How Rentals Gave Him Financial Stability With Michael Atkins (Ep 546)

Rental Income Podcast With Dan Lane

Rental Income Podcast

Business, Investing, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 836 Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Michael Atkins got his real estate license, he thought it would be the key to making more money. But after a few months, he realized the income wasn’t consistent. Some months were great, and others he made nothing at all.

On this episode, Michael shares how investing in rental properties changed everything. His rental income now covers all his bills, giving him financial stability and the freedom to grow his business without pressure.

We talk about how he saved up to buy his first properties, how he structures his income so commissions go straight into savings, and how not needing to make a sale has actually made him a better Realtor.

Michael also walks us through one of his deals, how he found it, what he paid, the mortgage and expenses, and how much it cash flows.

Plus, we talk about the importance of curb appeal and how small touches can make a big difference in your rental’s performance.

https://rentalincomepodcast.com/episode546

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Ridge Lending Group - Making investment Mortgage process simple and stress-free.

MidSouth HomeBuyer s – Turnkey Rentals In Memphis & Little Rock. Instant Cash Flow On Day One. (Priced between $100,000 to low $200's)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	inspiring interviews with today's top landlords this is the rental income podcast and now
0:08.4	dan lane michael you had a job where you weren't making much money you decided to get your
0:14.8	real estate license you figured you could sell some houses and make more money that way but But after a while, you kind of realized that the
0:24.2	income was kind of spiky. You might have some good months where you made money, but then you might
0:30.2	have a couple of months where you didn't make money at all. How did buying rental properties
0:35.0	help you even out your income?
0:39.8	I mean, basically, if I didn't sell anything, you didn't need a commission.
0:46.1	And, you know, I was always trying to get business, but it was kind of sporadic.
0:48.1	And it wasn't coming in that much.
0:56.0	And I noticed that if I bought rentals, that I could increase my monthly income.
1:00.0	And so it gave me a little bit of stability knowing that, you know,
1:04.7	with reasonable expectation I can get so much a month, which with each rental I bought.
1:09.8	On the podcast today, we're going to figure out how Michael was able to build a rental portfolio that provides him with stable monthly
1:12.0	income, so it really doesn't matter how much he makes at his day job. Joining us on the podcast
1:18.2	today from Montgomery, Alabama is Michael Atkins. We'll take a quick break to thank our sponsors.
1:24.4	We'll come right back and we'll talk to Michael. It's a lot of work to find a really good rental property. And when you actually find that property, you want to make sure you're working with a lender that can get that loan closed. The lender that I recommend is Chaley Ridge from Ridge Lending Group. She's a nationwide lender and her specialty is helping investors finance rental properties.
1:46.0	She has a ton of loan programs, and she can find something customized to you for your situation.
1:51.7	If you want to find out more or you're ready to get started today, just go to ridgelendinggroup.com.
1:57.4	That's R-I-D-G-E lending group.com. NMLS 42056.
2:03.6	Are you thinking about investing in rental properties, but maybe you don't know where to start?
2:08.8	My friends at Mid-South Homebuyers make it simple.
2:12.8	For over 23 years, they've been selling fully renovated turnkey rental properties in Memphis and Little Rock.
	...

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