Covid and what it has taught me (The Hard Way!)

[River Luce]

Good Morning Everyone,

My Name Is River Luce and I am an aspiring Real Estate Investor.

Around two years ago my Girlfriend and I decided it was time for a change. We were both born and raised in Arizona, and we wanted to find somewhere new to call home. We decided to visit Washington and see how we felt about it. We used a week off around our anniversary to do a trip and see if it was the right place for us. After falling in love with the energy of Seattle and its abundances of everything not dessert! it was time to start planning. 

We spent the the next seven to eight months planning our escape. We lined up jobs, found an apartment, kicked our saving into overdrive, & started donating old furniture to make the move as easy as possible. Every i was dotted and t crossed. Nothing could go wrong.... 

A month or so before our move we start to hear about a new virus in China and it seems to be getting some traction. I'm totally un-phased. "The US has extremely strict protocols for possibly dangerous viruses! Nothing will happen to us." or so I thought... A few weeks before we are ready to move out the first cases start popping up in Washington. 

At this point the first glimmers of doubt and concern are still to small for our "big plans". "We've planned for everything. Nothing can go wrong." Two weeks into living in our new state I am at my last of 4 rounds of interviews for my dream job. I'm ecstatic, the job after all is said and done would be just under the 6 figure mark. (and for a newly 24 year old that is killing it in my book!) I finish the interview and then I wait, wait, and wait some more. Days go by with complete radio silence. No response to my thank you email, no response to my follow up email. Then finally 6 days after my interview I am told the position has been terminated due to drops in sales and revenue...

I'm a little shocked but at this point it is okay. I still have my second company (that pays a little less) on round 3 of interviews and I know I am a shoe-in for that company. I've spent the last 6 months networking and getting killer references for this exact reason. With just enough time to get my hopes up again, the position gets put on hold "for the foreseeable future due to extraneous financial circumstances". At this point I start to realize its not just happening to me. It's starting to happen to friends. My whole industry is collapsing in front of my eyes.  

Millions of people are having their lives torn apart from this pandemic. I wanted to take this time to speak about what I have learned from this and many other experiences in the last 6 months. I would also love to hear from you and what lessons you have learned!

1. Savings is King!!!! 

I can not overstate this enough! Save, Save, And Save some more! we live in crazy times. the minimum should be 3 months of bills but don't stop there. Never stop! My Girlfriend and I had been saving for quite some time, because we planned on buying our first investment property by the end of 2020. We moved to Seattle with 8 - 12 months saved and thought that walking into high paying jobs we were going to be able to get that converted into REI's by now... But that money has been such a huge safety net for us! We lost our entire industry and now people with similar work experience to ours have flooded the markets. We decided to use this time to refocus and enjoy some time off for personal development.

2. Be Flexible

My kryptinite is I love putting all my eggs in one basket. I'm so passionate about what I do that sometimes its hard to believe that there are a million other paths I could take. Being flexible helps you adjust to uncertain times and circumstances in a manner that gives you better results. It also gives you the mental stamina to bounce back from unforeseen challenges quicker and more effectively.

3. Patience is everything

I have spent the last 6 months learning to be okay with not seeing all the results I want immediately, and honestly I think I am better for it. My overall health has improved significantly. I've lost 20 pounds, I'm happier than I have been in a long time, & and I have reduced so much stress just by taking a few deep breaths and realizing that it will all come with time!

What's next?

We have spent a lot of time taking about what is next for us. We think ,while very beautiful , Seattle is not the place for us right now. We are going to spend the next few months studying markets in different states and cities to find a market that we can actually meet our duplex rental property dreams with fruition! We have looked into states a little closer to family such as UT, ID, NM, TX, KS, & OK and we are excited for our next chapter.

What is your story?  

I would love to hear what valuable lessons you have learned from Covid, any comments or questions on my story , & anything else you would like to share.

Thank you for reading about my journey, I can't wait to read yours!

River Luce