Investments, Occupations, Segways, and You People

[drolsinatas]

I wanted to ask everyone, since the Segway is considered so expensive and anyone who owns one must be rich, What do you do for a living? Or what investments do you make? Or are you just broke and consider the Segway to be an investment?

I'm asking because since the real estate market has become so expensive, and my hopes in finding good rental propertys to invest in keep getting crushed by these dudes who buy houses and condoize them to make the fast buck, what other investments are people making these days to make money on? Is the stock market a good place?

I'm working construction and collecting music royalties from bands I used to play in and living at home still. I'm saving money but not at the rate I'd like to (mainly because I don't make as much as I'd like to).

Is anyone here stinking rich? MAking a living and not getting dirty by the end of the day? I want to be able to wear nice clothes and not smell like asphault or sewage everyday. I want to buy my own house with a garage and **** soon.

Does anyone have some good finacial/investment advice, from one Segway Enthusiast to another?

This thing rules.

[dgbint]

I think your initial premise is way off the mark.

Who says a Segway is expensive ?
It's a personal value decision for private buyers.
How much extra vlaue is there in a plasma TV over a normal conventional TV, it only has a bigger picture but people pay what, maybe 5 times as much, or more.
That is a personal value decision.
What % of US homes have a plasma ?

So, what are your values ?
What value ( whatever that might be ) do you get from your Segway HT ?

If you want to make money, find the richest guy you can, offer to buy him lunch and ask him for advice. I think those are words from Aristotle Onassis.

Good Luck

[KSagal]

Drol,

Are you rich? you own a segway...

I like how you seem to have a problem with people who buy investment real estate, even though you say you want to be one of them... "How dare they make the buck that I wanted to make..."

It is tough to get into it... And I am not rich by any measure of dollars, always avoiding peter's call to have money to pay paul...

I am very wealthy in my wife and kids, in family and friends.

As far as not wanting to smell like sewage or asphalt, as a homeowner, I say that is not realistic.

Since I bought a house, I have paid to have one guy haul rocks away that I did not want. I also paid another guy to bring little rocks in (Gravel).

I paid to have dirt with stones in it hauled away so I could buy dirt without (top soil)

I have fixed septic systems, and driveways. I have bought water and air (conditioning) I have fixed toilets, and any number of other discusting things.

Don't get me wrong, real estate is a great investment, and you should buy if you can, just don't think it is easy or cleaner once you own it...

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[citivolus]

The thing with real estate is you either start with garbage and make it better or go the the wave front and start surfing. If that doesn't make sense, look at large cities and notice how the pricing drops as the radius from the city goes up. Using Boston as an example, your wave front starts at the distance from the city where you think you can afford to buy the 'fixer upper', do some work and turn a profit. Things to consider are transportation and market or how easy is it to commute or is there a substantial local job market and who are your customers. Just beware that there is a fair amount of talk of unstable markets and some are expecting a real estate correction in the same fashion that happened after the boom in the 80's. Read 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' to understand what is and what isn't an asset.

Start an IRA as soon as possible and try to put away at least 10% of your income but try for 20%. Pick nits, look for ways to save an extra few dollars a week here and there. Quitting smoking bought me a Segway in less than 3 years and cutting back on nights out helped me pay off my truck in half the time.

Above all, CYA. Set up an emergency fund that can carry your expenses for at least six months should something unfortunate happen, make a budget and stick to it.

--
swiftly flying