Look! Over there! A leprechaun!

The leprechaun is one of the most popular and enduring symbols of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. Leprechauns are seen in cartoons, on cereal boxes, and in horror movies. (Trivia: The 1993 movie Leprechaun was future Friends star Jennifer Aniston’s first feature film.)

In Irish folklore, the leprechaun is a little old man, typically dressed in a coat of red or green. As a group they’re sneaky and mischievous, and when they’re not jealously guarding their gold and treasure, they make shoes. The word “leprechaun” may come from leath bhrogan, shoemaker, although some say it’s from the word luacharma’n (pygmy), since they’re known as the “wee folk.”

If you happen to catch a leprechaun, you may be in luck. But be very careful—he’ll promise you anything if you set him free, including all his gold, but leprechauns are famous for their cunning and will likely trick you out of any treasure they offer.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. 

Others Pay Your Bills

A great thing about investing in rental properties over other types of investment is that other people pay the bills for you! This is one of the profit centres called “Cash Flow”. 

It goes like this: an investor buys a property and provides the down payment from their own pocket, and secures the rest of the funds in the form of a mortgage from a bank. The investor then rents out the property to renters, who will use it to live or work in. Renters pay rent to the investor, and the investor uses that rent to pay the mortgage they owe to the bank.

Think about how beautifully that’s set up! When you invest in a rental property, your bills are covered by someone else. You don’t have to pull all the money out of your own pockets to cover your debts- you get paid for the public service you provide by renting out your property to others who need them.

This is one investment where you shouldn’t have to worry about where your next payment is coming from. The rent payments cover the mortgage, and tenants also cover most utilities. This is the “Flow” in cash flow. The money moves around, and everyone gets something out of the deal.

The magic of rental properties doesn’t stop at simply helping investors break even. Properties often appreciate value as time goes on. The mortgage that’s owed to the bank, however, remains unchanged. Because of this, property investors can actually see their net worth increase over the course of time. Investors are able to increase rent prices to match the increased value of the property, and in this way can secure a good financial future for themselves and for their families.

Investing in rental properties is a smart choice for so many reasons. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an investment that other people are going to help you cover? Doesn’t it sound great to make an investment you don’t even have to pay for yourself? With real estate, that can be a reality.

Jacky

A LAUGH OR TWO FOR GOOD MEASURE

HELPFUL LIFE HACK #2

WHY INVEST IN REAL ESTATE?

Long-Term Security

Real estate is a long-term investment, meaning you can hold it for several years as you wait for it to appreciate. At the same time, if you rent out your real estate you can earn monthly income while you wait for your property’s value to rise.