That’s right folks, I’m in Thailand right now! I just got here last week, and I’m having such a great time that I’ve decided to stay for the rest of the month. I’ve always wanted to visit the place, but what I imagined pales in comparison to what I am seeing. That’s the thing about dreams – even though they seem big and impossible, they’re often smaller than the actual thing.
When I was packing for my trip, I found a piece of paper that was a list of the things I would do when I had my first million dollars. Can you believe that #1 was “pay off my light bill”? How pathetic is that? We never dream big enough. I think that’s because we’re taught from an early age that dreams don’t come true and that you should be realistic and blah, blah, blah. To that I say – B.S.! There, I called it. Do yourself a favor – Dream, and dream big, work hard to conquer your dreams, and never give up. I bet you will get what you want.
But you have to be specific! You have to KNOW exactly what you want so you can grab it when it passes you by. And I want to know what it is! Tell me right now, if I gave you one million dollars, what would you do with it? It could be absolutely anything. Use your imagination! Tell me your dream by leaving a comment below.
It’s so nice being able to travel around the world and make money while you do it! That’s a freedom that I never knew before I got started in real estate and fired my boss. I could never even dream of spending my days lounging on a beautiful tropical beach, and look at me now!
So if you don’t know what you would do with your first million dollars, take a minute to find out and share it with me below. And remember, be specific! You won’t get it until you know it.
Doug (on vacation!) Smith
MyHouseDeals.com
P.S. Here are some pictures of me in Thailand, hope you enjoy!
Enjoying the beach!
Beautiful blue water
Relaxing at my hotel
On the top of a tall building in Bangkok
- Me with a guard at the Royal Palace
invest into real estate
With my first million i would buy a good hand full of fixer uppers and flip them and with the profit invest in more and buy my first home for my family and I.Now that sounds like a plan!
Hey Doug, looks like your having a blast. Good for you. If you gave me a million dollars the first thing I would do is find out from you who is the best account, lawyer and (natch you would be the best coach). The first 10% will go to worthy organizations, then the party would be on. The best home, clothes, food, cars and travel. All the while my investments will be working for me to sustain my life style and those close to me.
I would add to my trading account for cushion.I would purchase some wholesale property immediately,my son would manage them.I would fund his retirement account.Then,I would travel and play golf all over the world meeting wonderful women from each exotic location.When I return,I would devote time and resources to our troops who have returned with injuries.
If I were given a million dollars, there are so many things I would do. First would be making sure I had a SAFE comfortable home for my son and I to live. Some of that money would be set back to make sure that I will be able to afford to send him to college in hopes that he will never have to struggle like me. The next most important thing is the health of my family. Mom would finally get her back surgery so that she would no longer live in severe pain. There is always paying off debt, which I do not have much of. I would give to several charities I feel strongly about. Not to mention cancer research, and anything I can do to help children, they are our future and all deserve a chance! I would put some into my own education. A good portion I would invest and obviously some I would save for a rainy day. I am not a materialistic person, although I would love to travel the world, there are more important issues right here at home that should be addressed and attended to. Living in Oklahoma, tornado alley, hundreds of thousands of people lose their homes in the blink of an eye. I would love to have some sort of impact by helping them rebuild not only their homes, but their lives.
Krysta E.
With my first million, I would take my whole family for a vacation and try to think of what I would do with that money. At least two weeks away from the madding crowd would give me an idea of what I would do with that . If it is real estate million then I would probably think of re-investing some of it knowing it is going to double or triple.
If I had a million dollars given to me, I would like to go back to Venice Italy. My husband and I went there in 1999 and took a gondola ride. My husband ( a photographer) took photos of us doing this together, only to find out their was no film in the camera.
My husband has prostrate cancer with metastatic bone disease. I would like to go back there and make new/old memories come alive again.
My husband has had a dream for 6 years to go to Maine in the fall to photography the “fall color”.
I guess making memories while we can is what’s important to me now.
My husbands concern is to have real estate investments to bring in a steady income for me when he is no longer with me.
My husband would like to see North Vietnam to photograph. We love to travel, and want to squeeze in as much as we can while he is able.
Howdy Doug,
Well, I would go to Israel to have “stim-cell” done on my heart to repair damage heart muscle, then fly my mother to Greenville, SC to see her family. She hasn’t been able to see them for 20 years now.
Then I would buy my aunt’s home, which will be my dream home. Send my neice and nephew to college, and then go to Disney World.
And finally give back to my community and to you.
S Haught
Use it to leverage my next million, what else?
I would take my blind brother fishing to Alaska, Mexico, rental time share properties at those locations, Give to my church, travel the world. Find a soul mate and marry her..
Buy or build 4 plex rentals to support my way of life during my retirement years.
Having taken care of my dearest friend for the past 16 years, who has had cancer of the tongue 3 times, I would use some of the money to move closer to her doctors and M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, TX. We live in Memphis, TN., and for the past 2 years, we have had to go to Houston every 2-3 months. Some of these visits have resulted in extended stays in Houston of several weeks to as long as one “visit” of 6 months. The expenses of getting to, and staying in Houston have been excessive and well beyond my, and her means. I am the only one she has and who is taking care of her, and with all the complications she has had, and the several hospital stays (some in Houston and some in Memphis), my money has dwindled rapidly! If I had the money, I would use it to buy a house for us in Houston and to pay for the move.
Throughout these past years, I understandably, have become even more sensitive to those whose lives are in turmoil and devastation. I would definitely take a good amount of the money and donate to causes such as finding cures for cancer and also the “Make A Wish” Foundation. I could not justify having more than enough money to keep me comfortable, while others (and their friends and families) are in horrible and life-threatening situations.
Since having to go to Houston so often, we have taken Amtrak to get there from Memphis. We have grown to absolutely LOVE the train. My friend has mentioned a few times, that she would love to take one of Amtrak’s 30-day special trips anywhere in the country. For 30 days, you can go anywhere, stay anywhere, and get back on the train to enjoy the countryside and to get back home. If I had the money, I would love to take that trip with my friend. It would surely be a trip we would both could remember for a long time.
I would also love to help my son, who has struggled throughout the years as well. As a result of my situation, I have not been able to help him out as much as I would love to. While he has never asked for anything, because that is the kind of young man he is, I know he needs a lot of help. As a mother, I only want the very best for my son and if I can help him out more, that would be something I would be very proud and thrilled to do.
Another big thing to me, is to be able to give back to a couple of my friends who have helped us out this past year. While I don’t like to dwell on some of the hardships we have had lately, a couple of my friends have known about them. These 2 friends “surprised” me with a financial gift towards helping my friend. I am terribly unsettled with my situation right now, and accepting money from my friends is somewhat uncomfortable, to say the least. But if I had the money, I would give my friends what they gave me and then some.
As with most, I would take some of that money and invest it in other real estate. To further add to my situation, I am not in the best of health right now either, so having a way to make money, whether I am healthy or not, would be the “Perfect Job” for sure! I love the business of real estate investing and hope to do this for the rest of my life!
I expect there would be many more things I could come up with to do with $1,000,000. This exercise has allowed me to re-focus on what I need to be doing – to be able to MAKE and HAVE the MONEY to DO the things I “dream” about doing. Thank-you for “kicking me in the behind”.
While having money is a VERY blessed and DESIRED accomplishment, I realize I am blessed in many other ways that money just doesn’t and can’t buy. I am grateful for that. But having the ways and means to do more, is and would be —- WONDERFUL!
I would build a vacation resort with a time period style to relive that era.
My biggest dream is to at some point of my life be able to open up a homeless shelter and provide breakfast / dinner and have a free education center /training in maintenance work.I am 46 yrs old but financially have not reached my goal yet and still working on it.Hopefully it will come true someday.I don’t think govt is any good towards this situation,so the community needs to get together and step up into creating something that will help resolve the homeless/ work situation.This is my opinion no offence to anybody.God bless.
Give me the million dollars, then I will tell you.
what I would acomplish. Purchase a home for myself first. look into other streams of income to ectablish my self in lean times as now. Purchas a couple of homes to establish inhome care for the homeless. Do as much as possible to help others . Buy a income property from forclossure.
I would Like too own Three commericial property here in chicago right around the 2016 olympic. and also have my dream of starting my trucking business with fedex.
Hi Doug,
Just hand me the million dollars and you along with others will read my success story. I will begin by purchasing wholesale properties, rehab and resell some and keep others for rentals. As my financial rsources begin to grow, I will also help others who need a hand up in terms of education, purchasing their family home and getting started in real estate investing.
Doug, show me the money.
Keep succeeding and continue tobe a blessing to others.
I would build a half-way house for the homeless to transition themselves back into productive citizens
What I will do with my first million (if lumpsum):
$1000000
- 100000 (Tithes off the top)
900000
- 60000 (Pay off mortgage)
840000
- 200000 (Invest in a stable 5% return)
640000
- 140000 (Purchase 7 local RE fixers with 50% equity/return & resell)
500000
- 5000 (own construction company)
495000
- 70000 (fixup funds for RE fixers)
425000
- 125000 (Funds to lend homeowners & investors @ low-mod interest)
300000
- 250000 (Invest in a RE venture with at least 95% equity & resell)
50000 (Reserve emergency fund)
With my $10K per month income from my investment I will buy a comfy RV & travel for 3 months around the US with my loved one.
When I return its back to business & use the profits from my RE investments to reinvest in more real estate.
I will hire a grant consultant to get funding for my non-profit org which counsels homebuyers & homeowners to purchase and keep their homes.
BTW I would also send Ms. Bernethea Sweet on a wonderful vacation.
Now with my 2nd million I will be able to buy myself a nicer home & do some international travelling myself!
Thanks Doug… Enjoy! & I am looking forward to my dream/plan to materialize soon!!!
Start a company called “This Year”. To help people reach their new year’s resolution of financial freedom. It would be 6 months of training and 6 months of doing. The catch is a required committment from the successful to invest another 6 months in coaching the next crop of winners.
Start a company called “Vacancy Busters” – A company that works with landlords and realtors to provide furnished 3/2, 2/2 homes for home buyers in transition. Landlords need renters – I would provide the furniture and the week-to-week renters for a flat rate. Realtors need solutions for buyers in transition – I would provide houses (OPH – Other People’s Houses) for rent weekly.
If I had a million dollars I would buy properties and rehab them. And then lease them to the low income elderly. And enjoy working with them and my
family.
Well first i think i would build or buy my own nice home.. Then since the economy is like it is on houses and Real Estate. I would invest the rest in homes and property. since i’ve been a nursing home administrator i’m very familiar with checks and balances and bookkeeping and investments. im sure it would take a while for the economy to roll over but when it did i would be ready. investments have to be made at a low price and sold at a profit. im sure i would be very comfortable after the economic change.
What would i do with my first million i would most definitely keep investing so i could turn one million into two million.
A few years ago i sold cloths in a flea market with out a great amount of
success because i didn`t have the funds to invest in big inventory.
So i decided to do what i first loved to raise money which is real estate i invested in the carleton sheets and the john beck`s free an clear real estate
system to get some knowledge.
I got alot of valuable information that i put into action and bought a house it was a nice house but it needed alot of work and i didn`t have the money to rehab it and the banks say i don`t make alot of money so i wasn`t able
to get the funds to fix it up.
So then i decided to put the free an clear into action and hit a few auction but quickly realize that it was bidders that had more money than i so they could outbid me only if the real estate system showed people on fixed income how to be successful.
But i want let that stop me i`m now in the process of having a logo made up for my new clothing line. Because what i do is not just for me but to provide some help to family, friends and the poor but with a million i can reach my goals.
Thanks
God Bless
I would buy a boat and go up and down the coast fishing.
Hey have fun in Thailand I was there in 1974 Best time I ever had.
Hi Dugh, thank you for asking this ? I loved every body’s ideas, what i would do with my million doller is, first 10% for God to help poors, with rest after tax buy wholesale properties with equity, Tax properties and Forclouser properties, fix them & rent them. This mill will help me get off from ground to start in real estate Bus. Thank you Pam
I would prefer to invest in real estate (proprties) which are likely to give me good returns
I will start an annuity program for our grand children (7 so far) and greatgrand children.(4 so far) before I get my first million, say $100,000.00 to $200,000.00, and I will build it to the million dollar mark.
if i had a million dollars id prepay 5yrs of college for my 2 sons, cus honestly,theyre will be 1yr they will struggle and need to repeat. anyways then id buy my dream house, pay off my mothers house. buy a vacation house, start a resteraunt, buy 2 volkswagon routan loaded. and that is definately what id do with a million dollars.
Wow, if for some reason I came into a milllion dollars, the very 1st thing I would do is set enough money aside in a trust for my daughter to have a good comfortable life. She is autistic and I am sure I am not going to live forever. The second thing would do is buy a second home in Florida so we could visit my other daughter more often. It is too hard to stay at a hotel when we visit, so we don’t go very often. If there were enough left over, I would buy a fully equipped mobile home so that we could travel and see the country and be comfortable with daughter’s restrictions.
Thanks for the chance to dream. Have fun in Thailand!!
Hi Dugh,
First i would get myself the dream home i always wanted.
Then i would invest in real estate so that i can better help other. Such as
family and friends. Also i would turn one million into ten million dollars.
I would share this return on investement with the person who gave me the
first million.
THANKS DAVON
I would take care of my family, then start an investment croperation. Buy a house on the beach and have a nice car and play lots of golf.
hi,
with the million dollara i would buy a city so i could let all of the seniors who can not live by themselves have a safe place to live with their animals so that no none has to make a choice to live without a family member
HI Doug Smith,
My wildest deals is to have meand my wife 400.000 dollar home, and to own a lotus car. live in an no outlet cicle, own some properties, help other people attain what I’ve achieved, train other people to do what I do and seed in to the kingdom of God and pray and be properous in the Lord, plus go back to school for License practical Nurse.
also take vacations with my wife and go to Itally, the City of Rome. well happy investing and bless you on your vacation Doug. seeya!
I would start by giving 10% to my church for a scholarship program – then, I would invest, invest, invest. I would invest in real estate and set my kids up in their own real estate. I would set up trust funds for my grandchildren’s education. (Investing in the future). I would pay off my student loans and then get more education and I really think that I would take a couple of weeks off from work and travel.
I would take a trip to hawaii, and buy some properties while I was their. It would be the best days of our lives.
Hello Doug,
If You are for real,you seem to be a very caring person.Doug, I would make sure my family is safe and secure,then help out all of the previous people that responded to your email on this blog. I would do this via real estate investments.
Thank You for your interest,
Anthony Fulgieri
I would share some with my family, buy investment properties, travel and the rest to charities
With my first million dollars I would invest all in real estate in Atlanta, Arizonia, Las Vegas and of course New York………………..I would buy..buy and buy some more
Doug,
Enjoyed the pics. Thanks for sharing.
One million dollars cash would finance three commercial strip malls, with a tenant being a for profit club info-tainment for teenagers, whose mission is to teach money management and capitalist business ideology and history which have and do make our country unique. By the end of the first year each club would generate three additional clubs, growing on the strength of our youth’s intelligence, and money generated from events, which will be duplicated again and again.
Joy
If I had only half a million, I could buy houses and remodel them and then resale them, hat way I could give lots of people jobs. I also would take a trip back to Croatia where I have family still there I have not seen in almost 50 yrs. I would help them also because they are poor. My oldest brother is very ill there. I would buy me a new SUV because I have an old one and it needs repairs. Who knows I might even win the lotto!!! I am looking for investors so I can buy your wholesale deals, there may be one in the making,wish me luck.!!!
I would invest to make more money to help put my ten grandchildren through college. I would love to be able to help other people and give them a chance in life that I never had, be able to give them advise and do the things that my parents and grand parents could not. I am going on 52 and still have time and energy to make it work.
With my first million, I would donate every penny to various childrens hospitals. You don’t miss what you never had.
First, I would have already given 10% plus to my local church. Next I would put 50% of it in my non profit organization, Agape Housing Resources, Inc. which is to help retired pastors, missionaries and Christian school teachers, who are living on low income, with up to 1/2 of their house payments or rental. With most of the other 50% I would invest in homes to hold, rent and sell.
i’m seeing the booming economic in China. this is a well bounded society, where people recognize importance of good location, business growth, and competition. it’s a briliant idea to invest in housing in China. the house i have 5 years ago, sold at twice of price. we are seeing consumer’s confidence insolid real esate. this is a place thay population is greater that land, housing is golden opputunity. and shhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..
that’s where we will start.
What I will do with my first million dollars?
To invest wisely so that I can accomplish my dreams and goals. To develop a true business that will be successful and able to carry on with or without me at the wheel.
To make sure my grand-daughter has the funds needed to finish her college education and that the funds for her brothers education will be there as he begins college in just a few short years. I will take them on a nice vacation and spend quality time with them. Our time together has been very limited.
Find and buy land for my Alpaca farm, enough land that I can raise most of their feed. I have the begining of my farm, 5 Alpaca’s, no land as yet, thus they are currenlty being boarded.
My plans are to be able to provide affordable housing to those that might not be able to live in and have a decent home otherwise. This will include multi-family housing as well as single family homes. There are areas in many communities that have gone down hill. I want to help reclaim some of those areas and help turn those areas back into desirable, safe communites for the current residents and for new residents as well. The people I have met in some of these areas are wonderful and deserve a good safe place in which to live and enjoy their families.
To provide assistant living facilities for our up and comming baby boomers and others that need or prefer this environment in which they can live and enjoy life to the fullest.
There are 3 charities that I have a strong fondness and support for.
1) Nick Vujicic – Live without Limbs His motto is “From No Limbs to NO Limits”. If you have not had the chance to hear him or better yet to meet him he is incredible and so is his journey.
2) World Vision – they support the betterment of children around the world and provide micro financing to countries and to individuals so that people can feed their families. “Feed the Children”
3) A new ministry that my friend Steve has recently begun. What an awesome calling.
Take a little time and travel these United States. I’m sure I could find some good deals during my travels.
Last but not least is to give back and pay it forward. To learn the business well and teach others so that they can be successful also.
My focus is on Real Estate Investing to provide the funds for the above. A million dollars would be a nice jump start to assist me in this quest.
This is the first day of the rest of our lives, let it roll! Let’s make it happen!
God Bless,
MC
I’m going to invest in a really big closet :]
Hi Doug, I would start by getting my credit card approved.When i sigh in for the home leads i get declined every time. HELP OVER HERE! I want option 2. When the leads come in look forward to triple the million dollars on equity for every year. Thank you for the emails. rock on ty
The question being, ‘what would I do with a million dollars?’ my answer is simple. Use it to make your next million and so on, and so on, etc……..Then enjoy and share, once strong passive income has been established, one can be at ease for retirement. Perhaps at first, a more agressive strategy should be applied. Best wishes for all!!! When I have this issue I will let you know. I have considering Doug’s service as I seek info in the fields I choose to discover and be knowledgeable in. I recently have relocated am seeking a new career. I plan to use his info and site. Happy investing!!!!!!