Rental Academy Mentorship is a real estate course by Jaren Sustar, also known as Finance Cowboy. Jaren Sustar, who also goes by the name JD, is a real estate entrepreneur that uses his own personal story and experience to teach aspiring entrepreneurs how they can invest in real estate without having to let go of their W2 job. In his course, he teaches the W2 Millionaire Method, which is the exact same process that took him from being down $10,000 in debt when he first started real estate investing to approaching close to $2 million in just a few short years.
Unlike most online coaches that tell you to quit your job and escape the rat race, JD encourages his followers to invest in real estate while keeping their job at the same time. While it’s entirely okay to resign from your job and focus on launching your own real estate company altogether, JD believes that having a regular job is like having a safety net that provides a sense of financial security.
While it’s certainly true that real estate is a huge industry where there are millions of dollars waiting to be made, it also has its fair share of risks and disadvantages that you need to consider before you dive in headfirst and make a huge investment decision. Some of the biggest issues revolving around real estate include:
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Rental Academy Mentorship Pros & Cons
Pros
JD built an impressive portfolio from scratch and has made close to $2 million in just a few short years, which makes him qualified to teach real estate investing.
The course offers live coaching that’s dedicated to guide you and answer any questions you may have.
24/7 access to a community of other people who are also taking the course, which cultivates collaboration and networking.
Cons
Ratings are almost non-existent, which makes it difficult to find out how successful you can be when you take the program.
There are very few testimonials and real life stories that attest to the success rate of the course.
The course requires a $5,000 initial investment, which might be a hefty amount for entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
Price
Initial investment of $5,000
Refund Policy
Not stated
Origin
Not stated but my analysis shows it might be somewhere around 2019 to 2021
Reputation
Little to no ratings or reviews
3 Things Real Estate Gurus Don’t Want You To Know
1. Real estate is a long-term commitment, not a one-time thing
Contrary to what other real estate entrepreneurs tell you about real estate being easy and passive, purchasing and investing in properties requires more work than you might expect. A few key responsibilities that come with real estate investing include:
- Having to spend a lot of time looking for potential homes or residences to purchase and finding the right price.
- Signing lots of documents and processing paperwork.
- Finding a property manager or managing the property yourself.
- Maintaining the residence and making the necessary renovations.
- Getting the right buyer.
Even when you’ve purchased your ideal property and obtain a client, you still have to deal with tenants, legal issues, never-ending fees, and so much more. Real estate is a never-ending job where you cannot just wait and hope for the best.
2. Real estate is not a stable source of income
Real estate can be a lucrative business once the money start flowing in, but reality sets in pretty quickly once you realize how difficult it is to make money in the real estate industry. Here are a few reasons why real estate isn’t always a stable source of income:
3. You need a huge amount of money to get started in real estate
One thing most real estate investors have in common is the amount of money they invested when they began their journey. Studies show that an initial investment of approximately $10,000 to $50,000 is necessary if you want to get started in the real estate space.
While you could potentially take out loans and pay them off with the money you make, keep in mind that borrowing money entails a certain level of risk that you need to consider before making any decisions.
What is the Rental Academy Mentorship?
The Rental Academy Mentorship is a course by JD Sustar where he teaches his W2 Millionaire Method, which aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own real estate business without having to quit their W2 job. The mentorship will:
What is the 3-Step W2 Millionaire Method?
The 3-step W2 Millionaire method includes:
- Finding highly profitable real estate deals that do not require a ton of time and effort away from your job or family.
- Funding deals, whether you’re using money from your W2 job, the bank’s money, or (JD’s personal favorite) someone else’s money.
- Managing efficiently with real estate tools so you can scale, and scale big, and ultimately achieve financial freedom while building generational wealth.
Why does this method work so well?
The W2 Millionaire Method gives you a step by step, simple plan, to plug into your current lifestyle to build your family’s wealth without the stress and pressure of going all in on the business of real estate.
1. Networking
- Who we need on our team
- How to find our team members
- Leveraging our network
2. Location
- Where to buy our rentals
- How to buy and invest out of town or out of state
- Narrowing down our target neighborhoods
3. Due diligence
- How to comp sales and rental prices
- How to analyze a deal
- What constitutes a great buy
4. Resources
- Software and tools for finding great deals
- Tools for analyzing prospective properties
- Tips and tricks
1. Different methods of funding and which financial institution to go for
- Cash
- Banks
- Private money
- HELOC (Home equity line of credit)
- Seller financing
- House hacking
2. Deep dive on using other people’s money (OPM) to scale a portfolio
- How to fund and partner with private and hard earned money lenders
- BRRRR Method (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat)
- Creatively funding a deal with multiple methods of funding
3. Executing efficiently
- What documentation is needed
- How to present to lenders
- How to keep lenders coming back
1. Getting a property manager vs. self-managing
- Deciding what route is best for YOU
- Pros and cons of each
2. How to find and hire a property manager
- Where do we find them
- How do we vet them
- Creating a lasting partnership
3. Managing like a boss
- Pre-screening, screening, application, etc.
- Handling bad tenants
- Software and tools for ease and efficiency
Who is Finance Cowboy?
JD Sustar, also known as finance cowboy, is a 31-year-old entrepreneur who began his real estate journey back in 2018. He made his first million at the age of 29 and now owns 22 rental properties that span across multiple assets, such as Airbnb units, mobile home parks, and long term rentals.
One of his go-to business models is house flipping and investing in real estate funds. House flipping is the process of purchasing a home or residence and increasing its value by making renovations and improvements throughout the entire property.
According to JD, being an entrepreneur has never forced him to quit his 9 to 5 job. He was able to run his side hustles while working a regular job and raising a family.
What do you get when work with Finance Cowboy and follow his program?
Conclusion: Is Finance Cowboy Legit? Should You Take His Course?
Overall, JD Sustar is a legitimate online entrepreneur with a proven track record in the real estate industry. Not only does he make a compelling case to get on the real estate train now and make a lot of money, he also seems like a genuine coach that wants to share his secrets to success and how he was able to attain financial stability.
However, keep in mind that being successful in the real estate industry is not a one-size-fits-all blueprint that any regular person can just follow. JD might have been successful in real estate, but that doesn’t mean thousands of other aspiring entrepreneurs will be able to replicate what he has done, especially since there are uncontrollable issues in the real estate space that could largely hinder individuals who are just starting out. If you're looking for alternatives, Investor Creator, United Tax Liens and BiggerPockets are other options.
Is Real Estate Investment Worth It in 2024?
Investing in real estate can be worth it, as long as you put in the time, effort, and money required. Real estate will always be a lucrative industry where there's income to be generated. Unfortunately, there's always some form of risk involved when it comes to real estate investing, which makes it a business venture that's difficult to get into if you're just starting out.
JD Sustar believes in real estate investing through rental properties and Airbnb, but there are multiple ways and angles you can do this. Here are some examples:
- Commercial Dream Partners is a program by Peter Conti that specializes in commercial properties.
- Owner Finance Pro by Jake Strong and John Seltzer uses owner financing as the go-to real estate business model.
- Six Figure Landlord is a course by Dallas Hileman that teaches the straightforward process of purchasing a property and renting it out to a tenant.
- Vodyssey is a mentorship by Shawn Moore that teaches investing in short-term vacation rentals.
Why Local Lead Generation Is the Best Online Business
If you’re looking for an online business that’s highly profitable, does not require a lot of maintenance, and can be set up within a few months, check out local lead generation. Local lead generation is the process of building and ranking a website using search engine optimization, allowing local companies to generate leads through your website, and making money for each converted sale.
The best part about local lead generation is it requires little to no maintenance, which means it gives you more time for family, friends, and other interests outside of work. I literally have websites from 2014 that still make me $2,000 per month to this day, and I barely have to touch or maintain them.
If you’re after attaining financial stability and finally leaving the rat race so you could spend more time with the people you love and focus on your hobbies and interests, local lead generation could be your ticket to living a life you’ve always wanted.
