• Buying rental properties is a popular way to get into real estate investing, but it's not passive.
• Experienced real estate investors are shifting from rentals to more passive strategies.
• Two popular, more hands-off strategies are real estate syndications and private money lending.

A popular way to get started in real estate investing is by buying a rental property. After finding and closing on a deal, investors place a tenant and ideally collect more in rent than they owe each month on the mortgage and expenses. Whatever is left over is cash flow.

It can be a lucrative income stream, but real estate investors are upfront about one caveat: It's not passive. Owning rentals means dealing with tenant turnover, maintenance requests, vacancies, repairs, and, in some cases, evictions.

That's why some experienced investors are using rentals as a launching pad. Once they've built capital and experience, they're shifting to more passive strategies that allow them to keep exposure to real estate without taking on the day-to-day responsibilities of being a landlord.

Two such strategies have come up repeatedly in Business Insider's conversations with financially independent investors: real estate syndications and private money lending.

Real estate syndications

A syndication allows investors to put money into a larger real-estate deal — such as an apartment complex, student-housing development, or boutique hotel — without personally buying or operating the property. A sponsor or operator manages the deal, while investors typically receive cash-flow distributions and, if the property is eventually sold for a profit, a share of the proceeds.

Cody Berman, who started with a house hack and later bought rentals that generated enough cash flow for him to live on, said much of his real-estate exposure today comes through syndications.

"My return on effort in my main business, my digital-products business, is a lot higher than my return on effort in real estate," he said. "I still want the real-estate exposure, but I don't want to go out there and just buy a 20-unit apartment building myself and then have to get it tenanted and figure out how to set up all the maintenance stuff."

In a syndication, Berman said, he might invest in a 100-unit apartment complex in another part of the country — a property he has never seen in person — because he trusts the operator running the deal.

"I will invest a chunk of money with them for some set period of time, usually somewhere from three to seven years," he said. "I'll make money every quarter on cash-flow distributions based on the rent the property is generating. And then if there is a sale event, which is usually the goal of a syndicator, then I'll get all my money back and some more in the form of a check."

He described it as "owning rental properties without actually having to own rental properties."

There are trade-offs. Investors in syndications generally do not have the same control or upside as the general partner running the deal. Their money is also typically locked up for years.

Choosing the right operator is crucial, added Berman, who relies on referrals, interviews, and research.

"Pretty much everyone that I've ever invested with has been through a word-of-mouth referral plus an interview, talking to the person, doing my research."

Private money lending

Another strategy experienced investors use to keep real estate in their portfolio without owning additional property is private money lending. Instead of buying or renovating properties themselves, they lend money to other investors who need capital for deals.

To get started in private lending, you need capital and, ideally, a presence within your local real estate community. Real estate is a relationships business, and typically, the broader your network, the more opportunities you'll encounter.

Carl and Mindy Jensen, who grew their net worth to more than $5 million and retired early, have tried a variety of investment strategies, including live-in flipping. They said that private lending is one of their favorite strategies.

"The private lending generates such a nice return that it's difficult to be like, 'No, we don't want to have the easy money. Let's go do another live-in flip,'" said Mindy. "But we're also in a much different financial position now than we were when we started live-in flipping, and I think that's important to note: You could still make money live-in flipping, and if you have more time than money, it can be a really great way to turn your home into an investment."

Josh and Ali Lupo, another financially independent couple, started lending to other real-estate investors in 2025, and it's resulted in double-digit returns.

"There are some industry standards," Josh said. "In the private money lending world, 10 to 12% interest is very common. That's the baseline."

The lender generally determines the terms of the loan, he added, and the rate can vary depending on the deal's length.

Private lending is not risk-free. One of the main risks is that the borrower fails to repay the loan, which makes vetting both the borrower and the deal essential. That due diligence takes time, but once the Lupos have completed their research and decided to fund a deal, the process itself is relatively hands-off, said Josh.

"It takes us 30 minutes driving to the bank, wiring the funds, and then the investor that is borrowing the money sends us updates, and that's the extent of it."

• Coast FIRE is one of several offshoots of the FIRE movement.
• It allows investors to ease up on retirement contributions once their existing portfolio is on track for retirement.
• It's an option for people seeking work flexibility, but don't necessarily want to save super aggressively.

The classic FIRE movement — short for "financial independence, retire early" — has long had a reputation for extremes: save aggressively, invest diligently, and build a portfolio large enough to leave work years before traditional retirement age.

The ideas behind FIRE are often traced to the 1992 book, "Your Money or Your Life," and were later amplified by blogs, podcasts, and online communities. At its most intense, FIRE can mean saving or investing the majority of one's income, adding multiple income streams, taking on extra work, or delaying major life milestones such as marriage or children.

But financial independence does not have to mean a life of deprivation.

Business Insider has spoken with numerous investors who want more flexible schedules and more control over their time, but who also want to "enjoy today," as Andy and Nicole Hill put it. For the Hills, pursuing traditional FIRE created tension at home. Eventually, they pivoted to a less extreme offshoot of the movement: Coast FIRE.

Andy Hill describes Coast FIRE as a "middle ground" strategy — a way to capture some of the benefits of financial independence, such as stepping back from a demanding corporate career, without the aggressive savings requirements of traditional FIRE.

"It works well for families, works well for couples, works well for people who aren't multi-six-figure earners," he said. "And I wish I had known about that a lot earlier."

Amberly Grant fell into that category. For most of her career, she did not earn six figures. At 19, she left the small Canadian town where she grew up and spent years traveling while picking up odd jobs along the way.

"I've cleaned houses, walked dogs, worked in bars and restaurants. I've taught English in Thailand, and I've helped a friend with a nutrition and Pilates studio in Sydney," Grant told BI. "I basically just traveled the world and did odd jobs, and the accumulation of all the money was about $15,000 a year on average."

Traditional FIRE may have felt out of reach, but Coast FIRE wasn't. Grant said she hit her Coast FIRE number in her mid-30s.

What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE is one of several offshoots of the FIRE movement, alongside Lean FIRE, Fat FIRE, and Barista FIRE.

Achieving Coast FIRE means an investor has enough saved and invested that, in theory, they no longer need to contribute to retirement accounts. The money they already have invested is expected to compound over time and grow into the amount they will need by retirement.

That does not mean they stop working. It means they only need to earn enough to cover their current expenses while their portfolio continues growing in the background. For some people, that can create room to take a pay cut, change careers, work for themselves, scale back to part-time, or choose less stressful work.

To figure out a Coast FIRE number, investors generally start with a few stats: their current age, ideal retirement age, expected annual spending in retirement, current investments, expected returns, and inflation. Online calculators can help estimate how much someone needs to invest today for that money to grow into a sufficient retirement balance later.

Hill, who quit a stressful, time-intensive corporate job after reaching his $550,000 Coast FIRE number, cautions that the figure is still only an estimate.

"Nothing with investing is guaranteed," said the family finance coach who now works about 20 hours a week on his own business, Marriage Kids and Money.

That's why he recommends checking the math over time. Investors should account for inflation, fund expense ratios, financial advisor fees, and the difference between nominal returns and real returns. Coast FIRE is also not a binding rule. Someone who reaches it can always keep contributing to retirement accounts if their goals or life circumstances change.

Grant is doing exactly that. Technically, she only needs to work enough to cover her expenses, but she is still contributing to her nest egg because she wants the option to retire before 60.

She's learned to accept that life is not linear.

"You might be aiming towards 'Coast FIRE' or 'Fat FIRE' or FIRE, but life will happen, and it's OK to pivot."

• I gave my daughter a "Yes Day" for her 7th birthday.
• The experience showed me how much kids value being trusted.
• Saying yes helped my daughter build confidence and independence.

Parenting young kids often feels like saying no on repeat.

No, not today. No, that's enough. No, maybe later.

So for my daughter's 7th birthday, I decided to try something different. I decided to give her a "Yes day" and say yes to whatever request and desire she had, within resonable boundaries.

I first heard about it years ago, before I became a mom. A good friend told me about an annual tradition in their home called "Kids in charge day," where her children picked the meals, the outings, and the flow of the day.

At the time, I had questions. What if they ask for something unrealistic? What if it gets out of hand?

She told me something I didn't fully appreciate then, but that has stayed with me ever since: kids aren't as impressed with extravagance. What they want is attention, time, and a sense that their voice matters.

We introduced the idea when our daughter was 4, and it quickly became one of her favorite traditions. So this year, we made it her birthday gift, something she already loved, arriving right on time.

I set boundaries, but kept them simple

"Yes" doesn't mean anything goes. For us, it meant choices that were safe, local, and doable within the day. My daughter didn't need endles options. She needed the opportuity to make her own choices.

I let her lead, even when it was uncomforable

Her first request was breakfast: a cream cheese bagel. Easy.

Then came her outfit: red heart socks, faded floral print pants, and an old pink shirt. Something I would've picked out for play or painting, not a birthday outing.

I almost redirected her, but stopped short. "Is that what you want to wear?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, beaming. Confidence is built in moments when kids get to trust their own thinking without being corrected.

The small things seemed to matter most

We headed to National Harbor, just outside of D.C., where she planned to build a bear using gift cards she'd been saving.

When we pulled up, I asked if I could grab a coffee before we got started. "Yes!" she shouted, delighted. That moment surprised me. She wasn't just receiving the yes. She was learning how to give it.

We wandered into a Black-owned bookstore, hand in hand. She picked out a chapter book. Then, just as excitedly, she grabbed a "Gracie's Corner" book, a series she used to love as a toddler and one I was almost certain she'd outgrown.

I almost said no again. Then I remembered the assignment. "Yes. And yes."

I enjoyed watching what she did with the freedom

At Build-A-Bear, she made thoughtful choices. She picked the birthday bear that cost as much as her age so she could spend more on accessories, instead of choosing a more expensive plush that would eat into her budget. I'm not surprised though, my girl loves to save a coin.

By midday, it was "yes, yes, yes." A candy shop stop. A few treats. There was an ice cream counter inside, and after trying a few flavors, she decided on her own to wait until after lunch.

No prompting. No correction. Just her own good judgment. She felt trusted in the moment and rose to the occasion.

I needed to stretch my comfort too

Later, she asked to ride the Capital Wheel. She was ready. I was not.

Her dad had joined us by then, and they walked hand in hand toward the oversized Ferris wheel while I followed a few steps behind, snapping photos. At the ticket booth, my husband asked for three tickets.

"Wait, Mom, you're doing this?!" she asked. I took a breath. "Yes." She squealed.

Sometimes a "Yes Day" isn't just about your child. It's about saying yes to yourself, too. To your own confidence and courage. I know my fear of heights is irrational, but in that moment it felt very real. I was, and still am, proud of myself for pushing through.

She reminded me I deserve yeses too

At the nail salon I typically visit solo, she was treated like royalty. Apple juice in a bejeweled glass. Chocolates at checkout. A cascade of bubbles as we left. We stopped next door at a craft store and picked up stickers and bookmarks.

And then, near the end of the day, she surprised me. She asked if we could go to the makeup store to get something for me. I reminded her it was her day, not mine.

"Yes, but I want to share it with you, Mama."

That night, we ordered cheeseburgers and fries and sat around the table, her legs swinging as she recapped her favorite parts of the day. Proud. Confident. Already just a little bit bigger.

In that moment, my friend's words came back to me. A "Yes Day" isn't about indulgence. It's about intention. It gives your child space to make decisions, feel heard, and trust their voice.

The goal isn't just to say yes for a day. It's to raise kids who know how to use their voice for a lifetime.

• My 12-year-old is pushing for more independence, and I'm learning to adjust.
• We've set clear rules and boundaries to balance freedom with safety.
• I'm letting go gradually, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Over the last couple of years, my 12-year-old has started pushing for greater independence. In the past couple of months, he's pushed harder than ever.

I expected it. He's entering adolescence, and, developmentally, it's normal for him to want to explore without his mom always around.

Even though it was expected, it still came as a shock to my system. How have I got a child who is old enough to do anything without me?

With his push for independence, have come a myriad of sit-down conversations about what he wants, what we are comfortable with, and what we deem safe and age-appropriate.

It's early days, but together with my husband, who very helpfully has always worked with young people, we've developed a plan that works for right now — a mix of guidelines, rules, and boundaries.

Walking home from school

For the last two years, our son has walked home from school. This was his first taste of independence. Before this started, I walked the route behind him, watching how he moved on the sidewalks and studying to make sure he safely crossed a couple of busy streets.

He did this for two years without a phone. I knew if he wasn't home by 3:55 p.m., then I'd go out looking for him.

This 10-minute walk was the springboard to further independence. If we could trust that he was road-safe and responsible, we could give him more independence later on.

Walking to the convenience store

Having built our trust by walking home from school, we then allowed him to walk to the convenience store down the road to either buy us things like milk and bread or to use his own money to get himself a treat.

This gave him yet another taste of freedom. When friends came over, we'd ask their parents for permission to walk to the shop. This gave them something to do together and got them off screens.

Wandering around the park

There is a lovely park a 10 minutes' walk down the road from our house. He used to walk through this park on his way home from school, so I knew he felt comfortable in it and knew his way around.

He often asks if he and his friends can go cycling, walking, or scootering around the park, and we've said a resounding yes.

In a world where technology dominates, I love that he wants to explore outside with his friends.

There are risks, as with any location, but I am willing to let him take them. We mitigate these risks by ensuring he has his phone and by downloading an app that lets us track his location in case of an emergency.

If he does get injured, he knows how to call me and how to ring emergency services.

There are things we can't do and places he can't go

While we have allowed him more freedom recently, I limit what he can do based on what I know about a particular area and the risks it presents.

At times, I can sense he feels resentment when his friends are allowed to do things he isn't. We remind him that all families are different.

Instead of just saying a blanket "no," we once again reconvene and explain why we, as his parents, have made this decision.

There are plenty of freedoms he'll be allowed in the coming years, but these will come with his maturity and our increased trust in his ability to make wise, safe decisions.

I feel like we're walking into a minefield that every other parent of a teenager who has gone before us has already walked in. And yet it feels like we are the first ones. We're just doing the best we know how, one conversation at a time.

• To invest in real estate without having to fork over a big down payment, some investors are using the BRRRR method.
• It involves buying a property with potential, renovating it, and renting it out.
• Then, investors can use a cash-out refinance to help fund their next purchase.

Real estate investing can be an effective way to build wealth, but it's not as simple as selecting an index fund, contributing money, and letting it grow.

Successful real estate investing requires time, strategy, and money — often a significant amount, especially for investors looking to build multi-property portfolios.

To scale without having to save for a new down payment and closing costs for each deal, some investors use a strategy known as "buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat," or BRRRR.

The approach involves buying a property with potential, renovating it, and renting it out. Once rented, the next step is to refinance, allowing investors to pull out their original investment, plus any equity they've built, to help fund their next purchase. Banks typically lend up to 70% to 75% of a property's value in a cash-out refinance.

Scaling quickly by recycling capital

When buying an investment property, "you're really looking at at least 20% down," Pieter Louw told Business Insider. He and his childhood friend, Connor Swofford, used the BRRRR strategy to scale from zero to 24 units in 12 months. "Even with a $300,000 or $400,000 property, with closing costs, you have to come up with 60 to 80 grand, which is not very scalable."

Their first deal was a duplex with a carriage house in Buffalo. Two of the three units were ready to rent, while the third required renovations. They said they bought it for $295,000, put about $40,000 into it, and by the time they refinanced, it appraised for $430,000.

"That really kick-started us," said Louw.

They've financed their deals with hard money loans (short-term loans secured by a "hard" asset, such as real estate), sometimes layering in private money for the down payment or renovations. Working with hard money lenders allows them to move faster than traditional banks, though it does come with risk, Swofford said: "It's a big balloon payment, you have to personally guarantee the loan, and there's a bit more paperwork and harder compliance hurdles to clear."

Thanks to Louw's construction background, they can confidently predict their rehab costs and timeline, which is critical for a successful BRRRR.

"The two biggest things are making sure that your construction budget is reasonably accurate," said Louw, "and knowing your purchase price and what the value would be afterward: the ARV."

Carolyn Yu has used the BRRRR method to scale to five properties in two years.

Her strategy centers on buying below market value, improving the property, allowing it to appreciate, and then tapping into the built-up equity to help finance another purchase.

"My strategy is basically to use every property to fund the next one," said the 27-year-old investor seeking early retirement.

A slower, more flexible version of BRRRR

There's more than one way to execute a BRRRR. Financially independent investor Dion McNeeley has experimented with a "live-in BRRRR," and Mike Newton, a Washington State trooper who owns more than 20 rental units, uses what he calls a "slow BRRRR" strategy to reduce risk.

"One of the main concerns with the BRRRR strategy is, what if I don't get the appraisal I want? What if I don't get it remodeled as quickly as I thought I would?" said Newton. "All of a sudden, as I take longer, it now costs me way more money."

His "slow BRRRR" strategy works like so: First, he secures private money from individual investors in his local real estate community. There's nothing unique about that step; the key is how he structures the loans. He sets up a five-year interest-only loan term. For example, on a 2025 triplex purchase, he borrowed $60,000 at 10% interest, meaning he owed the lender $6,000 per year, or about $500 a month, with no principal payments.

He'll eventually pay the loan back in a lump sum after he rehabs and refinances the property, but he has plenty of time to do so. He includes a clause that allows him to extend the loan for up to three additional years if the appraisal doesn't meet a specified threshold. He also includes a no prepayment penalty clause.

"If we had some crazy recession or the value didn't come back, I can wait longer and continue to cash flow," he said. "Even though 10% is not a great interest rate, if you're not paying any principal, the actual payment I'm making of $500 a month is less than what a principal and interest payment would be."

When the timing is right, he refinances, pays back the private lender, and moves on to the next deal.

Why some investors are shifting to BRRRR now

For Louisville-based investors Mike Gorius and Kevin Hart, BRRRR is becoming more attractive as market conditions change.

The business partners have primarily focused on house flipping since they started buying real estate together in 2019, but they're leaning more heavily into BRRRR projects in 2026.

A cooling market has made quick resale profits harder to rely on.

They know the strategy isn't risk-free. You still have to make sure your numbers work, and you can hit the value you're expecting, Hart said.

"From the get-go, you still have the risk of rehab and the risk of running correct costs to make sure that you can actually get a good appraisal."

However, compared to flipping, BRRRR offers a more predictable exit.

"You're taking out the risk of the market," explained Hart. Instead of worrying about a flip sitting for months while you're paying interest, "you know that at the end of the rehab you can get a tenant in there and you can immediately refinance with the bank."

It may not yield quick cash like a successful flip, but they're playing the long game.

• Many tech leaders say they're ditching screen time limits, though some still use them.
• Instead, they're focused on how their kids are interacting with technology, prioritizing creativity.
• Short-form video and social media remain major concerns for many parents.

These days, parenting means navigating a seemingly endless parade of decisions about technology. Can your toddler watch "Sesame Street" on an iPad? Does FaceTiming the grandparents count toward screen time? Should your teen have access to social media just because "everyone else" seems to?

Parents are more cognizant than ever about the pitfalls — and potential — of technology, so it's natural to wonder how the people leading tech companies handle this with their own kids. Paypal cofounder Peter Thiel and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel have both said they limit their young children (all 8 or under) to an hour and a half of screen time per week. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said that he wants his kids to use screens for communication, not passive consumption.

It turns out, tech leaders, for the most part, are like the rest of us: trying to balance screen-free time and critical thinking skills, while also giving their kids access to the world that technology can unlock.

Here's how seven tech leaders are handling technology decisions for their families.

Finding the middle

Kate Doerksen is the co-founder and CEO of Sage Haven, an app that helps parents monitor their kids' messaging. Her kids, who are 7 and 9, get an hour per day on their iPads or Nintendo Switch, plus additional time if the family is playing a video game together. She plans to delay smartphones and social media, but her daughter has an Apple Watch with messenger (which Doerksen monitors).

"Like most things in life, the right answer feels like it lies somewhere in the middle," Doerksen says. "It's not tech abstinence, and it's not unlimited, unfettered usage. It's moderate usage on non-addictive apps and games with boundaries."

Learning and creating

As the chief learning officer at the online education company Stride, Niyoka McCoy, sees tech as a normal part of life, but she's still intentional about how her children — who are 14 and 2 — use it.

"We believe technology should be a tool for learning and creativity first, and entertainment second," she says. Her kids don't have hard-and-fast screen time limits, but McCoy aims to avoid them passively consuming content.

"When kids spend too much time scrolling or watching instead of creating, learning, or building something meaningful," she says, "that is when technology stops being beneficial."

Focusing on well-being, not screen time

Three years ago, Hari Ravichandran's daughter, who was then 13, went through a tough time — one that he believes her access to a smartphone contributed to. He had given her a phone at 13, but now believes that was too young, so he decided to take the phone away and delay access until 15 or 16 for her as well as his three younger children.

"I knew we couldn't just send her back into the same digital environment that had amplified those issues," said Ravichandran, the founder and CEO of online security company Aura.

At the same time, "What I think is overblown is the idea that technology itself is the enemy," Ravichandran says. "Cutting it out completely doesn't solve the root problem and can actually limit kids' independence and digital literacy."

Today, he focuses on how technology impacts his children's mood, sleep, self-esteem, and overall well-being.

"For us, it's less about strict bans and more about awareness, accountability, and open dialogue," he says.

Making sure values align

Tim Sheehan, co-founder and CEO Greenlight — which provides debit cards for children and teens — gave his four kids access to smartphones at 12, and social media at 15. His kids now range in age from 17 to 26. When they were younger, he watched their tech consumption closely, knowing how impressionable they were.

"My goal is to make sure the outside influences in their lives support the values we're trying to instill," he says.

Limiting short-term video

Justice Eroline, chief technology officer at the software development firm BairesDev, has a blanket rule of 1 hour of screen time for his kids, who are 8, 10, and 12. Even within that, he pays close attention to the type of content they're watching.

"I don't allow short-form content for the kids as it affects their attention span," he says.

Ahu Chhapgar, chief technology officer at fintech company Paysafe and dad of two (ages 10 and 13), says short-form video worries him more than anything else.

"When kids get access to it, they almost enter a trance," he says. "That level of stimulus is not how the brain evolved to process information, and I do worry about long-term effects on attention and impulse control."

Allowing AI, and gaming

Unlike some parents, Eroline is much less concerned about gaming.

"Video games can teach kids a lot of different things: teamwork, reaction time, problem solving, grit, dealing with defeat," Eroline says. "The content of the video game might be questionable, but there are plenty that can work for different age ranges."

Chhapgar won't let his kids have access to smartphones until they're 14, and social media until they're 16, but he does encourage them to use ChatGPT for 20 minutes each day.

"No one has all the answers about AI yet," he says. "So I'd rather they explore, build, and experiment responsibly instead of just passively consuming technology."

Controlling the interaction

Nik Kale, principal engineer with Cisco Systems, makes sure that his 3-year-old isn't given a screen when she's upset.

"I don't want her building a dependency where the first response to discomfort is a device," he explains.

He also ensures that he or his wife — not an algorithm — are choosing what their daughter sees.

"I don't let automated systems make unsupervised decisions in my production environments at work," he says. "I'm not going to let one make unsupervised decisions about what my three-year-old's brain consumes either."

That, to him, is much more important than seemingly arbitrary screen time limits.

"Parents are adding up minutes like it's a toxicity dosage," he says, "when the real variable is whether a human or an algorithm is driving the experience."