Living Off Rentals

Kirby Atwell
  • 4.9 (77)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Living Off Rentals

We believe that a high quality rental property is the best investment a person can make. This podcast equips listeners to build a rental portfolio of their own. Each week host, Kirby Atwell, interviews someone who is living off rentals and identifies best practices, advice, and potential investing pitfalls to avoid!

  1. 5D AGO

    #269 - How to Boost Rental Revenue with Direct Bookings - Ollie Laing

    In this episode of Living Off Rentals, we’re joined by UK-based short-term rental investor Ollie Laing, who’s cracked the code on direct bookings. While most hosts rely heavily on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, Ollie generates over 50% of his revenue from direct bookings through his own website. In this episode, he shares exactly how he does it. He also talks about some of the key lessons he’s learned while building a successful vacation rental business, including how he manages properties remotely, his go-to tactics for driving direct bookings, and the strategies he uses to mitigate risk. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [01:59] How Ollie started in short-term rentals [05:11] Owning your properties vs managing others [11:37] Mitigating problems in short-term rentals [15:06] Ollie on remote management of properties [21:21] About SuiteOp [26:19] Tactics for getting direct bookings [32:21] Mitigating the risk for direct bookings [35:55] His advice for people starting their rental business [43:56] Connect with Ollie Laing Guest Links: Website: https://www.perfectbooking.co.uk/  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    45 min

  2. APR 2

    #268 - Figuring out your true net worth and gaps in your wealth - Donald Pearson

    Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is Donald Pearson, a Wealth Management Advisor at Westpac Wealth Partners who holds an impressive list of certifications. Donald is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and a Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®), and he helps individuals and business owners reach their financial goals as efficiently as possible. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Donald was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer and later served as a Financial Manager in the Marine Corps. Listen as he shares his full financial journey, the key areas you need to focus on to achieve financial freedom, and why good financial planning is an ongoing process. He also breaks down the four domains of financial planning and walks us through the “mathematical equation” of financial freedom. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Donald Pearson and his background [08:02] Helping clients become more diversified and well-rounded [12:59] The four domains of financial planning  [17:56] Living into someone's living balance sheet [24:17] Good financial planning and decision-making is an ongoing process [31:09] Where do successful people put their money? [44:54] Connect with Donald Pearson Guest Links: Email: donald.pearson@westpacwealth.com Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    47 min

  3. MAR 26

    #267 - Short-Term Rental Design for SUPER High Revenue - Mark Lumpkin

    In this episode of Living Off Rentals, we are joined by Mark Lumpkin, a real estate investor who fell in love with short-term rentals 10 years ago. Mark has helped over 500 short-term rental investors optimize their properties—handling everything from renovations to design—and has guided many others in establishing their own successful rentals. Listen as Mark shares his journey with short-term rentals and how this investment strategy has provided him the flexibility to pursue his passions. We also dive into his work with STR Cribs, exploring how thoughtful design choices can make rentals stand out.  Plus, we discuss why furniture, décor, and strategic renovations are essential for maximizing cash flow in the short-term rental market. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Mark Lumpkin and his background [04:19] How he got into the real estate industry [07:21] Choose a property for short-term rentals with your guest avatar [11:37] Recommended budget for furnishings and design for your property [14:41] What is data-driven design? [18:16] The importance of leaning on expert experience from professional designers [27:57] Doing quick preventive maintenance regularly [31:14] The shift in trends for short-term rentals [36:22] Connect with Mark Lumpkin Guest Links Website: https://strcribs.com/  Email: mlumpkin@strcribs.com   Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    42 min

  4. MAR 19

    #266 - How to turn 1 rental into 8 rentals (and massively increase cash flow) - Atticus LeBlanc

    Joining us in this episode is someone who has been making waves in the affordable housing space. He is a returning guest, previously appearing on Episode 92 of Living Off Rentals in 2021. Atticus LeBlanc is the founder of PadSplit, the country’s largest co-living marketplace, which helps property owners increase cash flow while providing affordable housing for thousands of residents. Since launching in 2017, PadSplit has housed more than 42,000 people and has grown to over 17,000 shared housing units across multiple U.S. markets.  An entrepreneur since 2005, Atticus was an affordable housing developer and contractor before founding PadSplit. Listen as he shares more about how PadSplit works and discusses how he converts living spaces into bedrooms to create massive cash flow. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Atticus LeBlanc and his background [03:47] How PadSplit works? [11:22] Type of property that best works for PadSplit members [17:10] The fractionalization of real estate by time versus the fractionalization of real estate by space [26:25] Managing the challenges of bureaucracy and zoning issues [33:53] How to manage different personalities under one roof? [49:05] Connect with Atticus LeBlanc Guest Links: Website: https://www.padsplit.com/hosts  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    53 min

  5. MAR 12

    #265 - Is Real Estate Investing a Better Option Than College? - Steven Rich

    Is college the best path to financial success, or is there another way?  In this episode, Steven Rich shares his bold decision to drop out of his mechanical engineering program and dive headfirst into real estate investing. Now, he is the owner of 50 service accommodation rooms with bookings across several online travel agency (OTA) platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Steven reveals the experiences, lessons, risks, and rewards of building a real estate business instead of following the traditional college route.  Tune in to hear his story, and enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Steven Rich and his background [02:57] His decision to leave college [07:28] The worst-case scenario of leaving your full-time job or college degree [11:14] Risky move to own a 22-room hotel [23:05] Time frame between purchasing the property and start taking bookings [31:38] Optimizing on- and off-seasons in property bookings [41:54] FAIL: First Attempt In Learning [49:20] Outro Guest Links: Follow Steven on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven_rich_property/  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    51 min

  6. MAR 5

    #264 - From Wealth Manager to Building Personal Real Estate Wealth - Austin Palacios

    For today's episode of Living Off Rentals, we are joined by Austin Palacios, a short-term rental investor based in Miami. He is also the bestselling author of “Airbnb Co-hosting Secrets: How to Start and Scale a Co-Hosting Business in 30 Days,” and has been featured on MSN, Mogul's of Business, and US Times. Austin started his career in wealth management and transitioned into investing in real estate at the age of 23. Now, he holds a portfolio of properties across Florida and Chicago. Listen as he shares his journey since leaving his day job in 2021 to focus on investing in real estate full-time. He also reveals a clever strategy for generating rental income without actually owning the property.  Sounds interesting, right? Enjoy the show!   Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Austin Palacios and his background [02:48] Going full-time in real estate investing [06:56] Getting into short-term rentals [13:33] Risks of Airbnb or short-term rentals [18:03] The downside and upside of co-hosting [24:59] Mistakes people make as they're getting into co-hosting [27:36] Type of team members Austin have [36:00] Finding the right market in real estate [43:03] Connect with Austin Palacios   Guest Links: Website: https://www.instagram.com/austin__palacios/     Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    44 min

  7. FEB 26

    #263 - How to pick winning investments based on school districts - Sean O'Dowd

    Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who has built a portfolio around one of the most sought-after factors in housing—access to top-tier schools. Sean O'Dowd is the Managing Director of Scholastic Capital, a real estate fund that acquires and rents out single-family homes in elite school districts.  He began his career at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and graduated with honors from The Wharton School of Business. Listen as he shares how he carved out this niche in real estate, what it was like growing up with parents who were against real estate investing, and why his investing strategy is so profitable. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways [00:00] Introducing Sean O'Down and his background [03:38] His parents are anti-real estate investing [07:15] Ideal type of property to own in school districts [08:20] Unlevered yield on cost [22:43] Open-ended fund model vs closed-end fund [23:57] Two kinds of ways fund managers get paid [33:01] Three different elements on total returns [37:08] Fixable and not-fixable decisions [40:39] Connect with Sean O'Dowd Guest Links: Website: https://scholasticcapital.com/  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    42 min

  8. FEB 19

    #262 - How to identify a high cash-flowing short-term rental - Julie Gates

    Joining us in this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who has been a real estate investor since 2004 and has a diverse portfolio of residential, commercial, and self-storage properties. Julie Gates started SID WAS HERE in 2017, which specializes in short-term and long-term rentals. She also produces a local podcast about investing in Savannah, Georgia, called Cashflow Savannah, and hosts a monthly meetup in the area called Cashflow Savannah Meetup.  Listen as she shares how she started her journey as a real estate investor, her focus on short-term rentals, medium-term rentals, self-storage, and commercial properties, and the keys to identifying a high-cash-flowing short-term rental. Let's dive in! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Julie Gates and her background [02:25] Julie's first property [09:42] Getting a real estate license [18:55] Doing medium-term rentals while doing short-term rentals [33:22] Legitimacy over followers [36:46] How do you identify a high cash-flowing short-term rental? [41:12] Real estate is about the numbers [45:12] The biggest lesson Julie learned in her real estate journey [50:11] Connect with Julie Gates Guest Links: Website: https://sidwashere.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidwashere912/  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals

    54 min
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    4.9
    out of 5
    77 Ratings

    About

    We believe that a high quality rental property is the best investment a person can make. This podcast equips listeners to build a rental portfolio of their own. Each week host, Kirby Atwell, interviews someone who is living off rentals and identifies best practices, advice, and potential investing pitfalls to avoid!

    Information

    • Creator
      Kirby Atwell
    • Years Active
      2020 - 2025
    • Episodes
      100
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © 2025 Living Off Rentals | Kirby Atwell
    • Show Website
      Living Off Rentals

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