Gratitude

I put this in the old caveat emptor thread too but as I have been thinking about my outlook lately it fits here too.

Given I put this up 7 or so months ago I thought I would let you all know that we settled last week on the sale of this IP. I didn't want to jinx it with premature posting. (maybe there is a pill for that?)

Our tenants bought it from us, the negotiation was smooth, my lessons from the earlier buyer pulling out were valuable as I insisted that their offer be on a contract with a substantial deposit. They agreed and apart from a 1 week delay with my bank taking too long to discharge the mortgage it was very easy. I gave them a week of free rent to appease as they were a bit upset at the time and thought I was pulling out or stalling.

It was a pleasure to conduct what I regard to be win win negotiating with another couple who proved to be honest and fair and everone is now happy.

Whilst the long term goals are important, its nice to celebrate the little victories and moments along the way and this is an important step for us in reducing some debt, and remaining solvent with a newly built ppor, 4 younguns and my wife not yet back in the workforce at all.

I can say I am truly grateful for my blessings which are many, and that in this particular moment property investing has helped my life in a tangible way even though I am not yet a gazillionaire or retired or any of those cool things.

I know that Gladstone will prove to give the buyers future profit, but I do not regret selling at all as it was the right time for our family.

I appreciate the collective wisdom that is here on this forum as it is one of my primary checkpoints when I have a crazy idea or question.

I guess I just wanted to share a happy moment.

knightm said:

even though I am not yet a gazillionaire or retired or any of those cool things.

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Better to be a gratitudaire than a gazillionaire mate. Glad it worked out. I also sold an IP to my tenants a few yrs back. Fair deal and everyone happy. Win win is a great outcome.

I think gratitude is the key. When we are grateful for what we have, more of the good follows. This has been my experience.

monalisa said:

I think gratitude is the key. When we are grateful for what we have, more of the good follows. This has been my experience.

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So very true, Monalisa. We get more of what we are grateful for, in my experience.
Before I started my property investment journey, I had a "gratitude box" into which I would put a gold coin each month as I thought about all that was good in my life (even though I had two tenths of bugger all at the time).
This ritual became a very empowering habit in that I would constantly focus on what I had and my personal qualities, rather than complain about what I lacked in life.
I've recently settled on my 8th IP, so have come a long way since those humble days a few years ago and I attribute much of my success to changing my mindset and living with an attitude of gratitude.

Rob Williams said:

So very true, Monalisa. We get more of what we are grateful for, in my experience.
Before I started my property investment journey, I had a "gratitude box" into which I would put a gold coin each month as I thought about all that was good in my life (even though I had two tenths of bugger all at the time).
This ritual became a very empowering habit in that I would constantly focus on what I had and my personal qualities, rather than complain about what I lacked in life.
I've recently settled on my 8th IP, so have come a long way since those humble days a few years ago and I attribute much of my success to changing my mindset and living with an attitude of gratitude.

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Congratulations Rob! Mindset can do wonders - for example, fear of debt vs no fear of debt - the only difference is that with the latter you may only be aiming for 'comfort' in the short term, which doesn't serve well in future.

Ritual sounds like a great idea! We do not have one at this stage, but thinking of preparing a vision board.

monalisa said:

Ritual sounds like a great idea! We do not have one at this stage, but also thinking of preparing a vision board.

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Don't get me started on the Vision Board . I had one of those, too, far a few years. Printed a pic of a nice Bimmer from Carsales.com and pinned it up on the board. It was an example of the model and option level I wanted to buy, one day. Many months later, I came into some money and went car shopping. I ended up buying THAT actual car. Long story, but it had been poorly advertised and the owner dropped the price $1,000 a month for 4 months before I made a lowball offer and drove it away.

Then there was the pic of the "renovator special" villa I pinned on the board as an example of the type of property I wanted to buy ... but that's another story altogether.

Good on you for finding what works for you. Like Jack Canfield says .. the plan works but only if you work the plan.

Rob Williams said:

Good on you for finding what works for you. Like Jack Canfield says .. the plan works but only if you work the plan.

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Great its worked for you.

Totally, it has to come from within.

Rob Williams said:

Don't get me started on the Vision Board . I had one of those, too, far a few years. Printed a pic of a nice Bimmer from Carsales.com and pinned it up on the board. It was an example of the model and option level I wanted to buy, one day. Many months later, I came into some money and went car shopping. I ended up buying THAT actual car. Long story, but it had been poorly advertised and the owner dropped the price $1,000 a month for 4 months before I made a lowball offer and drove it away.

Then there was the pic of the "renovator special" villa I pinned on the board as an example of the type of property I wanted to buy ... but that's another story altogether.

Good on you for finding what works for you. Like Jack Canfield says .. the plan works but only if you work the plan.

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Great to hear it worked for you. A mate has been doing this since he saw it on "The Secret" and reckons some things have come his way. Did you end up buying the villa?

shuggy said:

Great to hear it worked for you. A mate has been doing this since he saw it on "The Secret" and reckons some things have come his way. Did you end up buying the villa?

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Sure did. Now own 3 of 5 in the group and manage the strata corp as well.
My best investments by far. Not a single day of vacancy since purchase.

Have started a vision board recently. Havent had the "I have now got it" moments yet - but looking forward to them

matto_ said:

Have started a vision board recently. Havent had the "I have now got it" moments yet - but looking forward to them

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I had a vision board of Elle MacPherson once....

matto_ said:

Have started a vision board recently. Havent had the "I have now got it" moments yet - but looking forward to them

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Keep going and stay patient. As you can see there is such a breadth of experience here, and in time you will have those moments. And the purpose of my post was to share a "mini" moment, not the final arriving moment, but a milestone nonetheless. Its good.

Rob Williams said:

Sure did. Now own 3 of 5 in the group and manage the strata corp as well.
My best investments by far. Not a single day of vacancy since purchase.

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Nice one. I hope you get the other 2 or it will have been a waste of time.. kidding : )

shuggy said:

Great to hear it worked for you. A mate has been doing this since he saw it on "The Secret" and reckons some things have come his way. Did you end up buying the villa?

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I think "The Secret" is a little bit superficial - it only came out in recent times, and the teachings have been around for a while.

matto_ said:

Have started a vision board recently. Havent had the "I have now got it" moments yet - but looking forward to them

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Please do share your success once you have the outcomes of the vision board.

knightm said:

Keep going and stay patient. As you can see there is such a breadth of experience here, and in time you will have those moments. And the purpose of my post was to share a "mini" moment, not the final arriving moment, but a milestone nonetheless. Its good.

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I used to have a vision board a few years back. It was fun to make one!
My goals have changed since that time, and nowadays I still do visualisations and spend some quiet moments in the day giving gratitude for things too.

I find that when I give gratitude for what's in my life, I feel better and feel more amped to achieve my goals.

Well done for giving yourself gratitude as well knightm.

monalisa said:

I think "The Secret" is a little bit superficial - it only came out in recent times, and the teachings have been around for a while.

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But it then makes the concept easy to understand and delve deeper - not just "wish and it will appear".

However ... the universe works in mysterious ways and I am always grateful. Can't remember the last time I couldn't get a park right outside wherever.

And about a week ago I put out the "some money would be nice" thought - three days later an unexpected cheque arrived from a solicitor, finalising something to do with a property I bought nearly 2 years ago (thank you universe) - next day I found 50c on the footpath after a dozen people had already walked over it (thank you universe) - next day conveyancer rang to say we might be eligible for $5,000 building grant (thank you universe) - and today a coin rolled through the shopping centre and landed on my foot. No one claimed it so I kept it (thank you universe).

We'd been looking to buy while be build - better to pay dead money to our bank than the landlord's - and had been kinda looking but nothing suited. Then just over a week ago - sick as a dog with the flu - took a "long cut" and happened to drive past a perfect property just on the market. Inspection that same day, lowball offer next day, accepted due to vendors circumstances and our lack of conditions. Contracts exchanged next day with cooling off. Timing is perfect with 3 week overlap from settlement to end of our lease. Half a dozen other people queued up behind to buy if we didn't. Rental return when we move out 7+% ... Thank you universe.

The secret is to be open to possibilities and not expect it to just "land in your lap". You have to take action when the opportunity presents itself.

That's incredible Lizzie. You think so much like us!!! Gratitude is a major part of changing one's life for the better. Are you a fan of Louise Hay or Dr. Wayne Dyer by any chance

I'll add...I had been complaining about the need to get a Dyson vacuum cleaner for a few months and I had vowed we were going to buy it in late June....I hated our other vacuum cleaner and I do vacuuming at home so it got quite annoying. The cheapest Dyson with the turbine head was around $525 from Good Guys...Guess what, my mum received a random mail and she thought it was junk. So she opened it and turned out...there was a $400 store voucher for Good Guys. It gave me so much faith again in visions, that I have declared to the Universe what I want and I know the Universe will some how make it happen even if the signs initially don't reveal it all.

Like you finding unexpected coins...we told our little 7 year old cousin about it when she found a $2 coin in Costco...And she picked it up and kept it...Glad to be influencing her mindset.

Btw Kudos...I tried to give one. But SS says I need to spread it around first !

Love your post Lizzie! Makes so much sense!

I am the same when it comes to finding $ - its not even about the money, just about being grateful

Thank you for sharing. I can relate to it well As MsAli said - similar to how we view life

Fantastic story Lizzie.

I am always grateful for what i have. I HAvE learnt that you need to be careful what you wish for I was asking for "abundance" last year...Got it..lots of work, lots of time with my adult kids, lots of all sorts of stuff....but not so much abundance in actual folding cash So this year my mantra is cashflow UP. So far so good (but I don't want to jinx it)

I was watching a show once where the lady was explaing how she had a the perfect couch on her vision board. She was a little dissapointed in the universe that the couch didnt turn up....One day she rescued a friends dog from a situation and it was then that she realised that the dog was EXACTLY the same as the one sitting on the "perfect" couch in the picture

moyjos said:

Fantastic story Lizzie.

I am always grateful for what i have. I have learnt that you need to be careful what you wish for

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Yes - you have to very specific about what you want, but not about "how" you will get it. Often "it" arrives in ways you would never have conceived - not always perceived as initially good (or bad) but always turns out to be perfect, you just have to be open to receiving.