But it's a sad choice.. Of what use would one be to his/her generations if they didn't at least provide one family house of whatever size

Everyone here including you, knows that my portfolios in stocks is less than 10% of my overal net worth

@Maka,

As we said, that is your right and your choice! The beauty of Kenya is that we are a capitalist (pseudo-?) democracy! Kila mtu na stylo yage. Let's forget about returns and the financial aspects for a minute. From my personal perspective, the joys of homeownership are something that are worth pursuing as an end in itself. I remember the first home I ever bought way back in 2003. It was small, in bad shape and nothing fancy but had a very large garden in the back with nothing but bush! While other buyers overlooked it, I saw lots of potential, so I bought it cash. Some friends thought I was crazy.

The day I got the keys to the front door is a day I will never forget. Almost immediately I began the process of restoring it to livable condition. I was renting an apartment at the time and enjoyed driving to the house after work and on weekends and doing a lot of the work myself. I even cleared the bush in the back by hand!

Within a couple of months the house was in great shape. The lawns were green and well trimmed, the interior of the house was well painted with nice wood floors and a very cozy feel to it. Shortly after to completely escape rent forever, I moved in! At that point in time I was hooked on real estate!

I lived in that small house for many years and that sense of satisfaction in home ownership never faded a way for a single second. Especially after all that sweat equity/elbow grease I put into it. And it saved me a boatload of money (in not having to pay rent) that was beneficial in a crazy way in doing other things. In fact sometimes I regret ever disposing of it.

I long moved away from the city that house is in but it, and the heady memories I get from when I lived there will forever remain etched in my heart. I remember the days I would go park the car outside while it was under renovation, supervising the fundis as I would listen to music in my jalopy while reading books on real state investment. Meanwhile all my buddies were busy getting wasted dancing at the bars and clubs getting dead drunk and talking much of nothing while thinking I was a weirdo. They seemed unaware that time is life's most precious commodity and that youth does not last forever! Many years on, as far I know, they are still there stuck hapo hapo at those bars, lounges and clubs talking much of nothing and renting the same same types of apartments they were renting way back in 2003. Bottom line everyone has their passion, talent and investment style. Speaking for nobody but myself, nothing beats the joys of real estate as a way to rapidly build capital and enjoy yourself while at it!

@Mugundaman that is quite an inspiration for the new generation!

@sparkly wouldnt real estate (i am thinking some flats/rentals) be considered passive income?

@maka,out of the 97k income how much would be going towards rent?And the interest payments will be at different months hence that income is average per month?

You read the article I sent?... Rem the 10m is not static.... The guy is probably putting in cash monthly esp for long ended bonds.... Which in itself earns interest.... For kids...He does a trust fund for them gives each one the cash built over the years when they finish campus....

Out of the 97k...50k gets you a very good house at Graceland....

You can own a house and sleep hungry. You can rent a home and be as liquid as f***. Cashflow and liquidity rules everything. Some guy in Kiserian owns one of the biggest hardwares in Kiserian and about 5 10-wheelers for transporting building materials to clients, but he doesn't own a home, he rents. Given he makes his rent in a day from his hardware business, that makes perfect financial sense to me.

Being cash rich (liquid) trumps being property rich, especially when one dies. Go ask Njenga Karume's kids. Additionally, most of the people in Nairobi have acres of ancestral land in their rural areas, so I don't understand why such people should buy tiny pieces of plots in the middle of nowhere when they'll eventually move back to their rural areas.

Most Africans don't even sleep let alone live in their parents' houses once they reach adulthood.

What did the guy do with that land after recovery?