Tyler responded to my curiosity about a "better way" than the traditional mortgage. I'm here to learn and save/make money. I'd love to hear your stories. xo Jena

Owning 10 properties is powerful. Not just because of the monthly cash flow they provide, but because of the hidden net worth building that happens behind the scenes. On average, my mortgages get paid down around $5,300/month total present day (That will rise with each payment made due to amortization adjustment). An extra $60k/year and growing, on top of monthly cash flow, on top of tax benefits sounds good to me.

While a lot of people want to use the down payment hack to buy a new home every year...remember that there is capital gains tax due on a home sale if you didn't live in it as your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years. That may not bother you if you're for sure going to keep all of your properties as rentals. But, just remember life changes in ways you don't anticipate and its nice to have the option of selling a home if it appreciated in value a lot and not have to pay tax on it. I am going through this myself right now...last year I converted a home I use to live in for 3 years to a rental, and it cash flows $937/month. I didn't anticipate selling it anytime soon. But, I had a change of heart and am now going to sell it because the $220k equity sitting in it would be tax free. It doesn't make sense to hold onto it for future appreciation because the market is looking shaky, I've already gained a good amount of equity and holding on for future growth would result in me being subject to capital gains. If its worth $650k now and I can get $220k cash now, or continue to hold and maybe get 3% (If were lucky) appreciation, I'd have to hold it for another 2.5 years just to break even with where I'm at due to how much the tax would take away (assuming a 20% capital gains rate). And that's IF the market keeps going up...probably pretty likely due to Utah's economy being strong and the FED being addicted to printing money. But there is always a risk it depreciates as well. I'd rather take the sure profit now that will pay off another property which has a monthly mortgage payment of $1,288/month. Yes I lose the $937/month, but I increase overall cash flow by $1,288/month which is a net $351/month gain. $351/month gain and less risk with two less mortgages in my name is a win. Sometimes it makes more sense to take some chips off the table.

It is a scam to have to spend a human life working just to survive. Our #1 goal should be to free up our time by having our living expenses taken care of, as passively as possible. Just start there....most people start at "I want to make so much money and never have to work again" which is usually a BIG goal and can feel daunting. Take a step back and accomplish the financial security that is found when your home, food, car and basic living expenses are taken care of by a safe investment(s). Once that is done, then give yourself the freedom to pursue more risky goals of insane abundance because now you've got the time to do so without being distracted by survival. For me, this looks like having two rental properties paid off as the rents from those will cover my basic living needs. I'm $363,527.45 away from my goal. Who else has a specific goal they're working toward that will improve their life in a significant way?

We all see the world DIFFERENTLY, and most of the time that's okay. Unfortunately, there are a few times throughout a human life that we all encounter people that see the world so differently, that we can't peacefully interact with them. While it is very hard, I have personally found the only solution to be walking away from that relationship in as peaceful of a way as possible. Most people don't intend to hurt other people, but some certainly get blinded by their own egos and warped perceptions to the point that no matter how much you try to speak truth or come to a peaceful resolution, they'll always refer back to their jaded story because it validates the ego/identity they are subconsciously trying to hold onto. Its the adult version of hide and seek. Some hide from truth and some seek truth. The hiders hide from the truth, their own insecurities as well as reality, and in turn try to mold reality with their words and actions to try and get others to see them the way that they want to be seen. The funny party is its a huge waste of energy because this discounts people's ability to formulate their own perceptions of life based on the experience they are seeing rather than what the manipulator is telling them. This is why the truth always reveals itself despite the façade one may try to impose on others. I am going through one of these situations myself currently, and the only time I feel peace is when I accept that the other person is simply doing the best with what they know, but is blinded by their sense of false identity that they SO badly wants to cling onto, even though its covering up reality and destroying our friendship. Guess this is life's way of saying its time for our paths to separate, and that's okay.