Episode
Build vs. Buy: Which Is Best for Your First Rental?
- Published
- Jul 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2250
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Summary
You don’t have to buy your first rental property—you can build one instead. Newer systems, fewer repairs, and that “brand new” feeling that tenants may pay more rent for. But…is it worth it? Building a small multifamily in a single-family area could let you house hack and own a rare property in your market, but is the headache worth the effort? With more and more investors choosing to build rather than buy, we thought we’d weigh in. Dave and Henry are back answering your questions from the BiggerPockets Forums. Today, we’re talking about building vs. buying rentals, when an investment property is too old to be worth buying, the lender-friendly rehab budget Henry uses to get loans for his BRRRRs (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) and house flips, and whether wholesalers (middlemen) are worth buying properties from. Plus, if you’re house hacking, should you tell the tenant you’re the owner? Dave tried to hide it before, and shares whether it was worth it. In This Episode We Cover Building vs. buying rental properties: is the time (and effort) worth the upside? Renovating an older rental property? This build decade could be best Henry’s exact renovation budget he shares with lenders to get fast financing Are wholesalers worth their assignment fee? When we will and won’t buy from them Should you tell your tenants that you’re the owner (what happens if they find out?) And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com…