Since it is looking more and more likely that we aren't going to get a renovation loan and will therefore have to do it the long and slow way, I decided to count my crypto pennies and have a look what might come in handy. While the majority of my holdings are in Steem, over the last 2.5 years I have spread a little into other crypto assets and since I am a holder, the highs of a couple of years ago aren't looking quite the same now below the line.
I expect that most of the shitcoins I hold are going to fail and my only real hope for them is that they will ride Bitcoin up and I can sell them and perhaps make a little profit. Even if they only go to half ofwhere they were, that'd be okay. I also hold tiny bits of some other coins that I think will do well, with a touch of Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as some Enjin, Tron and a few others that might survive longer than the next flash in the pan, bullrun.
Before the "great crypto boom of the 20s" as it will be known in the future, In the interim we will be able to have a small amount of starting renovation budget and will be able to get a few key components completed that will add some value. If we do this fast enough and get a reevaluation for a higher amount on our home, we should be able to borrow against it for the rest of the renovations. This means being very selective in what we choose to invest the initial resources into.
But, even if we don't get the loan, while very tight, we should be able to gather small amounts of capital from our work and continually do something, one room at a time. All things remaining equal, we would be looking at 3-4 years of renovation time doing it this way, maybe a bit more. That is okay and in some ways, it is even better as while it will take significantly longer, we will have a much smaller loan to service while simultaneously be building equity into the house piece by piece.
However, what I am crossing my fingers on and actually think there is a decent chance of is that Bitcoin will make a move and the alt coins will follow on the coattails. This means that while I do not plan on dumping, I can ladder some out that will go directly into the investment into our home - effectively diversifying assets, something I do not have much of currently.
Then there is the potential for ongoing earnings without affecting the wallet principle through Steem with small amounts from curation and posting aiding significantly in the cost of materials for the house. I wouldn't sell any a 17 cents for this, but if for example it hit a dollar, I could take a little to tide me over until it hits two, and then five. At that point, small amounts would finish the renovation and then, small amount would make significant inroads into the monthly mortgage payment.
This will mean that while Steem is up, I would be able to use it to shorten the loan time without having to *dump my load* and miss being a Steem holder when it goes to ten. It is strange to think about perhaps and some people might have differing views, but part of the reason that I want to have significant Steem holdings is so that in that future I have been working towards, I will be able to provide something significant for others that they can use to improve their lives.
Currently, the value of Steem is pennies and even the largest voters on the platform do not add significant amounts of "real-world" value to other users, but they do add significant *Steem* value. Those who are earning Steem value and holding are going to benefit later, while those who are selling it now will have to rely on others later also. For some this is the way it must be, for many it is the way they choose it to be - *Steem is a marshmallow test.*
What I find interesting about crypto is the literal pennies now have an unknown future value that can be well and truly on the upside, and while I do not think that many (if any) will ever see the growth bitcoin has and will, there are plenty that will see a lot of movement upward, as they can't really move that far downward.
I think Steem is one of these and I am glad that I have been able to do what I have done these last 3 years and get a significant amount under my belt. It has not been done alone as I have required support to be here, and I am grateful. I think this gratitude to others for having the faith to support me is a huge part of the emotional justification for holding Steem, and the relative "guilt" for even contemplating selling.
Yes, it is my STEEM and I have earned it, but people have also invested their value into my content and me, often with the hope that I will in turn be a healthy influence and add value above what I have gained. Eventually, it is a pay it forward system, but that does require having something to put forward into the community, since it is a stake-based platform.
I am a small account here and I do not think that most people consider my vote having that much worth, but as I see it, I am giving away 20 dollars or more f future value with every vote, and if those who receive can hold, they will see benefits. In that future, the crypto pennies that can't be used for much now will be able to invest into other aspects of life, build businesses, buy food, dig a well or in my case, hopefully pay off my own home to secure a roof over my family's head going forward.
It has been hard the last few years for my family and I have the sense that if we keep struggling to maintain the status quo, we will be slowly crushed until we can no longer hold on. I believe that the entire global economy is under the same pressure and most are heading for the same result. While it might seem risky to invest into uncertainty, there is nothing riskier than investing into staying the same.
Those crypto pennies can add up, so it might be worth getting a piggy bank and saving what you can.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
