Overview of Need Money for a Down Payment? Try These 8 Side Hustles (That Actually Work)
This Real Estate Rookie episode (hosts Ashley Harris & Tony J. Robinson) breaks down eight real, proven side hustles that past BiggerPockets guests used to fund down payments and launch rental portfolios. Each hustle is illustrated with a guest example (episode number referenced), plus practical notes on startup cost, realistic earnings, and how the side-hustle dollars were turned into real estate. These are not hypotheticals — real people used these exact strategies to buy properties.
Key takeaways
- Many investors started with little or no capital and used side hustles to generate down payment money and documented income for loans.
- Low-startup options (gig apps, bartending, TaskRabbit, digital products, dog-sitting) let you begin quickly; product flips and handyman work may require modest tools, storage or transport.
- Consistency and documentation matter: sustained income (W-2 or documented self-employment) makes it easier to qualify for mortgages.
- Convert short-term or trend income into long-term assets. Several guests deliberately funneled variable income into real estate rather than spending it.
- Consider insurance/liability for home-based or client-facing hustles (dog-sitting, handyman, hosting).
The 8 side hustles (what they are, costs, earnings, real examples)
1) Gig delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Amazon Flex)
- What: Deliver food/groceries/packages via apps; set your own hours.
- Startup cost: Minimal — car <10 years old, license, gas, phone; some platforms rent vehicles.
- Earnings: Varies widely — beginners low, experienced/strategic drivers $30–$50/hr possible; extreme grinders report 6-figure annual income working many hours.
- How it funded deals: Josh Janis (ep. 294) DoorDashed while in college for 24 months, used cash and documented self-employment income to qualify for loans and later built a >$1M portfolio.
- Notable tactic: stacking orders across multiple apps; “don’t drive 10 miles across town for a $2 tip.”
2) Bartending / waiting tables
- What: Night/weekend shifts with cash tips.
- Startup cost: Essentially zero (possible state-level certifications).
- Earnings: Location-dependent; can yield large cash piles quickly (example: $10k saved in ~4 months).
- How it funded deals: Alana Lipman (ep. 674) saved every tip to fund down payments, furnished short-term rentals and built ~15 doors across STRs and long-term rentals.
- Perk: Immediate cashflow and flexibility to continue W-2 job to qualify for loans.
3) TaskRabbit / on-demand handyman & odd jobs
- What: Assemble furniture, move, lawncare, cleaning, errands; you set rates.
- Startup cost: Minimal — time and basic tools you likely own.
- Earnings: Higher hourly rates than many part-time gigs; repeat clients build steady income.
- How it funded deals: Dan McDonald (ep. 341) used TaskRabbit income + other funds to save 3.5% down for an FHA duplex near Boston (later significant appreciation).
4) Couch / furniture flipping (Marketplace arbitrage)
- What: Buy underpriced couches/furniture, clean/photograph, re-sell at 2–10x.
- Startup cost: Truck/trailer or U-Haul access, possible storage unit, cleaning supplies (steamer).
- Earnings: Example peak $10k/month; profit per item commonly $200–$700 (sometimes ~ $1k).
- How it funded deals: Ava Juergens (ep. 294) flipped couches at age 16; used profits and a parental partnership to fund multiple properties totaling ~$900k by high school graduation.
5) Exotic / niche product flipping (e.g., rare houseplants)
- What: Wholesale/wholesale-arbitrage of trending/rare items, resell to retail at markup.
- Startup cost: A few hundred dollars of initial inventory; space and ability to care for inventory (e.g., plants).
- Earnings: Paul Lee (ep. 295) netted ~$100k over two years from plant flipping (average profit ~$262/plant).
- How it funded deals: Paul used plant profits to make a 3.5% down payment on a $650k fourplex (with strong cashflow and low interest rate). He deliberately converted plant profits into real estate.
6) Digital products (templates, planners, printables, courses)
- What: Create one-off digital assets (Canva, Etsy, Gumroad) and sell repeatedly with near-zero marginal cost.
- Startup cost: Very low — time to create, small listing fees; free tools available.
- Earnings: Scalable passive income; example Cody Berman (ep. 654) built a business making $15k+/month; achieved $1k/month within ~100 days from a fresh anonymous Etsy shop in public test.
- How it funded deals: Recurring revenue can provide steady savings and documented income for loans.
7) Dog sitting / pet boarding (Rover, Wag)
- What: Host dogs in your home or pet-sit at owners’ houses; set rates, availability.
- Startup cost: Near-zero if you have space; optional supplies; consider liability/insurance.
- Earnings: Market-dependent; typical nightly rates $30–$80; multiple dogs multiply revenue (e.g., $60–$240/night).
- How it funded deals: Casey Nguyen (ep. 668) used dog-sitting income as financial stability to pivot her family, sell a Bay Area home (realized $460k tax-free), and relocate to build a short-term rental portfolio.
8) Handyman / renovation services
- What: Painting, small repairs, renovations — skill-based work; can evolve into a business.
- Startup cost: Basic tools $200–$500 (or borrow); possibly insurance.
- Earnings: $50–$100/hr typical; can scale to full business income.
- How it funded deals: Elizabeth Esplin (ep. 590) and her husband did renovation work themselves, bought a probate flip for ~$200k, renovated, sold for ~$393k — proceeds paid debt and launched a handyman business that financed more deals.
Notable quotes & insights
- “Don’t drive 10 miles across town for just a $2 tip.” — practical mindset for gig drivers.
- “Convert every dollar of plant profit into real estate.” — Paul Lee’s deliberate decision to turn trend-based gains into durable assets.
- Side hustles often do two things at once: provide cash for down payment/furnishings and create documented income to strengthen mortgage applications.
Risks, practical considerations, and tips
- Documentation: For mortgage approval, documented income (tax returns, bank deposits) helps — gig/self-employment income is usable if consistent and recorded.
- Time vs. scalability: Some hustles trade time for immediate cash (delivery, bartending); others can scale/passively (digital products) or convert to businesses (handyman, flipping).
- Insurance & liability: Home-hosting (pets, guests) and client-facing services benefit from proper insurance or platform protections.
- Market dependency: Product flips and pet rates depend on local demand/trends; plan for variability.
- Reinvest vs. spend: Several guests intentionally funneled side-hustle profits straight into real estate rather than lifestyle inflation.
Quick action checklist (next steps)
- Pick 1–2 hustles that match your skills, schedule, and local market.
- Start small and document every dollar (bank deposits, invoices, tax returns).
- Save specifically for down payment, closing costs, or furnishing — keep this separate from living expenses.
- If self-employed, plan to sustain income for 12–24 months to strengthen mortgage applications (examples show this helps).
- Consider insurance/liability and basic legal protections before scaling home-based or client-facing work.
Guest examples & episodes (for reference)
- Josh Janis — gig delivery / DoorDash (ep. 294)
- Ava Juergens — couch flipping (ep. 294)
- Paul Lee — exotic plant flipping (ep. 295)
- Dan McDonald — TaskRabbit (ep. 341)
- Alana Lipman — bartending → house hacks (ep. 674)
- Cody Berman — digital products (ep. 654)
- Casey Nguyen — dog sitting (ep. 668)
- Elizabeth Esplin — handyman / flip (ep. 590)
This episode’s core message: you don’t need inherited capital — pick a realistic side hustle, be consistent, document income, and convert those earnings into real estate assets.