Are you guys for real?

Quote

I guess... maybe I should just say it? Betting. Or, like, gambling. It’s all kind of the same thing, isn't it? I don't know. I've been thinking about it lately, just how much people love the rush, I suppose. It's intense. Really intense. says: Nancy Howard4, I had this one former coworker who used to always say something about this... I guess he’d just tell you, you know, that you're only actually wealthy if your grandfather was wealthy. That's how he saw it, anyway. Maybe he was right? I don't know. So, I mean, you've got your great-grandfather right there with you, I guess... but yeah, that's pretty much it. 😉

I mean, it doesn't have to be perfectly accurate, I guess... lots of people were flipping coastal land along the Amalfi Coast back in the day, like between '99 and '07, making absolute fortunes. But looking at things now? It's pretty much a coin toss. Some folks probably blew through all that cash immediately, while others were smart enough to actually invest it properly. There isn't really one set rule for how it played out, I suppose.

Drew Gonzalez12 said:Back home in the States, everything was settled for me once I hit my eighteenth birthday. I ended up inheriting two apartments within our family home, along with about 8,000 square feet of land, which I suppose is decent, though I can't say I'm exactly thrilled about it. I am just incredibly grateful that it’s located on the California coast, just a stone's throw from the ocean, rather than being tucked away somewhere deep in the Midwest.

Everything I have came down through my father's side. My mother didn't leave much behind, of course—she grew up in the Midwest with five siblings, and they all have to share a single house. To be honest, I don't lose much sleep over that house; at this point, my little patch of land near the coast feels far more valuable than any property out in the heartland.🤣

That is why I always tell people you should marry someone from the coast; those girls from the interior rarely come with any assets to speak of.🤣

I mean, if they actually had something to pass down... and assuming things didn't just go completely sideways for all the men out there, I guess. Maybe.

So, I guess in my family, everything was pretty much split up evenly... like, every single plot of land was divided into equal parts and all that stuff. But, well, there was this one thing—the house itself always went to the male heir, you know? And then the women would get other plots instead. But honestly, looking back, it all worked out to be totally fair in the end, because those plots were actually worth a decent amount too, since they were zoned for building and things like that. It just balanced out, I suppose.

It’s just such a shame they handled things that way. I mean, I guess since I come from the father's side of the family, and my mom is basically the glue holding everything together, it really makes a difference... maybe? It just feels like a missed opportunity, honestly. 😁

So, I guess there’s this area near Dresden, right on the Amalfi Coast, where you get those massive stretches of coastline. It’s pretty wild how things worked out there. The sons ended up inheriting all these plots up in the hills, just above the main highway, while the daughters got the spots right by the water. Which means, I suppose, that all the most expensive property actually ended up in the hands of the sons-in-law. Kind of crazy when you think about it, right? 🤣

I mean, honestly, as far as you're concerned... that train has pretty much already left the station. I guess. Maybe. 🍿

There's a bunch of millionaires on this thread. 😁

Drew Gonzalez12 said:It might seem like a significant amount to you, but when you step back and look at the bigger picture, it really isn't. For instance, my younger cousin is set to inherit two condos from his father and three vacation rentals in Malibu from his mother, whereas I won't be inheriting a single thing from my mother.🙄

I can't help but feel a bit of regret that my mother hails from the Midwest rather than somewhere like Malibu where my father is from.😁 It seems that many local families here possess substantial properties or sizable plots of land that remain quite valuable—even if about 80% of that real estate has already been snapped up by foreign investors. To give you an idea, one of my neighbors could easily walk away with 2 million dollars if she decided to sell off all her acreage.

You’ve got 800 square meters of buildable land just 100 meters from the beach and you’re telling me that’s nothing? You know that old saying about "having it all and realizing you have nothing"? Maybe try that sometime. Look, I'm not wishing that on you, but seriously—a little humility wouldn't hurt.

rustywalker42 said:There's a bunch of millionaires on this thread. 😁

You’ve got 800 square meters of buildable land just 100 meters from the beach and you’re telling me that’s nothing? You know that old saying about "having it all and realizing you have nothing"? Maybe try that sometime. Look, I'm not wishing that on you, but seriously—a little humility wouldn't hurt.

That property isn't something I'll ever sell. If I end up having children one day, that's where the family home will be built, so I won't ever see a dime from its sale.

For instance, I have a neighbor—he moved back to the States after working abroad—who is so wealthy he makes Jerry Jones look modest.😁 He owns two villas practically touching the ocean worth upwards of $11 million, a massive estate spanning over 100,000 square feet with five apartments, and his businesses in Germany are valued at over $55 million. That’s just what’s on the surface; who knows what else he has tucked away? I heard he even invested in some oil ventures in Venezuela, and his fleet of vehicles alone is worth millions.😁

He has an only daughter around my age, so she’s the sole heir to everything. It’s something one should aim for, though I imagine the competition will be quite fierce.😁

Man, he’s just a kid. You can tell by how he writes.

rustywalker42 said:There's a bunch of millionaires on this thread. 😁

You’ve got 800 square meters of buildable land just 100 meters from the beach and you’re telling me that’s nothing? You know that old saying about "having it all and realizing you have nothing"? Maybe try that sometime. Look, I'm not wishing that on you, but seriously—a little humility wouldn't hurt.

I mean, it kind of depends on how you look at it. Like, does everyone who has a million count as a millionaire? And if they spend one more dollar, suddenly they aren't? I guess... 🤣

Drew Gonzalez12 said:That property isn't something I'll ever sell. If I end up having children one day, that's where the family home will be built, so I won't ever see a dime from its sale.

For instance, I have a neighbor—he moved back to the States after working abroad—who is so wealthy he makes Jerry Jones look modest.😁 He owns two villas practically touching the ocean worth upwards of $11 million, a massive estate spanning over 100,000 square feet with five apartments, and his businesses in Germany are valued at over $55 million. That’s just what’s on the surface; who knows what else he has tucked away? I heard he even invested in some oil ventures in Venezuela, and his fleet of vehicles alone is worth millions.😁

He has an only daughter around my age, so she’s the sole heir to everything. It’s something one should aim for, though I imagine the competition will be quite fierce.😁

You're young, you'll figure it out. Just don't ever say "never" in your life, seriously, remember that. My old man used to say "never" about so many things, and then he’d totally change his mind because the situation shifted. 😁

Honestly, I'm pretty sure you're just trolling me. 🍿

What kind of poll is this even supposed to be? 🤣
How on earth can you inherit something through hard work?

Michael Morgan5 said:What kind of poll is this even supposed to be? 🤣
How on earth can you inherit something through hard work?

Haha 🤣 I guess you do it like this: 🤣

Anyway, I have zero interest in this topic, so I skipped the vote.

rowdypilot19 said:Quote

I guess... maybe I should just say it? Betting. Or, like, gambling. It’s all kind of the same thing, isn't it? I don't know. I've been thinking about it lately, just how much people love the rush, I suppose. It's intense. Really intense. says: Nancy Howard4, I had this one former coworker who used to always say something about this... I guess he’d just tell you, you know, that you're only actually wealthy if your grandfather was wealthy. That's how he saw it, anyway. Maybe he was right? I don't know. So, I mean, you've got your great-grandfather right there with you, I guess... but yeah, that's pretty much it. 😉

I mean, it doesn't have to be perfectly accurate, I guess... lots of people were flipping coastal land along the Amalfi Coast back in the day, like between '99 and '07, making absolute fortunes. But looking at things now? It's pretty much a coin toss. Some folks probably blew through all that cash immediately, while others were smart enough to actually invest it properly. There isn't really one set rule for how it played out, I suppose.

I mean, if they actually had something to pass down... and assuming things didn't just go completely sideways for all the men out there, I guess. Maybe.

So, I guess in my family, everything was pretty much split up evenly... like, every single plot of land was divided into equal parts and all that stuff. But, well, there was this one thing—the house itself always went to the male heir, you know? And then the women would get other plots instead. But honestly, looking back, it all worked out to be totally fair in the end, because those plots were actually worth a decent amount too, since they were zoned for building and things like that. It just balanced out, I suppose.

It’s just such a shame they handled things that way. I mean, I guess since I come from the father's side of the family, and my mom is basically the glue holding everything together, it really makes a difference... maybe? It just feels like a missed opportunity, honestly. 😁

So, I guess there’s this area near Dresden, right on the Amalfi Coast, where you get those massive stretches of coastline. It’s pretty wild how things worked out there. The sons ended up inheriting all these plots up in the hills, just above the main highway, while the daughters got the spots right by the water. Which means, I suppose, that all the most expensive property actually ended up in the hands of the sons-in-law. Kind of crazy when you think about it, right? 🤣

I mean, honestly, as far as you're concerned... that train has pretty much already left the station. I guess. Maybe. 🍿

I live in a coastal town, and honestly, it feels like everything has been sold off to developers over the last fifteen years or so. It’s kind of crazy when you look back at how things used to be. Back in '97, I guess the average price was maybe around $30,000 or something like that. By 2000, we were seeing prices climb up to the $50,000 range. Then, around 2007, the beachfront property—the prime first row—was going for upwards of $250,000 per unit. Now, while the market has cooled down a bit, those front-row spots are basically gone forever; they've just paved over the whole coastline with concrete.
I mean, if you look at the people who actually sold off their properties, most of them just built maybe two or three small rental units, pocketed the cash, and bought themselves a new car. I guess nobody actually went out and opened a legitimate business or anything substantial with that money. Business. And honestly, most of the time, it was just the daughters and sons-in-law calling the shots—selling everything off to their heirs, who, let's be real, probably didn't even know which state they were living in.

rustywalker42 said:There's a bunch of millionaires on this thread. 😁

You’ve got 800 square meters of buildable land just 100 meters from the beach and you’re telling me that’s nothing? You know that old saying about "having it all and realizing you have nothing"? Maybe try that sometime. Look, I'm not wishing that on you, but seriously—a little humility wouldn't hurt.

I mean, honestly, that’s just one single construction site. If you ask me, he’d probably want at least four of those projects going at once—he'd sell two of them and then use all that cash to build two houses from scratch :P

Michael Morgan5 said:What kind of poll is this even supposed to be? 🤣
How on earth can you inherit something through hard work?

I mean, sure, it’s easy to say—like, let's say you're looking at providing lifelong support for a family member, mostly because you know they're eventually going to leave you an inheritance or some kind of estate.
It’s one of those situations where you can basically stumble into wealth without lifting a finger or using even a shred of intellect. Take a scenario like this: an aunt passes away without any children, and suddenly there's a massive estate up for grabs. Or maybe her brother passes away before she does, leaving all her property to a group of siblings who didn't even realize they had relatives in a different part of the country. It’s wild, really. Just like that, out of nowhere, you might find yourself looking at a windfall of $100,000 or $200,000 just dropped right into your lap. I guess it's just one of those strange strokes of luck that happens when you least expect it.

Rachel Turner2 said:Man, he’s just a kid. You can tell by how he writes.

Exactly. That's why I'm not even bothering to reply.

rowdypilot19 said:I mean, it kind of depends on how you look at it. Like, does everyone who has a million count as a millionaire? And if they spend one more dollar, suddenly they aren't? I guess... 🤣

You're young, you'll figure it out. Just don't ever say "never" in your life, seriously, remember that. My old man used to say "never" about so many things, and then he’d totally change his mind because the situation shifted. 😁

Honestly, I'm pretty sure you're just trolling me. 🍿

Well, pretty much. 😁

But we're talking about a currency that actually holds value. Like, being a millionaire in Zimbabwean dollars doesn't mean squat. 😂

I was a millionaire in Belarus once. Not anymore, though—they chopped four zeros off the bills. 😢

Maybe I'll just discover I have some wealthy relative living out in rural Alaska that I never even knew about. 😁

My grandma’s sister lives out in Canada and doesn't have any kids. She never used to invite us out there—back in the day, she’d maybe call my grandma once every couple of years. But ever since her husband passed away, she’s on the phone with her almost every single day. Honestly, the woman is shady. On one hand, she’s telling my grandma she left the whole estate to the church, but then she’s sending photos of this massive mansion in a high-end neighborhood in Toronto. I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind seeing a piece of that action myself. 😬

So, a friend of mine just inherited this little cottage on Manhattan from her godmother about a month ago—she’s only actually met the woman a handful of times in her life (the godmother lived overseas). I honestly wouldn't have bought into those kinds of inheritance stories or sudden windfalls, but hey, now I know... 😁.

stormytinker40 said:My grandma’s sister lives out in Canada and doesn't have any kids. She never used to invite us out there—back in the day, she’d maybe call my grandma once every couple of years. But ever since her husband passed away, she’s on the phone with her almost every single day. Honestly, the woman is shady. On one hand, she’s telling my grandma she left the whole estate to the church, but then she’s sending photos of this massive mansion in a high-end neighborhood in Toronto. I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind seeing a piece of that action myself. 😬

A cousin of mine is currently losing his mind over this. He actually thinks he’s going to land a free house from some nursing home in America. I told him he’s better off working for it. These facilities are always crawling with people looking for anyone to handle the basic cleanup jobs. They lure you in with promises like, "Sure, $40 an hour, just show up..."

As if we don't know the rule: there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Three apartments in Washington, D.C. (two of them Downtown), a house in Washington, D.C., a house in Appalachia, two houses in California, and a house in Key West. There is also some farmland, forests, and vineyards.

Look, on one hand, this whole inheritance thing is just plain stupid—once these heirs get their hands on a windfall, they lose all drive to actually do anything with their lives...
Honestly, the best move would be to kick them out once they hit 18 and let them figure things out on their own, while the older generation stays focused on liquidating everything until the very end.
The way we operate, we’ve basically raised a nation of slackers who have zero clue what to do with inherited real estate because they never worked for it—they never actually developed an entrepreneurial bone in their bodies.
The absolute peak of this nonsense is watching people try to flip property to some foreign investor who rolls in with a suitcase full of cash, begging for a deal, only for the owner to demand millions in return.
It keeps the whole country stuck in place because everyone is too tied down by these properties they didn't earn.
A lot of them end up single or just failing at life because they lack any real ambition—they were handed everything on a silver platter and they're just coasting, so why bother with marriage or building a future? They get way too picky.
That inheritance is a blessing and a curse all rolled into one.
That's why it's way better to start from nothing and build your own empire if you can—it tastes much sweeter, even if it's a massive uphill battle in this broken-down version of America we live in, though it actually works in more functional countries.
You can't exactly marry someone just for their money and expect to walk in with an equal split from day one. If parents aren't willing to help you out while they're still around, then you don't need it after they're gone—or right before they pass—because if they weren't thinking about helping you during their lifetime, they're really just passing the burden onto you later on.

Aaron Ruiz22 said:Three apartments in Washington, D.C. (two of them Downtown), a house in Washington, D.C., a house in Appalachia, two houses in California, and a house in Key West. There is also some farmland, forests, and vineyards.

Get ready—your inbox is about to be flooded with marriage proposals. 😁

Since you’re getting all specific about the inheritance, I gotta ask: are you an only child? Is this all riding on your shoulders?

velvetfalcon44 said:Look, on one hand, this whole inheritance thing is just plain stupid—once these heirs get their hands on a windfall, they lose all drive to actually do anything with their lives...
Honestly, the best move would be to kick them out once they hit 18 and let them figure things out on their own, while the older generation stays focused on liquidating everything until the very end.
The way we operate, we’ve basically raised a nation of slackers who have zero clue what to do with inherited real estate because they never worked for it—they never actually developed an entrepreneurial bone in their bodies.
The absolute peak of this nonsense is watching people try to flip property to some foreign investor who rolls in with a suitcase full of cash, begging for a deal, only for the owner to demand millions in return.
It keeps the whole country stuck in place because everyone is too tied down by these properties they didn't earn.
A lot of them end up single or just failing at life because they lack any real ambition—they were handed everything on a silver platter and they're just coasting, so why bother with marriage or building a future? They get way too picky.
That inheritance is a blessing and a curse all rolled into one.
That's why it's way better to start from nothing and build your own empire if you can—it tastes much sweeter, even if it's a massive uphill battle in this broken-down version of America we live in, though it actually works in more functional countries.
You can't exactly marry someone just for their money and expect to walk in with an equal split from day one. If parents aren't willing to help you out while they're still around, then you don't need it after they're gone—or right before they pass—because if they weren't thinking about helping you during their lifetime, they're really just passing the burden onto you later on.

Precisely. You hit the nail on the head.👍
Perhaps the "kick them out" part is a bit extreme for my taste; I would suggest giving them a five or six-year grace period before assessing the situation...
Truly an excellent post...
Unlike those discussions regarding gold or Forex... I don't find myself agreeing with you on every single point here.

rustywalker42 said:Get ready—your inbox is about to be flooded with marriage proposals. 😁

Since you’re getting all specific about the inheritance, I gotta ask: are you an only child? Is this all riding on your shoulders?

The answer to both is yes. However, not everything that glitters is gold, and the backstory here is actually quite dark and tragic. I highly doubt anyone would want to get involved with me if they knew the full story.

velvetfalcon44 said:Look, on one hand, this whole inheritance thing is just plain stupid—once these heirs get their hands on a windfall, they lose all drive to actually do anything with their lives...
Honestly, the best move would be to kick them out once they hit 18 and let them figure things out on their own, while the older generation stays focused on liquidating everything until the very end.
The way we operate, we’ve basically raised a nation of slackers who have zero clue what to do with inherited real estate because they never worked for it—they never actually developed an entrepreneurial bone in their bodies.
The absolute peak of this nonsense is watching people try to flip property to some foreign investor who rolls in with a suitcase full of cash, begging for a deal, only for the owner to demand millions in return.
It keeps the whole country stuck in place because everyone is too tied down by these properties they didn't earn.
A lot of them end up single or just failing at life because they lack any real ambition—they were handed everything on a silver platter and they're just coasting, so why bother with marriage or building a future? They get way too picky.
That inheritance is a blessing and a curse all rolled into one.
That's why it's way better to start from nothing and build your own empire if you can—it tastes much sweeter, even if it's a massive uphill battle in this broken-down version of America we live in, though it actually works in more functional countries.
You can't exactly marry someone just for their money and expect to walk in with an equal split from day one. If parents aren't willing to help you out while they're still around, then you don't need it after they're gone—or right before they pass—because if they weren't thinking about helping you during their lifetime, they're really just passing the burden onto you later on.

I used to live and work in Germany, and man, that system works so smoothly because most people find a job right after high school or trade school and apply for public housing, since about 80% of Germans live in state-provided apartments.
And the tax system is pretty interesting too; the government taxes almost everything, like if you're single, they absolutely skin you alive, but the second you get married, those taxes drop, and if you have kids, they lower them even more and might even give you a bigger apartment or a little extra cash boost. My neighbor in Munich had twins and the local social services hooked her up with diapers, food, a nursery setup, and some extra money, and I've even heard about these tax holidays where you don't pay for three years or something like that.
Basically, they offer direct incentives instead of just empty campaign promises, which allows young people to move out of their parents' places early, unlike here where if you're still at home at 35, you're basically stuck because the comfort zone is just too damn big.😉

Marriage in later years😳A 44-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man. She’s divorced, owns a 1,000 sq. ft. condo in downtown Chicago, and has no kids. He has three daughters—the youngest lives with him, while the older two have their own places provided by their widowed father. Five months into the marriage, he gets hit with everything: multiple myeloma, leukemia, bone marrow transplants, all that. He followed Dr. Budwig’s dietary protocols religiously—fresh food prepared with love every day while she managed the household. It was a constant battle. After eight years, the prognosis from Mayo Clinic was a maximum of two years left. Those years were heavy. After the initial wave of optimism died down, everyone just ran out of things to say. Caring for him eventually wore down his daughters and his parents. Toward the end, they actually muttered aloud how much they were waiting for it to be over. She was certain she heard them in the hospital room. She just gripped their arms tight and stared at them, speechless at the sheer audacity. Whether they felt shame for saying that over their dying son's bed, I don't know... they just went silent and walked out without a word. Before the end, she was at his bedside from sunrise to late evening, while the two older daughters would pull overnight shifts. There was always this underlying tension because someone had to drive her from the other side of town to the hospital since she didn't have a car. Such a headache... When he finally passed away in the middle of the night—with his youngest daughter by his side—the wife suggested he be buried in her family plot. His father’s response? "Fine, at least I won't have to deal with the formalities of a burial in ours." As for the inheritance: she received a life insurance payout that would have gone to him had she passed first, but his children were slated to inherit all his property. He left a will stating everything goes to his daughters, though he mentioned verbally that his wife would receive some funds after his death. Legally, she could have contested the will, but she chose not to. Too humiliating. Now comes the twist. The oldest daughter asked her stepmother, "What did Dad tell you he was leaving you?" The stepmother replied, "I don't know anything about his finances," playing it coy to test if there was any actual love or honesty left in the family. Guess what? She got nothing. But it doesn't matter... see you on the other side. By the way, for years, they called this woman their "angel" because her love brought the fractured family together through faith. That’s the extent of what they "inherited." Not looking for comments. God bless you.