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Look, I get it. Stranger Things was really good.

But here's the thing: Netflix makes for a great evening. Private Advisory makes for a great retirement.

Both are investments in yourself. One just has better ROI.

The Private Advisory flash sale ends Friday at midnight.

What you get:

The investment: Normally $250/month Right now: $83/month (billed annually)

Lock in this rate and keep it forever. When you renew next year, you still pay $83/month.

This price never comes back after Friday.

Use the coupon code FLASH226 and click here.

It takes money to buy real estate. It doesn't have to be your money, but there is some money somewhere.

The internet will tell you that you need exactly zero dollars to start investing in real estate. The internet is technically correct, which is the most useless kind of correct.

Yes, there are creative structures that will let you get into a house with zero money down. But here's what the YouTube gurus won't mention: you have to actually know how to structure these deals, you'll pass a hundred good deals that require money in order to get one that doesn't, and you'll have to look at twenty possibilities to find that one good deal. The math isn't pretty.

There is another way in with no money. Have a demonstrable ability to repair and remodel houses, then find a joint venture partner to put up the capital while you provide the sweat equity and expertise. This actually works if you're genuinely skilled and not just handy with a screwdriver.

What about those hard money lenders advertising 100% loans up to 70% of ARV? Sounds perfect, right? Except you'll still need money for points paid at closing, other closing costs, and monthly payments until you sell or refinance. In general terms, you should have at least $50,000 set aside to do a flip, even if you're using a 100% hard money loan. Anyone telling you differently has never done this or is lying to you.

For a rental property, plan on a 20% down payment, enough cash to cover rent-ready repairs, and then six months of payments sitting in a reserve account. As you build your portfolio, set aside 10% of every rent payment for capital expenditures. That water heater will fail. The roof will need replacing. The HVAC will die on the hottest day of summer. Count on it.

Here's the truth nobody wants to hear: the less money you have, the more hustle you need. It's an inverse relationship. Zero dollars means maximum effort, creativity, and time. Ten thousand dollars means less hustle required. A hundred thousand means you can buy your way past several obstacles entirely.

The real question isn't "how much money do I need?" It's "how much risk can I tolerate and how much runway do I have before I run out of cash?" The worst position is having just enough money to get started but not enough to survive your first mistake. That's where people flame out and decide real estate investing "doesn't work."

Here's my actual recommendation: start with whatever you have, but have more than you think you need in reserve. If you think you need $10,000, have $15,000. If you think you need $50,000, have $75,000. The gap between your estimate and reality is called "education," and it's expensive.

The single biggest destroyer of landlords may be undercapitalization. You can survive bad tenants, unexpected repairs, even market downturns. You cannot survive running out of money. Plan accordingly.