One Rental At A Time How Justin Found Balance in Life and His Portfolio
Mar 1, 2026
Justin Kamra, a real estate investor who left a W2 to build buy-and-hold rentals across multiple markets. He discusses investing in Seattle-area and Midwest markets, why he downsized for simplicity, learning rent-by-the-room tactics from the community, and making nearly $60k by renting unused parking spaces via Neighbor.
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Downsizing To Simplify Management
- Justin Kamra shifted focus from buying many units to owning fewer, higher-quality assets to simplify life and management.
- He sold partnerships and problem properties, reducing units from a peak of 145 to 83 to avoid tenant, toilet, and termite burdens.
Stop Feeding Alligator Properties
- Avoid keeping 'alligator' properties that require subsidizing each month with W2 income.
- Reassess negative-cash-flow seller-financed deals before leaving W2 to prevent ongoing monthly drains.
Growth Spending Temporarily Reduces Cashflow
- Cashflow can drop during active growth or development because rents funnel into rehabs and projects.
- Without the two development deals, Justin estimates his cashflow would be around $12,000 instead of being wiped out.