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Financial Freedom, Financial Independence, Investing, Real Estate, Saving, Wealth

How not to be house rich, cash poor

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“If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.” —Edmund Burke

I remember watching an episode of Property Brothers and they were telling this couple that you do not want to spend too much or overspend on a home and end up being house rich and cash poor.

They instead wanted the couple to buy a fixer-upper, do some sweat equity, renovate the home, and put that money into their pockets.

Basically, when you buy a turn-key home, the work has already been done and you are paying the homeowners for the money they put into the home on renovations.

However, then you buy the house at a markup.

This is due to the fact that they may pay $20,000 for renovations and then the property may increase in value by $40,000 or double what they paid. Thus, allowing them to increase the purchase price of the property, ergo you pay them to renovate.

That’s pretty steep for move-in-ready.

If you do the work yourself, you get to keep the value that the home increases by.

This means buying a fixer-upper for $300,000 and putting in $20,000 for renovations will push the home value to $340,000 and let you keep the $20k in equity for yourself instead of putting it in someone else’s pocket.

If you read my last post, Save $10,000 by Avoiding PMI, then you know I am all about saving that paper.

So, let me show you how not to be cash poor, but house rich.

WHAT DOES HOUSE RICH, CASH POOR MEAN?

According to Investopedia, “house poor is a situation that describes a person who spends a large proportion of his or her total income on home ownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance and utilities.”

Basically, you are paying more for your home than you can afford or simply buying too much home.

If you have to pay more than 40% of your income for your dwelling, then you will become cash poor.

Matter of fact, if the value of your home decreases, you can be both house and cash poor.

When you are house rich that means all your money or wealth is tied up in your home. The home equity may be something like $150,000, but you only have $1,500 in the bank. That is not even enough to cover one month’s mortgage payment!

In order to shift this, you would want $40,000 in the bank, and to owe less than $150k on your home. That $40k would be enough to pay one year’s worth of expenses including mortgage payments ($1,600 x 12 = $19,200).

You would need a fixed rate mortgage to help you do this.

STAY AWAY FROM VARIABLE RATE LOANS

The ARM, or “adjustable rate mortgage” loan is too dangerous. Any loan product that can change at the drop of a hat and without a moment’s notice is too risky.

Let’s think about this for a second. Why is anything at a drop of a hat so bad? Well, did you ever see the movie Tombstone?

The idiom is likely to have come from the Old West, when duels would begin with a signal consisting of a man grabbing his hat and thrusting it toward the ground, before weapons are drawn.

Is this any way you want any part of your life to be lived?! Absolutely, not.

Entertaining in the movies sure, but not for real life.

This type of trickery should be left out of the equation.

First, lenders approve you for wayyy too much. Second, they tell you it’s okay to only pay the interest when it’s really not. As you cannot get out of debt, without paying off the principal of a loan.

And going for the trifecta of trickery, the third thing lenders do, and this is the hat trick, your mortgage payments jump so high Bryce Harper couldn’t catch it!

Your mortgage payments spikes upward too sharply for most folks to keep up.

A reasonable $1,600 mortgage payment could reset and go up to $2,400 in a single month!

That’s no joke.

I had a conversation with someone this actually happened to. Shocks like this are hard for most people to fathom and continue to live comfortably.

A fixed rate loan allows you to plan the monthly budget in advance.

When you how much you monthly nut has to cover, you are just better off.

HOW TO BE CASH RICH

Buying a home for less than you can afford is a start.

If you are approved for $400,000, then slash this amount by 25%. This equals $400k x 0.25 = $100,000!

You heard me. Then bank says $400k, and then you say:  I’ll go $300k.

In one fell swoop, you both cut the amount of home you buy and monthly payment by 25%

You then take that $100,000 and over the course of the 15, 20, or 30 years you are paying your mortgage, you put this same amount into mutual funds.

You could do the S&P 500 index. Do whatever you want.

The goals are to simultaneously invest that money and pay down your mortgage.

For instance, that $100k over 30 years translates to investing $277 per month for 360 months. That would allow you to save anywhere from $500,000 to over $1 million depending on your rate of return through compound interest.

That means over a 30 year time period you have paid off a worth an estimated $300,000 or possibly more as home value may increase during this time and have an additional $800,000 in investments.

You would have a net worth of $1.1 million and would put you in the top 10% of wealthy households in America. See my post; Join the top 10% club for more on this.

WORDS OF WISDOM

A few words of wisdom to follow:

  • Buy less home than you can afford
  • Spend no more than 25% of your income on the housing payment
  • Invest the difference of the savings you received from not paying the full amount approved for
  • Stick to a housing budget
  • Have a god size emergency fund of 8 months or more

It sounds so simple, but most folks are actually living beyond their means and buying my house than they can afford. I have actually seen people in their 50s signing up for 30 year mortgages! Holy crap! The odds of paying off this home are slim at that age.

If you can follow the advice I give above, you could find yourself at the top of the economic pyramid.

Don’t believe me? Read my post Join the top 5% club and find out!

Budgeting, Real Estate, Saving

Save $10,000 by avoiding Private Mortgage Insurance

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“A simple fact that is hard to learn is that the time to save money is when you have some.” —Joe Moore

Saving money is the cornerstone to building wealth.

Granted you have to have some to actually save some of it.

Regardless, the time to save is when you have it.

An ever better way to save money is to avoid doling it out in the first place. If you can slash or cut out expenses entirely, you can accumulate more wealth faster.

Buying a home is one of the reasons why people save money because buying one is expensive.

If you read my post, Home Buying:  Survival of the Fittest Wallet; then you understand what I mean about home buying.

Home Buying: Survival of the fittest wallet

Every dollar that you do not have to send out ultimately stays in your wallet.

A great way to save on money you spend on your home is to eliminate the cost of mortgage insurance, which is known as PMI.

What Is PMI?

Private mortgage insurance is something lenders use to protect their investment in your home. Until you own it or have put down a reasonable down payment, the bank wants to protect its property by making you pay insurance on it.

Most lenders require PMI if a homebuyer does not make a down payment of 20% of the home’s purchase price – or, in mortgage-speak, the mortgage’s loan-to-value (LTV). This LTV ratio is in excess of 80% (the higher the LTV ratio, the higher the risk profile of the mortgage).

Meaning if you owe anywhere above 80% of the home’s value, then you are considered risky and are a candidate for PMI.

For example, if you purchase a home for $250,000 and are unable to put down 20% ($250,000 x .20 = $50,000); thereby, owing more than $200,000 to the bank, then you would need PMI.

And unlike most types of insurance such as automotive or renter’s, the policy protects the lender’s investment in the home, not yours.

However, PMI makes it possible for people to become homeowners sooner because they can put down less than 20% such as 5% and still purchase a home.

FROM RENTER TO HOMEOWNER 

PMI allows borrowers to obtain financing if they can only afford (or prefer) to put down just 5% to 19.99% of the residence’s cost, but this ca be costly.

The home will now come with an additional monthly cost.

Borrowers have to pay their PMI until they have accumulated enough equity in the home that the lender no longer considers them high-risk.

Homebuyers who put down less than 20% of the sale price will have to pay PMI until the total equity of the home reaches 20%.

This means you have to pay 20% of your home’s value or have enough equity to build to that amount before PMI is no longer required. This can take years.

And your heirs also get nothing out of this.

Unlike most insurance policies, all proceeds go to the bank. The heirs get nada, zip, zero, nothing.

The lending institution is the beneficiary. PMI only helps the mortgage lender.

It is also not cancelled automatically.

You have to draft a letter to the lender explaining that the LTV of the home is now 80% or less. This usually requires getting an appraisal done. This could take months!

Or the other hand, if you wait until it automatically cancels, you would have to hit 22% equity. That is a full 2% higher than the 20% that is mandatory!

Meaning you essentially paid 2% more or $5,000 that was not even required!

Some lenders even request that you pay for a certain time period. So, if your home goes up in value and just absolutely skyrockets, you could zoom past the 20% minimum needed, but still be on the hook to pay.

How fair is that?

It’s like that scene out of Wedding Crashers, “I earned those miles.”

It would be not good at all. I earned those miles.

Now let’s talk the cost of PMI.

HOW MUCH IS PMI?

PMI acts just like the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song Give it Away, in that you are giving this money away to insurance companies and that’s it.

PMI can cost on average between 0.05% and 1% of the entire loan amount annually. In some cases, maybe even more.

This means if you purchase a home for $250,000 and owe 1% annually for PMI, you will have to fork over $2500 per year. This equates to $208 monthly!

The more house you buy, the more the cost goes up.

If it takes 5 years to build up enough equity in the home to stop paying PMI on a $250k mortgage, that would mean paying $208 x 60 (months) = $12,480! And that money is burnt. You cannot get it back.

Did I also mention that as of 2018, PMI is no longer tax deductible?

That’s right. Insurance is just in case. And in this case, that is like throwing out two hundred dollar bills out your car window once a month!

So, you have to find a way to roll up those windows and plug that money leak.

HOW YOU CAN SAVE $10,000 BY AVOIDING PMI

You have to find a way to keep your money in your pocket and not the insurance companies.

Better yet, find a way to not only keep it, but make money with it.

Putting that $208 into stocks over the course of 10 years could net a return of over $37,000 with an 8% return!

If you can avoid PMI all together, you could save yourself over $10k!

For example, let’s say you have to pay $250 per months for 4 years, that is $250 x 48 (months) = $12,000.

In order to save $10,000, you would need to eliminate paying $208.33 a month for 4 years, that is $208.33 x 48 (months) = $10,000!

HOW TO AVOID PAYING PMI

There are a few ways to avoid paying PMI and they are the following:

  • Put down a 20% down payment.
  • Lender paid mortgage insurance (LMPI) where the cost of the PMI is included in the mortgage interest rate for the life of the loan.
  • Get a piggyback mortgage where a second mortgage or home equity loan is taken out at the same time as the first mortgage.
  • Find a lender willing to forgo PMI.

The last one is a little tricky.

There are not many places I could find that allowed this. However, there are some financial institutions that will offer a 100% conventional mortgage without PMI. You will just need to do an online search in your state.

So, there you have it.

I have showed you several ways to avoid PMI.

Now, I have saved you $10,000!

What is my fee for this service?

Only for you to share this with someone else.  And by doing so, help them save $10,000 as well.

She then takes a bow and says thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’ll be here all week!

Entrepreneurship, Financial Freedom, Financial Independence, Investing, Self-Made Millionaires, Wealth

How Benjamin Franklin used 13 virtues to get rich

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“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin 

Benjamin Franklin is not only one of America’s founding fathers (known as one of the signatories the Declaration of Independence), but also its first millionaire.

He did this by investing in what he knew. That is how he built his fortune.

You can do the same to build yours.

I listen to what people have to say, but I always make my own decisions.

I research any industry I want to know and then focus on investing in what I know. I try to put my money where my values are.

I prefer consumer staples such as food, beverage, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, tissue, and other household items.

Companies like Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark. Clorox, and PepsiCo.

You can find many of these companies included in many mutual funds such as any 500 index fund like the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500 index), the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares (VFINX), the Fidelity Spartan 500 Index Investor Shares (FUSEX), the Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund (SWPPX) or the   T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund (PREIX).

I figured a good way to start my wealth journey was to learn about those that became wealthy.

Benjamin Franklin also created a list of 13 virtues to develop his character. This lets me know that your character is your destiny.

Here I provide you with his checklist. See which ones you can try to emulate to help you on your road to wealth accumulation.

THE 13 VIRTUES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

In 1758, Benjamin Franklin published his essay The Way to Wealth.

Although, it was written 260 years ago, the advice still is holds up, even to this day.

Below is a copy of his checklist.

SPOTLIGHT ON FRUGALITY

My personal favorite is frugality because it includes all the other virtues.

Frugality is basically the will to spend money on what is important and avoiding spending on what is not.

Frugal is not being merely cheap or miserly like Ebenezer Scrooge.  See my post on Money Lessons I Learned from Scrooge McDuck. It is about saving money on things you do not really need.

Saving money allows you to put that money to work for you.

Imagine every dollar is a little soldier. What do soldiers do? They fight.

You have to fight for your money because everyone is trying to part it from you. Don’t let them.

Invest that money and each dollar (soldier) fights for you everyday 365/24/7. Even while you sleep.

FOCUS ON FRUGALITY

In this world, you’re on your own. Benjamin Franklin knew that. So, he set out to start a business in a field he knew. He was a printing apprentice and started a printing shop. He became an expert at that one thing and did it so well that people paid him for it.

He then reinvested the profits back into his business.

That is how he grew rich.

He knew to become wealthy, he had to ignore the charlatans or hype. He had to focus on himself and his spending habits.

And that is what you must do. Ignore the hype. Forget what everyone else says or thinks. Trust your gut.

FORGET THE FANCY SET OF WHEELS

You do not need a fancy car to make you happy. Ride a bike and get some exercise. Better yet, buy an inexpensive, older Chevy where the bumper looks like it will fall off any second.

Then people will be less likely to ask you for money, if they see you riding around in a clunker because they will think your broke, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s not that you do not like nice cars or can’t necessarily afford one. It’s that you choose not to spend your money on it. Sounds pretty good right?

And watch out for the hangers on. They tend to come around when your last name is followed by an M.D. or Esquire.

FORGET THE BIG HOUSE

You do not need a mansion to live in. You know what that does? It just causes you to spend more money to heat, cool, maintain, and furnish it.

You fill the home up with stuff. No one likes an empty corner. Every inch is piled high with stuff.

How is that stuff paid for? Usually with credit.

What happens if you need that money? For instance, homes need maintenance.

Do you know what the repair bill is for a roof on a mansion? Well, you don’t want to know. One thing we do know for sure is that it costs more than what you would spend on a smaller house.

What about PMI? Private mortgage insurance is what you must pay if you put down less than a 20% down payment. And folks, that money is on top of the insurance and a monthly mortgage payment. We aren’t talking chicken feed here. It can be hundreds of dollars per month!

What about property taxes? It can add hundreds or thousands to a monthly mortgage payment. That’s money that’s not working for you in the bank.

You want to be investment rich, not house poor.

Every dollar that goes toward the house, can’t be working for you in an investment account.

I know they say the value of the home will go up and your equity will increase as you are making the house payments. However, let’s not forget the 2008 housing bubble.

When that bubble burst, so did most folks equity. Foreclosure notices were going out in the mail all over the country. Many lost homes. And many have still not recovered.

FORGET THE DESIGNER CLOTHES

You know those people who say dress to impress. Well, that’s fine and dandy, if you can afford it. However, if you can’t swing it, then walk by the $400 clothing rack and head to the sales rack in the back. Forget sartorial superiority. Who wants to be the best-dressed poor person?

I now see more people walking around with designer purses today than I have seen at any other time I can remember. Who’s paying for it? Mr. credit card, that’s who.

I see people opening up store cards all the time.

They have so many different color credit cards in their wallet it looks like a skittles bag exploded.

Places are handing out applications for credit cards every, single day.

You must resist. Resist the urge to spend. Credit is seductive. The temptation is too great.

So you must decide, what is more important. Buying a designer’s clothing and paying for their summer home or funding your own future.

FORGET THE EXPENSIVE WATCHES AND JEWELRY

I read about an NBA player who had bought dozens of watches. And not just any watches, but Rolexes!

Just because. Well, hey, you know bosses got to be on time.

Do you know what those things retail for? Well, last time I checked, it could be anywhere from $2500 to $40,000 and up.

The guy could have started a college fund. He could have funded an entire small city of kids $1k college scholarships.

Who needs 30 watches? Someone who wants to know the exact moment they went bankrupt I guess.

FORGET THE EXOTIC VACATIONS

So you want to travel. That’s great. But unless you can afford it or do it on someone else’s dime (like for work).

You may just have to watch the latest episodes of House Hunter or any show on the travel channel.

I once read it is a great thing to go travel and see the world as it is a great education, it will only cost you: $25,000.

I think I’ll just read a good book on world travels instead and invest that money until it earns enough interest that I can pay for the trip with cash.

Here are some of my suggestions on traveling when your travel budget is on life support.

You want to see the northern lights in Iceland? See it on a YouTube video.

You want to go skiing in Switzerland, Aspen, France or Vail? Watch a travel show until you can afford it.

You want shopping sprees in Milan, Paris, Rome, New York’s Fifth Ave, or Rodeo Drive?  Focus on buying things that will appreciate in value. Clothes, once purchased, is money that’s burnt.

I know you watch the television shows and see all the families going to Disneyland or Hawaii. However, what they don’t tell you is how much it costs to go to these places. Lots of times the studio or the network is picking up the tab.

They do it for ratings. Because who wants to watch a show about people sitting on couches all day. They want to see the lifestyles of the rich not the broke and unknown. I say just stop watching those shows.

Focus your attention on earning and working. If your head is down working, you never can look up and notice what everyone else around you are doing.

FORGET FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s a myth.

I know plenty of people that go out, spend money, buy nice cars, big homes, fly to the islands, and go to lots of parties.

However, they are not the boss. They work a 9-to-5 just like everybody else. One missed check could cause havoc on their already precarious finances.

Many people are one paycheck away from being on the sidewalk.

Don’t be like them.

Practice the 13 virtues. Be frugal. Then you can live like no one else because you will actually be rich instead of acting like you are.

FORGET PRETENDING TO HAVE MONEY

Forget pretending to be rich. The only time bluffing works when it comes to money is at the poker table.

And you know what happens when the hand is over, the bluffing stops there.

So leave the bluffing at the table and check it at the door.

Remember that scene in the comedy movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield. He was a wealthy guy named Thornton Melon, but always said to his son: A man without an education is nothing.

There was one scene in the film where he was talking in class about being in business and all the things a businessman is doing to make it in the real-world.

The teacher disagrees with his assessment, even though he was coming from a place of information.

When the professor asks where to build the business after scolding Melon he replies, “How about fantasyland.”

When it comes to your money you cannot afford to live in a fantasy. You have to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and your actions based in reality.

Earn money, save it, invest it, and get rich slow.