Be sure to explore all around the forums as well as many of the FREE tools that Bigger Pockets provides.I am on the lending side of things and am always happy to hop on a call to discuss loan options that are out there, even if not offered by my resources.

Are there specific tools, presentations, or approaches that help them feel more confident in taking that first step?

What tools or methods do you use to verify income beyond traditional documents?

Welcome here are a few tools to help you get started Learning the market- Tools like Redfin and Zillow are your friend they offer lots of market data, comps and you can visually see what is unfolding in your market by looking at sales on the map.

Learning the tools of the trade.

One powerful tool that can help investors secure better loan terms is asset utilization—especially when the DSCR (Debt-Service Coverage Ratio) is under 1.🔹 How It Works:If your rental income falls short of covering your mortgage (PITI), you can use liquid assets to supplement your income.

Quote from @Vincent Pflieger: Hey everyone,I’ll keep this short and would love to hear from investors who have successfully leveraged a HELOC to scale their real estate portfolio for both short-term cash flow and long-term wealth building.I’m about to unlock $200-250K in HELOC from my primary residence (a condo in NYC), and I know there’s a powerful strategy I can implement.My current plan:✅ Acquire a 10-15 unit multifamily in a mid-sized market (AL, TN, OH, etc.), targeting a $700-800K deal with value-add potential.✅ Use 20% from my HELOC for the down payment and finance the rest with hard money.✅ Force appreciation over 6 months, then refinance into a DSCR loan to pay off the HELOC.✅ Rinse and repeat!

Hi Seth,The BRRRR method can be a powerful strategy for building wealth, but it's crucial to approach it with a solid financial plan.

I have experience with Quickbooks Online, and looking to learn to use Appfolio as I have heard that is a common software tool used for managing the books for REI.

@Charlotte Wilson please understand this about the "1% Rule" - it's ONLY a tool!