From Tax Breaks to Bitcoin: Policy Changes Every Real Estate Investor Should Know
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Release Date: 07/30/2025
How to make $40K more on your Airbnb Rental
The Real Estate Education Podcast
The Simple Steps That Added $40,000 to an Airbnb (In Just One Year) James Carlson reveals how his clients transformed an existing Airbnb from $50K annually to $90K—an 80% revenue increase—by following five straightforward principles. He shares two strategies while teasing his $49 Stand Store report with all five. 🏠 The Proof Property 45 minutes south of Breckenridge averaged $50K/year. New owners bought in early 2025, implemented all five strategies, now tracking $90K annually—$40K more ($3,333/month). Most investors drop off after closing instead of pushing through. 📋 Two...
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Why Donald Trump is Bad for Your Real Estate Investments
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Erin Spradlin and James Carlson directly address how Trump administration's 2025 policies are impacting real estate markets—while making clear that economics aren't their biggest concern. 💸 Four Ways Trump Policies Are Hitting Real Estate 1. Immigration Crackdown = Construction Cost Explosion Removal of legal and illegal immigrant labor means construction and renovation costs are skyrocketing. Expect to pay significantly more and wait longer for any building project. 2. Tariff Chaos = Market Paralysis Retaliatory tariffs create inflation while Fed won't lower interest rates. Buyers have...
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One Year in Mexico: The Surprising Truth About Moving, Living & Buying Here
The Real Estate Education Podcast
We just hit our one-year anniversary of moving to Mexico, and we’re sharing everything we’ve learned — the real pros, the unexpected cons, and why we have no plans to leave anytime soon. We’ll also dive into: Our best tips for road-tripping through Mexico What to know before buying property here And what everyday life in Mexico actually feels like after 12 months If you’ve ever dreamed about moving south of the border — this episode will give you the honest, firsthand scoop. 📧 Contact Information: for midterm rental consulting...
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How to Make Money for a Down Payment
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Erin Spradlin and James Carlson explore an accessible income alternative to real estate: the Stan Store digital marketplace. They share their experience with Gary Vaynerchuk's 8-week course on selling digital products and consulting services—arguing this might be faster than saving for a down payment. 💰 The Stan Store Solution Stan Store works as "Airbnb for selling your ideas"—digital products (PDFs, guides) or consulting services without needing thousands for a down payment. Tim Ferriss's insight: you don't need to know more than everyone—just more than enough people. The math: if...
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The 7 Biggest Landlord Mistakes (That Are Costing You Money Right Now)
The Real Estate Education Podcast
The 7 Biggest Landlord Mistakes (That Are Costing You Money Right Now) Recording from their sickbed in Mexico after experiencing building-shaking waves from Hurricane Priscilla, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson power through to deliver critical advice: the seven biggest mistakes landlords make. They tackle everything from skipping background checks to overpricing rentals, with trademark honesty about what actually matters versus landlord paranoia. 🚫 The 7 Deadly Landlord Sins 1. Not knowing the laws - Federal, state, city, and HOA rules change frequently, especially around affordable...
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Lazy Landlording: The One Number That Solves Every Rental Decision
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Lazy Landlording: The Simple System for Managing Rentals Without the Headaches Erin Spradlin and James Carlson explore "lazy landlording"—smart systems that make property management effortless using one metric: your daily rate. 💰 The Day Rate Formula Monthly mortgage ÷ 30 days = your decision metric. Average US mortgage ($2,715) = $90/day. A 5% discount on one month? That's $135 or 1.5 days vacancy—take it. Six-month lease at 5% off? Nine-day discount equivalent. Make financially smart decisions based on market reality, not stubborn pricing. 🏠 Systems Over Stubbornness Prevent...
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Why Chat GPT Is the WORST Thing That Ever Happened to Real Estate Investors
The Real Estate Education Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson dive into a critical warning for real estate investors: AI is dangerously unreliable for investment advice. James shares his experiment testing ChatGPT's Colorado Airbnb market knowledge, revealing that over 50% of recommendations were completely illegal—including cities that banned STRs entirely. 🤖 The ChatGPT Airbnb Disaster James asked ChatGPT multiple ways to identify the best Colorado Airbnb markets. Results were alarming: ChatGPT recommended Denver (banned investment STRs since 2017), Boulder...
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Spencer Sutton from Evernest Discusses Accidental Landlord Mistakes & The Appreciation vs. Cash Flow Reality Check
The Real Estate Education Podcast
Accidental Landlords, Cash Flow Myths & Why Some Money is Better Than No Money Erin sits down with Spencer Sutton from Evernest (20,000+ properties) to tackle accidental landlords forced into renting due to selling difficulties. They cover overpricing pitfalls, tenant screening mistakes, and why cash flow obsessions often miss the bigger picture of long-term appreciation. 🏠 The Accidental Landlord Trap Spencer breaks down the two biggest mistakes: emotionally overpricing rentals and compromising screening when anxious about vacancy. His diagnostic—views but no showings means...
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Pet Fees That Actually Work & Colorado's New Walkthrough Rules Every Landlord Must Know
The Real Estate Education Podcast
In this episode, Erin and James tackle what's a fair pet fee for STR/MTR properties, reveal shocking occupancy data that'll make you rethink your pet policy, and break down Colorado's new tenant walkthrough requirements. Plus, a cultural take on parenting regrets and how honest conversations break taboos in both family planning and real estate. 🐕 Pet Fees: The $100 Sweet Spot James and Erin break down the BiggerPockets debate: pet fees aren't about profit—they're about covering increased cleaning costs. The consensus? Around $100, with flexibility to adjust cleaning fees for...
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The #1 Reason Millennials Buy Homes & Are Americans Going Off-Grid?
The Real Estate Education Podcast
The Real #1 Reason Millennials Buy Homes (It's Not Marriage or Kids) & Are Americans Going Off-Grid? In this episode of the Real Estate Education Podcast, Erin Spradlin and James Carlson kick off with a spirited debate about tennis's controversial underhand serve before diving into surprising homebuying data that puts pets above marriage and kids as motivators. They then tackle Fannie Mae's shocking statistic about rural loan applications surging 80% since the pandemic, exploring whether Americans are truly seeking an off-grid lifestyle—and whether that's actually a good idea. 🐕...
info_outlineOn 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 hosts also explore a significant shift in mortgage lending: how the Federal Housing Finance Agency is directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to include cryptocurrency assets in loan qualification processes. Drawing from recent industry reports showing 5.4% of homebuyers now sell crypto for down payments, they discuss the implications of treating volatile digital assets similarly to tech stocks in mortgage underwriting, while weighing the benefits for younger buyers against potential risks to financial stability.
Reach Out:
Interested in consulting with Erin? Email erin@erinspradlin.com
Work with James: James@JamesCarlsonRe.com
Also in this episode:
- Why bonus depreciation works for STRs but not traditional rentals (hint: it's about active vs. passive income)
- The difference between cost segregation studies and 100% bonus depreciation
- Real example of a Miami buyer who lost 12% of his crypto value during forced liquidation
- How crypto reserves compare to stock holdings in mortgage qualification
- The tension between supporting small business investors and addressing housing affordability
Whether you're a high-income earner looking for tax relief, an STR investor wanting to maximize deductions, or curious about how cryptocurrency is changing real estate financing, this episode provides the insights you need. The hosts remind listeners that while they may have political reservations about some tax policies, understanding and legally utilizing available strategies remains important for individual financial success.
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