Thursday, April 29, 2004
Best Long-Term Investment In Today's Market?
by: Willard Michlin
The stock market is very unstable at this time going up and down while interest rates are so low you want to be a borrower and not a lender. Would you like some suggestions on how can you get the most out of low interest rates while being assured your principal will not disappear while you are trying to make some money? Of course, there is always the danger of borrowing the money and then spending it just because it is there.
So, would you also like to know what is the best way to borrow money at today’s low rates without spending it? Buy real estate. Not any real estate but real estate that will hold its value, even if single family houses go down. It is apartment buildings. Because apartment rents are still going up, the value of apartment buildings have the best chance of appreciating while everything else goes down.
Low interest rates mean that you can have a positive cash flow at real estate purchase prices you would have lost your shirt on, even two years ago. Rates are currently 4.5% to 6.5% interest rates when we used to pay 9% for apartment loans just a few years ago. Apartments have become a better investment for two main reasons. First, carrying costs (interest costs) have been going down. Second, income has been going up, substantially. Can things be better than this? YES IT CAN.
I have developed two programs. One is to take people with a small net worth and build an estate or self directed IRA (tax free retirement plan) that is worth up to $800,000 in 15 years and that generates an income of $60,000 per year with both still going up after that.
For those that can put together $100,000 to start I have developed a second program where the numbers come in at $1,300,000 net worth, with a $100,000 annual net profit and in only 10 years. Unbelievable? And, with low risk as well! This comes out to be a 25% annual return with no roller coaster stock market ride. I figured out how to do it and it really works. I have done it before and I know many now retired senior citizens that have done it in the past.
The problem today with most 50+-year-old baby boomers is that they never got started in build a retirement fund. So now, instead of having the normal 30 years to build a retirement fund, they need to be there in 10-15 years. It might take one year of financial hell to come up with some cash. (That means no money for anything except accumulating cash) But after that, it can be a sweet painless ride to wealth. The best part is the possibility of failure is less than 10%, if my steps are followed
First: The money is not touched for 10 years. That is why a trust fund, IRA or a self directed retirement plan is a great place to put this.
Second: I have taken my 30 years of real estate experience to develop exactly which properties will give the biggest appreciation and cash flow and also be the best risks. Interestingly, almost everyone I talk to picks the wrong locations to buy until they hear the whole list of criteria.
Now that I have told you the lazy man’s way to riches, let me tell you the downside. You have to have the correct timing on your purchase. In Dec 2001, everything was in place to do these two programs, in Los Angeles County. Unfortunately, by July 2002, the numbers didn’t work any more. They did still work in Florida, for example, but not in Los Angeles. What happens is that prices go up after the rates go down. The seller sees how good a deal the buyer can get and raises the asking prices. So! Your timing to start these programs is very important. Do not be discouraged, though. If the numbers do not work today, it will work sometime tomorrow. The system is sound, and since we are talking long-term wealth accumulation, a little patience can go a long way.
About The Author Willard Michlin is an Investor, California Real Estate Broker, Accountant, Financial Distress Consultant, Well known Public speaker and Administrative/Business Consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net. See other article by Willard at kismetrei@earthlink.net
by: Willard Michlin
The stock market is very unstable at this time going up and down while interest rates are so low you want to be a borrower and not a lender. Would you like some suggestions on how can you get the most out of low interest rates while being assured your principal will not disappear while you are trying to make some money? Of course, there is always the danger of borrowing the money and then spending it just because it is there.
So, would you also like to know what is the best way to borrow money at today’s low rates without spending it? Buy real estate. Not any real estate but real estate that will hold its value, even if single family houses go down. It is apartment buildings. Because apartment rents are still going up, the value of apartment buildings have the best chance of appreciating while everything else goes down.
Low interest rates mean that you can have a positive cash flow at real estate purchase prices you would have lost your shirt on, even two years ago. Rates are currently 4.5% to 6.5% interest rates when we used to pay 9% for apartment loans just a few years ago. Apartments have become a better investment for two main reasons. First, carrying costs (interest costs) have been going down. Second, income has been going up, substantially. Can things be better than this? YES IT CAN.
I have developed two programs. One is to take people with a small net worth and build an estate or self directed IRA (tax free retirement plan) that is worth up to $800,000 in 15 years and that generates an income of $60,000 per year with both still going up after that.
For those that can put together $100,000 to start I have developed a second program where the numbers come in at $1,300,000 net worth, with a $100,000 annual net profit and in only 10 years. Unbelievable? And, with low risk as well! This comes out to be a 25% annual return with no roller coaster stock market ride. I figured out how to do it and it really works. I have done it before and I know many now retired senior citizens that have done it in the past.
The problem today with most 50+-year-old baby boomers is that they never got started in build a retirement fund. So now, instead of having the normal 30 years to build a retirement fund, they need to be there in 10-15 years. It might take one year of financial hell to come up with some cash. (That means no money for anything except accumulating cash) But after that, it can be a sweet painless ride to wealth. The best part is the possibility of failure is less than 10%, if my steps are followed
First: The money is not touched for 10 years. That is why a trust fund, IRA or a self directed retirement plan is a great place to put this.
Second: I have taken my 30 years of real estate experience to develop exactly which properties will give the biggest appreciation and cash flow and also be the best risks. Interestingly, almost everyone I talk to picks the wrong locations to buy until they hear the whole list of criteria.
Now that I have told you the lazy man’s way to riches, let me tell you the downside. You have to have the correct timing on your purchase. In Dec 2001, everything was in place to do these two programs, in Los Angeles County. Unfortunately, by July 2002, the numbers didn’t work any more. They did still work in Florida, for example, but not in Los Angeles. What happens is that prices go up after the rates go down. The seller sees how good a deal the buyer can get and raises the asking prices. So! Your timing to start these programs is very important. Do not be discouraged, though. If the numbers do not work today, it will work sometime tomorrow. The system is sound, and since we are talking long-term wealth accumulation, a little patience can go a long way.
About The Author Willard Michlin is an Investor, California Real Estate Broker, Accountant, Financial Distress Consultant, Well known Public speaker and Administrative/Business Consultant. He can be contacted at his Ventura, California office by calling 805-529-9854 or by e-mail at kismetrei@earthlink.net. See other article by Willard at
Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes
by: David Leonhardt a.k.a. The Happy Guy
Everybody is riding the Wall Street Roller coaster. Even if you are not invested, the headlines scream out one word: PANIC!
It's hard not to join in the panicking. The Panic Crowd seems to be having all the fun these days. But they don't have all the happiness. You see, it's true what your mother told you: money doesn't buy happiness, at least not for most people. But the lack of money does buy pure misery.
Did you ever wonder why so many office towers have fusion-sealed, micron-proof windows to keep office workers safe from any semblance of fresh air? It has to do with the stock market. During The Great Depression, just too many brokers were jumping out of windows. This enraged a nation of vengeful investors, who demanded to kill their brokers personally. So henceforth all windows were sealed.
(The good news is that by the time the windows were sealed, The Great Depression had ended, so there have been very few reported cases of enraged investors killing their brokers. However, there have been several incidents of "office air suffocation syndrome" -- but that's another issue for another column.)
Oh no! Not another Top Ten list!
Here are The Happy Guy's Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You:
Don't panic. Enough people are doing that already; you're needed elsewhere.
Don't join the Panic Crowd. They are NOT having more fun, they just act that way to attract new members fold. Misery loves company.
Take inventory. Do you have the basic necessities? If so, you are OK. When they come to take away your television remote control, then panic.
Smile at your neighbor. A smile lifts everybody's spirits, but most of all your own.
Remember the Great Depression. It sucked, but people survived. It's amazing how many non-essentials we take for granted. Rent a movie about the 1930s, sit back, and laugh about how much better our depression is going to be.
Learn a new skill. In hard times, it pays to be very, very employable. And you may even be lucky enough to have two jobs. Oh, wait. That's our problem now.
Start saving now. Then when the bottom falls out, at least you'll have something to live on for three-and-a-half weeks.
Start spending now. It's folks like you, saving all your money instead of spending it, that are killing the economy.
Stop listening to people telling you to save or to spend. In fact, stop listening to news about the markets. It's just too depressing.
Ignore top ten lists. They are way too gimmicky and seldom give any truly useful information (except for this one, of course!)
There you have it. The Happy Guy's Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You. All the advice your mother didn't tell you about financial markets, and more importantly, about keeping happy while others suffer. The bottom line is don't panic, don't invest all your emotions where your money is invested, and focus on what really matters.
About The Author David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy. He is an energetic motivational speaker and author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. Visit him at David@TheHappyGuy.com
by: David Leonhardt a.k.a. The Happy Guy
Everybody is riding the Wall Street Roller coaster. Even if you are not invested, the headlines scream out one word: PANIC!
It's hard not to join in the panicking. The Panic Crowd seems to be having all the fun these days. But they don't have all the happiness. You see, it's true what your mother told you: money doesn't buy happiness, at least not for most people. But the lack of money does buy pure misery.
Did you ever wonder why so many office towers have fusion-sealed, micron-proof windows to keep office workers safe from any semblance of fresh air? It has to do with the stock market. During The Great Depression, just too many brokers were jumping out of windows. This enraged a nation of vengeful investors, who demanded to kill their brokers personally. So henceforth all windows were sealed.
(The good news is that by the time the windows were sealed, The Great Depression had ended, so there have been very few reported cases of enraged investors killing their brokers. However, there have been several incidents of "office air suffocation syndrome" -- but that's another issue for another column.)
Oh no! Not another Top Ten list!
Here are The Happy Guy's Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You:
Don't panic. Enough people are doing that already; you're needed elsewhere.
Don't join the Panic Crowd. They are NOT having more fun, they just act that way to attract new members fold. Misery loves company.
Take inventory. Do you have the basic necessities? If so, you are OK. When they come to take away your television remote control, then panic.
Smile at your neighbor. A smile lifts everybody's spirits, but most of all your own.
Remember the Great Depression. It sucked, but people survived. It's amazing how many non-essentials we take for granted. Rent a movie about the 1930s, sit back, and laugh about how much better our depression is going to be.
Learn a new skill. In hard times, it pays to be very, very employable. And you may even be lucky enough to have two jobs. Oh, wait. That's our problem now.
Start saving now. Then when the bottom falls out, at least you'll have something to live on for three-and-a-half weeks.
Start spending now. It's folks like you, saving all your money instead of spending it, that are killing the economy.
Stop listening to people telling you to save or to spend. In fact, stop listening to news about the markets. It's just too depressing.
Ignore top ten lists. They are way too gimmicky and seldom give any truly useful information (except for this one, of course!)
There you have it. The Happy Guy's Top Ten Tips for Staying Sane While Wall Street Crashes Around You. All the advice your mother didn't tell you about financial markets, and more importantly, about keeping happy while others suffer. The bottom line is don't panic, don't invest all your emotions where your money is invested, and focus on what really matters.
About The Author David Leonhardt is The Happy Guy. He is an energetic motivational speaker and author of Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness. Visit him at
