Hope for your financial life and beyond

How to Be a Successful Landlord: 5 Best Practices

June 17, 2020 by 35 Comments

I love owning rental real estate! When I purchased my first property eleven years ago, I mistakenly payed a bit too much for it. Initially, didn’t know how to be a successful landlord and I let my excitement cloud my judgment when buying that first property. But I simply wanted to get started – that was all I cared about.

how to be a successful landlordI’ve learned many things since then and survived my share of dark moments as a landlord, including living through my first eviction. Ending up in front of the county judge to settle that dispute was frustrating but valuable all at the same time.

Nobody should become a landlord without doing some serious reading on the subject. That will help eliminate some mistakes you could easily make.

Related Content: 5 Common Rental Real Estate Mistakes You will Make

But head knowledge can only take you so far. Some things are only learned through experience. So based on what I’ve been through, here are my best practices for how to be a successful landlord. If you follow these, your experience will be much more enjoyable and profitable.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: , ,

Why Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain (I Timothy 6:6)

June 10, 2020 by 7 Comments

“For godliness with contentment is great gain.” – I Timothy 6:6

Godliness with contentmentContentment is a virtue that challenges our do-more, get-more, be-more society. This is especially true as it relates to money and possessions. By and large, we are constantly striving to get more money and secure better possessions to enhance our lifestyle.

In our minds, we think that there is always a greener pasture than the one we are in right now.

This issue isn’t new to 21st century earth. Since the beginning of time, mankind has been dealing with issues of contentment. After all, it was Adam and Eve who were not content with what God had given them in the Garden of Eden. They coveted the only thing God said they couldn’t have.

Their disobedience of eating the forbidden fruit cost them their perfect world.

Interestingly enough, the church hasn’t found itself immune to the issue either. That’s why in the New Testament of the Bible, Paul had to counsel the young pastor Timothy about the issue of contentment. Let’s take a look at the issue Timothy was dealing with and what we can learn from it.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , ,

Teaching Kids About Money to Get the Best Results

June 3, 2020 by 27 Comments

teaching kids about moneyA major role of parenting (and one that is often neglected) should be teaching kids about money. For many reasons, parents drop the ball in this area and raise children who carry an improper understanding of money into college and adulthood. Unfortunately, these children then face challenges when they go to seek employment, earn an income and determine how to manage their financial lives.

But what is a parent to do? How do you go about helping kids develop a proper understanding of how to relate to and handle money? It seems like such an overwhelming process, especially for those parents who don’t handle money well themselves.

The good news is that it’s not as difficult as you might think. For starters, what children should learn about money varies depending on their age. A five year old needs to hear different messages from the parents than does a teenager. However, there are three fundamental money lessons that every child needs to learn no matter what the age:

1) to save money for future needs,

2) to spend money wisely and

3) to give generously.

These three principles serve as the foundation upon which other money lessons build. Stick with these and you will see the best results when they are consistently applied over time. Let’s see what that practically looks like.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Kids and Money, Managing Money Tagged With: , ,

Life Insurance: The Most Important Things You Need to Know

May 31, 2020 by 28 Comments

The topic of life insurance is one that many do not like to discuss. The reason is simple – it involves death, most notably our own. And since death routinely shows up on lists of common fears, its obviously something we choose not to think about.

life insurance

Next to purchasing quality health insurance, I believe this is the second most important insurance a person should buy.This is because there is nothing you can do about it once you are gone. You can’t buy a life insurance policy after you are dead. You can’t provide any financial comfort to those left behind once you are in the ground.

See what I mean about life insurance? Even writing those sentences brought a tinge of emotion I’d rather not feel. That’s what makes it so easy to avoid dealing with this.

But we have to. Life insurance is a big piece of the puzzle to our financial lives – even if we, as the deceased, will never see any of the money.

What is Life Insurance?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Insurance, Marriage Tagged With: ,

A Soldier’s Pledge – on Freedom, Courage and Sacrifice

May 24, 2020 by 6 Comments

“America is depressing…mixed up…adrift…an afterthought.” Have you sensed these messages creeping into American culture and thought in the past few years? Our soldier’s pledge to keep our nation great remains strong, but a lack of pride in who we are among the general public seems to have blossomed. There exists less and less passion for greatness. And few believe America’s best days lie ahead.

a soldiers pledgeEveryday the news points out our flaws. Our economy isn’t right. We can’t resolve our racial issues. Our foreign relationships often teeter on shaky ground. American individual liberties are under assault.

Everything rises and falls with leadership – including a nation as big and powerful as America. So perhaps our attitudes can be contributed to the uninspiring and ineffectual leadership we see in our government, in our communities, in our churches and even in our homes.

For many it’s a bleak picture that seems to be spiraling out of control. But we don’t have to settle for this course. We can choose a different path. Nothing predetermines that we must feel indifferent or uninspired about America.

How do I know this?

Because of freedom. Freedom is the one constant that can again ignite our passion and love for this country.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Inspiration, Leadership Tagged With: , ,

Should I Borrow Money to Get What I Want?

May 12, 2020 by 5 Comments

There is no denying it. Credit is available everywhere. Our cultures screams “Have It Now!” to us at every turn. “Borrow money now to get what you want!” people say.

We expect fast food within 5 miborrow moneynutes or less in the drive-thru.  We want to make quick money for as little work as possible. And we are first in line for the newest technology gadget the day it is released. Simply put, most of the time we can’t wait. We gotta have it.

This “Have It Now” culture has skewed our reasoning ability, in that it has masterfully helped us change our “wants” into “needs.” Our brains have reclassified the things that we desire to have into things that are priorities. And in some cases, our wants are taking precedence over issues that are needs.

So why don’t we just go ahead and borrow the money to get the things we want? Seems like a logical step. However, blindly borrowing money to satisfy all your needs can cause great damage to finances, as well as your mental and emotional life.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Debt, God's Provision Tagged With: , , ,

More Money More Problems: The 10 Challenges of the Wealthy

April 23, 2020 by 21 Comments

Everyone has money problems, yes, even the wealthy. Nobody likes to hear this though. For one, we get tired of the rich flaunting their wealth. Additionally, we think we’d be OK with some more problems if we could have more money. In general, there isn’t much sympathy for the problems of people with a lot of money.

The problems of the wealthy may not be the same type of problems that someone living paycheck to paycheck has. They don’t have to deal with a mountain of school loan debt. They can pretty much pay for healthcare costs out of pocket. But their problems exist nonetheless. Having more money doesn’t isolate a person from having more problems.

more money more problemsI don’t consider myself rich by any means. I’m not even sure how to accurately define whether someone is rich. What net worth number does a person have to reach before they are considered wealthy? $1 million? $5 million? $10 million plus?

I would consider someone with $10 million in net worth to be rich. If they had all that money in cash, they could retire and live off $200,000 a year for 50 years. That sounds rich to me.

I’ll never reach the $10 million dollar plateau. But my wife and I have come to the point in our financial lives where we are worrying less about money. While we don’t struggle with putting food on the table, I have noticed other problems creeping into our lives as our net worth has increased. It got me thinking about the money issues of the wealthy and what they might be dealing with on a personal level.

We haven’t experienced most of these. But I’ll admit a few of them shake me on a small scale.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Managing Money Tagged With: , , ,

The Bribe That Fueled the All-Time Greatest Easter Myth

April 11, 2020 by 9 Comments

easter mythMoney is at the heart of many cover-ups. Flash enough cash and some people could be encouraged to keep quiet. Make that sum of money big enough and they could even be persuaded to promote lie, even manufacture the greatest Easter myth ever created.

We would call this type of gift a bribe. It’s money given so that you act in someone’s favor – usually in a dishonest or illegal fashion.

Bribes have been given in different circumstances throughout history to conceal an action or advance an agenda. In one instance, a bribe was used to push an Easter myth that continues to be believed by many to this day.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Faith, Vices Tagged With: , ,

17 Psalms of Comfort for When You Are in the Storm

April 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

The storms of life come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, some are literal storms like hurricanes and tornadoes that ravage communities. Others come in physical or emotional illnesses like cancer, viruses, depression or anxiety. And still other storms come as a result of day-to-day circumstances like losing your job, being in an accident, having a loved one pass away or having a friendship fall apart. It’s in these times we can look to the Bible, specifically for psalms of comfort.

psalms of comfortI don’t know if King David ever endured an actual storm from mother nature. But it’s obvious from reading the Bible that his life was filled with many personal storms. For starters, his brothers disliked him. Additionally, a jealous King Saul tried to kill him on more than one occasion. His own son Absalom attempted a coup against David’s throne.

David even battled his own personal sins. And sadly, he had to watch as one of his son’s died in infancy.

Yet through all the pain and loss, the Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart. In fact, David often looked to God for comfort during the difficult times. And really it makes sense for all of us. Who else can we look to when all is or seems lost?

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bible Verses Tagged With: , ,

5 Practical Ways to Save Money When Renting an Apartment

March 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Renting an apartment can be quite a challenge. Whether you are moving out of the house for the first time, trying to cut housing expenses, or simply looking for a short-term housing option, there are many things to consider. Perhaps front and center of all the considerations is price point. How will you fit the apartment expense into your monthly budget?

renting an apartmentLiving on a budget while renting an apartment requires planning and dedication. From drafting the monthly spending plan to minimizing your expenses, there are many details to finalize if you want to save money. 

However, with careful planning and a touch of financial savviness, you can save money without sacrificing your lifestyle. To help you with that, here are 5 practical tips that will help you save money when renting an apartment. 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: ,

15 Bible Verses About Helping the Poor You Need to Know

March 4, 2020 by 27 Comments

“…For the poor will never cease from the land…” – Deuteronomy 15:11. This is one of many Bible verses about helping the poor, a major theme within the Bible. Jesus famously said in Matthew 22:39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This statement can best applied in how we treat the poor.

bible verses about helping the poorDeuteronomy 15:11 says that the poor will always be with us. The world cannot escape it. We can try through economic and political systems to pull people out of poverty and create an environment where they can better themselves. But even the best system that leads to prosperity for many can’t reach everyone.  There will never be an instance in this present life when someone somewhere isn’t experiencing poverty.

Because of that, we should consider all manner of ways in which we might go about helping the poor.

God clearly has a special place in his heart for the poor. His words about the poor are littered throughout the pages of the Bible. So today, we are going to look at 15 powerful Bible verses about helping the poor that show us how we might best meet their needs.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , ,