I Bought 15 Rental Units While Making $15/Hour Putting Up Fences

June 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Britton Eads bought his first rental property at age 20 while earning $15 an hour digging fence holes. He had never seen the duplex, skipped the inspection, and did not know it was over a hundred years old. Two weeks after closing, the pipes burst. That first deal did not appraise for what he hoped, but it cash-flowed from day one. Over the next three years, he accumulated 15 rental units, pulled out $212,000 in equity, and replaced his W-2 income. His story is not a blueprint for reckless buying; it is a case study in what happens when an investor consistently shops for mispriced assets, uses every creative financing tool available, and refuses to quit after making beginner mistakes.

The First Deal: Speed Over Diligence

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (01:37) **Background & First Deal** - Britton Eads, 18-year-old high school grad in 2021, drops out of college and electrician union, then buys a $70K duplex sight-unseen without an inspection while making $15/hr putting up fences.
2 (08:33) **Second Deal: FHA 4-Plex** - After a 1.5-year pause, Britton buys a $245K fourplex with 3.5% down ($7K out-of-pocket) using an FHA loan in April 2024.
3 (16:41) **Finding a Mentor** - Britton's mom (a bank VP) connects him to Hank Ballinger, a local landlord with 800+ units; Britton pays $500 for a six-week one-on-one class.
4 (19:48) **Third Deal: 7 Units for $265K** - Britton spots a $185K triplex on Zillow, notices an identical triplex next door with 7 mailboxes, and asks the owner to sell both — gets both triplexes plus a small house for $265K total.
5 (25:46) **Cash-Out Refi & Cross-Collateralization** - After fixing up the 7-unit property, it appraises for $545K (vs. $305K all-in). Britton uses this equity to buy a $250K duplex.
6 (34:31) **Key Lessons & Current Position** - Britton's core strategy: buy properties with as little money down that cash flow the most, enabling financial freedom from a $15/hr fencing job.
7 Standout Quotes

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Britton Eads was making $15 per hour putting up fences all day. He had no college degree; he dropped out of the electrician trade and didn’t have many other options. One day, he read Rich Dad Poor Dad, and realized his life didn’t need to stay on the same track it was going.

Now, just four years later, he’s got over 15 rental units, his rental income replaced his fence job, he’s sitting on $200,000 in equity across his portfolio, and he couldn’t be happier. It only happened because he took action instead of second-guessing himself.

Britton’s story is one of the wildest we’ve heard. Everything from burst pipes to ceiling holes, very low appraisals, and funding mishaps. But it didn’t stop Britton from pushing forward and creating the wealth he knew was possible. He just had to learn from his mistakes.

If you feel like you’re stuck, wanting to get into real estate investing, but thinking you don’t have the cash, the income, or the experience, there is no better guest than Britton to prove you can start—you just need to start.

In This Episode We Cover

How Britton funded his first real estate deal when he had (almost) no money

The big mistakes Britton made on his first real estate deal (that you should not repeat)

Using equity from one rental property to fund the purchase of another

Buying a fourplex with just 3.5% down using a loan most investors overlook

When paying for a mentor (or community) is actually worth the investment

The best beginner advice from Britton to get you in the game and stay out of trouble

And So Much More!

Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠