls for a buyer is essential.
February 24, 2025 | 3.5 Minute Read
Four Wholesaling Mistakes to Avoid
When I first started wholesaling properties in 2002, the real estate landscape was completely different. The online services we have today simply didn’t exist. Back then, most real estate tools were software applications you had to download onto your computer. Finding good deals wasn’t as easy as pulling up a list online—it required an old school approach. Today, many wholesalers marketing deals still make the same basic mistakes we did years ago. Here’s four to avoid.
February 24, 2025 | 3.5 Minute Read
Identifying the Buyer for your Turnkey Property
Last week, I discussed a sizable turnkey rental portfolio that an investor is looking to sell. Naturally, the seller wants top dollar. If the properties are fully renovated, occupied by reliable tenants, and priced right, a strong sale price is achievable. However, determining the initial asking price requires careful analysis of several factors.
February 10, 2025 | 3.5 Minute Read
Will Real Estate Investors Benefit as Market Thaws?
The U.S. residential real estate market is showing signs of thawing after a slow December, with a surge in new listings and a gradual easing of the “lock-in” effect. This shift presents key opportunities for real estate investors looking to acquire properties at favorable prices before the market fully adjusts. This means more inventory to choose from and potentially better deals. As more sellers enter the market, competition among them could lead to price reductions or negotiable terms, creating a window of opportunity to acquire properties at lower costs.
February 3, 2025 | 3 Minute Read
Buying A House With A Tenant Hoarder
Last week, a wholesaler sent me a property to review. The numbers looked good. I could pick it up for $70K with an ARV of $140,000. That’s a 50% discount but as any experienced fix and flip investor knows, it all depends on the renovation costs. We met at the property and like any good wholesaler, there was another potential buyer there as well. I completed my walk around the property and was ready to go inside. But, the wholesaler said we needed to wait for the other investor to wrap up his interior inspection because there is no room to walk. The tenant is a hoarder.
February 3, 2025 | 2.5 Minute Read
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