Episodes

  • Retiring 15 Years Early by Buying Rentals on Repeat (HELOCs!)

    Retiring 15 Years Early by Buying Rentals on Repeat (HELOCs!)
    Jul 28 2025
    What if you could shave 15 years off your working career? Whether you love your job or hate it, having the option to retire early on a schedule you choose is something we are all working toward. Thankfully, you don’t need 100 properties to do it. Today’s guest did it with 15, slowly building a rental property portfolio and recycling his home equity so he could scale faster and reach financial freedom sooner. Tony DeGiacomo lived with his parents for years while buying rentals. Every single dollar he made was designated for a new rental property. He knew his goal: long-term wealth through real estate, even if it took some time. Some twenty years later, he’s got 15 properties, 30 or so units, and could comfortably live off the cash flow of his first property purchases. How’d he scale his respectable portfolio? Using HELOCs (home equity lines of credit) to turn one rental into multiple. Today, he talks about the even bigger deals he’s doing, how to make money before, during, and after a crash, and the reason he’s switched from buying to building properties for better returns. Tony can comfortably retire at 50, but will he when he’s having so much fun with real estate? No matter what he chooses, you can follow his “formula” to retire over a decade earlier. In This Episode We Cover How to retire 15 years earlier with a small (but scalable) rental portfolio How to use HELOCs (home equity lines of credit) to invest in rentals faster Why it’s crucial to have active income to buy real estate (DON’T quit your day job!) Building and converting commercial properties into rentals Why real estate is the best “get rich slow” scheme for regular people And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1153 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • 3% Interest Rates in 2025? This “Hack” Unlocks It

    3% Interest Rates in 2025? This “Hack” Unlocks It
    Jul 25 2025
    Want a 3% interest rate? What about a lower purchase price? Maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax-free income? These real estate “hacks” unlock all of these benefits—and they work especially well in 2025. We’re entering a new type of housing market: sellers have lost much of their control, inventory is high, affordable areas are seeing stronger demand, and real estate investors need to pivot ASAP. So, how do you take advantage of today’s real estate market? Dave has five hacks he’s currently using to find real estate deals at better prices (and substantially lower interest rates) in 2025. You can use them to land better buys, too. Our hacks include how to “steal” a 3% mortgage rate even in 2025, the “rental property” that isn’t really a rental (but has way better upsides), how to perform renovations with less stress and more flexibility, a location hack that will get you a lower price while still having big-city demand and more! In This Episode We Cover How to get a 3% interest rate even in 2025, even if you’ve been quoted much higher The markets that have serious demand but much more affordable home prices Why a traditional rental might not be your best bet in 2025 The “delayed BRRRR” strategy that makes you more with less renovation stress How to “benchmark” rentals in your area so you know you’re getting a great deal And So Much More Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1152 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • How to Start Investing in Real Estate (From Scratch!) in 2025

    How to Start Investing in Real Estate (From Scratch!) in 2025
    Jul 23 2025
    This is how to start investing in real estate in 2025 from scratch, even if you don’t have any experience. You could be a brand-new investor or someone returning after years since your last purchase. One thing is clear: 2025 has changed the housing market. We are not in the same scenario as we were in 2020, 2022, or even 2024. Investors have more negotiating power now, and if you’ve decided to get in the game, now is the time to pick up deals. So, if we were starting from scratch in real estate investing, what would we do? Which strategies make the most sense for beginners? How do you find undervalued real estate deals and negotiate with sellers? Plus, should you even be buying now, or should you be waiting for greater price movement? If you want to invest in real estate in 2025, this is the exact place to start. We’ll walk through each step a beginner needs to take, from picking a strategy to finding an agent and lender, how to lock in a lower purchase price on your first investment property, and some deal-finding “hacks” even the most advanced investors rarely know about. In This Episode We Cover How to start investing in real estate in 2025, even if you have no experience Who should you talk to first: the agent, the lender, or somebody else entirely? The best strategies (with the LEAST risk) for beginner real estate investors How to find undervalued real estate deals in this new buyer’s market The single easiest investment strategy for any American to get started And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1151 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • I Traded My Rentals for “Passive” Real Estate (Worth It?)

    I Traded My Rentals for “Passive” Real Estate (Worth It?)
    Jul 21 2025
    Want passive income? We mean truly passive—no tenant phone calls, no toilets, no evictions—just checks sent to your account. This is the dream of every real estate investor, and today’s guest, Chris Lopez, actually achieved it. He did what we preach on every single episode—bought single-family rentals and small multifamily buildings and ran them right—but at some point, he realized the cash flow was too low, and the headaches were too high. So he switched, finding a type of real estate that is truly passive. At one point, Chris’s rental property portfolio was only making him a meager $20 per hour. Doesn’t sound like financial freedom, does it? He dipped his toe into passive investing, invested a little more, then a little more. Now, he’s heavily on the passive side. Chris is on today to show you how to do the same. Got a lot of equity but low cash flow? Turn that rental into bigger, better, and more passive income. Tired of dealing with tenants but still want financial freedom? You can exchange your rentals for a passive income stream. We’re talking about debt funds, value-add syndications, and other passive investments that enable investors to earn more while doing less. Join Chris’s 5-week cohort to learn how to transition from active landlord to passive investor (while multiplying your cash flow). In This Episode We Cover Real estate investments that make double-digit returns (without the work) The one (easy) calculation every investor must perform annually How to vet a passive investment (and the person running it) before you invest Significant economic risks to be aware of before you start passive investing Keep, refinance, or sell? How to know your rental is past its useful period And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1150 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • July 2025 Housing Market Update: A New "Correction" Begins

    July 2025 Housing Market Update: A New "Correction" Begins
    Jul 18 2025
    The real estate correction is here, but is a crash coming next? New data suggests sellers are getting increasingly frustrated as their houses sit—and they’ve finally had enough. Buyers are ready to pounce on lower-priced homes, but can they actually afford them? If you’re investing in real estate, is now the best time in a long time to fight for a price cut or seller concession? We’re back with our monthly housing market update, sharing our supply, demand, and home price predictions. Inventory is growing—fast. We’re up double-digit percentage points year-over-year. But buyers are starting to catch on, getting back into the market. So, if we’ve got supply and demand, why are home prices falling—and could they fall even more? With so many homes on the market, are we on a crash course? What’s stopping us from seeing double-digit home price declines in the most oversupplied markets? We’re halfway through 2025, with a much better outlook on what’s to come. Dave is giving a full update in today’s episode on home prices, new listings, buyer demand, and the likelihood that this correction goes even deeper, becoming a full-fledged housing market crash. In This Episode We Cover Why sellers are quitting the housing market even as buyer demand grows The key metric that proves you can get price cuts in 2025 (start negotiating!) The worrying trend for home prices that could foreshadow even more declines One sector of real estate that is seeing massive distress (and foreclosure problems) Markets with the best and worst home price trends (markets to target?) And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1149 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • You Could Have More Equity Than You Think! (How to Use It)

    You Could Have More Equity Than You Think! (How to Use It)
    Jul 16 2025
    It’s the situation every real estate investor wants to be in: your house just appraised for more than you expected. Now, you’ve got some home equity added to your net worth, but how do you use it? Should you keep it in the property and maintain low leverage, or use home equity to scale your real estate portfolio more quickly? We’re answering common real estate questions like this one and a lot more in today’s show! James Dainard joins the show as our veteran real estate investor, owning hundreds of rental units, flipping thousands of houses, and lending millions of dollars. He started as a rookie during the Great Financial Crisis, and today, he’s sharing his hard-earned lessons so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. We’re touching on: What to do with your home equity when your house appraises high How to estimate rehab costs on a renovation or house flip Becoming a private money lender (serious passive income!) Interior design 101, even if you have zero experience in home renovations Whether we should finally kill the 1% rule in real estate (maybe it’s time) Got an investing question? Ask yours on the BiggerPockets Forums! In This Episode We Cover How to use home equity to invest (and whether you should with 7% mortgage rates) Estimating renovation costs on your next rehab or house flip (for free!) Interior design on a budget and how to build a “spec list” of what your house flip needs Private money lending for beginners and how to (passively) make serious cash flow The 1% rule explained and why it isn’t so safe in 2025 And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1148 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • Financial Freedom with Rentals After 3 Years of Pure Hustle

    Financial Freedom with Rentals After 3 Years of Pure Hustle
    Jul 14 2025
    After hearing this episode, you’ll have no excuse not to reach financial freedom in under a decade. Today’s guest did it in even less time, scaling up to income-replacing cash flow in just a matter of years, even with a very demanding full-time job and constantly moving around the country. Through pure hustle, Taylor Wing is now financially independent in his late twenties with a sizable rental property portfolio that spits out cash flow to pay for his South Florida lifestyle. He’s got so many tricks to reach financial freedom faster, but his best piece of advice? The number of rentals you own doesn’t matter. Taylor was a full-time military member, serving in the Army for the first five years of his career, bouncing between North Carolina, South Dakota, and beyond. Wherever he was stationed, he began buying houses as soon as possible. That meant Taylor spent almost every hour of the day working, either at his job or on his rental property portfolio, for years straight. Was it a grind? Yes. Was it worth it? 100%. Now, fast forward seven years after graduating from West Point, and his family is financially free. He has his beautiful house on the water in Florida and is spending more time with his new (and growing!) family. Through “rebalancing” his rental portfolio, strategically using “reverse 1031 exchanges,” and other savvy strategies, Taylor is now in complete control of his time. He’s teaching you how to do the same today! In This Episode We Cover Why “unit count” doesn’t matter for financial freedom, but cash flow does Buying rentals in multiple markets and how to maximize your profit with medium-term rentals Why every real estate investor MUST review and “rebalance” their rental portfolio (or it’ll cost them) How to do a “reverse 1031 exchange” and move your headache rentals into better cash-flowing real estate The $140,000 properties Taylor is buying today that make $300-$400/month cash flow! And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1147 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • The “Golden Age” of Real Estate is Over.

    The “Golden Age” of Real Estate is Over.
    Jul 11 2025
    The golden age of real estate investing is over, and there’s a good chance it isn’t coming back (for a while, at least). We have to admit it—real estate deals aren’t nearly as good as they were in the 2010s. But here’s the thing…we’re still buying real estate. Even with low affordability, high interest rates, and still high home prices, real estate still makes much more sense as an investment than your other options. We can prove it, and we’re doing it in today’s episode. You know your crypto-buying uncle who’s always predicting a housing crash? Send him this episode. Dave presents the proof, backed by decades of data, showing that real estate remains one of the best risk-adjusted returns of any investment you can buy today. And with sellers significantly outnumbering buyers and home prices starting to correct, this could be one of the best times to buy before demand boomerangs back and supply dwindles. Dave is buying right now, after reviewing all the data. So, if the numbers make sense for him, what’s holding you back? In This Episode We Cover Who cares about 2010s home prices? Why you should be buying NOW Historical home price growth and why higher home price appreciation is likely Real estate vs. crypto vs. stocks vs. gold vs. businesses in 2025 Dave’s investing game plan for 2025 and the requirements a rental property must hit How to buy better real estate deals as sellers get even more desperate And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1146 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins