How Becky Nova Built a 17-Door Real Estate Portfolio

Today, Becky owns 17 rental units across Yonkers, the Bronx, Orange County, and the Dominican Republic — all while self-managing remotely and helping thousands of women learn real estate investing through her Lady Landlords community.

In this episode, Becky joined Thomas Castelli and Nate Sosa to share the systems, mindset, and strategies that helped her scale.

Starting With House Hacking in New York

Becky originally had no intention of becoming a real estate investor. Living in New York City meant paying nearly $2,000 per month for a tiny studio apartment, and after rebuilding her finances, she refused to buy a single-family home that would leave her “mortgage poor.”

Instead, she and her husband purchased a duplex in Yonkers using a house hacking strategy — living in the smaller unit while renting out the larger one upstairs.

That rental income completely covered the mortgage.

At the closing table, Becky realized something powerful: after signing mountains of paperwork and using her savings for the down payment, she immediately received rent checks from the tenants upstairs. That moment completely shifted her mindset about real estate investing.

Scaling Through Off-Market Opportunities

Just months later, Becky acquired her second property — a fourplex directly across the street from her first duplex. The deal came through a relationship her realtor built while appraising the original property.

That experience reinforced a lesson many investors overlook:
the best deals often come through relationships and networking, not public listings.

Rather than chasing trendy markets online, Becky focused on buying properties close together in markets she understood. Today, many of her properties are located within walking distance of one another, allowing her to simplify maintenance, inspections, and contractor relationships.

Investing Internationally in the Dominican Republic

While scaling in New York, Becky and her husband also began investing in the Dominican Republic, where her husband is originally from. Their first property there was not a beachfront Airbnb — it was a long-term rental designed for local residents in Santo Domingo.

Eventually, Becky delayed purchasing her dream beachfront property and instead used her available capital to buy additional cash-flowing properties in New York first.

That strategy allowed her portfolio to generate enough income to later purchase the beachfront property she truly wanted — without sacrificing long-term financial stability.

Managing 17 Units Remotely

One of the most impressive parts of Becky’s story is that she self-manages her properties remotely.

Her approach relies heavily on:

• Building strong contractor relationships
• Leveraging technology and mobile systems
• Creating repeatable operational processes
• Concentrating investments within specific geographic areas

Becky emphasized that investors should operate even their first property as though they already own 100 units. That means setting up systems for rent collection, leases, maintenance coordination, and tenant communication from day one.

Rather than hiring property managers early, she chose to maintain direct control because she enjoys the customer service and problem-solving aspects of real estate.

Why Tax Strategy Requires the Right CPA

During the tax portion of the discussion, Becky shared her experience working with multiple accountants before finding one who truly understood real estate investing.

One major takeaway:
real estate investors need proactive tax planning, not just tax preparation.

She also discussed how overly aggressive deductions can unintentionally hurt investors when applying for financing because lenders evaluate taxable income during underwriting.

Her strategy now includes regular conversations between:

• Her CPA
• Her lender
• And her investment goals

This level of coordination helps ensure her tax strategy aligns with future acquisitions.

Building the Lady Landlords Community

The Lady Landlords community was born during the uncertainty of 2020 after Becky’s husband lost his job during the pandemic.

Seeing real estate as a way to create stability outside corporate America, Becky launched a simple Facebook group that quickly exploded into a thriving community of women investors.

Today, Lady Landlords provides:

• Education
• Networking
• Mentorship
• Workshops
• International investing tours
• And practical real estate training

Becky’s mission is centered around making real estate investing more accessible and less intimidating — especially for women looking to build financial independence.