Ep 77: 250 Units Without Outside Investors: Luke Carl's 15-Year Real Estate Journey

What if the path to 250 rental units didn't require outside investors, fancy strategies, or lucky breaks—just years of living on $20 a day while driving Uber at night? Luke Carl built a real estate empire the hard way, and he's brutally honest about every punch to the face along the way.

• The "dumb luck" transition: Luke didn't strategically target short-term rentals—he simply couldn't afford Nashville anymore and pivoted to the next town over where overnight rentals were the norm
• Why NOW is the buying window: Interest rates are dropping but property prices haven't caught up yet, creating a rare moment of increased purchasing power before values rise
• The 14-unit cleaner threshold: To keep quality housekeepers loyal and full-time, you need approximately 14 properties feeding one crew—anything less and you're competing with Instacart
• Tax loophole for W-2 earners: Short-term rentals allow material participation + bonus depreciation even with a day job—impossible in any other asset class

"We were literally living on $20 a day for several years to throw money in the pot for the next down payment."- Luke Carl

Discover how Luke scaled to 250 units while keeping operations lean with just three team members—and why he says the best time to buy beach houses is right now.

Check out Luke on his socials and website:

Instagram: @lukecashflowcarl

Website: https://theshorttermshop.com/