Survival Strategies For Working With Your Spouse
By Christina El Moussa
Part of the reason I got into real estate and stayed in the business to start flipping houses with Tarek was because I wanted to be a big part of my daughter’s life. I’ve always wanted her to experience having a stay-at-home mom, but I knew that we couldn’t survive on just one income, especially during a recession. As we looked at what we could do to fulfill all of our goals, real estate investment really seemed like the best bet.
So, is flipping houses a good business for stay-at-home moms? Yes, absolutely! Let’s look at some of the benefits this business can provide for you and your family.
Working Together Can Bring the Whole Family Together
First of all, what better way to bond as a family than to make money improving properties and selling them to excited new homebuyers? Flipping houses is a very positive business, and you can show your kids from a very early age how you can change the world just through choosing the right career.
You Can Work Around Naptime
If you have very young children, you know that naptime is an absolute must. If they miss their nap, you’ve just bought a one-way ticket to Cranky Town. Unfortunately, though, naps don’t always go as scheduled. Sometimes it takes longer than anticipated to get them down, or they sleep for a lot longer (or shorter) than you planned on. A lot of remote jobs (e.g., tech support, graphic design, etc.) require you to keep strict schedules, and a crying baby in the background of a conference call isn’t going to do wonders for your career. As a real estate investor, you control your time, so you can get your work done while still having the flexibility to meet your kids’ needs.
When you’re at home doing research and lining up your schedule for auctions, viewings, and open houses, you can also get a lot of housework done, something that is impossible with a desk job. And you can be there for your kids when they get home from school, too. In other words, the juggling act between family, housework, and career gets a lot easier when you’re a real estate investor.
You Can Take Your Kids to Work
And what do you do when you have to meet a client and you don’t have a sitter? Unlike some businesses, bringing your toddler with you when you’re looking at properties, researching leads, or meeting with contractors isn’t frowned upon.
It’s even better when you and your spouse are both in the business. If you have a task that’s not very kid-friendly, you can trade off. One of you can take your child (or children) on a ride around town to look for leads or pick up materials while the other goes to an open house or meets with a realtor who’s selling a comp in the area. By tag-teaming like this, you can work around naptime, daycare, school drop-offs and pick-ups, extracurricular activities, and much, much more.
You Can Be There for Your Kids, Your Spouse, and Your Career
Flipping houses gives you a lot more time with your kids, your spouse, and the rest of your family without sacrificing your income. By starting our real estate investment business together, Tarek and I have been able to provide for our family and spend more time with Taylor than we ever could have if we were both working normal jobs. Whether you’re thinking of going into business as a single mom, with your spouse, or for supplemental income for your family while you stay at home with the kids, I definitely recommend house flipping. It’s worked out really well for us so far!
About the author
Tarek and Christina El Moussa have over a decade of professional real estate experience and have been featured in national print publications, online media outlets, and HGTV’s Flip or Flop. Christina is known for her exceptional design and aesthetic talent.
