Let’s quickly look at some ways of defining and actualizing financial
independence; financial independence by net worth and financial independence by
cash flow.
Financial
independence by net worth: Refers to the net worth of all your investable
assets (excluding your assets that do not generate income like your primary
residence, furniture, cars etc.) divided
by your annual expenses.
Financial Freedom Ratio = investable asset/annual expense
For me this value should be greater than
40 to be financially free. This then means you can withdraw a fixed 2.5% from
your asset annually (by liquidity) and your portfolio will last the rest of
your life time. This will work better if you are 40 years and above. Remember
that liability from children upkeep and education costs tends to decrease as
you grow older, however, liabilities due to need for health-care or long term
living assistance care can increase.
Financial independence by passive income: This refers to generating passive income that is
more than your living expenses or life style without having to work. Note that
some people’s net worth may not be very large but their investments generate a
lot more cash flow than they need annually. Their cash inflow may be a
combination of real estate rentals, royalties, pension, dividends and interest
from investments etc.
If you are determined to become financially independent,
then understanding real estate will give you an insight into how to invest
wisely. There are different types of real estate and investing in any of them
has its merits and demerits. If you want to invest in real estate it will be
wise to study them very well before committing your time, effort and resources.
There are two types of properties, personal and real
property. Personal property is movable property that is not associated with
land. It can be items that can be touched (tangible) , this includes furniture,
vehicles, Jewelries, clothes etc. or items that cannot be touched (intangible)
like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, savings and checking accounts, insurance
policies etc. Real property is fixed and cannot be moved, it is
mainly associated with land and includes buildings, crops, mineral rights etc.
However, there are four types of real estate. They include
residential, commercial, industrial and land. Residential real estate is built
for people to live in such as apartment buildings, single- family buildings
etc. Commercial real estate is built for businesses. Examples are shopping and
strip malls, office complex, hotels, schools etc. Industrial real estate is
built for manufacturing and warehouses. Land as a real estate can be acquired
as vacant land, ranches, farm land, etc.
Some of these real estate investments may or may not be as
profitable as you think. Knowing some comparison is important so that you can make the investment decision that’s
right for you. Real estate investment like land may be too risky
because of the exposure to land grabbers except proper documentation is
obtained from the government. There is a high tendency that you may not be able
to lease it out, thus net passive income from it is zero. Buying a land to keep is good
for speculation and future development.
With commercial real estate it is a lot easier to get your
rent because commercial tenants may not want to lose their shops where they are
known by customers, you enjoy longer lease terms, you may be able to get more
value for your investment as compared to residential buildings, there is more
assurance of cash flow, there is lower vacancies rate. However the downside of
commercial real estate investment as compared to residential real estate is
higher risk of damages due to high volume of people coming in and out on a
daily basis, higher risk of fire hazard and managing of more tenants and
repairs.
Residential real estate perform more consistently in
economic downturns because people will always need a place to stay, it has more liquidity rate than commercial property because of the larger pool of buyers.
Residential real estate investor can manage their properties at their own time
but you will definitely need the help of a professional when investing in
commercial or industrial real estate.
Commercial real estate may appear
to be more lucrative, beginner investors should know that with higher returns
come higher risk.
Real Estate Investments: The Rental Property Advantage.
What I Which I Knew Before Investing In Rental Properties.
What I Which I Knew Before Investing In Rental Properties.
Investing in Real Estate Properties: Successful Startup and Growth Strategies.
Important Considerations Before You Invest a Loan or Personal Savings in Rental Properties.
Important Considerations Before You Invest a Loan or Personal Savings in Rental Properties.
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I know much more about cash flow now. Thanks. Keep blogging.
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