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BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

19 Units in 6 Years by Buying Small, Overlooked, $100K Rentals

BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

BiggerPockets

Education, Investing, Business

4.816.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

After having her second daughter, high school math teacher Christle Stezskal had a choice to make—keep working for little pay and give up the time she had with her young children, or find another way to help provide for them. Her husband had just finished the personal finance classic, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and knew rentals were the right move—but Christle was only working with a teacher’s salary.  She couldn’t buy $400,000 houses, let alone $300,000 or $200,000 houses. But $50K - $100K rental properties—that she could do. The duo set off, finding an out-of-state investing market where the numbers would work. They purchased their first deal, and then…lockdowns, and a tenant moving out—terrible timing.  That wouldn’t stop Christle. Now, just six years later, she has a real estate portfolio of 19 cash-flowing rentals. She’s gotten creative, buying off-market properties, sending direct mail, and even bidding at courthouse auctions to get rentals at the right price. Because of her hustle, she’s quit her job, now gets to spend time with her girls, and provides her family the financial future they’ve always dreamed of—and she didn’t need deep pockets to do it.  In This Episode We Cover: Why small, cheap rental properties can make you wealthy (even in 2026!) How to pick the right out-of-state investing market when you have no experience Buying rentals at auction, and the deal Christle was able to land for just $21,000 The best way to find discounted rental properties? One method Christle swears by Scared to buy your first rental? Christle was, too, and here’s what she says you should do And So Much More! Links from the Show Join BiggerPockets for FREE Join us at the BiggerPockets Conference October 2-4 in Orlando. Buy tickets Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show! Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Real Estate Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area BiggerPockets Real Estate 1252 - I Had 4 Kids, No Cash, and a Traveling Spouse: Now I’ve Got 4 Rentals w/Joanna Caldera Rich Dad Poor Dad Connect with Christle Connect with Henry Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1264. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

After having her second daughter, high school math teacher Crystal Steskill had a choice to make.

0:04.9

She could keep working for little pay and give up the time she had with her young children,

0:08.9

or she could find another way to help provide.

0:11.4

Her answer, rental properties.

0:13.3

But not $400,000 homes.

0:15.0

She couldn't afford that, but what she could afford were small rentals.

0:18.5

We're talking 800 square feet that cost less than $100,000.

0:22.6

That's something she could do. She bought her first rentals out of state right when the lockdowns began.

0:27.6

And she had a tenant moving out. Not a great start, but she didn't give up.

0:32.6

By rental number three, she quit her job and went all in. Now Crystal has 19 rental units using all her cash flow

0:39.3

to keep investing while her husband's W-2 is paying their bills. That's a dream team combination.

0:46.1

She's able to spend time with the two girls and provide the best experience to her tenants

0:50.1

across her portfolio, and she should know because she self-manages these units.

0:55.0

Crystal is still buying properties for around $100,000 and they're still cash flowing.

1:00.0

She shares the exact market she's buying in, the renovations she's doing to get her higher

1:06.0

rents, and how she juggles it all while raising two kids.

1:09.0

These small properties can make you financially free,

1:12.6

too. So let's learn how.

1:18.6

What's going on, everybody? I am Henry Washington. I am here with an investor story from Crystal

1:24.9

Stay Skill out of Illinois. She is building a portfolio to help her

1:29.5

achieve financial freedom. So let's jump in and learn how. Crystal, welcome to the show.

1:34.2

Thank you. Happy to be here. Why don't you start off by telling us a little bit about your

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