Monthly Archives: September 2025

September 18, 2025 · 11:50 am

House Hacking and Kansas City BBQ

I wanted to share a new video series we are doing for real estate investors here in the Kansas City area. The series combines two of my favorite things.

Real Estate Investing
Kansas City BBQ

This first video is about House Hacking.

What is House Hacking? It’s a term the younger people use. House Hacking describes a process I’ve taught younger buyers many times in my 26 years of real estate. Essentially, it’s buying your first property and making it a duplex. The advantages are many.

You can live in one side and rent out the other allowing your tenants to pay a significant portion of your PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance)
You can buy with as little as 3.5% down instead of 20% down
You have a lower interest rate than if you bought an investment property
You have lower closing costs than if it was just an investment property
You can learn how to work with tenants and manage property because you are right there

FIND THE VIDEO HERE: House Hacking and Kansas City BBQ – Learn Secrets to Wealth

There are many others, but those are just a few to get your mind racing.

Are there young people in your life asking you how you got started in real estate investing? Are there young people in your life you’d like to share the gift of knowledge about House Hacking as a way to get started for them?

I encourage you to watch AND share this video with them. Yes, it may create more sales for us here in Kansas City. More importantly, it will help us to get more home owner/investors started on their journey and discover what you’ve already discovered: housing is one of the best ways for “regular” people to create real wealth.

Thank you for watching. Thank you for sharing. And thank you for supporting Ad Astra Realty. We are here to serve you.

Why Your Real Estate Agent’s Experience Matters (Especially in Kansas City)

Here in Kansas City, we talk a lot about real estate investing. But let’s be honest: most agents tossing around the word “investor” have never written a rent-ready check or dealt with a midnight plumbing call.

If you were to call 100 agents today and ask, “Do you work with investors?” almost all of them would say yes. But the real question is this:

“Do you own investment property yourself?”

Now the numbers shrink — in our experience, only about 5% say yes. And that difference is critical.

Why Ownership Matters

Owning a rental in Olathe, Overland Park, or over in Raytown isn’t about résumé padding. It’s about cash flow, vacancies, insurance hikes, and yes — the furnace that decides to die on the coldest day of January.

Agents who have lived those realities know what you’re really signing up for. We understand how tenant management, maintenance costs, and tax strategies hit your bottom line because we’ve been there ourselves.

When we work with investors, we’re not handing out a script or just quoting market data. We’re sharing the lessons we’ve learned through our own properties and through managing 840+ homes across the Kansas City area.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Experience Brings Perspective

We aren’t knocking agents who serve investors without ever owning a property. But there’s a perspective you simply can’t fake.

When you’ve personally signed the lease, covered the mortgage during a vacancy, or wrestled with a contractor’s change order, you look at deals differently. You give advice differently. And that leads to better decisions for our clients.

Investors deserve an agent who knows the difference between textbook ROI and the real-life math after property taxes, repairs, and that surprise water bill.

The Big Takeaway

Kansas City isn’t Phoenix or Miami where values whip up and down like a roller coaster. Our market is steady — think more bonds than high-flying stocks. It’s a place where long-term rentals quietly build wealth year after year.

That’s why your choice of agent matters. Because if someone doesn’t believe in this market enough to put their own dollars into it, why should you trust them with yours?

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Kansas City Real Estate Tip: Treat Your Rental Like a Business, Not a Hobby

When you buy an investment property, you’re not just adding a rental to your portfolio—you’ve launched a business. That’s the mindset every real estate investor needs to succeed long term.

Too often, new landlords assume rental property is a “set it and forget it” passive income stream.
Reality check: real estate investing is a business. Like any business, it demands systems, strategy, and the right people in your corner.

Treat Your Rental Like a Business

Every business owner leans on experts—CPAs, attorneys, insurance advisors, and operations support. For landlords, add property management and reliable maintenance pros to that list. These folks protect your investment, keep you out of legal and financial potholes, and free up your time to focus on the big picture: building wealth through real estate.

Organization is another overlooked superpower. Accurate records, expense tracking, and knowing your tax advantages (depreciation, repairs, write-offs) can mean the difference between breaking even and hitting true profitability.

Reinvest in Your Property, Reinvest in Your Future

Businesses upgrade equipment. Restaurants remodel kitchens. Your rentals deserve the same reinvestment. Fresh paint, updated appliances, preventative maintenance, and solid tenant communication aren’t just costs—they’re value protection. Skimping now often means paying more later.

The Bigger Picture

When you see rentals through the lens of business ownership, everything shifts. Property management becomes peace of mind, not just a line item. Maintenance becomes brand protection, not a nuisance. “Easy money” turns into sustainable wealth.

At Ad Astra Realty, we’ve watched this mindset transform landlords into true business owners. Because owning rentals isn’t just about collecting checks—it’s about building stability, freedom, and a legacy.

Buying your first investment property isn’t just a transaction—it’s the launch of a business. Treat it like one, and your future self will thank you.

YOUTUBE

Find the YouTube video here…