​The fires raging in Australia have been a tragic event on a global scale. It's devastated millions of acres of land and killed millions of animals. Not to mention the lives of people. What makes this even worse is that the hottest part of the year is still to come and the situation has the potential to get even worse. Thankfully my family and friends are safe and I've appreciated the thoughts and well wishes from my friends worldwide. Thank you.

Whenever there is a tragic event, I can't help but take a moment to review my situation and be thankful that I am not directed impacted. I also review and think what would I do if I was impacted and what can I do now to best manage the situation if I was impacted in a life threatening or financial threatening situation.

Many of us don't do enough to ensure we are protected and our families are protected in the event of a disastrous life changing moment. We will see in the coming months how the devastation of the bushfires will leave people without resources (money, equipment, raw materials, people) to rebuild and get back to where they were. 

Coming from a military family and my sporting background, it was ingrained in me to plan for situations and be as prepared as possible. I have embraced this mindset for my investments. I want to protect my financial future and my families financial future. So I am continually learning and refining my strategy in the context of the current moment and the future direction.

It's not what happens to you, it's how you respond. Bad things happen to good people. It's important to not be a victim in life, take charge and do what you can - do your best.

One of my mentors talks about not seeking perfection before taking action - do what you can do today. One single step towards your long term goals is a step in the right direction, every step counts. What I have found is that each step actually motivates me to take another step. What also makes a big difference is surrounding yourself with people who are heading in the same direction. 

The US had a great year in the stock market, with over 20% growth and now at all times high. In fact it has more than doubled since its highs of 2009. But where will it go moving forward? At this time of the year when we are all preparing for the coming year, we have our sights on where to put our attention and focus.

For me I was turned off the stock market back in 2009. In Australia it too had a big fall and in fact it is only just now reaching the high it was back then. 11 years later and it is only now getting back to where it was. 

Looking forward to 2020, I see this as one of the big statement years. Everyone can remember the year 2000. Where they were etc. 2020 is a year that I have always liked to think about the word play of having perfect vision and that I will see clearly now that it’s 2020 :)  My kids were having fun last week with the realization that it’s not just a new year, but also a new decade. They laughed as they said to Grandma “See you next week, next year, next decade!!” All good fun, but also an opportunity to take a moment and review where we are at and where we want to be. 

There seems to be money in the stock market right? It looks good….or does it? I know most people I speak with have these internal conversations with themselves. Where should I put my hard earned money? Where should I put my focus, my attention, my energy?  This was a big lesson for me, should I look for appreciation (another word for gambling) or cashflow? 

A major reason for investing in US real estate is to be a value investor, make money from buying assets at a discount and make money from cashflow. I don’t like gambling.

I am looking forward to an exciting new year where I am building my team and growing my business of buying discounted residential houses, improving them to make them a nice place to live and helping tenants become homeowners. 

My mission is to help improve communities, help people become homeowners and help my investment friends with secure investments that provide generous cashflow.

Happy New Year to all, here’s to providing stability and confidence in an ever increasingly uncertain time in our lives.

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