1. Owning a home is not essential to build wealth
Buying a home is often seen as a quintessential piece of the American dream, and Sethi, who often faces backlash for his stance, remarks, “in America, real estate is religion—and if you dare to question it, you enrage millions of people.”
This is likely due to the fact that 62% of Americans have a mortgage. But currently, home prices are continuing to rise and mortgages rates are still hovering above 6%, and nobody wants to feel tethered to a debt that may not result in long-term asset growth.
If the numbers don’t add up for you, there are still ways to benefit from the U.S. real estate market that you can act on right now.
How to invest in real estate without buying a home
Not only can you access real estate growth without owning a home, you can also invest in real estate without needing to take on the role of landlord. And that’s ideal in plenty of ways, given the cumbersome elements of maintenance, upkeep, and admin required when you’re managing an investment property yourself.
For those who are keen on residential real estate, Arrived offers a unique opportunity to invest in fractional shares of home equity, allowing you to access real estate gains without parting with substantial cash or tethering yourself to an expensive mortgage.
Arrived’s online platform allows you to invest in shares of rental homes and vacation rentals without taking on the responsibilities of property management.
With Arrived, you can browse a curated selection of homes, each vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, you can choose the number of shares you want to buy and start investing in real estate with just $100.
Then there’s the commercial market. It’s another way to dabble in real estate, while diversifying your investments away from the stock market. And in the long run, diversification lessens your risk — which can stabilize your portfolio.
For instance, First National Realty Partners (FNRP) offers access to $2 billion worth of high-quality commercial real estate properties leased by major retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods.
With indirect real estate investments, the beauty lies in not having to manage any logistics or admin tasks — the FNRP team of experts handles property acquisition and management, allowing investors the opportunity to benefit from passive distribution income.
Through FNRP’s secure online platform, you can engage with experts, explore available deals and easily make an allocation, all in one personalized portal.
2. Couples must have a “shared vision”
Moving beyond real estate, Sethi has advice for your love life, too.
He says the biggest issue with couples is that they have “no shared vision”. Pursuing differing goals, such as buying a house or funding education for your children, will each carry their own distinct saving and investing strategies.
These are influenced by two key factors: your time horizon (when you want to buy the house or when your kids will be old enough for university) and your risk tolerance (how comfortable you are with potential losses in favor of higher returns).
These are challenging questions to navigate alone. Trained financial professionals, like the advisors you can find through Advisor.com, can help couples align on their financial goals and make a plan for their future.
By answering just a few questions about yourself, Advisor.com will match you with a curated list of financial professionals. Then you can book a free, no-obligation consultation to see if they’re the right fit.
3. Build a rich life
Of course, a rich life isn’t just about things. It’s about nurturing relationships, fostering experiences, and building connections.
While money can help facilitate plenty of these aspects, Sethi notes it’s crucial to consistently spend your wealth wisely.
He argues that buying a home may not always be the best route to living a fulfilling life, given the potential for unexpected hurdles, like needing a brand new roof post-purchase, or your partner losing their job. These are the types of emergencies that can render mortgage payments untenable. In those instances, you need to have liquidity, or the ability to access your assets.
And you should always have an emergency fund that you keep stashed in a high yield savings account that will grow more efficiently over time.
You can also check out Moneywise's Best High Yield Savings Accounts of 2024 to find some savvy savings options that earn you far more than the national average of 0.4% APY.
Don’t just save wisely — spend wisely
In addition to saving wisely, you can also spend your money in a way that prepares you for a wealthier future.
You can make your purchases productive with Acorns, an automated investing and saving app that simplifies the process of setting aside extra funds and building a portfolio.
When you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns automatically rounds up the price to the nearest dollar and places the excess into a smart investment portfolioThis way, even the most essential spending translates to money saved and invested for the future.
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