If you're trying to figure out how the hell people are building wealth through real estate, you've probably come across all kinds of buzzwords and strategies that sound either too good to be true or just plain confusing.
I'm here to break them down. Let’s get into it.
Strategy 1: Buy & Hold
This one’s the slow burn, and it’s my favorite. You buy the property, rent it out, and let time, tenants, and financing do the work of building equity. You get tax benefits, you’re using the bank’s money to grow, and you're building real wealth over time.
You’re not getting a massive payday right away, but you’re stacking wins year after year.
This is the strategy I live for. It's slow and steady, but it works every time if you stay consistent and protect your investment. No drama, just results.
Strategy 2: Speculation
Speculation is real estate gambling. You buy something hoping that someday soon, something will change—maybe a new highway gets built nearby, a school opens up, or the neighborhood "turns."
The upside? Big profit if you're right.
The downside? You’re guessing. And if you guess wrong, it could sink you.
I don’t mess with this one much because I’m not great at predicting the future. If you’ve got a crystal ball, knock yourself out. But I like my investments boring, safe, and profitable.
Strategy 3: The BRRRR Method
Buy. Renovate. Rent. Refinance. Repeat. You buy something ugly or broken, fix it up, go back to the bank and say, "Hey, look what I did—give me some equity back." Then you take that money and go do it again.
It’s a powerful way to scale fast—if you know what you’re doing.
The real catch? You need a killer team, strong systems, and access to financing. Renovation, acquisition, and refinancing all need to run like clockwork. This ain’t a solo mission. It’s not for brand-new investors without a game plan.
And when interest rates are high or the market shifts, this strategy can bite hard.
Strategy 4: Value-Add
This is the strategy I get the most fired up about. Value-add is where the real magic happens—not just adding a new roof or kitchen, but fixing the stuff that actually makes the property worth more. Maybe it’s poor operations, bad tenants, inefficient expenses, or something else that's holding that property back.
You can use this strategy with Buy and Hold or even BRRRR. And get this—not every value-add play costs you money. Some of the best ones don’t cost a dime but make the asset way more profitable.
Strategy 5: Flipping
Oh, flipping. The golden child of HGTV.
You buy a property low, fix it up fast, and sell it for a profit. Everyone thinks it’s easy because they watched it happen in 30 minutes on TV.
Reality check? It’s a high-stakes hustle. You need to be a beast at finding good deals, negotiating hard, managing renos quickly, and selling at just the right moment. One delay, one surprise foundation crack, or one slow market can wipe out your profits.
Can it work? Hell yes. But it’s not for the faint of heart. And it's definitely not passive income.
So Which Strategy Should You Use?
That depends on you—your goals, your time, your resources, and how much risk you’re willing to take on. Personally, I’m always going to lean toward strategies that are stable, long-term, and allow you to stack cash flow and equity.
Start with Buy and Hold or Value-Add. Get educated. Build your team. Stay protected. Then if you want to roll the dice with flips or speculation, at least you’ve got a solid foundation.
This stuff isn’t just about money—it’s about freedom, security, and building a legacy. And I think that's worth doing right.
I’m PM Jen, the—landlord educator, real estate investor, and your favorite straight-talker in the buy-and-hold game. Hold It With PM Jen exists to help real estate investors protect their assets, grow their cash flow, and stop spinning their wheels.
Our mission is simple: help you hold properties smarter, longer, and with way less bullshit. Whether you're new to real estate or knee-deep in it, I’m here to help you hold strong and grow big.