A GRE listener since 2015, Christian Montalvo and her family are growing their real estate portfolio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

She has been a food microbiologist. Christian works for a company that cleans food processing plants. Her husband is a W-2 employee too, a financial analyst.

After being a renter for about $1,000 / month in a tiny DFW apartment, they began with buying a $200K owner-occupied duplex with a 3.5% down payment.

Next, they bought a fourplex. At this point, they have five rent incomes. They kept growing.

Today, she and her husband still work their W-2 jobs. But as a young, married couple, they now have the flexibility such that they don’t both have to work.

We discuss if they invest in 401(k)s and conventional retirement plans.

I give many examples of “growing your means” instead of “living below your means”.

Last year, Christian became a real estate agent. She works with investor clients.