Singapore’s Thunes Joins Circle Payments Network To Expand Stablecoin Settlement
Singapore-based cross-border payments firm Thunes is expanding its stablecoin settlement capabilities through a new collaboration with Circle, as payment infrastructure providers step up efforts to connect blockchain-based rails with traditional financial systems.
Thunes said it had joined Circle Payments Network Managed Payments, enabling its customers to access stablecoin-powered settlement while continuing to operate within existing fiat-based workflows.
The partnership is intended to improve interoperability across the global payments landscape by linking traditional banking systems, mobile wallets and digital asset networks.
The move builds on a relationship established in 2024, when Thunes and Circle began working together on stablecoin-powered liquidity.
Since then, Circle’s USDC stablecoin has been integrated into Thunes’ Direct Global Network, which spans more than 140 countries.
According to Thunes, the use of USDC for near real-time settlement has reduced dependence on traditional banking hours and lowered the need for heavy pre-funding in local nostro accounts.
The company said this allows banks, money transfer operators and gig economy platforms on its network to manage liquidity around the clock, improve capital efficiency and broaden connectivity across bank accounts, mobile wallets, and stablecoin wallets.
Circle said the tie-up would support further development of its payments network and widen access to stablecoin-based settlement for financial institutions globally.
The partnership highlights how stablecoins are increasingly being positioned as part of mainstream payment infrastructure rather than solely as crypto trading instruments.
For firms such as Thunes, the attraction lies in reducing liquidity friction in cross-border transfers and freeing up capital that would otherwise sit idle in correspondent banking arrangements.
Still, broader adoption is likely to depend on regulatory clarity and on whether financial institutions become more comfortable using stablecoins deeper within day-to-day payment flows.
Women Leaders Put Nutrition First
What’s your healthiest habit, and why are you investing in it? For the women featured here, the answer begins with food. A sudden loss, a diagnosis, heartbreak, or family health challenges pushed nutrition from the background to the forefront.
Now they cook from scratch and spend more money on high-quality groceries. They set boundaries around what they will and will not eat. These women don’t talk about diet trends. They talk about having the energy to think clearly and handle what comes next. The following excerpts from “Health is wealth: What’s your healthiest habit?” are lightly edited for clarity.
Melek Gür, a health & longevity coach in Istanbul was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis at the age of 35. “This was a real wakeup call for me. After 18 years in high-stakes finance, I knew how to perform under pressure. I was disciplined, consistent, and always fit,” Gür explains.
“But I was also constantly hungry — physically and mentally. I lived in gyms and offices, counted every calorie, and spent years compensating for every meal,” she admits. On paper, she was thriving. But she grew tired of chasing health through restriction and control. “That’s when I decided to create a different approach — one that works with the body, not against it.”
What’s Gür’s healthiest habit today? “I never eat trash.” In Turkish culture, eating what is offered is considered polite, she explains. “But I set boundaries now and say, ‘No, I don’t eat that.” Gür has changed her diet completely and no longer eats gluten or refined sugar. “Importantly, I choose nourishment over convenience even though this comes with a price tag. Healthy food is expensive in Türkiye.”
Azielia Anne, a corporate strategist at Group Maybank Islamic in Kuala Lumpur, reconnected with her passion for movement when she began her career in finance. “The long hours of the job made physical activity a much-needed outlet. In the fast-paced world of finance, where Type A personalities often dominate, health isn’t just a habit, it’s a way of life. We need to be intentional about what we eat, how we rest, and how we move.”
Anne’s healthiest habit lately is prioritizing diet. That’s a challenge in the corporate environment of Kuala Lumpur, she says, where irresistible food is both affordable and everywhere. “The after-work culture often tempts one away from nutritious choices, and healthy options are both scarce and expensive.” Small efforts such as choosing better meals are part of a broader commitment to living with intention, Anne points out. “Health, clarity, and mindful choices shape what I define as a rich and fulfilling lifestyle.”
Cheryl Evans, director at Milken Institute in Washington, DC, was an only child whose parents were healthy eaters. They were focused on the value of eating vegetables and a balanced diet.
Evans’s mother earned a business degree and later passed the state nursing exam with the highest score. “Since she was very interested in health and science, I could ask her medical questions, and because of her influence I know a lot about health.”
Her mother died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage at 67. “This got me thinking about the precariousness of life. I did a lot of looking inward and I became even more focused on fitness and nutrition.”
Evans’s says her healthiest habit is being cognizant of what she eats. “I try to take note of it every day. At times, I forego eating things I like but try to maintain balance. I will eat dessert but try to do so right after a meal so that I don’t spike my blood sugar. I prepare food most days and this can be time consuming.” Evans’s notes that she spends more money on high-quality groceries and eats out less frequently than most of her friends.
Montreal-based Sévrine Labelle, directrice générale at Lab Excelles et Fonds Excelles Repreneuriat, BDC Capital, was influenced by her father’s health challenges. He was diabetic, had heart surgery at age 45, and never worked afterward. Eventually, he died of colon cancer at age 67.
“I was pretty sure I had bad genes, so I decided to help my odds by doing some research. When I was 39, I watched a documentary about the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet, and I decided at that time to go vegan. Exercise came a bit later in my life, but now I do yoga nearly every day, I do strength training a few times a week, and I walk a lot.”
Labelle says her healthiest habit is eating a plant-rich diet with fresh organic food. “I see this as an investment. I know that an omnivore diet probably costs even more, but when I look in my refrigerator I realize I am a privileged person with all my colorful and sometimes expensive fresh food. I have the responsibility to lead some intense work projects, and my way of eating gives me the energy I need to thrive.”
AWAL and lemontank launch ‘Creator Fund’ to find the next generation of British music-focused content creators
AWAL has launched a fund aimed at discovering and developing British content creators working on music-focused formats, in partnership with Gen Z creative consultancy lemontank.
The AWAL Creator Fund, announced on Wednesday (April 8), is a five-month program that will select up to three creators for mentoring, training and financial support. Selected creators will receive a £2,000 grant alongside one-on-one mentoring, learning and development sessions, and the opportunity to work with AWAL artists and campaigns.
Applications are open until Wednesday (April 22), with successful candidates due to be announced in the week commencing May 11 and introduced on a panel at The Great Escape Conference on Friday (May 15).
In a structure mirroring AWAL‘s deals with recording artists, the selected creators will retain ownership and creative control of their work, allowing them to build and monetize their intellectual property independently.
“Whilst the reach and influence of social media for music discovery is important, the British content creator sector needs resources and a robust infrastructure to support their entrepreneurialism,” said Sam Potts, Co-Managing Director of AWAL.
“By investing in cultural curators and music formats, our ambition is to provide a much-needed promotional platform for emerging British music talent. The AWAL Creator Fund is about ensuring the next generation of creators can build sustainable businesses and help shape UK music culture.”
“Whilst the reach and influence of social media for music discovery is important, the British content creator sector needs resources and a robust infrastructure to support their entrepreneurialism.”
Sam Potts, Co-Managing Director of AWAL
The program, running from May to September 2026, will provide training in what AWAL describes as “hard” skills that support income generation, including budgeting, planning and pitching. It will culminate in an end-of-program pitch event aimed at the wider music industry.
Creators will access support from a range of specialists including Rebecca Barry, AWAL Creator Manager; Sinead Mills from Practice Music for public relations; Arif Mahmud, General Counsel at AWAL, for IP law; and Jacob Rickard, former BBC Radio 1 producer and founder of lemontank, for production and format development.
“Huge kudos to the AWAL team for recognising that this needs doing, and for providing investment that will be of huge benefit to rising star creators.”
Jacob Rickard, founder of lemontank
Rickard said: “I’m so excited to spotlight British creators who have innovative ideas for the next iconic format to rival Chicken Shop Date, Tiny Desk Concerts, Fire In The Booth and more.”
“Huge kudos to the AWAL team for recognising that this needs doing, and for providing investment that will be of huge benefit to rising star creators, young artists and the wider industry for years to come. We’re honoured to be able to help make it happen.”
lemontank describes itself as a Gen Z creative writers’ room. The consultancy, founded by Rickard, specializes in connecting brands with young audiences through a community of creatives aged 18–25.
Last year, lemontank partnered with the BPI and music marketing agency Blackstar on a study titled Seeking Community: Gen Z’s true relationship with culture & music consumption. That report, which surveyed 500 respondents across the UK, examined how 18–25 year-olds discover, consume and connect with music.
The Creator Fund’s ownership-first approach is consistent with the model that has defined AWAL since its founding. The company, acquired by Sony Music Entertainment from Kobalt Music Group for $430 million in 2021, allows artists to retain ownership of their copyrights across its tiered service model.
Potts was elevated to Co-Managing Director of AWAL alongside Victoria Needs in July 2025, as part of a UK leadership reshuffle that also saw Matt Riley promoted to President. Potts joined AWAL in 2019 as Vice President of Promotion, having previously served as Head of Radio Promotions at Columbia Records.
AWAL‘s UK roster includes artists such as Jungle, Little Simz, CMAT and James Marriott, the latter of whom reached No. 1 on the Official UK Albums Chart with his second studio album earlier this year.Music Business Worldwide
Mortgage Rates Enjoy Winning Streak, But Could Rebound Even Higher
Mortgage rates have been surprisingly resilient lately, despite all the inflation concerns related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
At last glance, the price of a barrel of oil was over $110, up from the $60 range in February.
Yes, mortgage rates have risen quite a bit since that time, but they remain only about a half point higher.
And it’s important to remember that mortgage rates were at 3.5-year lows at the end of February.
So bouncing off those levels isn’t as bad as it appears. The question is does it get worse again before it gets even better?
Mortgage Rates Fell Nearly 0.25% Last Week
Mortgage rates actually had a winning week, falling about 20 basis points from the end of March to last Friday, per MND.
They had risen as high as 6.625% for a 30-year fixed before dropping to around 6.45% to close out the week.
While it’s still well above the 5.99% rate briefly hit in late February, it’s not far off and it beats going even higher.
Many, including myself, expected the 30-year fixed to climb to 6.75% and perhaps 6.875% in the near-term.
We somehow eked out a win in the midst of a seemingly unprecedented conflict in Iran, which has caused oil prices to just about double.
That has many economists worried about a second wave of inflation, overriding any benefit you’d normally see from a geopolitical event.
Typically, mortgage rates go down during wars or conflicts because there is typically a flight to safety in bonds, increasing demand and lowering associated yields (interest rates).
But this time it’s a little more complicated because global energy prices have surged due to the veritable closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trend Is Not Mortgage Rates’ Friend
While we got a good week to start off April, something tells me things could still get worse before they get better.
Simply looking at the rhetoric from President Trump should make you worry that mortgage rates could be due for another jump higher.
On Easter, he used expletives in a Truth Social post demanding that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz or face its wrath, including destroying bridges and power plants.
Meanwhile, “Israel struck a key petrochemical plant in the massive South Pars natural gas field,” illustrating that any attempts at a ceasefire will be very difficult.
There have been efforts to establish a 45-day ceasefire, but there’s also a deadline of 8 p.m. EST Tuesday to carry out new attacks on Iranian infrastructure.
If the U.S. follows through, that would likely jeopardize any negotiations and lead to a response from Iran, further exacerbating the already dire situation.
As such, mortgage rates could suffer a second wave of increases after appearing to settle down in recent days.
Will Mortgage Rates Suffer Another Setback?
Since this conflict got underway, I’ve felt 30-year fixed mortgage rates would come close to 7% again.
If you’ve watched mortgage rates for any extended period of time, you know they don’t move in a straight line up or down.
Instead, they ebb and flow, often bouncing around, even if trending higher or lower over time.
Just look at their move from 7%+ to sub-6% over the past year. They didn’t just go down, down, down.
There were bad weeks and even bad months, but they still managed to improve over time once we zoomed out.
Similarly, this could be a situation where they worsen over time, despite having good days and good weeks here and there.
So while last week was encouraging for mortgage rates, it’d be foolish to think the worst is behind us here.
The best-case scenario is we get some sort of ceasefire or peace deal as soon as possible, and perhaps some movement in the Strait.
But one should also prepare for the worst, a ratcheting up of the situation that leads to even higher energy prices, an uptick in inflation, and another leg higher for mortgage rates.
How high they might go remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t completely rule out the very high 6s or even low 7s if things don’t get under control soon.
Before creating this site, I worked as an account executive for a wholesale mortgage lender in Los Angeles. My hands-on experience in the early 2000s inspired me to begin writing about mortgages 19 years ago to help prospective (and existing) home buyers better navigate the home loan process. Follow me on X for hot takes.
Artemis III will practice docking while Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon compete for Artemis IV
Never-before-glimpsed views of the moon’s far side. Check. Total solar eclipse gracing the lunar scene. Check. New distance record for humanity. Check.
With NASA’s lunar comeback a galactic-sized smash thanks to Artemis II, the world is wondering: What’s next? And how do you top that?
“To people all around the world who look up and dream about what is possible, the long wait is over,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he introduced Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen at Saturday’s jubilant homecoming celebration.
Now that the first lunar travelers in more than a half-century are safely back in Houston with their families, NASA has Artemis III in its sights.
“The next mission’s right around the corner,” entry flight director Rick Henfling observed following the crew’s Pacific splashdown on Friday.
In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis III’s yet-to-be -named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are racing to have their company’s lander ready first.
Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon are vying for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028. Two astronauts will aim for the south polar region, the preferred location for Isaacman’s envisioned $20 billion to $30 billion moon base. Vast amounts of ice are almost certainly hidden in permanently shadowed craters there — ice that could provide water and rocket fuel.
The docking mechanism for Artemis III’s close-to-home trial run is already at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The latest model Starship is close to launching on a test flight from South Texas, and a scaled-down version of Blue Moon will attempt a lunar landing later this year.
NASA promises to announce the Artemis III crew “soon.” Like 1969’s Apollo 9, Artemis III aims to reduce risk for the moon landings that follow.
Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart loved flying the lunar module in low-Earth orbit — “a test pilot’s dream.” But there’s no question, he noted, that “the real astronauts” at least in the public’s mind were the ones who walked on the moon.
Wiseman and his crew put their passion and feelings on full display as they flew around the moon and back, choking up over lost loved ones as well as those left behind on Earth.
During the their nearly 10-day journey, they tearfully requested that a fresh, bright lunar crater be named after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020. They also openly shared their love for one another and Planet Earth, an exquisite yet delicate oasis in the black void that they said needs better care.
Artemis II included the first woman, the first person of color and the first non-U.S. citizen to fly to the moon.
“Wonderful communicators, almost poets,” Isaacman said from the recovery ship while awaiting their return.
Apollo’s manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs.
For those old enough to remember Apollo, Artemis — Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology — couldn’t come fast enough.
Author Andy Chaikin said he felt like Rip Van Winkle awakening from a nearly 54-year nap. His 1994 biography “A Man on the Moon” led to the HBO miniseries “From the Earth to the Moon.”
“It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how different this experience is from back then,” Chaikin said from Johnson Space Center late last week.
The hardest part, according to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, is becoming so close to the crews and their families and then blasting them to the moon. He anxiously monitored Friday’s reentry alongside the astronauts’ spouses and children.
“You know what’s at stake,” Kshatriya confided afterward. “It’s going to take risk to explore, but you have to make sure you find the right line between being paralyzed by it and being able to manage it.”
Calling it “mission complete” only after being reunited with his two daughters, Wiseman issued a rallying cry to the rows of blue-flight-suited astronauts at Saturday’s celebration.
“It is time to go and be ready,” he said, pointing at them, “because it takes courage. It takes determination, and you all are freaking going and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way in every possible way possible.”
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How to Convince Your Boss They Need a Coach
There’s a paradox I’ve observed at the top of organizations: The more leaders rise through the ranks, the less candid feedback they receive. As visibility and stakes increase, so can blind spots. Peers hesitate to challenge them. Direct reports filter their feedback. Boards focus on results, not behavior. Over time, even highly capable CEOs can become insulated.
How to Raise Rent & Protect Yourself
On one hand, you’re able to start earning rental income on day one. But on the other hand, how do you know you’re inheriting a quality tenant, and how do you go about raising rent? In today’s episode, we share everything you need to know—before and after closing!
Welcome to another Rookie Reply! Which Airbnb markets are “oversaturated,” and how can you tell? Tony, our resident short-term rental expert, says there’s much more to market analysis than most rookies think. Stay tuned as he shows you which data you’ll need before committing to any market!
Finally, how and when should you start scaling your real estate portfolio? Maybe you’ve bought your first rental property, have a great tenant in place, and are building some serious cash flow. At what point should you go ahead and buy your next investment property? We’ve got the answer!
Ashley Kehr:
You got a message from someone you’ve never met asking if you’d sell your house. Before it even hit the MLS, do you know how to evaluate that? Do you even know what your property is worth off market and what question should you be asking before you even sign anything?
Tony Robinson:
Today we’re answering three questions straight from the BiggerPockets forums covering what to do when you inherit a tenant mid purchase, how to evaluate whether short-term rental is worth it in a saturated market, and how to know when you’re actually ready to scale from one door to …
Ashley Kehr:
This is The Real Estate Roofing Podcast. I’m Ashley Kerr.
Tony Robinson:
And I’m Tony J. Robinson. And with that, we’re going to jump into our first question today, which comes from the BiggerPockets Forums. Now, this question says, “I just closed on a single family rental.” Congratulations, by the way, and found out that the current tenant’s lease isn’t up for another seven months. The previous owner never mentioned this. This tenant has been there for three years, pays on time, but the rent is $300 per month below market value. I want to raise the rent when the lease expires, but I’m also scared of losing a reliable long-term tenant. How do I approach this situation as a brand new landlord inheriting someone else’s setup? All right. I love this question because I get to use my favorite phrase, which is an estoppel agreement. So if you’ve been around for a while, I’ve learned how to both, what that word is and how to spell it on the podcast.
But Ash, for our listeners that maybe aren’t familiar with that, break down what an estoppel is and why it might be beneficial in situations like this.
Ashley Kehr:
Yeah. So this is too late for this person asking this question, but before you actually close on the property, you should ask the seller if you can give an estoppel agreement to the tenants. And this is basically a forum that the tenants are filling out with how much rent they’re paying, when their lease expires, when did they move in? Do they have any pets? What appliances belong to them, what utilities they pay, which ones the landlord pays. And basically you’re taking the information they are telling you and you’re verifying it with the lease agreement or with what the landlord says. And that way, if there are any discrepancies, you can figure it out before you actually close on the property. So if a tenant fills out and says, “Hey, I pay $300 a month, but I own all the appliances.” But the landlord is saying, “No, I own the appliances.
You’re buying them with the property.” You can figure out that situation and how to handle it before you actually close on the property. Because if that tenant moves out and all of a sudden you have to buy all new appliances,
That could be a big chunk of money out of your cashflow that you need to cover to be able to rent it back out. So try and do that always when you purchase a property that is not vacant and has tenants in place. What you can do now is it really depends on your state laws. You could always offer a lease. If they agree to the renegotiation of the lease and they sign the new lease without thinking they’re getting kicked out and things like that where they’re signing it under false presences and they agree to the increase, but most likely you cannot raise the rent until their lease has expired. And in some states, there’s even regulation as to how much you can actually raise the rent on them. So even if they’re $300 below market, it may be several years before you could actually even bring it up to market because of those regulations and those caps on raising rent.
So the thing I would do is give them the most notice you can. So I would give them a lease renewal now that starts in the seven months. So that way, if they decide that they’re not going to accept that lease agreement, you’re also going to want them to sign a form saying that they’re going to terminate their lease when it expires. And you can also give them the option to terminate it early if you wanted. I usually don’t. I usually let it go, the period, but if you wanted them out so you could get somebody else in there, you could do that too. But you give them those two options and it’s their option if they decide to renew at the new price or if they are going to vacate the premises and are not going to accept the new lease agreement.
Tony Robinson:
Yeah, Ash, all great points. I think the only thing I want to add to that is just to also do the math. You said yourself, this is a reliable tenant. They’ve been there for a long time. I guess we won’t know just yet if they’re the kind of tenant that causes a lot of headaches, but assume that they’re just an all around solid tenant. There’s also, I think, some peace of mind math that we can incorporate as well. At $300 per month below market value, I mean, that is a significant amount that’s $3,600 per year in potential risk or missed rental income. But you also have to compare that against, okay, if I do let this tenant go, how long do I think I’ll be vacant for this listing? And let’s say that your rent is maybe 2,000 bucks per month and you’re vacant for two months.
Well, you’ve just eaten up for that entire year, all of that potential extra profit you’ll gain by getting to market value. But hey, if every rental unit is gone before it’s even fully vacant, well, then maybe we’ve got a really good case there to relist this at the new price. But as you have that conversation, Dion McNeely, who we’ve had on the podcast a few times, you’ve spoken toBecon. I love his approach, what’s called the binder method. We won’t go into it in detail here, but if you just search the Real Estate Ricky YouTube channel for binder method, you should find our episode with Dion McNeely and he walks through how he actually gets the tenants to agree to a rent increase and he’s just presenting them with options. So it’s a really, I think, unique way to be able to raise the rent while still keeping a really good relationship with your clients or with your tenants.
Ashley Kehr:
Coming up, short-term rentals are everywhere right now, but is it actually the right to move in a market that’s already flooded with Airbnbs? We’re going to tackle that question next right after a word from our show sponsors. Okay. Welcome back. So now that you know how to handle a tenant you didn’t choose and how to increase their rent, let’s talk about a strategy a lot of rookies have questions with in our wrestling right now. Okay. So this question comes from the BiggerPockets forums and it says, “I’m analyzing a property in a beach town that I think could do well on Airbnb.” But when I search the area, there are already hundreds of short-term rental listings. The long-term rental numbers don’t work as well, but at least they’re predictable. How do I decide if short-term rental is still worth pursuing in a saturated market and what data should I be looking at beyond just the number of listings?
Well, good thing. We have our in- house analysis, non-paralysis, Tony J. Robinson here to break down analyzing a short-term rental. And first of all, Tony, saturated markets, yay or nay. This is rapid fire here. Yay or nay.
Tony Robinson:
Yay.
Ashley Kehr:
Okay. And then we’re going with software. Off the top of your head, what’s the first tool, the first piece of software that you need to actually start analyzing this deal and get the numbers and the data?
Tony Robinson:
Air DNA. Easy.
Ashley Kehr:
Okay. Okay. Now tell us more.
Tony Robinson:
I think the word saturated is a bit of a nuanced phrase. I think a lot of people throw that word around without understanding the different layers or things that go into saying whether or not a market is actually saturated. Just because there are a lot of listings doesn’t mean that a market is saturated. There could be just a lot of demand in that market as well. So I’ll break it down. The things that I look at to actually gauge whether or not a market is quote unquote saturated or if there’s maybe an imbalance between supply and demand. I do look at the number of listings, but not just the raw number of listings. I look at how those listings have changed over time. What is the percentage increase in a market over the last, call it three years of the number of listings in that market and what rate is it increasing at?
It’s not bad to see listing growth in a market because it means that more people are coming in because maybe there’s more opportunity. But then I compare that number to the actual demand in that market. And when you use a tool like AirDNA, you can actually see across an entire market how many nights were actually booked for that market. And if I go back again over the last three years and I see that supply has been growing at 4%, but demand has grown 10% over that same timeframe, well, that’s actually a really good balance, right? Demand is actually outpacing supply. In other markets, maybe supply is flat, but if demand is decreasing 3% year over year, that’s a bigger issue, right? So I’m not just looking at listings in isolation or demand in isolation. We need to look at them together, understand the trends between both, and then understand what that balance actually looks like between the two of them.
So supply, demand, and the other things I look at is across the entire market, how is occupancy changing, how is the average daily rate changing? So if I can see a market where there’s steady growth in supply, there’s steady growth and demand that’s hopefully at or above supply, and I’m seeing healthy growth and occupancy and average daily rates, to me, that is a market, even if there are hundreds or thousands of listings in that market, that there’s a good balance between supply and demand and therefore not “saturated.” All right guys, we’re going to take a quick break before our last question, but while we’re gone, be sure to subscribe to the Real Estate Rookie YouTube channel. You can find us @realestaterookie, and we’ll be back with more right after this. All right, let’s jump back in. Our final question is for anyone steering at their first deal, wondering if they’re actually ready or maybe already trying to figure out when the second one should happen.
So the question says, “I bought my first rental property eight months ago and everything is going well. Tenant is solid, cashflow is positive, and I’ve got some reserves built up. I keep hearing that I should scale, but I don’t know what that actually looks like or how to know when I’m ready. How many doors should I have before I try to grow? And what does scaling actually require that most rookies don’t plan for? ” This is actually a good question. No one really talks about how do I know if I’m ready to scale. But first, let me say, the fact that you’ve got a solid, we’ll call it like you’re on base, maybe not a home run of a first deal, but you made the first base with your first deal. That is a great starting point. You said you’ve got reserves built up, cashflow positive, so you’ve learned a lot.
I think when we talk about scaling, what it really comes down to me is more so what are your goals as it relates to real estate investing? Is this something that you’re doing maybe in the background to help supplement your retirement? Is this something you’re doing to maybe build cashflow aggressively? Are you doing this because you want tax benefits? And depending on which one of those things is really motivating you to invest in real estate at all, I think will help you decide what type of scaling makes the most sense for you. Because I know some people who invest in real estate and they’re high income earning W2 folks who enjoy what they do. They have no desire to leave and they plan to do this for the rest of their lives. For those people, scaling maybe looks like buying one property every one to two to three years and just letting it build cashflow or build appreciation and letting that cash flow stack.
For other people, they want to move more quickly, right? They want to get into this full time. They want to make this an active business. Their approach is different. So for me, I think scaling the first question you have to answer is, what do I actually want out of this?
Ashley Kehr:
I think the problem is in this question is that you’re coming at as people are telling you, “This is what you should do. You should scale.” And that’s the problem that I had, as in I thought I should be doing this because people were telling me to do this or people were doing this and I saw them doing this on social media and I thought, “I need to get to that point.That’s the next step.” And just like Tony said, you really have to evaluate what your own progression and what your why is and what you want out of real estate. So you’ve already got one duplex. I think a really great next step would be just to buy another duplex. I think it is really important to build a solid foundation of what you know, what’s working for you and what you can be successful at.
So you’ve already got one deal that is working for you, replicate that. And yes, it’s the boring way. It’s not flashy, it’s not shiny, it’s not the hottest new strategy of 2026, but that is going to help you down the road. If you do decide to take on a different strategy to pivot or the market changes, you have to pivot, but if you have that strong foundation, it’s really going to help you. And the biggest thing is don’t forget about your lifestyle. Don’t forget about the things you want. If you start growing and scaling too fast, that’s going to eat up more of your time, more of your energy and focus now on building systems. So as you’re buying this second property, literally document every single thing that you are doing so that when you go through it for a third time, you have your whole process to follow that you’re not forgetting things, you’re not getting overwhelmed with stuff and you have it all together.
One thing that I didn’t do for a really long time, and it’s the number one thing that I do now is a utility sheet. So probably my first 10 properties, I didn’t do this, but I am, as soon as I’m setting up utilities, pretty close to closing, I have a sheet that, what’s the name of the company, what’s the account number, how do I pay it? Is there a login? What’s their website? What’s their phone number? Where is the meter located on the property? What is the meter number? So it sounds like something so simple, but all of these little simple processes and tasks that you can put together and document will make your life so much easier down the road. So I think that’s something you should focus on now is like building out those systems just for that first property. What are some things that you can do now and then slowly take your time into buying that second one?
Tony Robinson:
I think the last thing I’ll add, Ash, is just from a timing perspective, you’ll also know if you’re ready if you have enough cash to actually just buy that next deal. And it sounds like you’ve got cash flow coming from this property that maybe you don’t need because you’ve got a job that you’re working. Let that cash flow continue to grow and then save whatever else you can continue to save from your day job. And if you look up in another 18 to 24 months and you’ve got another nice pile of cash, well, then there’s your sign that I’m ready to buy that next deal. So I think a lot of times we try and overcomplicate the idea of scaling, but sometimes it’s just as simple as save money, save your cashflow, buy a property. Now you’ve got more cash flow, save some more, buy another property.
And it really starts to snowball because when you bought your first deal, you got zero properties helping you save for that first one. When you buy your first deal, now you’ve got one property helping you. When you buy your second deal, now there are two properties helping. So each property helps fund the next one if you save all of that cash flow. So don’t overcomplicate it, right? Just save, buy, repeat.
Ashley Kehr:
Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of Real Estate Rookie. I’m Ashley. He’s Tony, and we’ll see you guys on the next episode.
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