Cause I tell you, when you are the investor in option one buying at market or near market, when things go bad....your safety net shrinks up real fast. 

The last thing you want is for the market to dip right before you’re ready to buy, potentially shrinking your buying power.On the other hand, if your timeline is 3 years or more, it’s reasonable to keep a portion of your savings in a taxable brokerage account to benefit from market growth but plan to gradually shift those funds into cash or safer assets as you get closer to purchasing.Key considerations:Real estate transactions move fast, and you’ll need cash available not just for the down payment, but also closing costs, reserves, and early repairs.If you sell appreciated stocks, you could face capital gains tax, especially if held less than a year (short-term capital gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate).You’re on the right path.

I starting not allowing cats last year and I don't care if that shrinks my tenant pool. 

When the property can no longer operate as it's previous and often 'highest and best use' typically the buyer pool is smaller but the rental pool is also shrinking - especially for 4-5-6 bedroom oceanfront or beach accessible homes on the central to Northern Oregon Coast.

And I was tired of confusing a paycheck with peace.Over the past few years, I stacked the kind of skills the system never taught us:Closed over 140 real estate dealsCompleted two years of law school—sharpening my knowledge of contracts and strategyGot licensed in multiple lines of insurance (life, health, annuities, P&C)Learned how to be the bank—not just borrow from oneBuilt frameworks, coached others, and watched lives transformAnd yet… I was still shrinking myself.Still sitting on a mission while knowing I was built for more.So I walked away.On 3/31, I chose freedom over familiarity.And within weeks, I joined a mastermind led by Tony Robbins, *************, Lisa Nichols, and other icons—because if I was betting on myself, I was going all in.This isn’t just a story about quitting.It’s about stepping into a mission:To teach real estate, financial literacy, and digital strategy to those who’ve been overlooked, underestimated, or simply over it.To build something that outlives me.To help others remember what thriving feels like.For the first-gens.For the legacy-minded.For the ones who know they were never crazy—they were just early.What we do next is everything.— Brandy JohnsonFrom Survival to Strategy, take the first step!

What are you all doing to expand your business when the STR market is shrinking?

Otherwise the 2-4 unit buyer pool may shrink. 

They will be the one to check for the steep slopes or swamp lands or any zoning limits that could shrink your buildable space.

Home Equity Loan will pay off faster, but will shrink your cash flow.

Certain states like Texas, Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas are still seeing strong demand, even as other regions shrink.