Designing a life I don’t want to retire from through real estate

I was shocked at the diagnosis and subsequent passing of my mother at 73 years old. We had always talked about me pushing her in a wheelchair when she was 93 years old, so the reality of me pushing her in a wheelchair at 73 years old was devastating.

It was a reminder that longevity isn’t promised to anyone. I want to control my time now and not wait until I’m 70. There is fallacy to the notion of putting off joy for the magical “retirement” age. After her passing I looked around at the people in my life who had freedom of time and joy...particularly people in their 70s. Who was happiest? Who was the most mentally sharp? Tony Robbins says, “Success leaves clues”. I was determined to find and follow those clues.

After observing the lives of numerous people in my life, I landed on a family friend named Larry. Larry was 74 years old and had been buying multifamily properties since his 20s. One day I mentioned retirement to him and he said, “Why would I retire? I’m having fun.” It made perfect sense. He owns millions of dollars worth of cash flowing real estate, has employees who manages his property managers, plays golf anytime at one of the three country clubs in California he is a member of, and enjoys continued mental stimulation that comes with owning properties. While other people his age are winding down their cognitive demands, he is full steam ahead with the “fun”. He was right. Why retire? Who created the paradigm that says we have to retire if you have a fulfilling, self-directed career that you enjoy? Charles Munger is still running Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meetings at 98 years old. If you haven’t seen him in action, Google “Charles Munger Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting”. At 98 years old he is sharper than most people in their 30s.

The mission was clear: I will design a life I don’t want to retire from by acquiring cash flowing real estate like Larry.