EquityTeam Property Management

Most people think getting richer starts with earning more. But the bigger shift often starts with learning to think differently about the money you already have.

That’s the real power behind these seven lessons inspired by Rich Dad Poor Dad.

“Stop saying I can’t afford it. Ask how can I afford it.” That doesn’t mean buying everything you want. It means replacing a dead-end statement with a problem-solving mindset.

“Pay yourself first” is another powerful principle—but in real life, it should mean building savings and investing consistently after covering essential obligations, not ignoring bills or high-interest debt.

And the asset-versus-liability lesson is worth remembering: owning something isn’t automatically the same as owning an asset that strengthens your finances. Cash flow, costs, risk and long-term value matter.

The message is especially relevant in America right now. Bankrate’s 2026 Emergency Savings Report found that only 47% of Americans said they had enough liquidity or access to funds to cover a $1,000 emergency. It also found that 29% had more credit-card debt than emergency savings, while 24% reported having no emergency savings at all. Inflation and rising prices remain major obstacles to building financial cushions. citeturn0search0turn0search3

So the goal isn’t simply to “get rich.” It’s to become harder to financially derail.

Learn skills. Increase your earning power. Control lifestyle inflation. Build an emergency fund. Invest with a plan. Understand what you own. And most importantly, take action instead of waiting for the perfect moment.

Money is a tool. Your habits determine whether it becomes a source of stress—or a source of options.

Small decisions repeated for years can create outcomes that one dramatic decision rarely can. That is where consistency becomes powerful.

The biggest financial upgrade may not be a bigger paycheck.

It may be a better mindset.

*Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial advice.*
*Investing and financial decisions involve risk; consider your circumstances and consult a qualified professional.*

The issue isn't only employees taking advantage of the system. New York City wants to implement more rent control and wants to take over the management of housing by owners they believe are neglectful or aren't maintaining their properties. But the average cost to maintain a unit is almost double the rent they are able to charge (rent is limited to 1/3 of a family's income). In addition, the city is only collecting about 68% of the rent due. Any owner or property management company would go out of business with numbers like these. This model is set up for failure. Rent control and free housing all sound good until someone has to solve the financial crisis that is always part of it.

NYCHA’s $465,000-a-year plumber is just a taste of its massive dysfunction Want to make banker money without stepping foot on Wall Street? Try plumbing for the New York City Housing Authority. From July 2024 through June 2025, NYCHA plumber supervisor Jakub Markowski earned $465,000, including $332,000 for nearly 2,600 hours in overtime — more than the mayor and City Cou...

Good news for sellers - mortgage applications are on the rise as buyers get used to higher rates and volitility

Mortgage applications rise as homebuyers adapt to higher, volatile rates - Homes.com News Key takeawaysMortgage demand rose 1.7% in the week ended Friday, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.The overall increase was driven by a 4%

Are you increasing rent with your lease renewal this year? Here is an article from Bigger Pockets that discusses this. Many landlords don't raise rent for fear of losing a good tenant over a few more dollars. each month. What should you do?

18% of Landlords Are Not Raising Rent—But Should You? Many landlords are playing the long game. That’s the conclusion drawn from a survey by rental property management platform Avail (Part of Realtor.com), a

The housing market is strange right now, and has been heading in this direction over the last year or two. Many owners who have tried to sell their houses are either significantly lowering their prices to attract buyers or renting their houses until the market improves.

For the last few years, housing has been stuck in a weird place.

Prices stayed high. Rates stayed high. And a lot of people kept acting like demand would just keep showing up anyway.

But the latest data says something changed.

In February, there were about 46.3% more sellers than buyers in the U.S. housing market. That was the largest seller-buyer gap in Redfin’s records going back to 2013. Active buyers fell to roughly 1.36 million, while sellers were still around 1.99 million.

That matters.

Because housing doesn’t stay expensive forever just because everyone got used to it being expensive.

At some point, reality starts asking a very simple question:

Who is actually left to buy?

Not who wants to buy.
Not who is watching Zillow every night.
Who can actually step in, afford the payment, cover the taxes, stomach the insurance, and still feel good about the deal?

That pool looks smaller than a lot of people want to admit. And when buyers keep pulling back while sellers pile up, price cuts usually stop being optional.

The market can ignore math for a while.

It usually can’t ignore it forever.

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The housing market didn’t magically become affordable.

The buyers just started disappearing.

According to Redfin, sellers outnumbered buyers by 43.1% in March, up from 28.0% a year ago and just under the 45.2% record gap hit in December. That means the imbalance is still massive, even if it eased a little from the peak. Redfin also says it has been a buyer’s market by their definition since May 2024.

That sounds bullish for buyers on paper.

But only for the buyers who can still afford to play.

That’s the part people miss.

This is not some glorious return to balance where average families suddenly have leverage and breathing room. It’s a market where high prices, high rates, taxes, insurance, and plain old uncertainty have thinned the crowd. The buyers who are left get more choices. Everyone else is just watching from the parking lot.

For years, demand covered up a lot.

Now the market has to function without easy money, without panic buying, and without people stretching themselves to the moon just to win a bidding war.

That changes the psychology fast.

When homes sit longer, sellers get humbled.
When buyers know they have options, urgency fades.
And when urgency fades, prices stop acting like they’re above gravity.

A lot of people still talk like it’s 2021.

The chart says otherwise.

What housing markets are considered the least affordable, and what can be done about it? We are not suggesting immediately jumping into low-income housing, but is it something you should consider?

The Housing Markets Where Section 8 Properties and Affordable Homes Are Scarce Does the idea of a never-ending stream of potential renters, many of them with guaranteed payments, lining up to apply for your vacant apartments sound

How is the high cost of housing and supply issues affecting the transition from renter to owner among the largest housing demographic?

Where America's Largest Renter Demographic Wants to Live Gen Zers are the new millennials—Americans in their late teens, 20s, and early 30s—who traditionally comprise the largest renter demographic in the country.

In 2026, experts warn that the true cost of homeownership will stretch far beyond the mortgage. Rising homeowners insurance premiums, up nearly 70% since 2021 and expected to keep climbing, are poised to be the biggest budget buster, alongside persistent property tax pressure and sharply underestimated maintenance costs.

Homeownership 101

Homeownership Historically, homeownership has been considered a cornerstone of the American Dream. Today, about 65% of American households own a home, and roughly 5% own more than one. Homeowners view these residen