Real estate investing has been part of our family strategy for decades. This section shares my approach and what I've learned from buying, renovating, managing and selling investment properties throughout the US.

This isn't investment advice or a get-rich strategy. It's my honest experience with what works and what doesn't when you're evaluating properties, managing renovations, and dealing with tenants (or guests). Every property teaches you something new about markets, people, and your own tolerance for unexpected expenses.

I'm drawn to real estate because it's tangible. You can walk through it, improve it, and see the results of your decisions. But it's also different from other investments. Properties can demand cash from your checking account at inconvenient times. You can't sell a property as easily as you can sell a stock. The upside includes both cash flow and equity building, but the equity part requires patience and the right market timing.

The key lesson I've learned is you can't buy for looks or necessarily your own use. Every property has to perform financially, or it becomes an expensive hobby instead of an investment.

Investments

Why Real Estate

I'm drawn to real estate because it combines tangible satisfaction with strong financial performance. Unlike stocks, you can walk through a property, improve it, and personally contribute to increased value. The real appeal is how leverage amplifies returns. A property returning 10.5% can become a 23.5% return on your actual cash invested with financing, plus you get equity appreciation, mortgage paydown by tenants or guests, and significant tax advantages through depreciation. Following the principle of buying for cash flow first creates a conservative foundation that can compound into substantial wealth when you reinvest returns into additional properties. The key is understanding that real estate requires active management and market expertise. Most investments don't cash flow initially, and success depends heavily on operational execution, especially in short-term rentals where proper management can produce 2-3x the revenue of competitors.