Why Dividend Growth Investing Crushes Rental Properties for Passive Income

“Passive income.” That’s the sales pitch for rentals. Tenants cover the mortgage, you collect the rent, the property appreciates, and you’re off sipping margaritas. Sounds dreamy… until Saturday morning shows up with a broken appliance. Ask me how I know. Here’s the reality from my own ledger: one of my rental properties in the Finger Lakes, NY area is locked at $2,200/month. That’s the ceiling. Meanwhile the expense list has no ceiling. In the last year alone I replaced the gas range, microwave and dishwasher. That’s just a tiny sample of a seemingly never-ending list of surprise expenses. “Passive” income?...