Rent prices aren't set in stone—they ebb and flow throughout the year. Industries like retail, sports, and travel do the same thing. That's why you can book a beachside cottage in December for less than half of what you pay in July. It's also why you can buy super-discounted skis and snowboards in the summer.

Owning a single investment property is a great start to obtaining financial freedom. However, it's just that—a start. You'll need to acquire a second, third, fourth, and beyond properties to turn your part-time hustle into a full-time income.

Visit Zillow and start browsing your rental options. What do you see? Likely, lots of large apartment complexes that seem nearly identical. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this (many of us have lived in these places ourselves), they are not for everyone.

Inflation likely comes to your mind every now and then. You probably think about it whenever you get a raise (or ask for one), do your budgeting, or decide where to invest your money.

Nobody is perfect—but Kevin's property management company didn't even seem to be trying. After working with the company for a while, he got fed up with their:

Gary and Trish had always wanted to move to the foothills in Boulder, Colorado, but home prices in the area are far from budget-friendly. To afford a mortgage, they'd need to prove a good deal of monthly income—more than their salaries alone showed.

The life of a traveling nurse is time-consuming, to say the least. There are places to be, people to help, and not a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of the tricky world of real estate. 

Rental property stories can have a happy ending—even if they don't start out so well. Derek bought an apartment in Denver back in 2014, and in August 2017, decided to start renting it out. When his apartment needed to be re-leased in 2020, things didn't go according to plan. Far from it.

2020 was challenging for most everyone, and Denver residents Tom and Lauren were no exception. With pandemic stay-at-home orders, full-time jobs, and diminishing childcare options, the couple decided to return to Tom's homeland in Australia to be with family. 

On May 3, Denver passed a new bill requiring landlords to have a license to rent out their properties. Short-term rental property owners already faced a similar law in Denver, but now this new law expands to cover all landlords in the city.