If you have a job at a high enough salary that you can save a high percentage of it each year, you can calculate how long it takes for that savings pool to eventually grow large enough that it equals years of take-home pay. For example, if your net salary is $100,000, and you frugally […]
If you have seen my previous book round-ups, I read a lot – 33 books in 2020, and 43 books in 2019. I am on my sixth book for 2021, so at this pace, I’ll finish somewhere in-between the last two years. I didn’t set out to focus on travel books specifically, but three of […]
My FIRE challenge right now is actually the RE part. We are absolutely in a financial place to officially retire (my husband already is), but I’m holding on due to, well, fear. I have a very good job with excellent benefits working with great people that isn’t hard but doesn’t fulfill me at all. Quitting would […]
The numbers are in for 2020, and despite Costa Rica borders being closed from March through November, we were able to eke out a small profit across our three properties. We attribute this to one major factor – owning all three properties outright, with no mortgage to cover. When you don’t have a monthly mortgage […]
Our last investment was a private loan at 10%, to fund a flip, and it’s coming due shortly. This is a borrower we have worked with before – a family business but with decades of real estate experience. We also know their work firsthand because we bought a rental property from them (they do sales, […]
We own rentals in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, Asheville, NC and Jacksonville, FL. For 2021, Costa Rica was named the number 1 best place to retire by International Living. In a US News survey of best place to retire in the US, Asheville, NC was number 8 and Jacksonville, FL was number 13. It’s no coincidence […]
We don’t name all of our real estate – only the vacation properties, not the long-term rentals. All three of our Costa Rican units have names: Condo Boom, Casa Salita and Condo Reeves. From a practical perspective, we figured the names would help with marketing the properties. Having a name would make the property searchable […]
I read 33 books in 2020, down 10 from the 43 books read in 2019. When I look back at how I spent my time in 2020 (I keep a Time Diary of activity on the half hour and highly recommend it!), I spent just as much time reading, but unfortunately I read more breaking […]
The Costa Rica Tourism Board is awarding 15 residents of the US and Canada (excluding Quebec somehow) an all-expenses paid vacation to Costa Rica. I don’t know what area of Costa Rica (there are 12 microclimates), but the contest prize description includes: Coach roundtrip air transportation for two Six nights of hotel accommodations $200 in […]
I think it’s one of the work hazards of being a coach, but I spend an inordinate amount of money on learning & development, self-help and other personal and professional improvement resources. We spent just over $6,000 this year, and since 95% of that was directly attributed to me, I feel wholly responsible for the […]
