All Forum Posts by: Allie Barke

@Bryan Beal I agree with you and I’m not afraid to say it! Quarantine is meant to stop the movement of the sick, not the healthy. I understand that people can be asymptotic but I believe that individual freedom is most important. Those at high risk should stay at home and everyone else can make their own choice. Everyone is well aware of the risk unless they have been living under a rock and they should be trusted to do what they think is best for their own family.

Worried about the healthcare system being overwhelmed? The extra hospital beds that were built aren’t even being used. Hospitals have to be bailed out so they won’t go bankrupt. Plus, the calls to suicide hotlines have increased 1000 fold since this all started. Google it. That sounds like an epidemic in itself.

It made sense to take extreme precautions in the beginning since there were many unknowns but now that we have hard evidence of the very low mortality rate and that almost all deaths come from those over 60 (despite what you see on the news) we need to open the economy!

I agree with everyone recommending Set for Life. Another great book is Your Money or Your Life. Read those two and you'll be good to go! I use the Mint app to track expenses. Open a savings account at Ally or another online bank to maximize your interest earnings. I also have an investment account through Wealthfront (robo investing platform) and have a monthly recurring deposit set up. The most important lesson is learning to find more satisfaction from saving than spending and you won't need to rely on complicated budgets. 

I am hoping to buy a condo as my first rental property. It seems there is not a lot of discussion around condos on BP. I think that the percentages for CapEx and maintenance should be little lower for a condo v.s. a single family home since the HOA will cover some expenses and there won't be any major repairs needed i.e. roof. Does anyone have experience in estimating expenses for condos? Thanks in advance!