As an intellectual property lawyer for some of the world’s most notable technology companies including Microsoft and Facebook, JB Im spends most of his days negotiating contracts and advising clients on the do’s and don’ts of new technology. In fact, it’s the breakneck speed at which technology develops that intrigues JB most.
“Technology changes so quickly, and I think that’s fascinating. The laws haven’t caught up yet. It’s like the speed of light. Things are moving so quickly and we’re in the cross hairs,” JB said.
Yet despite his draw to the fast-paced, JB’s investment portfolio was still stuck in the past. Along the path of his career, JB had accumulated plenty of stock options from the well-known tech giants who employed him, which made up the majority of his assets. So while his investment portfolio may have been profitable, it was far from diverse.
“At one point, many, many years ago, it was all Microsoft stock,” JB said. “And I was like, ‘That’s not good.’ But in hindsight if I had kept it there, it might have been good, because Microsoft stock was $30 a share at one point. And now it’s like, $300 a share. It’s crazy!”
It wasn’t until his brother-in-law Dan suggested he diversify his portfolio that he even considered other forms of investing. Dan had experienced success in the real estate investing market, and convinced JB that it may be time to finally give it a try.
With Dan’s guidance, JB Im began buying and renting out houses.
“I give him credit or blame him for all my investment strategies into real estate,” JB joked. “But I think it’s a win-win right now, because number one, it does diversify my portfolio. There’s also a steady stream of income coming in, which is great. And based on what the economy is doing, I think it makes a lot of sense.”
The real estate investments ultimately transitioned into syndications, which JB Im thinks is for the better. First and foremost, syndicated investments offer a more passive way for this self-identified “non-investor” to get involved in the game.
“I’ve moved away from buying and renting out houses by myself and have started putting more and more funds into syndicated investments. It’s probably the most natural thing for me and my wife,” JB said. “The interest is so much more than what I would get from a bank or some of the other investments. So that definitely attracted me.”
The low-stress nature of syndicated investing also is particularly attractive to this full-time attorney.
“I’ve got friends who day trade. I don’t know how they do it. It takes too much time and effort. So I think just removing myself from those kinds of ups and downs, and all of that decision-making — it’s so much less stressful,” JB explained.
All in all, JB Im has his brother-in-law Dan to thank rather than blame for getting him involved on the syndicated side of real estate investing, and his stock portfolio thanks him, too.
About the Author:
Leslie Chunta is a marketing consultant with nearly 15 years of experience in creating dynamic marketing programs and building brands for startups to enterprise organizations. She has worked agency- and client-side with high-growth companies that include Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan Chase, SailPoint, EMC, Spanning Cloud Apps, Ashcroft Capital, Netspend, and Universal Studios. www.thelabcollective.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action.