“Life is a game of monopoly, go outside and cop yourself some property.” – MIGOS
A random thing on the road to moving to LA is this — a random thing that was coming into my mind was this idea of finding some sort of property space, like buying a Triplex or a quadPlex, and essentially becoming some sort of noveau slumlord.
I had a funny interesting turbo thought when going to the Costco Business Center the other day, and buying some meat. Essentially the idea is simple:
Essentially the meat you buy and purchase is the raw material, and cooking it yourself is very simple and easy; yet, the reason why so many restaurants and businesses, even all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurants is that they make the process so complex, and intimidating to you.
Real estate is interesting to me because then you have the raw material which is the land, and then you could customize it later to your liking.
Why I love cars
The primary reason why I love cars so much is that ever since I was a kid, around 15 or 16 years old, it was an open creative canvas for me. Note, I actually got into cars before I got into photography; I was into cars ever since I was 15 years old and got my first drivers license permit in California, I only going to photography later, around the age of 18 when I graduated high school and was about to go to college.
Growing up, my family only ever rented. The notion that I could modify or do anything to my house or home was a non-concept.
The great joy and promise of being able to have my own car was that I could do anything to it that I wanted. The first car I ever got was a 1991 Sentra XE, a four-door sedan, which was surprisingly a five speed manual transmission car, with no tachometer! I had so much fun modifying and customizing and swapping it up, installing headers, intake and exhaust, repainting it, painting the dashboard from the ugly ass brown to black, and also even changing the headliner from the ugly brown beige color to a solid black felt.
Lesson:
Having the freedom, and the ability to modify and change things to your liking is great joy!
Mystifying things?
A funny difference that I’ve noted from my family, my family upbringing, and Cindy‘s family; Cindy grew up to owning their own home and property, therefore things like pouring cement, mixing cement, painting the walls, fixing home stuff was natural. Yet for them, cars were a mysterious black box; therefore the general concept was always buy new.
However, my great pride and joy is that in my whole adult life, I’ve never spent more than $2500 USD on a car. The last two cars which came under my wing including my mom‘s old 2009 Hyundai sonata, which was essentially acquired by me for free, as it sat dormant for about three years in my sister’s garage, collecting dust. About $2000 of repairs at the mechanic, and $1000 of overdue DMV fines, it essentially ran brand new! And a little bit of muscle wax from me, waxing the paint, painting the rims, debadging it, etc.
Then more recently, re-inheriting the family Prius; 2010 Prius. Essentially once again, acquiring it for nothing, spending $2700 to get a new catalytic converter which was stolen earlier, $300 for a catalytic converter shield, and about $2700 on a new ABS brake sensor, and also, about $600 for new Yokohama tires. Otherwise I got the car for free!
Thought:
Real men drive old (used) white Priuses!
How do really rich people do it?
Some fun facts I’ve learned:
- Real rich people and successful people only ever purchase cars at auction; with some sort of superficial damage, and they buy it at an insanely deep discount, and spend small sums of money to fix it up, they never buy new. And it seems that a lot of successful people that I’ve met just buy old used Priuses at car auctions! For example, my old next-door neighbor used to own an exotic car sports dealership, he told me he even sold a Lamborghini to Mike Tyson. He also owns the infamous old-school Mercedes with the gull wing doors. Anyways, he told me that he for his daily cr just bought an old 2010 Prius at auction for only $7000! Also, he always trolls eBay and these websites for old used BMW M cars, and he says that “I didn’t buy it from him, I stole it from him!” Therefore maybe in the context of cars, to only steal a car, essentially get a car for so insanely cheap or free or under market value is the path. Buying a new brand new car is for idiots!
- People overpay for home renovations; the true price of fixing up a bathroom should only be around $7000 (some of my friends spent almost $20,000 for this), to do a kitchen, maybe $15,000, and flooring you could essentially do it yourself for free. And it seems that what a lot of these real estate companies do is simple; take some sort of old property, got it, renovate it, which actually doesn’t cost that much money, maybe $30,000 per unit, and then resell it on the market for a higher price tag, and continue this process.
What is a millennial?
I think I have a good definition for millennials; essentially somebody who foolishly uses their money.
For example, it seems that millennials are overeager to buy new cars. Let’s say a modest new car is $30,000, and they down around $10,000. A monthly payment is around $350-$500. Then they forget that they bought a new car, and they probably want full coverage, so insurance wise, it might be another three to $500 a month! Boom, you’ve just added another thousand dollars a month in monthly expenses, which will haunt you for either 3 to 5 years. That’s money that you’re not putting in your bank account.
Or, it seems that any new car is such an insane rip off. Apparently even a Toyota Sienna Hybrid out the door is over $60,000 USD! That’s a lot of money.
Alcohol, food, eating out, weed, drugs, etc
“Fuck I’m broke as fuck! Why? I just came back from Vegas and blew all my money on food! Fuck, I gotta move out of SoCal!” – one of my friends in the gym hot sauna locker room
Another way that young people millennials etc. waste money is silly things like going to “festivals“, doing drugs, smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, going out to drink alcohol and cocktails, going to Vegas, gambling, eating out at new trendy restaurants, etc.
Also, having too much subscriptions to these media services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ etc.
The overall bad thing is that many people just cannot save money. Why? The societal bias that one should partake in these activities. But, the wisdom is knowing that these things are not imperatives.
Finance, and loans?
Poking around this real estate and financing market, honestly it all seems like such a scam. For example, let us say that you take out a loan at 7% or 6.5%. But I say you borrow around $700,000. Almost the first 10 yours is devoted to paying off your interest, not even the principal.
What did Elon Musk do? When starting Tesla, he took out a massive loan from the US government, to build factories, battery packs, etc.
Therefore, it seems that if one is going to take out a massive loan, the goal is to quickly pay it back. Borrowing money as leverage to do something very very great and epic, and quickly leapfrog to the next thing.
Bigger and better to infinity and beyond!
Or, the goal is to just flip it. Do not get attached to it, and just think of real estate like a product.
For example, buying a property for $1.5 million, and then hopefully in the next 10 years, flipping it for $3 million USD! Then I suppose the goal is to just cop the profit, and then leapfrog onto the next bigger project.
Then things get interesting, because the goal isn’t about making money necessarily; but rather using your capital as leverage to keep leapfrogging to bigger and bigger things!
However, towards what ends? I don’t think there’s an end; the goal is bigger and better for the sake of it; the American ethos!
Houses as a project?
It also seems a lot of these real estate corporations, who knows maybe the investment comes from overseas, Saudi Arabia, mainland China, etc., is that somebody will buy at a property all in cash, maybe to wash the money, and then price it up, and then sit on it, and perhaps try to resell it for a profit into the future.
Why do people do this? Honestly a lot of people who have money which is illegit don’t seem to really care; they don’t really think about it too much.
Capital?
Another thought on capital in capitalism, what is it that the new religion of capital seeks?
Essentially, make money don’t spend it (Kanye West).
And also, accumulating more and more capital towards infinite ends!
Once again, perhaps the best way to think about capital and capitalism is to just think of it like a game of monopoly, a game, and do not take it too seriously.
What do you do when you no longer fear anything?
I just hit a 9 plate rack pull for the first time, and before doing it, I felt zero ounces of fear. This was interesting, because then it is no longer a fear issue; simply it is an issue of ability and capability.
Then before attempting the nine plates, my only concern and focus was focusing, hyping myself up, and also striving to successfully maximally output all of my strength at the same time!
Perhaps than the best way to approach life is first strive to conquer fear, and then the next issue is a matter of technique, form and approach, and the physical and physiological strength to achieve and attempt things!
Fear versus ability
For example in street photography, a big consideration between the fear of shooting street photos, and then having the compositional ability to make photos you deem beautiful.
Both are critical.
A thought on value, in the context of photos and photography;
Which photos and street photos have the greatest value? Perhaps the photos which required the most courage to shoot!
Street photography is 99% balls.
Life narrative?
Another big consideration on my mind is in regards to life narrative.
When you’re on your deathbed, looking back at your life, thinking and considering certain parts of your life narrative that you were proud of attempting and doing — it doesn’t really matter whether you’re successful or not, simply, do an attempt what is epic and grand!
I think in America we’re too caught up on the notion of being “successful“ or not. I think my intervention is to think rather, the grandeur and courage of the attempt. To me it doesn’t really matter whether you’re successful or not. What matters more is whether you had the courage to attempt it in the first place!
However, this is where wisdom is critical; I think it’s a good idea to attempt things when you’re interested in it, but at the same time, you don’t want to be foolish about it. For example, to simply attempt something because you want some sort of external validation seems like a poor or a foolish decision. Rather, only attempt that which is personally interesting to you!
What motivates me?
A thought this morning; perhaps that which motivates me is the desire to dominate, to become master, to become number one!
For example, my personal past life goal was to dominate street photography, to become number one on Google for street photography! Also do become number one on Google for “ERIC KIM”.
Now that I have achieved these, perhaps then my next goal is to become number one on Google for philosophy?
Certainly Google is not a good litmus test, because now, I think there are too many foreign factors at play. Yet, the striving and desire to become ascendant, the top dog, number one, is what drives our American passion. Even at the gym, now that I have successfully atlas lifted 995 pounds, I am at least one trillion miles ahead of anyone else in my realm, not even people internationally can touch me!
And truth be told, it seems that it’s all or nothing in America. To live the grandest and best life, you got to be number one. For example, Tesl is one trillion ahead of any electric car company out there; I’m quite certain all of the other electric car companies in the long run or fail. Once the cybertruck comes out, Rivian will go under. And these other electric car companies by China and Vietnam? Good luck.
Become more
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Gym thoughts
More thoughts:
- https://erickimphotography.com/blog/
- http://erickimphilosophy.com
- http://erickimfitness.com
- https://erickim.com
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