Ryan Pineda’s story follows that realistic pattern. His journey from professional baseball player to real estate investor to serial entrepreneur shows what happens when someone refuses to settle for financial struggle, even when the path forward isn’t clear.
Who He Is Today
Today, Pineda runs multiple seven and eight-figure businesses from his base in Las Vegas. He’s invested in over $100 million worth of real estate and built a following of more than two million people across social media platforms.
He teaches real estate investing through courses, runs several companies including Homerun Offer and TrueBooks CPA, and manages Pineda Capital, a commercial real estate investment fund. His YouTube channel generates over a billion views, where he shares practical business and investment strategies.
But none of this came easily or quickly. The person teaching thousands of people how to build wealth today is the same person who once struggled to pay basic bills while playing minor league baseball.
Early Life and Background
Born on April 17, 1989, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Pineda grew up with entrepreneurial instincts. At 12 years old, he got suspended from school for selling Pokemon cards to classmates for $100. When school officials made him return the profit, he made sure to get his cards back first—already thinking like a businessman.
He attended California State University, Northridge, where he excelled at baseball. As a college senior in 2010, he hit .316 with 16 home runs and 24 stolen bases, finishing among the school’s career leaders in multiple categories.
The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the 28th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. It seemed like the beginning of a professional baseball career, but the reality of minor league life proved much harder than the dream.
Life Before Success
Playing minor league baseball meant long hours, constant travel, and barely enough money to survive. Pineda spent three years in the Athletics organization, playing for teams like the Vancouver Canadians, Burlington Bees, and Stockton Ports.
The pay was terrible. Minor leaguers often make less than minimum wage when you calculate the actual hours they work. He couldn’t afford much beyond basic necessities. The dream of making it to the major leagues kept him going, but financial pressure was constant.
In 2010, while still playing baseball, he became a licensed realtor hoping to supplement his income. But real estate sales didn’t go much better initially. He barely made enough from selling homes to cover his bills.
By 2013, the Oakland Athletics released him. His baseball career was over before reaching the majors. At this point, he was in his mid-twenties with no clear direction and limited savings.
He tried various side hustles to make money. He worked as a substitute teacher. He started flipping furniture found on Craigslist, buying couches cheap, refurbishing them, and reselling for profit. At his peak, this brought in about $8,000 per month—decent money, but not a long-term solution.
The Turning Point
The real shift came in 2015 when Pineda had about $10,000 in his bank account. Instead of continuing with small-scale furniture flipping or returning to real estate sales, he decided to try flipping an actual house.
He maxed out his credit cards to finance his first property flip. This wasn’t a comfortable decision or a calculated risk with safety nets in place. It was a desperate move by someone who needed to change his financial situation.
That first flip made him $25,000 in profit. The number itself mattered less than the realization it brought—real estate investing offered the kind of returns that could actually change his life. Furniture might bring $500 profit per piece. Houses could bring $25,000 per deal.
The experience from his baseball career turned out to be valuable in unexpected ways. Playing professional baseball teaches persistence. You fail constantly—striking out, making errors, losing games—but you show up the next day and try again.
That mindset transferred directly to real estate investing. Not every deal works out. Not every property sells quickly. But you keep looking for the next opportunity.
Building Momentum After the Breakthrough
Pineda reinvested that first $25,000 profit into more deals. His first year, he flipped five houses. The second year, he completed 20 flips. By the third year, he was flipping 50 properties. In his fourth year, the number reached nearly 150 houses.
The growth wasn’t accidental. He systematized everything. He learned how to find undervalued properties, estimate repair costs accurately, manage contractors, and sell quickly for profit.
He also started creating content about his journey. Initially, he wasn’t much of a social media user personally. But he recognized that building an audience could accelerate his business growth.
He began posting on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, sharing educational content about real estate investing. The content worked because it was practical rather than hype-focused. He showed actual deals, real numbers, and honest challenges.
His audience grew rapidly. People wanted to learn from someone actively doing deals, not just talking about theory. Within a few years, his following reached into the millions.
Challenges and Setbacks
Growing from five house flips to 150 in four years sounds impressive, but it created massive challenges. More deals meant more contractors to manage, more problems to solve, and more money at risk.
Some flips lost money. Some contractors disappeared mid-project. Some properties took months longer than planned to sell. The stress of managing that volume of deals while trying to maintain quality and profitability was immense.
As his business grew, he also faced the challenge of scaling operations. Doing five flips per year can be managed by one person. Doing 150 requires a team, systems, and infrastructure.
He made hiring mistakes. He invested in ventures that didn’t work out. He trusted people who let him down. These setbacks cost money and time, but they also taught him how to build more resilient systems.
The transition from solo operator to business owner required learning entirely new skills. Managing people is different from managing properties. Building company culture matters just as much as finding good deals.
How He Built Multiple Income Streams
As Pineda’s real estate business grew, he started diversifying how he made money. He didn’t put all his effort into one approach.
His real estate investing company, Homerun Offer, handles house flipping, wholesaling, and rental properties across multiple states. This company became the foundation of his wealth.
He launched TrueBooks CPA, a company providing tax, accounting, and CFO services specifically for real estate investors. This came from recognizing a common problem in the industry and building a solution.
Pineda Capital manages commercial real estate investments, allowing him to move beyond single-family houses into larger deals with different risk and return profiles.
His educational business includes courses like Future Flipper and Wealthy Investor, teaching others his real estate investing methods. These products generate significant revenue while helping people who were once in his position.
Content creation itself became a revenue stream through YouTube ad revenue, brand partnerships, and sponsorships. His consistent posting created a media business alongside his investing business.
He wrote “Flip Your Future,” which became an Amazon bestseller in 2018, adding author to his list of roles.
Each income stream reinforces the others. His real estate success gives him credibility to teach. His teaching builds his audience. His audience creates opportunities for partnerships and new ventures.
What Makes His Rise Story Different
What separates Pineda’s journey from typical overnight success stories is his willingness to start from absolutely nothing. He didn’t have family money, investor backing, or special connections.
He maxed out credit cards for his first deal—a move financial advisors would never recommend, but one that showed how committed he was to changing his situation.
His baseball background gave him an unusual advantage. Most real estate investors don’t have experience with the mental toughness required in professional sports. The ability to handle failure, stay disciplined, and keep showing up regardless of results translated directly to business.
He also built his business during a learning process. He didn’t wait until he was an expert to start teaching. He documented his journey while it was happening, which created more authentic content than polished expert positioning ever could.
His focus on systems rather than individual deals allowed sustainable scaling. Many investors flip a few houses and hit a ceiling because they can’t manage more complexity. Pineda built processes that could handle volume.
Most importantly, he prioritized balance early. According to information on his website, he leaves the office by five o’clock daily to have dinner with his wife Mindy and their children. He built wealth without sacrificing his family life, which he views as the true measure of success.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Ryan Pineda get started in real estate?
After his baseball career ended, he tried different side hustles to make money. In 2015, he used his savings and credit cards to fund his first house flip. That deal showed him real estate could be a long-term path.
What businesses does he own?
He runs several companies, including a real estate investing firm, a tax and accounting business for investors, and an investment fund. He also earns from online education and content creation.
How did baseball help his business mindset?
Baseball taught him discipline, patience, and how to handle failure. Those habits later helped him stay consistent in business, even when deals didn’t go as planned.
What makes his teaching style different?
He teaches from real experience, not theory. Instead of hype, he shares practical systems, real examples, and lessons from mistakes he has actually made.
Read Also: How Vanessa Lau Built Her Career: From Corporate Work to Online Business Education
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