Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who teaches people how to build income streams on their own terms.

Joey Mure is the co-founder of Wealth Without Wall Street, a platform dedicated to helping people rethink traditional money advice and create passive income that gives people more control over their lives.

Once a high-earning corporate professional who felt constantly pulled away from his family, Joey now generates over $50,000 a month in passive income and guides others through the system for building passive income streams that helped him reclaim his time.

Listen as he shares how he went from missing precious time with his five daughters to taking back his calendar through passive income. He opens up about the faith-driven philosophy behind his work, why "active income is not freedom," and how most people unknowingly follow Wall Street's script instead of building income streams that free their time.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Joey Mure and his background

[02:31] Why financial freedom has to start with spiritual freedom

[03:36] The moment Joey realized high active income wasn't true freedom

[06:33] Passive income begins with knowing your "freedom number."

[09:07] Knowledge does not equal financial freedom

[12:34] Income streams vs. wealth building

[14:45] The Passive Income Operating System

[19:04] How to start trusting yourself instead of outsourcing everything to Wall Street

[20:05] Investor DNA

[23:40] Active vs. passive: What passive income really looks like in the real world

[27:00] Common passive income streams students are succeeding with today

[31:54] Market trends Joey is watching

[35:23] How much money do people really need to get started

[36:43] The "REDNECK M.O.T.E.R." framework

[38:43] Connect with Joey Mure

[39:39] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.wealthwithoutwallstreet.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

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is a Navy veteran and mom of three who went from a high-pressure military career to building a real estate business that allowed her family to take back their time.

Karin Ventresca is a Naval Academy graduate, former nuclear engineer, HR professional, and now a full-time real estate investor and short-term rental operator. After years of long commutes, daycare drop-offs, and COVID-era burnout, she and her husband built a short-term rental portfolio that gave them the freedom to reshape how they spend their days.

Listen as she shares how they made the shift from demanding military roles and corporate careers to creating a business that supports the life they want to live. She also opens up about the mindset shifts, goal-setting, and action steps that ultimately allowed her to quit her HR job and be fully present with her kids, without sacrificing financial stability.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Karin Ventresca and her background

[03:21] Growing up in Alaska and why she chose the Naval Academy

[05:25] Becoming a nuclear engineer and the unconventional path to HR

[09:28] Another twist in career progression: From HR to real estate investing

[09:50] COVID, burnout, and the moment she and Andrew realized they needed a way out

[14:02] Their first big move: building a family cabin in West Virginia and turning it into an STR

[19:01] How they furnished an entire STR with creativity, thrifting, and smart systems

[22:10] The power of deadlines in STR setup and how it saved them thousands

[26:28] 2025 goal: reclaiming their family's time

[30:02] The mindset behind intentional living and goal setting

[34:26] Their newest move: a house hack with 7 acres, a furnished ADU, and a vision for a guest-friendly garden

[39:49] Goals must be written

[40:31] How a strong network reduces fear

[44:04] Connect with Karin Ventresca

[44:55] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://riversidehavenwv.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

What does it take to go from dropping out of school in ninth grade to owning more than 150 rental units and retiring in your 40s?

Matt Hawkins, also known as the Lumberjack Landlord, is a self-taught investor who now manages over 50 buildings and 400 tenants with just one employee — all from his phone. He joins us on this episode of Living Off Rentals to unpack his incredible journey from humble beginnings to financial freedom.

Listen as he shares how early mistakes, creative deal-making (like buying a city-owned police station), and consistent systems helped him build a real estate empire that now provides freedom, flexibility, and purpose. Enjoy the show!

Chapters:

[00:00] Introducing Matt Hawkins and his background

[01:45] From dropping out of high school to becoming a real estate investor

[05:40] Investing in the stock market and losing everything

[07:41] How his first real estate deals evolved over time

[08:44] Use house hacking as the ultimate foundation for financial freedom

[13:49] Retire early by designing a business that funds your ideal life

[18:21] Scale a rental portfolio efficiently using systems and one key employee

[20:52] Think like an asset manager, not just a landlord

[24:34] Win competitive deals using the "reverse offer strategy"

[28:00] Why great deals matter more than more deals

[29:03] Connect with Matt Hawkins

[30:51] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.lumberjacklandlord.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumberjack_landlord/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LumberjackLandlord

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

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who has spent more than four decades helping people build wealth through simple, long-term rental investing.

Adiel Gorel is an investor, educator, and the author of Remote Control Retirement Riches. He has helped thousands of people buy brand-new rental homes in strong U.S. markets, using the 30-year fixed loan as the foundation for building lasting wealth.

Listen as he shares how he went from an engineer in 1980s Silicon Valley to a global real estate investor, why he believes that the 30-year fixed loan is the greatest financial gift available to Americans, and how ordinary people can create generational wealth by holding rentals long term.

He also explains the key criteria he uses to choose markets, why now is still a great time to buy, and how inflation becomes your greatest ally when you invest the right way.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Adiel Gorel and his background

[01:56] How he transitioned from Silicon Valley to real estate

[05:49] The unwritten rule back in the 1980s

[09:20] How owning 22 rental homes changed his life and inspired his company

[14:35] The evolution from older properties to brand new homes under warranty

[17:39] Adiel's four criteria for choosing where to buy rental homes

[19:50] The power of the 30-year fixed loan

[23:19] Real examples of investors who retired early using this strategy

[27:24] Why waiting for the perfect time is the biggest mistake investors make

[34:34] How ICG helps investors simplify buying and managing out-of-state rentals

[39:22] Markets and metrics to determine a great deal

[42:01] What types of homes Adiel recommends and what to avoid

[45:29] Connect with Adiel Gorel and grab his book

[46:31] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://adielgorel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adielgorel/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdielGorel

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

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who turned a simple idea—renting out spare rooms—into a thriving real estate empire.

Sam Wegert is the founder of Scale Your Co-Living Real Estate and leads the largest co-living mastermind in the world. He and his wife reached financial freedom by their early 20s and have since built a 2,500-door portfolio that blends strong cash flow with affordable housing.

Listen as he shares how he went from running a martial arts school at 16 to discovering the co-living model by accident, why shared housing can outperform traditional rentals, and what systems make it work sustainably at scale.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Sam Wegert and his background

[02:27] Getting into real estate from the martial arts business

[03:50] Creating a second financial engine in your life

[07:10] How Sam discovered co-living by accident

[09:48] Why co-living outperforms Airbnb and traditional rentals

[13:43] Key differences between Sam's model and PadSplit

[14:40] Typical co-living members and lease lengths

[18:00] Handling tenant conflicts and maintaining harmony in shared homes

[20:17] Using membership agreements instead of traditional leases

[22:58] What rent pricing looks like in the co-living model

[27:18] Turning square footage into rentable rooms

[33:55] Can you resell co-living homes?

[36:32] The invoice authorization strategy

[39:34] Sam's advice for first-time real estate investors

[42:46] Connect with Sam Wegert

[43:08] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://scaleyourrealestate.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

Joining us on this milestone 300th episode of Living Off Rentals is... me!

I can hardly believe it's been five years and 300 episodes since launching this show back in January 2020. What started as a way to document my own journey—transitioning from Army officer to full-time real estate investor—has turned into something much bigger.

In this episode, I look back on what's changed since those early days of flipping houses, what I've learned from hundreds of conversations with other investors, and the lessons that have shaped how I live and invest today.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[03:00] The surprising journey from episode 1 to 300

[04:53] Reality of running a podcast

[06:19] Lesson #1: Recognizing your stage in real estate investing

[11:13] Lesson #2: Simplicity always wins in real estate

[15:37] Lesson #3: Your deals will always deliver the lowest return you're willing to accept

[20:25] Lesson #4: Build cash flow before chasing net worth

[25:03] Lesson #5: Keep an active income stream while building your portfolio

[28:33] Lesson #6: Buy based on fundamentals, not speculation

[34:20] Lesson #7: Why quality trumps quantity

[38:12] Lesson #8: Think in decades, not years, in real estate investing

[41:34] Lesson #9: Invest in strategies that produce outsized returns

[44:11] Lesson #10: Choosing the right spouse as the most important investing decision

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

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who knows what it takes to rebuild from the ground up.

Dave Seymour is a former firefighter, star of the hit TV show "Flipping Boston," and now a respected multifamily investor and educator.

After working 120 hours a week and nearly losing everything, a chance radio ad about real estate became the turning point that changed his life.

Listen as he shares how he went from the firehouse to financial freedom, the lessons that shaped his approach to business and leadership, and why financial literacy and discipline are the real keys to lasting success.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Dave Seymour and his background

[02:15] Dave's early days as a firefighter

[05:15] His wake-up call to financial freedom

[07:18] Pivotal moments that led Dave into real estate

[15:22] The power of discipline from firefighting to real estate investing

[16:58] Proven systems and failure in business

[19:23] How he structured his business in his first deals

[25:40] Transitioning from single-family flips to multifamily investing

[29:54] How to identify your special gift and bring it to the marketplace and partnerships

{31:30] What is Legacy Alliance?

[33:09] Dave's insight about multifamily investing in the present and future

[38:27] His competitive advantage over other businesses

[39:48] Building partnerships that actually work

[41:17] Dave's real advice for anyone stuck in a 9-to-5 job

[44:15] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: legacywealthmasterclass.com
INFLATION NATION: https://legacyalliance.link/Pod-Inflation-Nation
FREE Multi-Family Masterclass: https://legacyalliance.link/Pod-Multi-Family-Class

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

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who has built multiple successful real estate businesses and learned firsthand what it takes to recover after things go sideways.

Ronnie Walker is a real estate investor and founder of Cedar Rock Homes. He shares his journey from working as a private banker at JPMorgan to leaving his 9-to-5 and diving headfirst into wholesaling, subject-to deals, and creative financing —scaling quickly but learning hard lessons along the way.

Listen as he shares the realities of rapid growth, the financial missteps that nearly derailed his business, and how he rebuilt a more intentional and sustainable investing model that prioritizes profit and peace of mind over volume.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Ronnie Walker and his background

[01:56] Before getting into the real estate

[02:30] How he scaled his flipping business to 30+ projects a year

[05:30] Learning about subject-to deals and closing eight in one month

[10:57] What is Wrap Mortgage?

[12:08] Leaving his corporate job with savings and a clear plan for freedom

[13:33] Paying more than its actual worth

[19:44] Getting a premium on the sale price and interest rate

[21:56] The crash and burn in scaling too fast

[24:55] How to use "impasses" and follow-ups to build creative deals

[29:35] The concept of financial dominance in demonstrating credibility

[33:07] How messy books and poor accounting nearly cost him everything

[36:05] The $130K tax wake-up call that changed how he ran his business

[40:02] How to build a client's trust through confidence, integrity, and transparency

[45:31] Ronnie's advice for new investors

[48:12] Connect with Ronnie Walker

[48:40] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.youtube.com/@WalkWithRonnie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkwithronnie/

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