With great regret, The tractor must be sold.

[Gale Hawkins]

You sound like a fine young man, BrokeFarmerJohn!! Your folks must be pretty proud of you!!

Don't be afraid of changing jobs. As long as you have a month or two saved up, you'll be OK. In this economy, businesses are searching hard for guys like you - hard workers, honest, ethical, dependable and (I'm assuming) drug-free. You shouldn't have any trouble finding something new that you might enjoy more.

I'd also encourage you to up your HVAC skills so you can strike out on your own. I had my own mower repair business while I was in college and then started my own accounting/consulting firm when I was 28. I haven't had a "real job" in close to 30 years. Over the years I've had clients that I was able to charge a lot of money for my services and others - nonprofits mostly - that couldn't come close to paying me what I was charging other customers. So I did a lot of their work at a reduced fee if I liked their "mission". Kind of my way of charitable contributions. I did also have a couple of nonprofits that had huge amounts of cash (directors driving Mercedes, etc.) that I charged my full rates. My point is that you can have your own business and make money, but still help out those that might need some help.

If you do strike out on your own, I'd highly encourage you to read a book called "The E-Myth Revisited" by a guy named Michael Gerber. The point of the book is that most small businesses fail because they're owned/operated by a guy that's a good tech, but a crappy businessman (usually thinking he can do it better than the boss of the job he quit). Gerber's book encourages you to look at business in a systemic way so that you're running a business and not the business running you. It's a good, short read that's probably available at your library for free.

Good luck to you!! Stay on the right path!

BrokeFarmerJohn I agree with Mark including reading "The E-Myth Revised" that I had my staff to read in the past.

Drugs have made a group of the 18-35 year old people unemployable. People that show up for work every day and can pass drug tests are in high demand. Based on your posting you may be able to get more money where you are now working. Self managed employees are often worth $3-$6 more per hour than those that have to be managed task by task over and over. Now if a business is failing to have a good positive cash flow all bets are off. If the business owners best vehicle is a 20 year old and rusted out car or truck may be a clue.

Being the father of two 22 year old children who is turning 69 next month means I am interested in young people. My son was working part time for a trucking company when he got his associates degree last May in Diesel Repair and was planning to go full time. A few months before his graduation the community college showed an interest in bringing him back as a staff member to assisted the diesel program instructor. Graduation day he was asked by a member of the administration to apply for the position opening for the 2019-2020 school year.

He has been in that position for 6 months now and loves it. People from the trucking industry comes to the school talking about industry needs and offer online training for the students. As you know vocational school is just a starting point on learning a trade so assisting in the program after two years of being in the program will strengthen his understanding of the trade and how the electric trucks are the only way forward long term to meet increasing emission laws.

One reason I bought the 2016 Nissan Leaf SL with a compromised Lithium Ion battery pack was to help him consider mastering the EV concept as it roles out vs drilling down on piston slapping technology. He is very good with technology. Our Nissan EV is really little more than a computer on wheels. The trucking industry can not find the number of quality drivers that they need as their good drivers are aging out so self driving semis are going to be a requirement if Walmart is going to have stock on their selves one of these days. Even if there was not a quality driver shortage there are the coming emissions laws that the diesels can not meet. Cummings would not be developing an all electric semi if they thought their diesel engines were going to be around forever. This is going be down the road in the USA but is at hand in Europe in a legal sense.

It is very hard for young people in a world where technology is making giant leaps every few years. The split AC/Heating units mentioned in another post is going mainstream locally. Even two of the wall AC units the son just put in the house they are rebuilding are actually heat pumps.

I wish more young people where as focused on the future as you are.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Want 10 apartments, but don’t like to chase people for money. How’s that gonna work?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Want 10 apartments, but don’t like to chase people for money. How’s that gonna work?

Learn how to find good renters or pay a management firm a cut of the rent?

 

[ultrarunner]

Start with a duplex or better yet a 4 -plex with one unit owner occupied... I started like this and help friends do the same.

Owner occupied means conventional financing is available and 2-4 units means the rent is factored as income to qualify...

If someone is serious... it is one way to break into the business... plus with a 4-unit building a vacant unit means your still have rent from the other units coming in... not that way with single family.... you are either rented or not.

Living onsite will also hone your people skills as you are just a knock on the door away from your tenants.

Keeping books, depreciation schedules etc... all come into play.

Many try and soon find it cost a lot more than they thought to have work done... this was my break because I didn't need to hire anyone... from pouring a new driveway, putting on a new roof, changing out a water heater, service upgrades... etc...

When I was in High School before I could drive I had an after school job at a shop that did automotive restorations... being a fly on the wall was an education as the clients were generally well off... mostly business owners but also airline pilots and even a Judge... the consistent advice I got was get into income property and the sooner the better...

Many had only accumulated real wealth from real estate... the guy that owned a TV shop had bought the building the shop was located in... when he closed the shop he leased the space and found he was earning more managing his rentals than as running a TV sales and repair business... he still owns it and a Starbucks is there now...

For many their business property is the retirement plan... no pensions when you have a grading and paving business or own an air conditioning business... but if you could use the business to buy the property and then have your business pay you rent it changes everything...

Larger properties don't have as many financing options and larger properties often require onsite management... which can be good or bad.

Leigh Robinson is a friend that wrote the Landlording series of books... very down to earth and full of practical advice for small time Landlords... he has since passed but the book helps you to think like a business... with pointers on dealing with people and rents...

I just would not recommend residential rentals in California at this time! Commercial NNN leases YES!

 

[Molalla1]

Pretty much did the same as another job, it has worked out well for us. ^^^^^^^^

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^ Never knew we had so much in common.

Always like driving through Oregon on my way to WA... friends in Medford, Grants Pass and Beaverton... all retired.

The folks I bought the Olympia place from moved to Oregon Coast... he was not happy with WA and couldn't wait to get back to Oregon... but originally from the Bay Area... he mentioned his uncle had a business for years and I said as a kid I walked past it each week... small world!

You can make up for a lack of money with hard work regarding Real Estate... thinking outside the box helps.

Had a great agent for whatever reason was like a grandmother figure... learned a lot from her.

She would get a distressed home and think of me... often it never made it to the MLS... or had been on the market for a long time and knew the owners wanted to close the estate or similar... even did a probate with payments... that was a sweet deal.

 

[Molalla1]

^^^ Never knew we had so much in common.

Always like driving through Oregon on my way to WA... friends in Medford, Grants Pass and Beaverton... all retired.

The folks I bought the Olympia place from moved to Oregon Coast... he was not happy with WA and couldn't wait to get back to Oregon... but originally from the Bay Area... he mentioned his uncle had a business for years and I said as a kid I walked past it each week... small world!

You can make up for a lack of money with hard work regarding Real Estate... thinking outside the box helps.

Had a great agent for whatever reason was like a grandmother figure... learned a lot from her.

She would get a distressed home and think of me... often it never made it to the MLS... or had been on the market for a long time and knew the owners wanted to close the estate or similar... even did a probate with payments... that was a sweet deal.

I am friends with a few agents . . . although I will be 77 the 23rd . . . yahoo.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

She gone.

Just let the 660 go today. I bought it used around 2010-11 with a worn out 36in bar and cracked chain guard. I had it set up just the way I liked it: 25in bar, .404 chain/sprocket and double felling dogs. She was sweet, I cut idk how many dozens of cords with it (10-12 cords a year for 4-5 years) bar still looks like new (never pinched it). In the last 5 years I only get it out a few times a year, I don’t cut firewood anymore for heat or to sell, I don’t have big timber to cut on now.

I still have a husqvarna 262xp and a stihl 192 TC so I can still cut firewood and trim trees around the house. I let it go for $990, it was more than I had in it.

This saw was just as hard to part with as the 4320 JD, both were my fav tools for the tasks they did. My two main saws was the 660 and 192 TC, with those two saws I could cut up any size tree, and fly threw the tree.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

View attachment 638622View attachment 638623View attachment 638624View attachment 638625


She gone.

Just let the 660 go today. I bought it used around 2010-11 with a worn out 36in bar and cracked chain guard. I had it set up just the way I liked it: 25in bar, .404 chain/sprocket and double felling dogs. She was sweet, I cut idk how many dozens of cords with it (10-12 cords a year for 4-5 years) bar still looks like new (never pinched it). In the last 5 years I only get it out a few times a year, I don’t cut firewood anymore for heat or to sell, I don’t have big timber to cut on now.

I still have a husqvarna 262xp and a stihl 192 TC so I can still cut firewood and trim trees around the house. I let it go for $990, it was more than I had in it.

That is one cutting saw. You got a good price it seems.

 

[Doofy]

That is a great way to cut the clutter and make a few bucks. If the item is no longer being used and not needed for future use then it is time to get rid of it. Let someone else get some use out of it.