#23 - Stages of Wealth Creation

Jason Hartman says that the beginning stages of wealth building are like a space shuttle take off. You’ve got to stock up on debt—quality, fixed rate, long-term, investment grade debt. Debt that’s attached to hard commodities in universal demand. These are the booster rockets of the space shuttle.

In the early stages of wealth creation, get in as much good debt as you can because debt is an asset. Stop thinking about it as a liability—remember that soon you’ll be increasing rents, watching your property appreciate, saving on taxes over the years, and embodying Jason’s Refi Till Ya Die philosophy. Now, you’re in orbit. You’re financially free—but don’t forget to keep extracting equity.

Remember that you’re in a unique place as an investor. Low interest rates that you can do anything with. In a variety of seminars, Jason Hartman has estimated that a house can hold up for about 60 years before it will require a major remodel. This means that you can lock in the cost of construction for six decades. That’s a long time!

You lock in the cost of borrowing for three decades too, and those who come after you will have to pay more. It’s an unbelievable equation—everyone on Earth needs what you have! And what you have will become more expensive to build. And the dollar will become worth less and less money. The debt that you’ve got attached to your fixed rate asset will become easier to repay as years pass.

To provide an example—Jason Hartman’s mother purchased a house in 1976 for $62,500 and often stressed about making the $416 per month mortgage payment. After living there for several years, they moved to Long Beach and began renting the first house out. In the 2000s, she’s renting it out for $2,300 per month. $416 was a lot to make then, but she’s so happy she stuck with it!

Inflation does interesting (and ultimately beneficial to the investor) things to the dollar over time, which makes real estate a great choice (easily the best choice) for building wealth. While you may feel the fluctuations of the rocket ship, a safe landing will be just what you need to demonstrate the incredible value of money well spent.

So grab some freeze-dried ice cream, strap your safety belt tightly to your chest, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime!