Does your paycheck give you freedom?

personally build a log cabin and start their own farm. After a few years of planning, we said our teary-eyed goodbyes as Kaleigh and Michael left Georgia for their property in Missouri that would be the setting where their dreams would play out.

As Michael cut the trees and formed the logs that would become their cabin, Kaleigh worked on growing their collection of goats and chickens. I have to tell you, it was quite a sight to see my five-foot-five, 100 pound-nothing little sister wrangle the goats in, milk them and turn them back out to pasture. I always kid her that she’s the toughest chick I know, but she really is.

As these things often go, the process of working toward their dreams wasn’t easy. The drought took its toll. The crops barely came in, and the free-range chickens couldn’t find enough to eat. They lost an entire herd of goats to a parasite that doesn’t affect goats in Georgia. During those adversities, Kaleigh’s strength took over, and she optimistically soldiered on.

Michael finished their cabin and they moved in. They established a new herd of goats, planted their gardens and settled their chickens in. They even found out there would be a new addition to the family. Things were really looking up.

But then something happened. The baby was born safely, but Kaleigh had some complications revealing that she’d had Lyme Disease since childhood. And with the state of her now weakened immune system, the Lyme quickly progressed to Stage 3 -the worst it can getwreaking havoc on both her body and her mind.

I’m not flying for business, but I wouldn’t call it pleasure either. Kaleigh called back to Georgia asking for help because of the condition the Lyme had put her in. And for my strong little sister to ask for help, I knew things were severe.

When I told her I was coming, she responded, “But Joey, you have to work.”

But the truth don’t.

At the get- richquick seminars, they flaunt flashy cars, big houses and expensive vacations trying to tout those things as financial freedom. Not being tied to a job that requires me to be present in order to get a paycheck, however, is what I call freedom. That’s the beauty of rental property. Whether I’m in my home town, or nearly halfway across the U.S., I’m still getting paid.

Because of our rental is, I income, I have the freedom to fly out to help those I love. I’ll be gone for a week. When I get home, Ashley will take my place. That means we’ll have effectively been absent two and half work weeks– yet our monthly income won’t miss a beat.

Can your pay check do that? If not, consider replacing it with rental income.

Joe and Ashley English buy houses and mobile homes in Northwest Georgia. For more information or to ask a question, go to www. cashflowwithjoe.com or call Joe at 678-986-6813.