Everybody’s talking about “real estate doesn’t work anymore” and “you can’t make money on rentals or flips.” 😂 Have deals gotten harder? Absolutely. But your deal not working doesn’t mean real estate stopped working. If you overpay, underestimate rehab, ignore expenses, and count on appreciation to bail you out, the numbers were never there. You make your money on the buy. Underwrite your rentals with vacancy, maintenance, management, and CapEx. Underwrite your flips with holding costs, financing, and selling expenses. If it doesn’t work, negotiate or walk away. And some of these so-called gurus are full of shit. They’ll show you a lifestyle and sell you a course, but ask them for a deal breakdown and suddenly it’s crickets. 👀 Show the purchase price. Show the rehab. Show the debt and expenses. Show the actual NET profit—and what you actually own. Selling a course doesn’t automatically make you a fraud. But selling yourself as an expert while refusing to back up your claims? That deserves questions. Less flexing. More receipts. 😂🏚️💰

I know Dion says the renters pay your reserves, but it still hurts. Just this morning, I started to get a glimpse of what reserves really are, at least for me. I have had 30k in reserves for 2+ years, and it's always sat there as a buffer. I never thought I'd actually use it all. In the last few months, I'm down to 9k. I've had a really tough time with this especially since I don't have the W-2 income. What helped my little brain finally stop thinking about it was this. Some investors will keep gold in their portfolio to store value, IE spending power. I know a reserve account is not exactly the same thing, but to me, it is similar in that it is being set aside for a future purpose. Gold gets exercised for liquidity when needed, and my reserve account was exercised when it was needed. Essentially, both did what they were created for. I know people say reserves are an insurance policy. For me sometimes if things are put forth so simply I gloss over it. I don't know if any of this resonates with anyone else, but I figured I'd at least share it in case one person got some solace in it also. :) It was really messing with my mental state and this helped me. :) Have a great day!

Hi everyone! I'm Emily Harper from Illinois, USA. I'm here because I want to learn more about building wealth, managing money wisely, and creating a future where work becomes optional. I believe financial freedom doesn't happen overnight. It's about making smarter decisions, learning from others' experiences, and staying consistent with your goals. I'm especially interested in learning more about real estate investing, passive income, and practical ways to build long-term financial security. I've also been exploring some useful tools to help me learn and stay organized: - Google Sheets – Track budgets, savings, and financial goals. - Investopedia – Learn about investing and personal finance. - ChatGPT – Brainstorm ideas and simplify financial concepts. - Floment AI – Explore AI automation tools and workflows that can help save time and improve productivity. I'm excited to learn from this community and hear everyone's stories. For those who have already started their financial freedom journey, what was the first move that made the biggest difference for you?

This is my first time listing a unit for rent. Please take a look and let me know if i should change anything! https://app.rentredi.com/listingDetails/bwwPDEKP2GfNsmxZS00loUSt6S62/-O_KJbcUvwTs5Ae-SGh0/622

What should a beginner ask a landlord before buying a property with an existing tenant?