Property queen talks quadrants
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The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell, Penguin Random House, $37 .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
DI Samuel Owusu is called to a find on a muddy bank in the Thames. A mudlarker on an early morning stroll has found what appears to be a bag of bones. The forensic team discovers pretty quickly that the bones belonged to a young woman. She has been dead for a number of years.
The bag found on the bank has been put there recently. The woman has been murdered, proof of a blunt instrument trauma, but left probably where she had died and just recently her bones been stuffed into a bin bag. It appears that whoever placed the bag there in such an obvious place was either very simple or wanted the bag found.
Some clever sleuthing by DI Samuel leads him to a now derelict but obviously once grand home.
Tracing the once occupants at the time, now adults, becomes the thread of the story.
The plot now centres around the occupants. This is as confusing to the reader as it is to DI Samuel who is busy tracking the occupants through newspaper reports from another time.
He discovers that 30 years ago this mansion in Chelsea was the centre of a grisly crime. Three people were found dead in the kitchen and a baby upstairs alone, but recently fed and changed. A suicide pact was suspected.
Child abuse, suicides and further possible murders now make their appearance.
I thought the final wrap up . . . a long letter accepting all blame for not having the courage to speak out earlier, just a little too pat. Apart from that, a readable psychological crime story, not usually my favourite genre, but Lisa Jewell seems to be able to churn them out and appears to have quite a following. She is The New York Times best seller of 20 novels so far. The Family Remains is her most recent.
A clever title for the book. I wonder was a pun intended? — Margaret Reilly icole Lewis is an award-winning property investor, generating incredible property deals, known as the queen of property.
Her book Property Quadrants examines the four ways real estate investing works and takes you through real-life stories of how she has helped people turn their lives around using these proven formulas.
Can you tell us how you came to write Property Quadrants?
Growing up, on one hand I learned money was something that you needed to worry about and that everything must be carefully budgeted for. On the other hand my grandfather would say “have nothing but the best!” I think I took the latter advice way too literally and as a result developed ‘champagne taste'.
My ‘champagne taste' created a very different viewpoint when it came to property. People would say “this is my income what property can I afford?” I would say “this is the property I want, how can I make the money to buy it?”
Over the years, through much trial and error I managed to inch my way ahead and began living the lifestyle I wanted.
There are two major contributing factors that lead to Property Quadrants. One, my experience, both good and bad, my passion for property, my drive to create a legacy for my children and my determination to get ahead so my husband could leave the corporate grind, reduce his stress and ultimately extend his life.
Two, Robert Kiyosaki's cash flow quadrants. I thought, property is very closely related to cash flow. I think his cash flow formula revolutionised the way people think about money. I set about to develop a formula that can revolutionise the way people think about property.
Can you explain what you mean by ‘Quadrants’?
The Oxford Dictionary describes quadrants as any of the four parts into which something is divided. My experience taught me that property is divided into four unique parts. Two parts that cost you money making you cash poor and two parts that earn you money making you cash rich.
The quadrants teach you how to think about real estate to put yourself on the cash rich path.
Who will benefit from reading your book?
Anyone who is interested in buying or investing in property. Often people aren't sure if it is the right time to buy property. In 2020, the Covid impact on the world made people unsure. In 2021 the market was so hot people thought property was too expensive. Now, in 2022 interest rates rises and inflation make people too scared to buy. The truth is it's always a good time to buy property, if you're buying in the right quadrant with each cycle.
What do you hope people will take away from it?
The realisation that buying your first or your next passive income property is just around the corner. That you can achieve anything once you have a proven framework to follow. That it is possible to live a life of peace instead of constantly panicking over money.
What is next on the agenda for you?
Having been through periods of intense stress and financial struggle (as I talk about in the book) I know how stress affects physical health, mental health, relationships and your ability to help yourself. If I can help people find solutions that get themselves out of struggle, alleviate stress, strengthen relationships and be an example to my children then I'm living my property lifestyle.