Something I’m Reading
I am currently reading Choose Your Enemies Wisely by Patrick Bet David. This is a business planning book with not only practical steps to follow, but an insight on what fuels your "WHY". This book does a great job in helping you identify those that you want to prove wrong and beat. It emphasizes understanding competitors and focuses on potential adversaries in the business world. It guides you through the process of using emotion and logic in your business.
Something I Photographed
I took this photo on our final walk through. This couple is standing in front of their new construction home. The part I love most about real estate is the new relationships I have made. We started their search in early 2023 and over the next 8 months we became friends. The feeling of helping someone obtain their dream home is indescribable.
Something I’m Excited About
I am currently helping a family member through the process of building their dream home. We started by searching for the perfect piece of property and then a builder. They landed on a beautiful 3 acre lot in O'Fallon, MO just north of Highway 70 at the Lake St. Louis exit. Now we are digging deep into their custom home build with Anywhere Lombardo. Lombardo is a great builder and the experience with them so far has been great.
Real Estate Tip
When investing in real estate you must come up with your criteria.
Type of property
Location
Turnkey or fixer upper
Price range
ROI - (What return on investment are you after?)
It's important to remember that not every month is going to yield the same return. Always account for vacancies, capital expenditures, maintenance, management, and utilities. Include these during your underwriting because they can make or break a deal. This takes a lot of practice and I recommend using the Bigger Pockets rental calculator.
Life Tip
The importance of tracking! Over the past few years I have noticed how important it is to know where you are spending your time. What activities are you doing and the amount of time it takes. What is moving your life and business in a positive direction. You have to be intentional about what you are spending your time on. In 2024 I have started to track where I am spending my time. At the end of each week I reflect on my days and what was accomplished. I also look at my average screen time for the week. How much time did I waste on social media, youtube, and other apps. Our phones are a major distraction. One trick I use is to place it on do not disturb during my workouts, family time, and during key business task that I must complete. Give it a try!!
Something I can answer
Every text letter I will respond to 1 question. So send them my way.
Question: Is it still a good time to buy a rental property with the high interest rates?
The high interest rates definitely impact your ability to find a deal where the numbers work. The goal is to have the rent payment cover all expenses (monthly payment, repairs, capital expenditures, management fee, and vacancies) while having positive cash flow afterwards. Sticking to your criteria and performing a conservative analysis is still the fundamentals of real estate investing. There are still good deals out there. Underwriting the deal and making offers at the price that works for you is key. Focus on knowing what you want out of the investment and your personal goals.
Something I recommend
Cold Plunge
Finding something that is challenging for you and doing this task daily. I recently purchased a cold plunge. It took me a long time to even buy it. I dreaded setting it up and even getting in. However I knew that it would help me mentality and physically. Over the past few weeks I have finally worked up to a total of 3 minutes. Mentally it helps me complete other task throughout the day that I don't necessarily love doing. Physically it has helped me with inflammation and the soreness in my muscles.
Comments