How to Retire in 10 Years Using Real Estate Investing: 3 Inspiring Case Studies

Real estate investing is a powerful tool that can help you achieve early retirement and financial independence. Whether you choose to make real estate a small or large part of your investment portfolio, it has the potential to generate wealth, passive income, and secure your financial future.

In this article, we will explore three real-life case studies to illustrate how hard-working individuals can retire within 10 to 25 years, depending on their savings rates, income, and disciplined investing approach. These examples will demonstrate the power of real estate investing in achieving early retirement and financial freedom.

The Financial Goals When You Retire

Before we dive into the case studies, let's understand the end destination of retirement. What do you need financially to retire? What should your goals be?

There are two simple goals that resonate with most people:

1. Investment income that covers all your financial needs and desires
2. The assurance that your money will never run out

While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving these goals, it's crucial to find a strategy that aligns with your financial objectives and values. Warren Buffet, the legendary investor, emphasizes the importance of simplicity and understanding in investments. For many, this means focusing on residential real estate as a core investment vehicle. Real estate is tangible, intuitive, and can generate consistent income.

Diversification is also an important aspect of any investment strategy. By spreading your investments across different asset classes like stocks, bonds, CDs, and cash, you can minimize risk and ensure a more stable income stream.

However, in this article, we will focus on how real estate, when strategically incorporated into your portfolio, can make a significant positive impact on your retirement finances. For those with a smaller net worth, real estate may be the key to achieving a sustainable and comfortable income during retirement.

Now, let's explore the phases that a typical investor goes through on their path to traditional retirement.

Traditional Retirement Phases: Build-Up & Withdrawal

The journey to retirement can be seen as a two-phase process: build-up and withdrawal.

1. Build-Up Phase: This is where you work, save, and invest diligently to accumulate wealth. During this phase, you aim to reach your financial independence number – typically 25-30 times your annual income needs. It's the point at which your net worth is enough to sustain your desired lifestyle without the need for active work.

2. Withdrawal Phase: After reaching your financial independence number, you transition into the withdrawal phase. This is when you stop working for money and live off the income generated by your assets, such as investments, pensions, and social security benefits.

Withdrawing Without Depleting Your Savings

During the withdrawal phase, the challenge is to ensure your withdrawals don't deplete your savings too quickly. Many retirees with traditional investment portfolios follow the 4% rule, which suggests that you should withdraw no more than 4% of your net worth each year to make your money last.

However, with carefully chosen real estate investments, you can potentially exceed the 4% withdrawal rate without depleting your net worth. Real estate has the potential to generate consistent income of 6% to 10% or even higher, depending on the property and location. Furthermore, the value and rental income of quality real estate tend to grow along with inflation.

By incorporating real estate into your retirement plan, you create an inflation-adjusted pension through the income generated by rental properties. This allows you to:

1. Potentially live off more than the 4% withdrawal rate
2. Experience continued growth or stability in your net worth during retirement
3. Achieve early retirement since real estate meets your income needs with a smaller net worth

Now, let's delve into three compelling case studies that showcase the power of real estate in retirement planning.

Case Study #1: Retiring at 60 after 25 Years of Investing

Meet Rachael and Justin, a couple who aspire to retire at the age of 60. They are both 35 years old and live in St. Louis, Missouri. Five years ago, they purchased a $200,000 home with a 5% down payment and a 30-year fixed-interest loan.

At the beginning of their retirement journey, their assets were as follows:

• $28,000 equity in their home
• $25,000 cash reserves
• $25,000 in their 401k accounts
• $25,000 cash saved for real estate investing

They aimed to save $150,000 per year and achieve an average return of 8.175% on their investments. Their target retirement withdrawal income was $150,000 per year.

Their wealth-building plan consisted of three strategies:

1. Contributing $10,000 per year to their 401k and investing in low-cost index funds.
2. Using $20,000 per year to buy rental properties and paying off the mortgages before retirement.
3. Making minimum payments on their home mortgage to own it outright by retirement.

After 25 years of disciplined saving and strategic investing, Rachael and Justin achieved a net worth of over $3.1 million. Their investment portfolio consisted of $928,000 in their 401k, $1.68 million in real estate, and $100,000 in cash. Importantly, their income during retirement exceeded their target of $150,000 per year.

By incorporating real estate into their portfolio, they were able to avoid the limitations imposed by traditional investments. Without real estate, a 4% withdrawal rate would have limited their annual income to $108,000, potentially requiring them to work longer or settle for a lower income during retirement.

Case Study #2: Achieving Early Retirement in 10 Years

Kim and Steve, also 35 years old and living in St. Louis, have different retirement aspirations. They wanted to retire early, enjoy their lifestyle, and pursue their passions while still relatively young. Like Rachael and Justin, they purchased a $200,000 home with a rentable garage apartment.

At the beginning of their journey, their assets were as follows:

• $28,000 equity in their home
• $25,000 in their 401k accounts
• $25,000 cash saved for real estate investing

Their goal was to save $150,000 per year, with an additional $82,000 dedicated to investing. They aimed for an average return of 8.175% on their investments. Their minimum retirement withdrawal income was $60,000 per year.

Their wealth-building plan included:

1. Contributing $20,000 per year to their 401k and investing in index funds.
2. Allocating $62,000 per year to purchase rental properties and pay off the mortgages within 10 years.
3. Converting their basement into a rentable apartment using a home equity line of credit.

After 10 years of focused effort, Kim and Steve achieved a net worth of $1.45 million by the age of 45. Their investment portfolio consisted of $347,000 in their 401k, $1.07 million in real estate, and $100,000 in cash. Importantly, their rental income covered their minimum retirement income of $60,000 per year, providing them with financial security.

The hold fast phase allowed them to bridge the gap from early retirement to the traditional withdrawal phase. By strategically leveraging real estate and diversifying their income sources, they achieved financial independence at a much younger age.

Case Study #3: Late-in-Life Retirement in 10 Years

Jim, a 50-year-old colleague of Steve, was inspired by Kim and Steve's early retirement plans. Despite setbacks from a divorce, Jim still aspired to retire at the age of 60 or earlier. He had a $150,000 house with $25,000 equity, $250,000 in his 401k from previous years, and $50,000 in cash savings.

Jim's retirement plan was as follows:

1. Transferring $250,000 from his 401k to a self-directed 401k custodian to invest in private mortgages secured by quality real estate.
2. Investing $50,000 cash annually in rental properties and paying off the mortgages using the snowball debt repayment method.
3. Converting his basement into a rentable apartment using a home equity line of credit and accelerating his mortgage payoff.

After 10 years of hard work and strategic investing, Jim achieved a net worth of approximately $1.66 million at the age of 60. This comprised of $718,500 in his 401k, $657,000 in real estate, and $250,000 in cash. He achieved his goal of a minimum retirement withdrawal income of $100,000 per year.

Jim's story demonstrates that it's never too late to start planning for retirement. By leveraging real estate investments and finding alternative income sources, he secured a comfortable retirement despite starting late.

The Fundamentals To Retire Early and Confidently

These case studies highlight some common principles necessary to achieve early retirement:

1. Develop strong saving habits and save diligently over time.
2. Set clear goals and create a detailed plan to guide your decisions.
3. Utilize real estate investing as a core driver to build wealth throughout the different phases of retirement.

While retirement planning can be challenging, the control, leverage, and income potential of real estate investing make it an ideal strategy to retire early and confidently. By carefully incorporating real estate into your portfolio, you can accelerate your journey to financial independence.

What role does real estate play in your retirement plan? Are you considering it during the build-up, hold fast, or withdrawal phases? Share your thoughts in the comments below.