Road to Realty

My 4.5 year old daughter started crying last night. You might ask why or, if you have a child around the same age, might ask what else is new. This specific crying incident was because we did not go to an open house. Not that there was an open house we were supposed to go…

This last week was stressful. At various points, my phone went swimming (and became nonoperational), both kids vomited, and one of them had a concussion. Add to the equation two parents working full time and you might understand our week. I mention this not to complain, though it is a good reminder of our why,…

One of the few things Ken and I have disagreed about in this process was when to set up our business systems. I hesitate to even call it a disagreement since it was barely controversial but it was something we debated for awhile. Ken wanted to have our business systems (specifically legal entities) in place…

Warren Buffet is quoted as saying, “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”  That is quite a bold statement, but it holds true to many households.  This is one of the key reasons my wife Kara and I are pursuing REI: we see it…

I was not going to write a blog this week. With the holidays and kids on spring break, I was just going to be like Elsa and let it go. However, one topic has been coming up over and over again in conversations, in the headlines, and on my Instagram. That topic is the NAR…

Kara told me a story recently where she was discussing our investment property in Canton, OH, on which we’ve recently closed.  We’re expecting that investment to cashflow about $200 to $300 per month.  While telling the story, one interesting response she got was, “That’s it…? That’s not that much money.”  While that is a perfectly…

We have officially closed! Or at least, that’s what I was told…in a very anticlimactic way… We haven’t received the deed or any rents yet so maybe those two things will make it seem more real. This is the first time we bought a house that wasn’t for us to live in and it feels…

This whole buying a house process is taking longer than I thought/wanted… but patience has never been a virtue of mine and we should own our first rental property tomorrow. Which means I’m only about 1.5 months behind my goal. I would have preferred to have reached my goal on time but at least we…

My wife, Kara, and I were celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this past September with an Alaskan cruise.  We were out on the deck of the cruise ship enjoying the scenery, and we overheard some other groups talking.  Paraphrasing, the conversation went something like this: Party A: “Oh, we love to go cruising…” Party B:…