7 Rentals in 2 Years by Buying in an Affordable Market Everyone Ignores

May 18, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Nick Burke built a portfolio of six rental properties in Detroit over two years while maintaining a full-time tech recruiting job in New Jersey. He selected the market after years of research and a test rental of his own condo, then executed purchases and rehabs from more than 500 miles away. His approach centered on identifying an affordable market with population growth and renovation potential, then applying lessons from each deal to refine acquisition criteria and financing.

Market Selection Criteria

Burke evaluated markets for cash-flow potential, price points under $70,000, forced appreciation opportunities, and signs of resurgence. Detroit met these tests through recent population gains and favorable rent-to-price ratios that supported BRRRR execution. He had no prior connections there and completed initial due diligence remotely, relying on data and conversations with agents rather than in-person visits before the first purchase. The one-hour-fifteen-minute flight from Philadelphia provided modest logistical convenience without requiring frequent travel.

Financing and Deal Execution

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What you'll learn

1 (01:37) **Background and Entry into Real Estate** - Nick shares how he rented out his primary condo and decided to scale into rentals
2 (04:07) **Market Selection Process** - Criteria used to evaluate out-of-state markets
3 (05:20) **Why Detroit** - Specific factors that made Detroit the chosen market
4 (06:55) **Building the Remote Team** - How the first key relationship was established
5 (08:41) **First Deal Breakdown** - Purchase, rehab, and results on the initial Detroit property
6 (09:35) **Credit Card Financing Strategy** - Using 0% intro APR cards for acquisition
7 (11:55) **Lessons from Deal One** - Adjustments made after the first execution

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Nick Burke knew he wanted to invest, but in his high-priced New Jersey market, buying a cash-flowing rental property was close to impossible. He needed to find an affordable market, somewhere with population growth, equity upside, and houses below the $100K price point. He did it, but in a city, 99% of investors have completely written off arguably too soon.

Now, Nick owns a rental property portfolio of seven houses, using the “BRRRR” method (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat), to build an entire rental portfolio with very little money out of pocket. He’s done what most investors never thought of—buying his first true rental with a credit card, managing renovations from hundreds of miles away, and going 50/50 with a partner when he didn’t have the cash.

If any of that sounds too risky for you, Nick proves that if you’ve got your head on straight, you can make it work with all of these options. Just two years later, Nick’s portfolio has made him hundreds of thousands of dollars richer in equity, and he’s even gotten paid to buy rentals! All it took was taking the leap and realizing he, too, could build wealth in real estate.

This is his exact strategy for scaling so quickly, without a ton of cash to start.

In This Episode We Cover

How to use the BRRRR method to make tens of thousands in equity immediately

Buying a rental property with a credit card?! The 0% interest move Nick made that paid off

The #1 most important person on your out-of-state investing team (you cannot miss this!)

Nick’s exact buy box for finding an affordable, cash-flowing real estate market

Investing while working a 9-5 job? Why it’s more than possible even if you’re managing renovations

And So Much More!

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