Passive income is the name of the game when it comes to real estate investing. While equity can help you build wealth, passive income is what can get you on the road to financial independence. But what if you got a late start in your investing career? With so many millionaire twenty-or-something-year-olds on the internet, it seems like you have to start investing at age eighteen to hit financial freedom. This couldn’t be more wrong. Even if you feel like you’re a late bloomer when it comes to investing, you’re probably only a few years away from hitting FI—if you make the right decisions. This is the quandary that today’s guest, Nicole, finds herself in. Nicole has recently gone through a divorce and lost a good chunk of her net worth thanks to it. But, she’s poised on investing in real estate so she can hit financial independence sooner rather than later. Thanks to her service in the military, Nicole has access to the ever-so-helpful VA loan, allowing her to purchase homes with little (or no) down payment. She also has a military pension that will kick in soon, allowing her to mitigate her cost of living even more. So, does Nicole have enough time to build her rental empire and enjoy the Floridian beaches on her time off? In This Episode We Cover Why it’s never too late to start investing for your future  Using VA loans to purchase house hack properties with little to no money down Short-term rentals, medium-term rentals, and other rental property strategies  Generating more income through side hustles, job-hopping, and more The 2022 housing market and the risks/benefits of buying in today’s hectic atmosphere  Whether or not to invest in retirement accounts when your main goal is cash flow And So Much More! Check the full show notes here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-282 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices