Turning Burnout Into (Real) Financial Freedom with 7 Rentals in Just 3 Years

Summary of Turning Burnout Into (Real) Financial Freedom with 7 Rentals in Just 3 Years

by BiggerPockets

38m•January 19, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of Turning Burnout Into (Real) Financial Freedom with 7 Rentals in Just 3 Years

This episode of the Real Estate Rookie Podcast (BiggerPockets) features Casey, a former top Bay Area real estate agent who scaled to seven-figure household income, burned out, pivoted her life and investing strategy, and now runs a diversified rental portfolio (including short-term rentals) while prioritizing family life. The conversation covers her burnout and turning point, the practical pivot (move to Kentucky, selling her California home), creative income streams (notably dog-sitting via Rover), property acquisitions (Airbnb in Red River Gorge + multi-state rentals), and lessons on mindset, outsourcing, and calculating true investment costs.

Key takeaways

  • High income can create more stress and responsibilities; money alone didn’t bring Casey happiness or balance. Burnout and personal loss triggered a major life reset.
  • Mindset work (coaching, masterminds) helped Casey become a top agent; the same intentional thinking later pushed her to change direction.
  • Geographic arbitrage — selling an expensive Bay Area home and moving to Lexington, KY — unlocked capital and a much improved quality of life.
  • Creative short-term income (dog-sitting on Rover) can meaningfully outperform some rental income in high-demand markets.
  • Outsourcing and building teams allowed Casey to keep a Bay Area real estate business remotely while living in Kentucky.
  • Always account for rehab and furnishing costs for STRs — acquisition price is only one part of the equation.
  • Do market research; Casey’s purchase in Red River Gorge worked out but was bought with minimal analysis — don’t assume all deals will.

Timeline & pivotal moments

  • Built top-producing agent business in Silicon Valley; monthly commissions reportedly ranged from ~$50k up to ~$170k.
  • COVID-era lifestyle (working from a tiny condo) highlighted 24/7 work hours and lack of life balance.
  • Personal loss (miscarriage) accelerated the decision to change priorities and move.
  • Jan 2024: decision to sell Bay Area home.
  • Sep 2024: sold CA home (bought Sep 2022 → sold Sep 2024) and netted approximately $460,000 tax-free (met primary residence exclusion).
  • Nov (prior year): moved to Lexington, KY; began dog-sitting and opening rentals in local/outdoor markets (Red River Gorge).

Income sources and portfolio (current snapshot)

  • Primary income history: high-earning Bay Area real estate agent (still maintains CA listings and team).
  • Dog-sitting (Rover): historically significant income — one CA month hit $6,000; one year about $53,000. In Kentucky, demand is lower (peak around $1,500/month).
  • Rental portfolio (multi-state):
    • 2 properties in Austin, TX (one long-term, one rented by the room)
    • 2 properties in Raleigh, NC
    • A 4-unit building in Palmer Heights, OH, plus an adjacent unit (total five units purchased)
    • Primary home in Lexington, KY
    • Airbnb in Red River Gorge (newly purchased 2-bed/2-bath condo on 1-acre)
  • Red River Gorge purchase: purchase price ~$350,000, 20% down. Expected gross revenue estimated at $50k–$60k/year (Casey’s projection).

Dog-sitting (Rover) — how it works and why it paid

  • Platform: Rover (similar to Airbnb but for pets).
  • Operations:
    • Meet-and-greet screening prior to accepting dogs.
    • Owners bring food, beds, meds; sitter provides care and space.
    • Rover performs ID/background checks and provides coverage; Casey reported no major incidents.
  • Economics:
    • In higher-cost markets (Bay Area) this can be a substantial side business (Casey’s CA year ≈ $53k).
    • In lower-cost markets (Kentucky) revenue drops significantly (~$1.5k/month peak).
  • Customer management:
    • High rebooking rates; Casey declines clients she judges likely to be difficult.
    • Many owners prefer having regular sitters, so repeat customers are common.
  • Practical considerations:
    • Liability/insurance: Rover provides coverage but verify policy specifics for your situation.
    • Meet-and-greet is essential to screen pets and owners.
    • Local pricing and demand determine feasibility.

Sale of Bay Area home & funds deployment

  • Sold primary Bay Area home after two-year occupancy exemption; net proceeds ≈ $460,000 tax-free.
  • Proceeds used to:
    • Relocate and reduce cost of living
    • Seed further investments (Airbnb, multi-family, remodels)
    • Cover mortgages and living expenses while building passive income streams

Mindset, process & systems

  • Mindset: Casey credits coaching and masterminds for scaling as an agent. Later, she prioritized time with family and meaningful work.
  • Outsourcing: She maintains a Bay Area real estate business via a team that handles staging, showings, and operations — allowing remote ownership of a sales business.
  • Decision-making: Casey is action-oriented and decisive; sometimes this led to purchases with limited upfront numerical analysis (Red River Gorge purchase was made largely on trust and observation).
  • Definition of success: spending time with family, purposeful work, flexible location — rather than just net worth or passive leisure.

Lessons & practical recommendations

  • Don’t wait for a crisis to reprioritize: small changes now beat a breaking point later.
  • When evaluating investment properties, always include remediation, furnishing, and operating costs in ROI calculations.
  • Consider creative income streams (e.g., Rover) as gap funding, seasonal boosts, or add-ons to a property’s revenue.
  • Build systems/team if you want to scale or operate remotely.
  • Use primary residence capital gains exclusion strategically when timing a sale (2-year occupancy rule).
  • Validate market assumptions: guest/visitor demand, seasonal patterns, supply growth, and infrastructure.
  • If considering pet-sitting: use meet-and-greets, decline risky clients, review platform insurance, and price by local market.

Potential risks & cautions highlighted in the conversation

  • Buying off a neighbor’s endorsement without proper market research can be risky.
  • Short-term revenue projections can look great on paper but require accurate accounting for turnaround, furnishing, and maintenance.
  • Liability concerns for in-home businesses (pets) — verify coverage limits and exclusions even if platform provides insurance.
  • Emotional burnout is real: scale and income are not substitutes for intentional life design.

Notable quotes

  • “I was working 24-7… this is terrible. This is not the life I want to live.”
  • “The more money you have, it doesn’t really bring you more happiness. You just have a lot of responsibility and a new set of problems.”
  • “We net $460,000 from the sale. Two years and tax free.”
  • “Don’t be afraid to change.”

Where to follow Casey

  • Instagram: @KCZNguyen

Actionable next steps for listeners inspired by Casey

  • If you’re considering relocation to lower COL: model your expected proceeds, housing costs, and investment deployment scenarios before selling.
  • If exploring pet-sitting: create a pilot month on Rover with meet-and-greets, track revenue/expenses, and verify platform insurance coverage.
  • For STR prospects: calculate acquisition + rehab + furnishing + operating costs; compare to conservative occupancy/revenue projections.
  • If you’re burned out: list one change you can make this month to buy time with family (delegate a task, set strict work windows, or trial a new income stream to replace hours).