Perspective is in the numbers

[Jon K.]

My rental portfolio had a tough month this month. Out of 19 rentals, I had to replace an entire HVAC system, a furnace in another property, a flat roof, a refrigerator, and a dryer. I also had three vacancies and two non-paying tenants. On the surface, this objectively sucked.

This is the first month in a very long time that my cash flow isn't covering the mortgages. And that's fine, because I have reserves and this is a long game.

Now that the month is coming to an end, I had the urge to add up the principal portions of all 19 of my mortgage payments. What I found was despite all the challenges, when you include debt pay-down I only "lost" $678.31 this month. That is truly incredible. I think it's easy to get lost in the grind sometimes and it's good to take a step back and appreciate what you have accomplished.