Heartland Investment Partners - October 2020

Heartland Investment Partners - October 2020

& STRIPES

HEARTLAND INVESTMEN T COMPANIES STARS

OCTOBER 2020

AN.COM

DARINGARM 319-350-5378

Let me set the scene for you: It’s 11 p.m. on the Saturday before Halloween, one year in the early 2000s. There’s a traffic jam on my suburban street. People dressed as mice are pouring out of cars and up the driveway of our house. Inside, a group of tipsy folks with whiskers painted on their faces are singing Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash” off-key into a microphone. In the kitchen, more mice munch on cookies shaped like tombstones and play drinking games. By midnight, someone has called the cops — again. Does this sound crazy? Believe it or not, for five or six years, this was my life every Halloween. Entirely by accident, Gina and I became known for hosting the most outrageous costume parties in all of Cedar Rapids. It all started one year when we decided to host a small party of about 15 friends. We went all-out with the decorations, food, drinks, and games, and our only rule was that everyone had to wear costumes. It was a hit! Then somehow, over the years what began as a quiet, reserved party ballooned into a 200-person blowout that our house could barely contain. Every year, we drove more than an hour to another town in order to rent a karaoke machine for the bash — it was pretty extreme. Every party had a theme, and the mouse year was the most memorable of them all. That summer, our neighbor had torn out an old dog house in his yard and disturbed a nest of mice. All of them went running into our garage, and it got so bad that at one point we were trapping two or three of the critters every day. When word about our mouse problem got around to our friends, they decided to commemorate it for Halloween. I’ve never seen so many adults with whiskers and tails in my whole life! Another year, a bunch of people dressed up as my pickup, a famous old junker that I left parked next to the house. That one really made me laugh. Then there was the time I dressed up as Billy Idol from his punk days — gelled-up white hair, cutoff jeans, chain bracelets, spiked gloves, the whole nine yards — and Gina went as the pregnant bride from his “White Wedding” music video. We were pretty proud of those costumes! BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR FAMILY’S WILD HALLOWEEN PARTIES WELCOME TO THE MOUSE HOUSE OF HORROR!

Honestly, I always had a lot of fun at the parties, but eventually, they got out of hand. The visits from the police about noise and traffic were one thing, but then people got a little too comfortable in our house. They started wandering into blocked-off areas, and once we woke up to find all of our lightbulbs missing! That’s when we decided we were done with the party life. These days, Halloween is much quieter at the Garman house. We have a very low-key night every year handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. Of course, we’re still a tiny bit extra — we want our house to be one of the cool ones, so we give out full-sized candy bars instead of minis. Still, it’s a long way from the old days! We head to bed around 11 p.m. now, just when the party would have been getting started.

Whatever Halloween holds for you this year, I hope it’s both fun and mouse-free!

–Darin Garman

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HOW TO SAVE MORE MONEY MAXIMIZE Y OUR SAVING S

GET FOR AND

HOW TO BUD

While saving money is difficult for some and easy for others, we can all agree that doing what we can to put a little money aside can help us in the long term. Here are two ways you can get the most out of your savings.

1%–2.2%. So, if you put $10,000 in a traditional savings account with a 0.01% interest rate, then you’d earn $1 at the end of one year. But if you put the same amount into a high-yield savings account with a compounding interest rate of 1%, you would earn around $135 in one year.

PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

OPEN A HIGH-YIELD SAVINGS ACCOUNT.

Even if you have a great savings account with a high interest rate, it won’t do much good if it’s empty or not being added to regularly. Many people don’t think about their savings until after the bills have been paid each month. However, it’s actually better to save first! Contributing to your savings before you pay your bills or make other purchases will ensure that you prioritize saving and maximize your great interest rate. As a bonus, when you put money into your savings first, then pay your bills, you’ll minimize the temptation to spend on unnecessary extras. To figure out how much to save each month, start by making a simple budget. Add up your monthly expenses, then see how much is left and how much of that you can put away. Make saving a priority by building this habit into your monthly routine, and you will rest easy knowing that you have a little extra tucked away for a rainy day.

There are multiple ways to open a savings account, but which is the best? If you want the highest interest rates and low (or no) fees, a high-yield savings account is your best choice. The main difference between this kind of account and a traditional savings account is the annual interest rate. While some brick-and-mortar banks do offer high-yield accounts, many — and those with the highest interest rates — are offered through online-only banks. Why is it worth moving your money into a high-yield account? They offer interest rates that are 20–25 times higher than traditional savings accounts. Whereas a savings account at a traditional bank may offer a 0.01% interest rate, a high-yield savings account offers rates between

BALL FIELD

M THE FOOT

LESSONS FRO

INVESTMENT

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ARE YOU REA

If you’ve known me for a while, then you know my family and I are big football fans. I played in high school and college, and my son Isaiah followed in his “old man’s” footsteps. As a sophomore at an NCAA FCS Division I school, he likes football even more than I did at his age. We end up talking football much of the time we are together, even with the pandemic throwing a wrench in things. Isaiah worked hard through preseason tryouts to get significant playing time. Watching his games this last season, I thought he did a good job. His team came away with some victories but also had a few tough losses. I think football is a great learning experience for a young man. A lot of life lessons can be learned from the game, including how to be a successful person and team member. This is similar to investing. Great investors need to be willing to learn and grow, which I’ve seen firsthand with 99% of my long-term investment clients and partners.

Obviously, as investors we all want to make fantastic returns and get above-average benefits. It’s the same with football. But there is a big difference between wanting something and getting it — and that difference is taking action. My son Isaiah wanted to play a higher level of football and wanted to get significant playing time, just like hundreds of other kids. But out of all of the players who wanted those things, only a fraction of them took action to make it happen. What about you? Are you taking the necessary action with your wealth, retirement funds, income, and net worth (especially in this roller coaster economy) to make a huge difference in your investment life? Will you do what it takes to become a successful long-term investor? If you’re not satisfied with your current investment results, I recommend an investment “tryout” here in the heartland. Once you take action, which is easy and affordable here, you’ll see the concrete benefits of owning your own investment real estate.

Over the last few months in this newsletter, you’ve seen some investment properties that would be great tryout candidates. In my opinion, these properties are low risk and will produce above- average returns. They’re perfect candidates for smart investors like you to try out as we head into the fourth quarter of this year. To take action today, contact me at 319-350-5378. That’s the first step — I’ll take it from there.

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I WA LIFE

SUDOKU

RIVERSIDE, IOWA’S ‘STAR TREK’ CONNECTION HOW A TINY MIDWEST TOWN BECAME THE BIRTHPLACE OF CAPTAIN KIRK

Take a moment to picture yourself in the “Star Trek” universe. Starships are zooming overhead, aliens and humans are working side-by-side, and Earth has other names: Tellus, Terra, and Sol III among them. The date is March 22, 2228, and in the small town of Riverside, Iowa, a baby named James Tiberius Kirk is born. That’s right — an Iowa hamlet just 45 minutes from Darin’s hometown is the future birthplace of Captain Kirk himself. The story behind how Riverside got that honor is pretty funny. According to RoadsideAmerica.com, the original “Star Trek” series never specified which Iowa town Kirk would be born in, just that he’d take his first breath in the state. However, a Trekkie and Riverside councilman named Steve Miller decided to stake his town’s claim to the honor. On March 25, 1985, Miller suggested to the council that Riverside declare itself “The Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk.” His motion passed unanimously, and Miller declared the land behind his barber shop the official birth spot. Today, Trekkies can visit a monument there to pay homage to the fictional future captain. Riding high on Miller’s excitement, the whole town embraced its new “Star Trek” royalty status, changing its town motto to “Where the Trek begins” and renaming its annual River Fest celebration Trek Fest. In 2009, Miller’s fantasy of Riverside’s place in the Star Trek universe became canon. The new “Star Trek” film starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto declared Riverside Kirk’s hometown. Even more exciting for Riverside residents, the whole town was invited to a secret screening of the movie before its release. Nine years later, Miller helped unveil a life-sized statue of Kirk (the William Shatner rendition) in Riverside to go along with the monument bench. RoadsideAmerica.com also reveals that in typical Trekkie fashion, there is still some debate over the accuracy of the birth date listed on Kirk’s Riverside monument. Some argue the captain will be born in 2228, while others claim 2233 is the real date. Perhaps if the monument sticks around long enough, future Iowans will find out the truth! If you’re a “Star Trek” fan, be sure to add Riverside’s monument to Captain Kirk’s birthplace to your list of top Trekkie locations to visit.

SALES AND SUCCES S

APARTMENT

12 PLEX IN MARION SOLD

12 UNITS SOLD

300+ UNITS

CONTACT DARIN TODAY AT 319-350-5378 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE LISTINGS!

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HEARTLAND INVESTMENT COMPANIES

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Darin Garman: Heartland’s Most Trusted Multi-Family Investment Advisor 2505 Silver Oak Trail Marion, IA 52302 DarinGarman.com 319-350-5378 INSIDE Page 1 The Craziest Halloween Parties in Iowa

Page 2 How to Save More Money

Investment Lessons From the Football Field Page 3 Riverside, Iowa’s ‘Star Trek’ Connection

Apartment Sales and Success

Page 4 Join a Professional Association and See Your Business Grow

LEARN AND GROWWITH A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION YOU’RE NOT ALONE

NETWORKING AND MENTORSHIP Why reinvent the wheel when you can adapt it with

Business is competitive by nature. If competitors didn’t push our favorite brands to be better, they may not even exist. Our technology options would be limited without Apple’s ingenuity. Shipping options would be limited without UPS or FedEx. And access to our favorite athletic gear would be more limited if no one was pushing the top brands like Nike to innovate. Competition fuels our greatest inventions, but behind every great leader or business is a core network of like-minded people and innovators supporting them. Professional associations connect business leaders to fellow innovators in their industry without competition from local rivals. These organizations offer many benefits and little risk to business leaders looking to grow. If you haven’t yet joined a professional association, these three benefits just might get you to change your mind. EDUCATION AND RESOURCES Google is great for a quick answer, but when you need to learn something more nuanced, a simple internet search won’t cut it. Professional associations offer tailored, more in-depth help and resources like industry- specific training and webinars, how-to guides, and coaching. From peer advice and education to scholarly studies and reviews, associations act as a library of information for your industry.

a mentor? Associations connect you to leaders who have stood where you are standing and succeeded. You can learn a lot from their failures, wisdom, and guidance. You can also connect with peers in your position and bounce ideas off of them. You won’t have to worry about competitors “stealing” your processes, and you have an honest, go-to support team to help you refine them before presenting them to your team. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH A business is only as good as the leader managing it, and all business leaders have room for improvement. An association can give you the tools to get there. And as you continue to learn, you’ll discover personal and professional areas that can be further refined. This personal development only makes you and your business stronger. Are you still not convinced you should join an association? Think of it this way: Your competitors could be growing through their involvement in an association while you remain stagnant. Push forward and connect with your peers today.

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