All Forum Posts by: Ryan R.

Don't get too worried about it because when obamacare is fully implemented, healthcare will be free... It's going to be great.

Jay Staudt Have you met with any home builders in your area? You can find out pretty quickly how much it would cost to build a new home by having a local builder give you a bid for one of his spec houses on that lot.

Mike M, I totally agree with you. Obviously you are reaping the benefits of your labor, which is what we are all after, I presume. Having a huge net worth and living like your're broke isn't my idea of success.

There is no hard and fast rule on whether one should finance or pay cash. There are too many variables to list that would impact this decision. Someone who is broke but has and expects to have a steady job for the next 6 years can go finance a vehicle because he has a low risk for not being able to make the payment. Someone who has $50,000 cash but is not confident of their employment status in 6 months may choose to pay cash and possibly spend less.

There is no right or wrong answer, just preference and risk tolerance.

Jon Klaus, I'm perfectly okay with my civic being called a beater. I just wanted to make the point that not all $2,000 cars are unreliable.

I often find myself looking at BMWs or Corvettes just to have and drive on the weekends, I could buy a nice used one today with cash, but I've got my sights on building wealth at this point. My beater Civic lets me do just that.

Can we clarify "a $2,000 beater"? I bought a 1996 Civic for exactly $2,000. I commute almost 2 hours, round-trip, everyday. This car is extremely reliable.

In over 2 years I have only put new tires on it, $350.00, and plugs and wires, about $75.?.That's the only maintenance other than oil changes and gas. Insurance is like $100 per year. I average about 33 mpg.

Everything works on the car except the right rear window which falls out of the track so the window motor is unplugged. Power windows, locks, cold A/C, cruise control.

I also travel on business a couple times a month and rent cars. The last two vehicles I rented were a 2010 Toyota Tacoma and a 2011 Nissan Altima. My car drives better than these cars. It's more comfortable, better mileage, just drove better altogether. My little Civic can hold 80 mph on the highway no matter the incline.

I'm about to turn 300,000 miles on this car. I'm a Ford, GM and Mopar guy, but this little Honda has impressed me.

So, when the term "beater" is used, it should not be synonymous with "unreliable".

Thomas Williamson, thanks again for posting this.

So how much of your own hard-earned money have you invested so far?

How much do you cash-flow from all your properties?

I remember you said your wife was able to quit her job, so I'm assuming they are performing well.

I think it is just different manufacturers use different colors. So he is probably right. I don't think there is an industry standard for what the colors mean.

Are these ball valves for gas or water?

Ryan Fatula, I would say don't do it since you didn't budget for it, and experience says that you don't get much of a return.

A). What's the market value of the home if you do nothing to the windows?

B). What's the market value of the home if you replace them?

C). How much will it cost you to replace the windows?

If the difference between B - A = more than C, replace the windows. If not, don't replace them.

I think it depends on the condition of the windows and the finish of the house once your project is complete. What type of windows do the comps have in your area?

A well respected rehabber in my area is finishing a house in my neighborhood, and he chose to refinish the existing windows rather than replace. In this case, there are a lot of windows and the house is very unique. Also the refinished windows will not detract from the home. This house will be on the upper end of our market, with a list price around $300,000.