Let’s play a quick game of Thursday Afternoon Four Years From Now.

Picture this: It’s 2 PM on a Thursday, four years from today. You’re sipping something iced, scrolling your phone, checking your real estate app because you just got a notification — your rental property’s rent hit your account. Passive income, baby!

Sounds dreamy, right? And for plenty of people, real estate really is the golden ticket. But before you order that Landlord of the Year mug, let’s break down what this path actually looks like — wins, worries, and oh-so-boring realities included.

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✅ The Pros

1. Tangible asset. You can touch it. It’s not some imaginary crypto coin that disappears in a tweet.

2. Appreciation over time. Historically, real estate climbs in value. Sometimes slowly, sometimes in big leaps.

3. Passive-ish income. Done right, tenants pay rent, you pay the mortgage, and the leftovers land in your pocket each month.

4. Tax perks. Deductions, depreciation, and other little goodies Uncle Sam hands out to landlords.

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⚠️ The Cons

1. It’s not really passive. Tenants call you when the toilet floods — usually at 3 AM. You’ll answer that call — or pay a property manager to do it.

2. Upfront cost. You typically need a chunk of cash to get in the game — for down payments, closing costs, repairs.

3. Market swings. Housing booms… and busts. Rents drop. Tenants ghost. Maintenance costs spike. That’s part of the ride.

4. Not liquid. Need cash fast? You can’t exactly sell the bathroom or the backyard to make ends meet.

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🔑 Who Thrives in Real Estate?

If you love the idea of owning things, enjoy managing details (or people who manage the details for you), and can handle ups and downs without losing sleep — real estate might be your Thursday afternoon four years from now.

If you hate dealing with repairs, maintenance, or unexpected headaches — you might want to keep browsing other options.

And hey — that’s the whole point of this series. To help you see what each path actually looks like in real life. No filters. No hype.

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✨ Up Next

Tomorrow we’ll flip the switch — from bricks and mortar to links and commissions.
Is affiliate marketing really money while you sleep?

We’ll talk about the good, the bad, and the meh of making money online by promoting other people’s stuff.

Same time tomorrow — see you then!

Until next time,

I’ve been down many of these roads myself—managing rough rental properties I swore I’d never own, wrestling with drop shipping that drained my time for little return, and launching affiliate sites that looked great but brought in zero sales. I knew affiliate marketing could work—it just wasn’t working for me… yet.

In 2024, I gave it one more shot. That’s when I discovered John Thornhill and Online Success Coaching, and creating my own digital products their way has been a game changer. Now I’m finally gaining traction, promoting a few great offers and slowly building real, passive income.

My best advice? Always stay teachable and keep going. If you’re serious about building your own income stream, stick with this series—you won’t regret it.

👉 Subscribe to my newsletter and explore more at www.digitalfivel.com
📧 mleist@digitalfivel.com

Matt

P.S. Remember Psalm 146:3-5