A former firefighter started buying property with a $10,000 truck loan. He shares the strategies he used to grow his portfolio and quit his job.

Mike Savage and his family reside in South Carolina. Courtesy of Mike Savage Former firefighter Mike Savage bought his first rental with a $10,000 loan against his truck. He used home equity and other financing tools to grow his real-estate portfolio. Rental income and his business, SynergyStays, eventually let him leave the fire department. Mike Savage didn't let a modest salary or limited savings keep him from buying real estate. He cycled through sales roles in his 20s before becoming a firefighter and EMT. His wife worked as a teacher. There was "not a whole lot of money between us," he told Business Insider. Still, the couple managed to buy their first home in Massachusetts in 2010 using a USDA rural housing loan, which allowed for a 0% down payment, and an $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit available at the time amid the housing crisis.