Real Estate Investing

Real Estate is not an expense, it's an investment

There are benefits to having lived a long time. You get a chance to look back & see all the stupid mistakes you made. The next benefit is looking back & seeing all the right things you did.

I am not going to tell you about the stupid ones. One of the right things I did was to invest in real estate. I invested in a remodeling real estate business (my contracting business). I added to other people's real estate & made a profit. After a few years I realized what great profits my customers were making on their investment in a new room addition. I made a profit building the addition & they made a profit from the addition. That's a pretty good win, win situation.

When that realization sunk in I started to buy beat up houses, fixed them up, rented them & then eventually sold them for nice profits.

I also bought & sold houses that my family & I lived in. Each one was larger & more comfortable than the last. I added to every one of them & then sold each one for nice profits.

Now, I am sure someone is going to write me & say "You just happened to hit it right. It's too late now. Look at the ridiculous prices houses are selling for today. They can't go any higher, can they? "

Sure they can, & they will. I believe they started to increase in value sometime around the year 1776. Been going up ever since.

To those of you who disdain those "How to" books telling you how to do something that will make you a millions dollars overnight: That is exactly what I did. I bought a book giving a step by step guide to investing in real estate. I put those instructions into action & over the years did very well indeed.

I am not suggesting you buy one of those "Make a Million Dollars Overnight" infomercials you see on tv. They are ridiculously expensive. But at least some have a modicum of sense & if you understand things take time to develop & that it takes work to make it a success then try buying an inexpensive book on the subject & maybe give it a try.

In the immortal words of one of my former salesmen:

"Hey, Bill, if you don't do somethin, nothin's gonna happen"

That is the best advice I have ever received.