Living Off Rentals

We believe that a high quality rental property is the best investment a person can make. This podcast equips listeners to build a rental portfolio of their own. Each week host, Kirby Atwell, interviews someone who is living off rentals and identifies best practices, advice, and potential investing pitfalls to avoid!

Living Off Rentals is a business podcast hosted by Kirby Atwell, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kirby Atwell hosts Living Off Rentals, a business show with 100 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Living Off Rentals

  #346 - Quadruple Your Capacity - How to Hire a Virtual Team Member For Your Airbnb Business - Maria Laoang

  Sep 30, 202640 min

  Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is Maria Laoang, our Airbnb Manager who's been overseeing the day-to-day operations for my short-term rental business, Dune Dwellings, for the past two years. Maria is a virtual assistant (VA) from the Philippines who manages our team of 3 full-time customer service team members. Together, they run the day-to-day operations of our Airbnb business. Listen as she shares how her background in customer service led her to Airbnb management, her responsibilities, and what it means to hire for ownership rather than tasks. She also gets into what onboarding and training VAs look like in practice, how something as simple as a daily Slack recap can keep a whole team on the same page, and just how many moving pieces a short-term rental operation actually juggles, from guest services and cleaning to maintenance, vendors, systems, processes, and more. If you're looking to scale up your Airbnb operations with a virtual team, this one's for you! Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Maria Laoang and her role as virtual rental manager [04:21] Maria's background in customer service and training [07:30] Responsibilities as a virtual short-term rental manager [08:18] Improving systems, SOPs and processes [10:28] The difference between a team member and a manager [13:28] How Maria found the job opportunity [15:15] Why clearly defining the role matters when hiring [19:17] The right time to hire a virtual team member [21:19] Language and communication in the Philippines [26:41] Building the onboarding and training process [31:37] Using Slack as the day-to-day communication hub [34:16] Advice for rental property owners thinking about hiring virtually [35:25] Being ready to delegate and build systems [37:54] Rewarding your team as owners [39:52] Outro Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/ Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

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  Living Off Rentals

  #345 - How to Organize a Real Estate Portfolio and All Your Tools Into One System - Dustin Heiner

  Sep 23, 202645 min

  Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is Dustin Heiner, a real estate investor behind several podcasts, including Master Passive Income, and the man behind Income Builder - a new tool that lets investors manage all their real estate tools in one place. Dustin started investing in long-term rentals in 2006 after a wake-up call at his government job. Since then, he has built systems around his portfolio and created Income Builder, a business system designed to help investors analyze properties, manage their portfolio, organize documents, and track their progress toward financial freedom. Listen as he explains why investors need to think like business owners, how to keep everything in one place, and how AI can help investors make better decisions and build systems. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Dustin Heiner and his real estate background [03:42] Starting with long-term rentals in 2006 [04:38] Don't be an investor, be an income builder and business owner [05:29] Why Dustin focuses on systems and processes [07:26] The story behind Income Builder [09:46] Investors need a complete business system [11:03] Replacing multiple tools with one system [15:38] Investors should organize everything from the beginning [17:26] Getting started with Income Builder for free [20:33] Tracking your financial freedom goal [23:28] Building an AI investor coach [24:57] How AI could impact real estate investing [28:18] Nothing can replace mentors and community for real estate investors [31:07] Learning from other people's mistakes [32:44] Appreciation is icing on the cake [37:30] The importance of community and surrounding yourself with investors [43:04] 50% off the first month of Income Builder [44:57] Outro Guest Links: Website: https://incomebuilder.io/ Get 50% off the first month of Income Builder. Visit https://livingoffrentals.com/incomebuilder and use the promo code KIRBY. Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/ Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

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  Living Off Rentals

  #344 - Retiring From Firefighting Through Short-Term Rentals in Hawaii - Mike & Caroline Neubauer

  Sep 16, 20261h 6m

  In this episode of Living Off Rentals, Mike and Caroline Neubauer of the Our Family Invests podcast join us to share how they built financial freedom through real estate investing and short-term rentals in Maui. Starting with an ADU on their primary home, they eventually built a short-term rental business that allowed Mike to leave the fire department. Along the way, they learned some hard lessons about financing, renovations, cash flow, and building systems. Listen as Mike and Caroline share how they got started, the challenges they faced with their first short-term rental, the impacts of COVID and the Maui fire, and how having a clear family goal helped them keep moving forward. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Mike and Caroline Neubauer [03:18] Building financial freedom in a really expensive market [07:52] Building an ADU on their primary residence [13:58] From being a firefighter to discovering short-term rentals in Maui [23:00] The different path to financial freedom [24:20] The lessons learned from landlording short-term rentals [26:01] Finding and purchasing their first short-term rental [29:30] How COVID affected their real estate operations [31:09] Pivoting their short-term rentals during COVID [33:36] Investing remotely and funding new properties [40:44] Deciding when to leave the fire department [46:18] How their real estate goals have changed [48:18] Moving toward more passive investments [53:16] Choosing properties based on location and lifestyle [55:51] Mike's experience with the Maui fires [01:00:59] The impact of the Lahaina fire [01:03:06] Mike and Caroline's advice for those starting in real estate investing [01:04:20] Connect with Mike and Caroline Neubauer [01:05:13] Outro Guest Links: Website: https://ourfamilyinvests.com/ Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/ Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

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  Living Off Rentals

  #343 - How to Run a Short-Term Rental Business With Your Spouse (and Make It Work) - Kirby & Taryn Atwell

  Sep 9, 202654 min

  On this very special episode of the Living Off Rentals podcast, I am joined by my wife Taryn Atwell, who is also my business partner and the designer behind all our short-term rental properties. In this episode, we talk about how we started with a short-term rental in our basement and gradually grew the business by leaning into their different strengths. I focus more on the numbers and property decisions, while Taryn handles design, guest experience, and communication. We also talk about tips on how to get your spouse on board with real estate investing, dividing responsibilities, setting goals around the lifestyle you want, and handling the unexpected challenges of running short-term rentals. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Kirby and Taryn Atwell and their background [02:53] Taryn's background and how she got into designing their rentals [04:20] Starting with a short-term rental in their basement [06:44] The mistakes they made along the way [08:13] What it's like being married to an entrepreneur [10:46] How to get your spouse on board with real estate investing [14:25] The pressure of being the entrepreneur in the relationship [15:48] How couples can divide responsibilities and make decisions together [17:09] How their goals have changed over the years [21:24] Starting with your ideal day and working backward [25:33] Handling difficult guests and unexpected problems [27:20] Dealing with unexpected wins and losses [28:28] Negative guest experiences stick with you [32:24] Best way to maintain a strong marriage [36:53] Staying aligned on priorities and long-term goals as a couple [39:00] Getting kids involved in the family business [43:19] The most rewarding parts of the real estate lifestyle [45:33] The trade-offs of working and living together [49:03] Using challenges to create repeat guests and long-term business [53:37] Outro Guest Links: Dune Dwellings: https://www.dunedwellings.com Kirby's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirbyatwell/ Taryn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarynlee85/ Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/ Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

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  Living Off Rentals

  #342 - Scaling to 38 Units and Retiring at 27 After Building $10K in Passive Income - Rachel Richards

  Sep 2, 202647 min

  Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who went from one duplex to 38 rental units in just two years — and retired from her full-time job before turning 30. Rachel Richards is a real estate investor and author of Money Honey and Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement. She built her portfolio using a rent-by-the-room strategy that generated far more cash flow than traditional rentals, and by 2022 had grown her passive income to $20,000 a month. Listen as she shares how she scaled from one duplex to 38 units, why she focused on cash flow instead of counting doors, and how a $10,000 monthly income goal gave her the freedom to walk away from her job. She also opens up about turning her Denver home into a 4-unit house hack she now lives in for free, getting burned by contractors along the way, and the hard lesson from her divorce that changed how she thinks about protecting what you build — including why she now recommends a prenup. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Rachel Richards and her background [02:20] Why Rachel wanted to pursue financial freedom [05:38] How Rachel scaled to 38 units in just a few years [07:52] Reinvesting cash flow to keep growing [09:01] How pad split type of properties increased her cash flow [11:54] Challenges in tenants sharing common spaces [14:16] Finding her first off-market deal [17:26] How to stand out in the MLS competition [18:24] Cash flow number vs number of doors [21:21] Reaching the number and leaving her job [25:16] Rachel's books and teaching others about financial freedom [26:40] Lessons she learned from dealing with tenants, property managers and contractors [28:14] Finding the right market [31:27] Why you still need to manage the manager [34:48] Rachel's $750,000 Denver house hack [39:29] Working with women investing with a spouse [42:24] Managing risk in marriage and real estate [44:24] Protecting businesses and assets built during marriage [45:55] Connect with Rachel Richards [46:34] Outro Guest Links: Website: https://moneyhoneyrachel.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyhoneyrachel/ Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/ Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call

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