re: Crossed the 100K net worth barrier over the weekend

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since it can go down in price

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how does this not apply to any investment?

also, my real property investments net out very positive, even with the crash. and i take depreciation deductions, interest deduction and other deductions i couldn't enjoy with other assets (at least for now) while still collecting rent and paying principal (forced savings--again, at least for now).

My student loans sort of screw my net worth. but don't regret it.

a better measure of net worth is peace of mind and what you do with your time. that fluctuates for me.

advice: do what you love to do and use the money to do that (as long as it doesn't involved casinos and hookers).

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since it can go down in price how does this not apply to any investment?

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Because you're controlling it while you're living in it. But it does take critical thinking skills in terms of future values.

My story is simple but over a very long period of time.

I was married and living in an apt. with my first wife when I was 22. I worked hard, lived frugally and saved. Bought a house at 24 years old with a big down payment on a 40K new house. But it took months of shopping. The wife wanted to buy other houses because of stupid shite like the carpet. I realized that the neighborhood and corner lot status would increase in value.

After 6 years I sold the house for 70K. I made no high cost improvements. Just a cedar fence and kept it painted and clean. After paying off the remaining mortgage I plowed all of the profit into House No. 2 in an upscale neighborhood.

Not a new house, selling for 80K but bigger and nicer. The owner had to sell and I jumped. After 5 years the mortgage was paid off because of the large down payment and more austerity in terms of working and saving.

Then I divorced wife No. 1 and bought her out. I took her to the cleaners because she didn't want me dragging her married boyfriend into divorce court.

By this time I had done really well in the stock market and bought undeveloped lake property cheap. Three years later I met Lucy. I decided to sell House 2 for $160K... doubling the price of my buying it.

Plowed all of the profit into construction of my house so the mortgage was very low. Paid it off in 10 years and never had a note over 900 a month.

The lake property has sky rocketed in value. I could sell the house today for 700K.

It all started when I was a 2nd grader living in poverty in New Iberia. I looked at a pencil the teacher gave me donated by Iberia National Bank. It was round and had small print explaining compound interest.

And that's my story.

Yes

I did all the labor myself (my dad helped alot)and got all the materials at cost. I got the house 27k below appraisal when I bought it in a high demand area of BR - southdowns. installed slate floors, gutted and slated both bathrooms, moved walls, intsalled beams, new electrical, etc. Completely ronnovated the kitchen and breakfast area. This isnt my first investment house. I know the area well and have been rasied to be handy. Thats how I estimate I have made $65k on top of what I have in it. I can tell you my house it worth at least $65K more than I have in it, if not more.