Finance Friday: Middle-Class Trap on Steroids ($3.8M but CAN'T Retire!)

BiggerPockets Money Podcast

There’s a “middle-class trap” that can keep anyone from FIRE—yes, even high-income earners. Today’s guest has a sizable nest egg that should allow her to retire early, but there are a few roadblocks in her way!

At forty-seven, Allie has already built a net worth of $3,800,000. She would like to retire, and most people would assume she has enough to retire, but there are two problems. First, she lives in Orange County, California, one of the most expensive areas in the U.S., and has no plans to leave. The other issue? She has no cash! All of her money is tied up in home equity and retirement accounts. To retire, Allie has a BIG bet to make—one that could have a multi-million-dollar impact on her portfolio!

Using Scott’s “Keep or Sell Your Home” worksheet, we’ll look at whether it would make more sense for Allie to keep or sell her Laguna Beach property. Will turning this home into a rental property give her the cash flow she needs, or is selling it and investing in the stock market the better long-term play? Tune in as we attempt to thread the needle and provide Allie with the best roadmap for a long, early retirement!

In This Episode We Cover

What Allie should do to reallocate her $3,800,000 nest egg and achieve financial freedom

What to do with money locked up in home equity and retirement accounts

Keeping your home as a rental property versus selling it and investing elsewhere

Creative ways to improve your cash position so that you can retire early

Building wealth with short-term rentals, live-in flips, and other real estate strategies

Escaping the “middle-class trap” of earning high income in a high-cost-of-living area

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Mindy on BiggerPockets

Scott on BiggerPockets

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Finance Friday: How the “Middle-Class Trap” Stops Your Early Retirement

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Allie’s Money Journey

(03:36) Money Snapshot

(13:50) Retiring in Laguna Beach

(19:01) Keeping vs. Selling Her Home

(26:06) The BIG Bet on Real Estate

(34:01) Growing Cash & Renting Her Home

(43:41) Real Estate vs. Stocks

(52:02) What Should Allie Do?

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-585

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