How Will My Money Behave?
Life:
It’s the holiday season when many think of gift giving and gift receiving. I’m not much different, but this time of year I think about the value of money. This year I got teary eyed.
I use Quicken to track my income and expenses while Schwab provides a monthly statement of my stock and bond investments. Simple. But it’s not simple because I question:
How will my money behave this holiday season?
Real Estate:
Our December news blog was going to be about how a past client contacted us with a question (which we encourage) about how to challenge their property tax assessment.
We provided an analysis of their home value and with that they challenged their assessment with their municipality. They won. Their assessment was lowered by $100,000, saving them $3,000+. The short story version.
Life:
Life got in the way of the December news blog and I teared up when I watched a PBS special, “Born Poor.”
I no longer thought about a housing message for past and potential clients.
 I thought about how my money was going to behave this holiday season.
“Born Poor” tells the story of working families who don’t earn enough to afford rental housing without the fear that one large expense will put them on the street or in a motel room. The families work, sometimes 2 jobs. They just don’t earn enough.
The microwave is the stove and the bathroom sink the washing machine. The black plastic bags are dual purpose: garbage bags and suitcases. Sleeping is 3 to a bed and a blow-up pad on the floor. And then it’s off to school and work the next day. Heartbreaking.
There’s more. Because families may move 2, 3, 4 times a year the kids get to attend 2,3 or 4 different schools. I write “get to” but you know what I mean. These kids are set up to fail.
What an advantage my grandnieces and nephews have. Parents with good jobs, health insurance and housing.
If you are reading this and are a past client who owns your home, take a holiday moment and count your blessings or Metta as the Buddhists say.
 If you are reading this and are a renter thinking of buying a home, take a moment and count your blessings or Metta because you have the means to consider buying a home.
How is my holiday money going to behave this year?
Instead of gifts to family/friends, money will be sent to Kinship. Kinship is a Milwaukee non-profit agency that provides food and work opportunities to those in need – like the families depicted in “Born Poor.”
If interested, the link below may (“may” because I’m not clear I’ve done it correctly) take you to the “Born Poor” documentary. If it doesn’t, simply type “PBS Born Poor” into your browser and it should show up.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/born-poor/
I don’t mean to proselytize, rather, to tell a story. Accept this missive in that spirit.
Good holidays and health (financial and otherwise) to you from Homebuyer Associates.
Please forward this newsletter to at least one person who needs it.
Thanks for reading,
Michael D. Holloway
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