By Linda Pliagas, Publisher

Thank you for joining us once again by visiting our website and reading our news blog. It’s a pleasure to produce our publications, as it is our mission to help others also realize their financial goals with real estate.

As many of you already know, our company also produces expos and conferences around the country. At these events, motivational speakers always emphasize the WHY when it comes to investing. Why are we sacrificing the joy of spending on feel­-good items today, so that we can instead invest our income for the potential of future gain?

Well my WHY certainly became apparent recently when I ended up in the emergency room of my local hospital. I had been in pain for three days from a debilitating migraine that would not let up. It was excruciating, a constant pounding and throbbing. It caused me the inability to perform even the simplest of tasks, like working, driving and cleaning. Even walking was painful. Because I have lost so many friends already to early death from disease and accidents, my mind automatically thought the absolute worse. What if THIS was it?

Many of our regular readers know that our beloved magazine assistant, Morgan Schaal, passed away due to liver failure less than a year ago. Of course having gone through that trauma, my mind went to the darkest place of all: death. What would my family do without me? How could I ensure that my 17­-year-old daughter would be taken care of?

Lying on the bed in ER, all these things and more came to mind in between throbbing aches and nausea. And you know what? Although I was in a lot of pain and in fear for my health, in between all that chaos, I had PEACE. My mind was tranquil because I knew that my family would be alright financially without me.

You see, over 20 years ago, my husband and I made a commitment to invest in real estate. Sure it was very difficult at first to pass on that new car, to not buy that beautiful $2,000 purse, and to walk away from the temptation of being the first one to own that nifty new tech gadget.

It certainly wasn’t easy when we had to put our property taxes on our credit card that first year of being homeowners because we didn’t have the money to pay them outright. At times, it was a little awkward to be the only couple at a party without stories and photographs of exotic places we had trekked to for an impromptu vacay.

I’m not going to say we did not sacrifice in order to become landlords because that would be a complete lie. We did sacrifice, we did scrimp and save, and I did break down many times because I felt things weren’t going in the right direction or that our goals were taking too long to materialize. Sacrifice builds character… and WEALTH.

Fast forward to my stay in the hospital and I can assure you that the only thing I was thinking about was my family’s future. I wasn’t focused on the toys I longed for, the vacations I still yearned to take, nor that fancy restaurant I had hoped to dine in. During my painful stint in the emergency room all I could think about was: Is my husband going to be alright without me? Will my daughter be able to have a bright future if I’m gone?

I’m happy to report that YES, my family will be just fine if something happens to me! Because I was pro­active, willing to sacrifice and made the commitment early on to defer instant gratification for a future benefit, they will be just fine.

The peace of mind I had that moment in the hospital made me realize that I had made all the right decisions. If I died early, my family would have a monthly income stream from our rentals. Knowing my daughter would have her college education paid for, plus inherit a home to live in, as well as have a steady flow of monthly income made all the difference.

Peace of mind is certainly not something you can purchase. Just like happiness it is not attributed to something concrete or materialistic. Yet, I think peace of mind is so valuable. I’d rather have peace of mind than a shiny new toy any day!

Luckily, my health has been improving. The experience of going through a difficult illness for a few weeks certainly made me realize how blessed I am. Plus, I came out with renewed vigor to help as many people as I possibly can to also realize their real estate goals and financial dreams.

I want everyone to have that same peace of mind that I had in the hospital. I want everyone to know that their family will be taken care of once they are gone. If I can help more people reach that level of peace, I know my life had purpose, meaning and that I made a difference.

Folks, it’s about leaving a legacy… and that is more lasting and precious than any new luxury vehicle.

Stay Blessed,

Linda Pliagas

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