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BiggerPockets Real Estate · May 1, 2026 · 31m

How to Fail at Real Estate Investing in 2026

Henry Washington and Dave Meyer share six costly mistakes that derail real estate investors in 2026. Drawing from their own experiences—including a five-figure emergency cost and an $80,000 repair bill—they walk through what to avoid, from vetting contractors and calculating cash flow correctly to the people new investors should talk to immediately. The episode is a rapid-fire checklist of practical failures to sidestep, and each point comes with a specific, actionable fix.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

Always vet contractors before hiring
Dave has a specific pre-hire step he performs every single time before letting anyone work on his rental properties, and skipping it led to severe financial consequences.
Neglecting repair scope can produce an $80,000 bill
One mistake in repair planning ballooned into an $80,000 repair bill that could have been avoided with the approach they now recommend.
The wrong cash flow calculation loses money every month
Using an incomplete cash flow formula—often the one beginners find online—will cause a property to bleed money even if the top-line numbers look good.
New investors stall by not talking to two specific people
Most new investors waste months or years because they don't have early conversations with two key players.
Home inspections are worth it—for the right party to pay
Skipping inspections is a gamble, but the hosts explain when it makes sense for the buyer to cover the cost and when the seller should.
Tenant screening reveals future nightmares before they happen
There is one true method to tell whether a tenant will be a great renter or a disaster, and skipping it invites months of legal and financial headaches.

Misc

The hosts are currently dealing with five-figure emergency costs because they didn't follow the very tips they share in this episode.
One overlooked step resulted in an $80,000 repair bill.
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