What's in store for you:

1. Photo From My Life
2. Financial Thought: Home Prices
3. Life Thought: Grass is Always Greener
4. Good Sh*t: Sunsama

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Photo From My Life:

Financial Thought:

Home Prices: A number of my clients are buying homes right now. All of them feel like they’ve shown up late to the party.

They’ve watched prices soar over the last handful of years. Now, mortgage rates are double what they were, and they’re looking at a 3-bed, 2-bath fixer-upper with a price tag that would’ve gotten you a mansion a decade ago. It doesn't seem fair.

And they’re right. But, life’s not fair. We need to accept that.

The truth is, people have almost always felt this way. Home prices tend to go up over time. Not in a straight line. Not in every zip code. But on average, across the country, home values rise. If you look at the historical data, there are only a handful of years where nationwide home prices have actually declined. We're starting to see home prices slightly decline in areas that experienced the largest increases during COVID (Florida, Texas, etc).

So when people ask, “Aren’t we due for a crash?” I point to two things:

1. Locked-in supply: A massive number of homeowners are sitting on 2-4% mortgage rates. They’re not selling unless they absolutely have to.
2. Demographics: The largest age bracket in the US is in their prime home-buying years. There are a lot of people who want/need homes for their family.

It’s hard to picture a full-blown crash when demand is this strong and supply is still somewhat frozen. That said, I always return to the same core belief. Buy the house if it makes sense for your life. Not because you think it's a great investment.

A home is not an investment. It's shelter for your family. It’s a store of value. It’s forced savings.

Life Thought:

Grass is Always Greener: Almost every entrepreneur I meet secretly craves a slice of the W2 lifestyle. And every corporate employee I know dreams of the freedom that comes with entrepreneurship.

Being an entrepreneur has given me the freedom to pursue ideas, build a life on my own terms, and avoid reporting to a boss. But here’s my problem. I fall into the trap of grinding. I’m not the smartest person in the room. I’m not the smoothest talker. But I can grind. And honestly, that’s probably been my biggest advantage.

This doesn't come without a downside. Because I can sit at my computer for 12 hours straight and power through a day of emails, Zooms, and spreadsheets, I often miss out on the best parts of entrepreneurship. Playing golf at 1pm on a Wednesday, taking a mid-morning walk just because the sun is out, and picking-up my son from school early to go for a swim.

As I gear up for a month of working in a small surf town, I’m hoping to break that cycle a bit. Yes, I’ll still be working hard (can't change my DNA), but I’ll get to surf every morning and spend meaningful time with my family. That’s the gift of this path, and I want to be better about actually accepting it.

This isn’t a lecture about work-life balance. It’s just a reminder to appreciate the advantages of whatever position you’re in.

If you’re an entrepreneur, go play hooky today and blow off some steam. That’s part of why you chose this life.

If you’re in a corporate job, take a real vacation. Turn off your phone. Enjoy the security. And for the love of god, get that 401k match.

Good Sh*t:

Sunsama: I'm embarrassed to write this because I know my good friend (and partner), Ben, is going to roll his eyes and send me an email highlighting why I should just use a paper to-do list.

But, over the last year, I’ve struggled to manage my day. I use handwritten notes, calendar blocking, and Apple Reminders. It technically works. But, I rarely start the day with a clear plan. I know what I want to get done, but not when I’ll actually do it.

A friend recommended Sunsama as a tool that blends your calendar and to-do list into one clean view. I’ve been using it for a week, and I’m impressed. It’s not magic, but it helps you sit down and intentionally plan what you're going to do today and when it will happen.

Sunsama lets you drag and drop your tasks directly into calendar blocks so you can see exactly when things are happening between meetings. I can glance at my day and immediately tell what’s realistic and what’s going to slip. It’s made my days feel less chaotic and given me more visibility into where my time actually goes.

Still early, but so far, so good. Worth checking out if your current system feels a bit cobbled together like mine did. If you want to get a free month, you can use my referral link here. Disclosure: I will also get a free month, but that is not why I'm recommending it.

Disclaimer: VDB Wealth is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

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