Nancy From 'Love Is Blind' Shares How She Built Her 6figure Realestate Portfolio And Achieved 'financial Freedom'

Nancy Rodriguez is a former Love Is Blind contestant and current real estate investor.
He owns 5 short-term rental properties that generate six-figure annual income.
The key to their success, he said, was the establishment of the NACA program management system and facilities.

This annotated article is based on an interview with Love Is Blind Season 3 contestant and real estate investor Nancy Rodriguez. The insider verified his property income with documents. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

After graduating from high school in San Francisco, I moved back to Texas to be closer to my family. I enjoyed my career, but I was working 60 hours a week as a speech therapist and still owed the school about $100,000.

I knew I wanted a passive form of side income. So I took a chance and decided to get into the real estate industry. I now own and rent five properties and do six properties a year.

I did it like this.

I had to park my dream home

My mom and dad are immigrants from Mexico who had jobs or multiple sources of income when I was growing up. Like him, I've always found ways to be creative with my money, and my first real estate purchase was no different.

After two years of being a speech therapist, I had enough savings to buy my first home and pay off all my debts in one go. Getting there wasn't easy: I've worked multiple jobs in addition to being a speech therapist and ate rice and beans for most meals for over a year. It was also the first time I used a homebuyer program called NACA - the benefits included no down payment, financing for repairs, and no closing costs.

At this point I was really torn. I finally had the opportunity to purchase my dream home, but I knew that an income-generating home would benefit me in the long run. I decided to go the house-flipping route and buy a duplex. I lived on one side and rented on the other.

To be clear, the house was an eyesore: a disturbing shade of green on the outside, and peachy walls and a brick floor on the inside. But after a minor facelift, things looked better.

And it paid off - I finally had financial freedom. With half of the rent on the duplex, I had enough money to buy the next property, another duplex, about 10 months later.

My second masonry piece burned out. It was damaged both externally and internally, but for me it was another gold mine. I knew I could start over after rehab. Buying ugly (read: cheap) and renewing later was a strategy I used whenever possible.

My next purchase came about a year later. At this rate, I bought about one new drug a year. At one point I had as many as nine properties spread across Dallas, Fort Worth, and Chicago. I was able to build my portfolio because with each new property I was able to generate the funds needed to purchase the next.

You have found the right place for your rental time

In my experience, clients tend to take better care of my property if they stay for a month or two, rather than a few nights or a whole year.

Yes, long-term leases are more convenient, but I've noticed clients move in and not keep the property in tip-top shape because it's not their home - I've had tenants paint walls strange colors, keep unauthorized pets, and report poor maintenance. Ditto, a three night stay leads to more sales, more cleaning fees, and more general cleaning.

The tenants I get for months long are very good. They are often in town on business or need temporary housing while construction of their home is completed. They are more respectful of the property and guests in general easier.

I mainly use Airbnb to list my properties, but I have clients who return to me independently. I said in my ads that I was looking for active people who planned to stay for 30 days or more

I like Airbnb not only because it's easy to use, but because it offers a host insurance policy. If something goes wrong, settling the damages is relatively easy - for me the 3% protection fee I pay per booking is totally worth it.

Creation of reliable management systems is essential

In terms of making my work mostly passive, having people on hand to absorb some of my extra workload made a difference.

I am currently rotating between two cleaning companies who come to inspect and report on the property after each stay as part of our contract. They send pictures and let me know if there is any damage, so I don't have to be there in person to file a claim.

You also know what our inventory should look like. So if I run out of detergent or need replacement linens, let me know so I can order the items I need online.

For security, I use Wyze smart home cameras, which cost $90 each, and an annual subscription of $20 per camera. I also use Cyfly smart locks that automatically change access codes when renters turn around, so I don't have to worry about them being let in or losing access. They cost about $80 each.

You don't have to buy an expensive home to make money

Over the past seven years, I've tried different methods to find the best way to get real estate. I think a big part of what makes someone successful in real estate is if they can get smart — whether that means taking out a loan to pay for a property or converting a garage you can rent.

For me, the key was how to maximize the rent on a given unit, whether it's a duplex or a single family home. Before I bought, I asked myself: Could this be a short-term lease? How many beds is suitable for this house? What is the best way to rent it out so that I can get the most income from this property?

You may have to wait a while to purchase your dream home, but I promise it will be worth it in the end.