Real estate investing doesn’t move in a straight line — it moves in seasons. In Part 2 of this two-part series, Chris McAllister and co-host Laci LeBlanc shift from strategy to tactics and break down what disciplined investors do when the market feels slow, tight, or “stuck.”
You’ll hear practical, investor-tested ways to stay profitable in a dry season — including how to optimize the portfolio you already own (vacancy, maintenance, vendor contracts, and debt), how to build liquidity so patience actually has power, and how to expand your pipeline through relationships that surface “invisible” opportunities.
Chris also introduces The Long BRRRR (HRRRR) — a twist on the classic BRRRR method built for long-term landlords: Hold → Reinvest → Raise → Refinance → Recycle. If you’ve owned properties for 10–15+ years and your portfolio is “a little tired,” this framework can unlock rent growth, equity growth, and future buying power without having to find a brand-new deal today.
Key Takeaways
- Seasons are real — and every season has a “right play.” Buying, neutral, and seller seasons require different strategies. The best investors don’t always buy — they stay prepared and act when the cycle favors them.
- When deals dry up, operations become your highest-return activity. Small wins like lowering vacancy, tightening maintenance turn-times, and renegotiating vendors compound fast — and flow straight to the bottom line.
- Liquidity turns patience into a weapon. Build reserves so you’re ready when opportunity returns. Dry powder can be parked safely (money markets/treasuries) while you wait.
- Slow markets require active hunting, not passive browsing. Strengthen relationships with wholesalers, attorneys, brokers, lenders, and property managers — they surface off-market and “invisible” opportunities first.
- Sharpen the saw: keep underwriting even if you’re not buying. Analyze deals to stay sharp, and explore alternative structures (seller financing, subject-to, lease options) to expand your toolbox.
- The Long BRRRR (HRRRR) can outperform new acquisitions in tight markets. For seasoned landlords: reinvesting into existing assets can create rent growth + equity growth, then allow you to refinance and recycle capital.
- Prune the portfolio strategically. Use slow seasons to identify underperformers, reduce headaches, and redeploy equity into stronger assets or upgrades to your best holdings.
- A slow market can be a smart time to “move up” personally — if the numbers work. Turning your current home into a rental while purchasing your next residence can add a cash-flowing asset without “buying another investment property.”
Linked Resources
- ROOST Investor Gateway: https://roostrealestateco.com/roost-investment-property-search/
- BiggerPockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/
- LendingOne: https://lp.lendingone.com/partnership-roost_real_estate_co
P.S. Searching for your next investment property? Every week, we comb through the latest MLS listings, hunting for investment opportunities that meet our rigorous criteria and present you with ROOST "Best Bets" for Real Estate Investors.
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