If you want to find better value when buying a house, avoid the real estate frenzy zone. The real estate frenzy zone is the price range where the largest number of buyers can compete. It generally spans from the median home price plus about 50%. This is where demand is thickest, emotions run hottest, and buyers routinely […]
Why the Best Real Estate Deals Exist Outside the Frenzy Zone Read More »
I have wanted to lose 10 pounds (~6% of body weight) ever since I started Financial Samurai in 2009. I have come close, dropping five to six pounds in some years, but never quite hitting the double digit goal. As a result, for more than 16 years, I failed to accomplish something that should have
Lose Weight By Embracing Your Inner Economist and PF Nerd Read More »
I recently realized something that completely reframed how I think about income in America: a $200,000 household income is no longer middle class. Instead, under increasing college financial aid formulas, earning up to $200,000 now qualifies as low income or even poor. Being labeled “poor” or “low income” doesn’t sound great. But if $200,000 is the new poor according to
$200,000 Is Now Considered Low Income Or Poor For Families Read More »
Unlike most people, I love ARMs, or adjustable-rate mortgages. Adjustable-rate mortgages have helped me save over $300,000 in mortgage interest expense since 2005 compared to if I had taken out 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Despite all the fear, uncertainty, and doubt surrounding ARMs, they have been one of the most powerful wealth-building tools in my financial
Why Letting an ARM Reset Can Be Smarter Than Refinancing Read More »
Although I’m convinced AI will eliminate millions of jobs and leave many young graduates unemployed and disoriented, there is one surprising positive I recently discovered: AI can be a great therapist for everyday problems. I’m not talking about replacing licensed professionals. I’m talking about something far more accessible. AI can give you knowledge to make
AI Can Be A Great Therapist For Many Of Your Problems Read More »
Well folks, after 60 agonizing days of dealing with car salespeople, test-driving far too many vehicles, visiting two auto mechanics to diagnose and fix my current car, and wasting an unhealthy amount of time on online research, I have decided not to buy a new car. I know this may disappoint everyone who generously shared
The Main Reasons I Won’t Buy a New Car Anytime Soon Read More »
If you are a FIRE adherent, then you have likely mastered the art of saving and investing aggressively. While your neighbors and colleagues splurge on new cars, fancy vacations, and clothes, you are quietly deploying your excess cash flow into index funds, private investments, and real estate. You buy every dip. You dollar cost average
Having Kids Is The Best Way To Decumulate Wealth When FIRE Read More »
If you want to achieve financial independence, every investment we make serves one purpose: to buy back our time. Time is infinitely more valuable than any object, experience, or luxury. Given how short our lives are, we should use our money not just to accumulate more, but to buy freedom. Once you have freedom, you can
Practice Converting Annual Investment Returns Into Time Saved Read More »
Roughly 40% of my net worth is in real estate, my favorite asset class to build long term wealth for the average person. Real estate was my primary reason for being able to generate enough passive investment income to leave work in 2012. It has also been responsible for two of my largest capital gains
2026 Real Estate Outlook: Better Times Ahead For Investors Read More »
As a FIRE parents raising two children in San Francisco, we rely heavily on our investments to remain free. If we significantly misjudge returns, we increase the probability of having to go back to work. Going back to work is not the end of the world. Ideally, however, we would like to avoid it until
Investment Outlook For Public And Private Stocks In 2026 Read More »
