Something Other Than Wall Street or Crypto?
Hard Assets
An Old Ladies Deep Thoughts #15
I’ve long been known as a practical gal. There’s not a lot of nonsense about me. I don’t waste money, and I’m not easily impressed with shiny things. Fancy cars, big houses, baubles, and glitz do not lure me down the path that we’re often told leads to our best lives. I see through wasteful lifestyles. I also recognize risk, and I’m unwilling to gamble on my future.
Wall Street and crypto are given lots of attention in the world of finance.
Everybody and his little brother is dancing on the devil’s grave these days. If you’re a real bro, you’re gonna, at the very least, pretend to be dabbling in one or the other. Even better, perhaps you’re dabbling in both, you know, posing as the financially savvy person with a diversified portfolio.
Except, in my opinion, that’s not true diversification.
Both forms of investing are risky in that you’re betting on something that you can’t hold in your hands and that could disappear with a minuscule poof of bad breath coming from some place in the nether regions. And even if you rake in profits the next day, these supposed nebulous gains reside in the kingdom of the monetary lords, never to be seen, whether gained or lost. Someone else — God only knows who — manages this world of mysterious plunder and loss. I merely have a piece of paper that I can print off with numbers on it that change from day to day. If tomorrow the highest lord of the financial kingdom sent a messenger with disturbing news, be it Bitcoin or Nvidia, well, I’d be left with nothing to eat. You can’t eat Bitcoin.
So what does a risk-averse person like myself do?
I appreciate hard assets. I like things that I can hold in my hands. My choice has been land. I don’t have a huge portfolio, but then again, I’m not interested in razzle-dazzle. I have a modest lifestyle across the board. However, if I’m going to invest a little of my hard-earned money, it would be in land. Real estate, rental properties in particular, is a bit more responsibility than I care to take on. Other than aspiring to own my little home outright, I have acquired raw land on the side.
Now, my approach to acquiring raw land is based on what scientists are predicting will be the new prime properties of the future.
With climate change gaining in intensity, it is becoming harder to purchase real estate that doesn’t include lots of risks. The places in the U.S. that once attracted people are becoming harder to insure. Insurance companies actually believe in climate change — at last. They’ve been hit where Americans hurt the worst: their pocketbooks. Trust me, they’re pulling out of states right and left.
Where is the prime property of the future?
Anything above the 45th parallel worldwide. The new north will eventually become the place where the wealthy will gather to live out their best lives. By the time the middle class catches on, the value of these properties will have shot up, making it difficult for an ordinary family to find land that they can afford.
I started purchasing land above the 45th parallel in 2020.
Raw land is the easiest thing to own. There’s little to no upkeep, and taxes and insurance are lower. But the nicest thing about raw land is that it has low to no risk. My lots are beautiful, tree-lined properties of over an acre each. They’re located in a region of the country where 20% of the entire world’s fresh water can be found. Water is on the stock exchange in case you were wondering. My lots have tripled in price in a little over five years. A developer recently purchased the remaining lots and is now getting ready to build houses. Starting price: $400,000 plus.
This is in a rural area of the country.
The best thing about purchasing land is that no matter what happens to Wall Street or crypto, I can literally stand on my investment. It’s not going anywhere. It was never fictitious but always a hard asset that I can sell, build a house on, or simply pass on to my children and grandchildren.
Call me old-fashioned.
I suppose that I am. I’m just not interested in gambling on my future. So the tech bros can bet on crypto. I won’t begrudge them a win here and there. And the more traditional gamblers can bet on Wall Street. To each his own.
I’ll keep my hard assets, thank you.
And when the next big downturn happens — and it will — I’ll plant a garden on my land and eat the produce. I’m even willing to sell the leftover veggies to the hungry crypto crowd.
I mean, I don’t want to be selfish.
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
