Here’s a list of 101 things you can do when you wake up at 5am. I’ve tried to categorize them, so you can choose based on whatever mood you’re feeling that morning. Try some out, and let me know what you like or don’t like! Personally, I’ve tried almost all of these things over the Read more about 101 Things to do at 5am![…]
About 5 years ago, my wife and I started a tradition of celebrating the 1st of every month. It sounds silly, but we love it. We do this because: 1) It began when we bought our first rental property together. Rent checks come in on the 1st of each month, and even though most (sometimes Read more about It’s the 1st of the Month – Time to Celebrate![…]
What is Financial FOMO? You’ve probably heard of regular FOMO, which is the fear of missing out. It’s when you worry or have anxiety about missing out on fun and memorable experiences in life. What about Financial FOMO? Financial FOMO is a little more specific. It’s when you worry about missing out on financial success Read more about Financial FOMO Sucks! Why and How To Avoid It.[…]
The Pessimists are always right! (in the short term) – Guest post written by Joel’s Dad! – Do you ever get tempted to divide everyone up into optimists and pessimists? Optimists are always looking on the bright side; “glass half full”, ready to accept even the smallest chance of success against the odds. Read more about The Pessimists are Always Right (In the Short Term)[…]
Steve: Hey Joel, can I borrow $50,000? Joel: Ah… that’s a lot of money… What are you gonna do with it? Steve: Well, I have an opportunity to buy a rundown house. My plan is to fix it up, put a renter inside, and then sell it to another investor as a “turnkey” rental Read more about Accidental Hard Money Lending[…]
FIRE is not a single point in time. It’s a lifestyle. If you follow a basic set of money rules it will lead to a financially successful life. The same thing can be said about TIME. To me, 5am is not a single point in time, or a number on a clock face. It’s a Read more about Classic “Money Rules” Applied to TIME[…]
Beyond the literal definition of Financial Independence, there’s a deep and personal meaning this term holds. Every time I ask someone “What does FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) mean to you?” I hear a unique and individual answer. It’s interesting hearing everyone else’s response. Most people describe freedom, flexibility and custom lifestyles, but no Read more about What does Financial Independence mean to you?[…]
Houston, we have a FIRE problem… Check out the results below of a recent survey: Are you as shocked as I am!!? 43% of people said they would rather be financially independent and miserable vs. broke and happy. Ouch! Why would anyone want to be miserable vs. happy? Since when does a big bank Read more about Financially Independent and Miserable 🙁[…]
There are downsides to owning out of state rental properties. Some of them can be combated with careful planning and extra ongoing efforts, while others are simply unavoidable. None of my rental properties are even remotely close to where I live. (In fact, the closest property I own is 1,463 miles away – just a Read more about The Downsides to Owning Out of State Rental Properties (And How to Deal With Them)[…]
“Dude, how much did it cost you to take a year off work?” This is the question I asked my cousin many years ago. My cousin is now 35, lives in New Zealand, and has taken 2 separate 12 month career breaks to travel the world, spend time with family, and just enjoy Read more about How Much Does 1 Year Off Work Cost?[…]
Food is a necessity in life. Water is a necessity. Shelter is a necessity. These are the basic things we need to survive. But after these must-haves are covered, what is the next priority on the list? For my wife and I, it’s alcohol. At least that’s what our annual spending reports tell us. Read more about Alcohol and Finances[…]
It’s now been a full 12 months since purchasing the last fourplex property, and I’ve learned a TON of stuff during this time. The buildings have mostly stabilized, and my personal involvement has shrunken down to just a few hours of work per month. In this post I talk about property management, and share Read more about 4 x Fourplex Saga – (Part 3) – Property Management & Accounting[…]
Sometimes I feel like the world‘s worst real estate investor. Even with all the books, podcasts, and knowledge I’ve consumed over the years, I still regularly screw up, waste time, lose money, and make rookie mistakes. I’m not alone… Perfect Investors: – don’t lose money, – don’t make mistakes – don’t need help Read more about Making Mistakes in Real Estate – We All Do It[…]
I don’t mean to brag… but back in the day I used to be pretty awesome at starting fights about money. My expert skills earned me 7 messy break-ups, 3 National Asshole Awards, and countless nights sleeping on the couch! Unfortunately, I’ve lost my touch over the years, and my wife and I barely Read more about How to Start Big Fights with Your Partner About Money[…]
Earlier this year I found myself in a rut. A real estate investing rut. I had my head down focusing on buy/hold rental properties for so many years, I never really took a step back to consider my overall strategy and general position as an investor. In addition to this rut, a couple new factors Read more about Changing Real Estate Investing Strategies[…]
My wife is the nicest, kindest, and most caring person in the world. She deserves everything under the sun. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to increase her happiness. So when we first met 9 years ago, my mission in life was clear: “What my wife wants, my wife gets. Even if it kills Read more about My Wife Deserves a $2M McMansion[…]
Big news!! This week I had the incredible pleasure of being a guest on the Chain of Wealth podcast! The awesome podcast hosts, Denis and Katie, have recorded over 100 episodes talking with members of the personal finance and FIRE community. Have a listen to the episode by clicking below, or download it on Read more about Chain of Wealth Podcast![…]
I just returned home from FinCon 2018 held in Orlando, Florida. This was my first time attending the conference, and it won’t be my last. The conference itself was educational, professional, and I came home with a lot of practical action items to help with my blogging. What happened outside conference hours, however, is Read more about FinCon 2018 – Recap & Highlights from a First-Timer[…]
Investing in a House Flip For a long time my investment strategy has been “buy and hold” rentals. Specifically, small multi-family properties. This has been a slow and conservative way to building wealth through real estate. I’ve read about people that “flip” houses for quick profits, and it never really interested me in Read more about Funding a House Flip – Numbers, Notes, and Q&A![…]
If you were going to start a 500 day challenge, this coming Sunday would be the perfect day to start. Because: Exactly 500 days from Sunday it will be January 1st, 2020. Even the tiniest positive change added into your daily routine, done consistently for 500 days in a row, could have you Read more about 500 days left… until Year 2020!![…]
“What do you think sets apart successful people from those who give up, fail, or never even get started?” This is the final question at the end of every episode of my favorite podcast, BiggerPockets. It has been asked nearly 300 times to successful investors, business experts, and entrepreneurs who are guests on the show. Read more about Financial Independence via JUST DO IT![…]
It’s July 1st and time for your QBR! What’s a QBR? The last company I worked for had a grueling ritual at the beginning of each new sales quarter. Each sales rep had to prepare a detailed powerpoint presentation and deliver it to a room full of peers, managers, and executives from Read more about It’s Time for Your QBR: Quarterly Business Review[…]
I’m about to embark on a 4 week road trip with my wife and dog. And this beautiful, 2010 Prius, nicknamed “The White Shite”, will be our faithful chariot. Most of our friends laughed when they heard we were planning to travel in the Prius. Some kindly offered for us to take Read more about Everything Fits in a Prius[…]
Congratulations! Your investment property has risen in value! Before we go out celebrating, let’s talk quickly about return on equity. Having more equity doesn’t necessarily mean that you have more money working for you. In fact, as your property value increases, your return on equity decreases. Wait a sec… What the Read more about When More Equity = Less Return[…]
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” A dude named Cyril Parkinson wrote this phrase in the opening sentence of an essay published in 1955. (Original article here) From what I gather, Parkinson was basically making fun of the government for wasting time and money. Read more about Retire Early with Parkinson’s Law[…]
4 x Fourplexes… Part 2: Investment Timeline and Numbers Finding The Fourplexes: Probably the coolest part of this story is that these Fourplexes were found and purchased off-market. Meaning, nothing was listed for sale publicly on the MLS, and I was the only investor who knew about it. No competition, no worries. One Read more about 4 x Fourplexes (Part 2): Investment Timeline and Numbers[…]
How I Bought 4 x Fourplex Investment Properties in 12 Months – (Part 1) In the last 12 months my brother and I purchased 4 x fourplex rental properties in a small town in Texas. These were all off market properties (not listed publicly for sale on the MLS), all purchased from the same Read more about How I Bought 4 x Fourplexes in 12 Months – (Part 1)[…]
Ever heard of a NINK? Probably not… because I just made it up. But you’ve heard of DINKs, right? Yeah, well, I’m throwing out a new acronym for those young couples out there that don’t have kids and don’t have to work anymore. NINKS = No Income, No Kids No Income? By Read more about From DINKS –> NINKS: No Income, No Kids[…]
15 Years Ago… I was 18 years old and barely out of high school when I bought my first investment property. Actually, I should really say “stumbled upon” my first investment property. It was a family deal, driven mostly by my parents. Now before you go thinking that I was born with a silver Read more about My First Investment Property, Age 18[…]
Time To Declutter My Life! It’s time to get rid of some of the crap in my house. I was looking around the other day and noticed the amount of clutter has built up to an uncomfortable level. I’m not sure how I let it get this bad in first place. I mean, do Read more about Why do I have 7 Surfboards?… Operation Declutter![…]
It all started with Mom… I think about my savings rate in a different way than most people. It’s because of my Mom. When I was a young kid, my Mom paid me and my siblings to do chores around the house. Pretty standard chores like doing the family laundry, vacuuming/mopping, dishes, yard Read more about Tracking My Savings Rate as a Young Kid[…]