Leases vs. Rental Agreements: What Every Property Investor Needs to Know
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Release Date: 05/14/2025
The Midterm Rental Trend We Hate Most & Why Family Money for Home Buying Is Actually Good
The Real Estate Education Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson start with a deep dive into "canon events"—those formative moments that shape us—before tackling two controversial takes: why skipping deposits in midterm rentals is dangerous, and why young buyers using family money isn't something to be ashamed of. They get real about wealth transparency, the evolution of rental platforms, and why some trends in real estate are worth pushing back against. 🏠 Segment 1 – The Deposit Disaster: Why "Worry-Free" Waivers Are Anything But Erin breaks down...
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Who to Trust for Real Estate Advice & Why Housing Costs Are Killing Birth Rates
The Real Estate Education Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson kick off with a fun "propaganda we're not falling for" segment before diving into serious territory: why young buyers are ditching traditional real estate professionals for YouTube and AI, and how housing affordability is literally reshaping America's future families. They explore the trust crisis in real estate, the rise of digital education, and the sobering connection between homeownership dreams and family planning decisions. 📱 Segment 1 – The Real Estate Trust Crisis: Why Gen Z Chooses YouTube Over...
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Record Home Delistings and STR Recovery: What the Data Really Means
The Real Estate Education Podcast
AirDNA's 2025 Mid-Year Report: Why Market Predictions Come With a Big Asterisk. On this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin and James dive into AirDNA's mid-year STR market report, which shows steady recovery from the 2023 Airbnb bust with occupancy rates projected to hit just below 56% in 2026—above pre-pandemic averages. While the data suggests continued balance between supply and demand, the hosts emphasize the report's major caveat: unprecedented policy uncertainty at the national level makes these projections far less reliable than in previous years. The conversation...
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From Tax Breaks to Bitcoin: Policy Changes Every Real Estate Investor Should Know
The Real Estate Education Podcast
On this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin and James break down the return of 100% bonus depreciation for short-term rental investors, now made permanent under the new tax bill. They explain how this powerful tax strategy—often called the "STR loophole"—allows qualifying investors to accelerate depreciation deductions and offset their W2 income, potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars annually. Using real-world examples, they walk through the three key steps to implement this strategy and discuss why it's exclusive to STRs versus traditional long-term rentals. The...
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What Real Estate Can Teach You About Marriage (and Vice Versa)
The Real Estate Education Podcast
On this special episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin and James celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary by exploring the surprising parallels between successful relationships and smart real estate investing. Drawing from their decade of marriage and years of property investment experience, they break down six key principles that govern both domains: from the critical importance of communication and goal alignment to understanding when battles are worth fighting and why daily consistency trumps grand gestures. The hosts share candid insights about their own relationship...
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The 1% Rule Is Back—And It’s Still Terrible Advice
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Is It a Buyer’s Market or a Seller’s Market? How to Evaluate Your Midterm Rental City On this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Aaron and James dig into one of the most common questions in real estate: is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? The answer—like most things in real estate—is more nuanced than you think. Using up-to-date data from Denver and insights from local lender Lonnie Gleisner, we break down the current housing market into three sub-markets: condos, townhomes, and detached single-family homes—and explain why your answer will depend on your...
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The $9,000 Mistake Homeowners Keep Making: MLS vs. For Sale By Owner
The Real Estate Education Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, we dig into the hidden power of the MLS (Multiple Listing Service)—and why skipping it might be the most expensive mistake a seller can make. James shares a revealing case study comparing two similar homes in Colorado, each using a very different sales strategy. The results highlight what truly moves a property—and what doesn’t. We also analyze Redfin’s latest report on the decline of second home purchases. Are high mortgage rates and soft rental markets killing the dream of vacation homes? Or is something else happening...
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Airbnb Boom or Bust, Midterm Market Shifts & What a Recession Really Means for Homebuyers
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Airbnb Boom or Bust, Midterm Market Shifts & What a Recession Really Means for Homebuyers In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin and James dive into short-term rental trends, the surprising psychology of recession-era homebuyers, and why your lifestyle (not the market) might be the smartest guide for when to buy. They also open with a sharp cultural take on the Titan sub implosion documentaries—and how blind trust in "experts" can lead to catastrophic outcomes in both deep-sea exploration and real estate investing. 🏚 Segment 1 – Airbnb: Boom, Bust, or Just Plain...
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A Smarter Way to Sell: The New DIY Alternative to FSBO
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Six Months in Mexico, Flat-Fee Listings, and What Our Clients Are Teaching Us About the 2025 Real Estate Market In this episode of The Real Estate Education Podcast, we’re covering three major topics—from expat life to evolving real estate models to real-time client case studies—all focused on helping you make smarter moves in today’s U.S. housing market. Segment 1 – Six Months Living in Mexico: What We’ve Learned Thinking of a life change? Whether you're moving cities or countries, this honest reflection on six months of living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico covers what...
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Tiny Towns Rise in the United States & Denver's Fastest-Growing Cities Ranked
The Real Estate Education Podcast
What U.S. Cities Are Growing Fastest—and Why Tiny Towns May Be the Smartest Investment in 2025 In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, we explore the fastest and slowest growing cities in the Denver metro area—and zoom out to a national trend reshaping American real estate: the rise of tiny towns. These are U.S. markets with fewer than 25,000 housing units, and they’ve seen surprising population growth since the pandemic. But are these “Zoomtowns” still gaining momentum—or is the trend reversing? Segment 1 – The Rise (and Plateau?) of Tiny...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Real Estate Education and Investing Podcast, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson clear up the confusion around leases versus rental agreements, explaining that despite what some YouTube videos claim, both essentially serve as legal contracts with similar protections. Traditional leases happen outside platforms like Airbnb, the rental agreements within these platforms still offer legal protection for landlords—though they warn that platforms increasingly favor guests over hosts. They share a candid story about ignoring red flags with a tenant that led to headaches, emphasizing that proper tenant screening matters more than the type of agreement you use.
So what makes a rental property work-friendly in today's market. They critique recommendations from AirDNA about essential work-from-home amenities for medium-term rentals, debating whether ergonomic chairs (which James calls "space-agey" and aesthetically unpleasing) are worth including versus more universally appealing standing desks. Their most practical advice? Don't put the workspace in common areas—workers need privacy and a door they can close during calls. As the medium-term rental market becomes increasingly professional, they stress that landlords need to thoughtfully design workspaces that photograph well but also function properly for remote workers. Throughout the episode, Erin and James blend practical advice with personal insights, making complex property management concepts accessible to investors at any level.
Contact James:
[email protected]
Contact Erin:
[email protected]
For more information visit:
https://www.jamescarlsonre.com/
https://www.erinandjamesrealestate.com/