Yesterday the nation hit the polling stations and voted to re-elect President Barack Obama for the next four years. Hawaii, Obama’s childhood home and current vacation spot (Kailua), predictably went ‘blue’ (Democrat), but for anyone who was glued to the sets for much of the day, like me, it was a nail-biter until about 6:00PM Hawaii time. No matter how you voted, as long as you voted then congrats are in order for exercising your civic duty. Your voice was heard in the nation’s capital.
In fact, Washington DC was my home for eight full years before moving to Hawaii. I remember lacing up my rollerblades just about every Sunday morning and meeting my crew in front of the The White House gate on Pennsylvania Avenue before heading out on a 10-15 mile skate through the city (I dream of when Honolulu becomes skate-friendly as it’s such a great form of exercise, but that’s for another day). However, whether it was Bush or Clinton in charge, I knew my future was largely in my own hands, not theirs.
Whether you voted blue or red yesterday, your next four years are largely in your hands. There’s nothing that says your next four years are determined by who resides in The White House. Yes, policies implemented by our government affect the economic and social environments in which we live, however we still get to control the decisions we make within those environments that directly affect our livelihoods! Isn’t that a great thing??? (if you don’t appreciate that freedom, then perhaps you’d prefer a long-term stay at this hotel instead)
Taking Control From Today Forward
Let’s look at how we can take take control and sail our own ship from here to the next election:
Will you steer your own ship?
If your investments are not returning the rate you seek or providing your family with the long-term wealth-building that you need for the future, then it may be time to look into bringing real estate into your portfolio. That could mean either buying a cash-flowing investment property or lending money to other investors’ short-term for a high return with the property as collateral – basically, being the bank.
Either moving your entire portfolio into real estate or at least diversifying can go a long way in both maximizing your gains and protecting you from the unforeseen shocks and volatility of the stock market. Real estate lets you invest in a property you can drive right up to and see with your own two eyes, a comforting feeling that stocks can never provide (unless you plan on visiting company headquarters for every company you own stock in…).
If you are stuck in a situation with your own house or a property you own elsewhere, then it’s time to consider whether keeping that house remains a wise decision. Selling your house could mean getting cash out today or getting out from a difficult or underwater mortgage before the banks come calling. However, if you’re handling the mortgage payments ok and you have faith the market will rebound, then perhaps you want to hold onto it for a bit before making a decision.
So whether you’re happy or disappointed in yesterday’s election results, remember that it’s time to get back on our own horse and decide for ourselves what the next four years will hold. Change doesn’t come without Taking Action – and that’s something we can start this very moment.
Well after working at Fannie Mae for a year, I would imagine that changes in housing will just continue to be very slow, as the administration was very much a hands-off “status quo”. While FHFA is the conservator (controller), the fact that Obama won probably will mean that there won’t be any drastic changes in housing policy until 2016. Fannie employees are probably very happy!