185: How “Rent-to-Own” Can Increase Cash Flow and Maximize Equity with Bill Powers

<p>On today’s episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcast" target="_blank">The BiggerPockets Podcast</a>, Josh and Brandon sit down with&nbsp;Bill Powers, a real estate investor from the Chicago suburbs, to&nbsp;learn how he went from&nbsp;zero to over 70&nbsp;units in five yearswhile focusing on lease options — also known as “rent to own.” This powerful strategy is one that anyone can begin using in their business to achieve more cash flow and equity — and today, you’ll learn all the details. Get your pen and paper out for this show — you’ll want to take some notes!</p><p>In This Episode We Cover:</p><ul><li>How Bill&nbsp;got started&nbsp;in real estate</li><li>All the&nbsp;mistakes&nbsp;he made&nbsp;on his&nbsp;first house</li><li>Tenant screening&nbsp;must-haves</li><li>How exactly&nbsp;rent-to-own&nbsp;works</li><li>What the&nbsp;first look&nbsp;program is</li><li>What you should know about the&nbsp;2% rule</li><li>How to not be&nbsp;a&nbsp;predatory&nbsp;investor</li><li>Tips for&nbsp;running your business&nbsp;the right way</li><li>A discussion on&nbsp;“instant equity“</li><li>Why some people are not&nbsp;fulfilling&nbsp;their lease options</li><li>A&nbsp;profile&nbsp;of common&nbsp;tenants who go for rent to own</li><li>What is&nbsp;Dodd-Frank&nbsp;is and how it affects people who use lease options</li><li>Things to note&nbsp;before going for a lease option</li><li>What the&nbsp;future&nbsp;of his business is</li><li>How many&nbsp;hours&nbsp;he works in a week</li><li>And SO much more!</li></ul><p>Links from the Show</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oXQ4xOkey8" target="_blank">How I Found My Five Latest Real Estate Deals! (Five Different Strategies)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.biggerpockets.com/webinar?main_track_only=true" target="_blank">BiggerPockets Webinar</a></li><li><a href="http://biggerpockets.com/forums" target="_blank">BiggerPockets Forums</a></li><li><a href="http://www.zillow.com/" target="_blank">Zillow</a></li><li><a href="http://www.rent.