Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Jones
Hi Joel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Making Homeownership Affordable: The Story Behind The HomeLord System
Housing felt unaffordable in 2019. Now, it’s even worse.
I remember graduating college thinking $60,000 a year was a lot of money. Turns out, I was way off. As reality set in, I started looking for ways to improve my financial well-being. That’s when I got involved in real estate.
I built my career primarily in property management, where I developed a proprietary first-time landlord education platform designed to help homeowners self-manage their rentals successfully. Along the way, I became a real estate agent, gained extensive experience in the industry, and personally bought a house hack that changed my entire perspective on homeownership.
By 2023, home prices had skyrocketed, and I realized the world needed a solution to make housing more affordable. That’s when Justin Midgley and I teamed up to build the HomeLord System—not just to help people buy homes but to help them reap the financial rewards of homeownership through house hacking.
The House Hack Advantage
For example, a condo or townhome today costs around $2,700 a month. But if you buy a house hack with a $4,000 mortgage and rent the basement for $1,700, you’re paying only $2,300 a month. Not only do you get a bigger home (probably with a yard), but you also pay less for a property that will appreciate more over time.
But we also realized something: most homebuyers had no idea this was possible. They were stuck thinking they had to wait years to afford a home, unaware that their first property could actually generate income from day one.
That’s why we built HomeLord—a system designed to help everyday people find, buy, and manage house hacks in Utah. We take the guesswork out of the process, guiding homebuyers toward properties that cash flow, appreciate, and set them up for long-term financial success.
More Than Just Buying a Home
At HomeLord, we don’t just help people find and buy a house hack—we provide post-purchase support to ensure our clients successfully rent and manage their properties. With over $10 million in house hack transactions, we’ve seen firsthand how house hacking can turn homeownership into a financial advantage.
Homeownership doesn’t have to drain your bank account—it can build it. And with house hacking, that’s exactly what happens. Visit UtahHouseHacks.com to learn more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I first started in property management and real estate investing, house hacking wasn’t mainstream. Most people didn’t even know it was possible. Convincing homebuyers that their first home could also be an income-generating asset was a challenge. Many had been conditioned to think homeownership was just an expense, not an opportunity to build wealth.
Then came the affordability crisis. By 2023, home prices and interest rates soared, making it harder than ever for people to buy homes. Instead of giving up, we saw it as proof that people needed house hacking more than ever. But the challenge wasn’t just in finding the right properties—it was also in helping people manage them effectively.
That’s why I built a first-time landlord education platform. I saw too many new landlords making mistakes that cost them thousands, simply because they didn’t know how to screen tenants, set up leases, or handle maintenance efficiently. If house hacking was going to work for more people, they needed both a strategy to buy the right home and the tools to manage it well.
Another major hurdle? Lenders and appraisers didn’t always understand house hacking. Many traditional financing options weren’t designed with house hacking in mind, so we had to work hard to educate lenders and connect our clients with those who actually understood the strategy.
The road wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. And we’re just getting started.
As you know, we’re big fans of Utah House Hacks. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Utah House Hacks, we specialize in helping homebuyers house hack—using rental income to lower their mortgage costs and build wealth faster. We guide clients through the entire process: finding, buying, and managing house hacks in Utah, using our proven HomeLord System.
What We Do Best
Most real estate agents help you buy a home. We help you buy a home that pays you back. Our process ensures you don’t just end up with a mortgage—you end up with an income-generating asset that makes homeownership affordable again.
We handle:
– Educating you on the strategy – We break down exactly how house hacking works, how to find the best rental opportunities, and how to set yourself up for financial success.
– Helping you find and buy the right house hack – We specialize in identifying homes that cash flow from day one and connect you with lenders who understand house hacking.
– Providing 12 months of post-purchase support – Unlike traditional real estate agents who disappear after closing, we stay with you for a full year to ensure you successfully find and manage tenants, set up leases, and maximize your rental income.
Why Utah House Hacks?
Nobody else does what we do as well as we do it.
– We don’t just sell homes—we sell a complete system. Our HomeLord System ensures you not only buy the right property but also know exactly how to manage it for long-term success.
– We specialize in house hacking. Unlike traditional agents, we focus exclusively on helping homebuyers reduce their housing costs through real estate investing.
– We make homeownership affordable. With Utah’s high home prices, house hacking is the best way to own a home without struggling to make the mortgage payment.
Broker: Prime Real Estate Experts
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I wasn’t the smartest kid in the room—but I was always one of the hardest workers. I had a competitive streak that pushed me to give 110% in everything I did. If someone was better than me at something, I didn’t get discouraged—I just worked twice as hard to close the gap.
I was never the type to sit back and wait for things to happen. Whether it was sports, school, or anything else, I thrived on figuring things out, improving, and proving people wrong. That mindset carried over into my career.
When I got into real estate, I didn’t have all the answers right away, but I knew I could outwork anyone. I learned the ins and outs of property management, real estate investing, and house hacking—not because I was naturally gifted at it, but because I was relentless in mastering it.
Pricing:
- Homebuyer Representation – FREE. When you buy a home, our expert real estate services cost you nothing—the seller covers our fee (*terms and conditions apply)
- Landlord Coaching – Call For Details
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.utahhousehacks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utah.house.hacks/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lstrat/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/justinmmidgley/?hl=en
