June Rental Portfolio Breakdown – The REAL Income & Expenses from 60 Units

Send us Fan MailEver wondered what real estate investing actually looks like behind the gloss of social media success stories? Drawing back the curtain on my 60-unit rental portfolio, I'm sharing every dollar that came in and went out during the month of June—something I wish someone had done for me when I was starting out.The numbers tell a story that might surprise you. While some properties performed brilliantly (one duplex netted $1,654 on $1,700 in rent), others barely broke even or required significant expense outlays. A single running toilet caused a staggering $1,000 water bill at one four-unit property. Multiple units required pest control for mice and bed bugs. Five separate eviction filings cost $349 each just to start the process.What becomes clear through this transparent breakdown is that scale matters tremendously in real estate investing. A single property that returned just $14.66 after expenses demonstrates why the "just buy one rental" advice falls woefully short—nobody's quitting their job on fourteen dollars a month. Yet when viewed as a portfolio, the performing properties balance out the underperformers, creating a more stable investment vehicle.As both a full-time airline pilot and military instructor pilot, I've structured my real estate investments to function without my daily involvement. This means paying management fees and contractor costs that DIY investors might avoid, but the tradeoff makes financial sense given my primary income sources. When you're working 23-hour shifts as I sometimes do, spending $101 to have someone replace an outlet is simply practical mathematics.The reality of rental property ownership involves constant decisions about rent optimization, maintenance priorities, and tenant issues. Should you raise rents on reliable tenants who are slightly below market rate? How do you handle the tenant who repeatedly clogs drains by pouring grease down the sink? These practical challenges rarely feature in investment seminars or YouTube success stories.Want more transparency like this? Let me know in the comments if these monthly breakdowns provide value, and I'll continue sharing the unvarnished truth about real estate investing—both the wins and the headaches. After all, making informed decisions requires seeing the complete picture, not just the highlight reel.