164. REAL DEAL: How to Find, Fund, and Force Your Dream House

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "REAL DEAL: How to Find, Fund, and Force Your Dream House"

Podcast: Real Estate Investing School Podcast
Host: Brody Fawcett
Guest: Zach Memmott
Episode: 164
Date: June 6, 2024

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is a special “Real Deal” installment focused on how Zach Memmott found, financed, and negotiated his way into his (current) dream home. Unlike typical episodes focused on investment properties and cash flow, this conversation dives deep into mindset shifts, expanding personal boundaries, and tactical lessons on navigating complex real estate deals—whether for a primary residence or an investment. The discussion is candid and insightful, offering listeners practical wisdom on stepping into bigger opportunities and creating win-win scenarios in real estate negotiations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Search for the Dream Home

• Long Search & Changing Mindset (03:03–06:25)
  • Zach and his wife house-hacked their first home, living nearly mortgage-free due to a basement renter.
  • As their financial situation grew, Zach felt stagnant: “Nothing in my life has changed drastically… We should shake it up. I want to get out of here.” (03:52)
  • Zach admits to caring little about material things—but values enjoyment and new experiences: “I really enjoy them, but, like, they don't mean a lot to me. Other than they're enjoyable.” (04:19)
  • He sought a specific neighborhood and type of house. After being outbid on one property and missing out, the market shifted, pushing him to expand his search criteria.
  • Eventually, Zach toured a home with unique features (tall ceilings, basketball court) that inspired him: “This would be sick to raise my kids here.” (07:15)

Mindset Shifts: From Comfort to Growth

• A New Environment, New Gratitude (09:13–12:20)
  • Zach reflects on wanting to feel “something different waking up and going to bed”—highlighting how a new space can impact daily mindset.
  • Memorable reflection: “Whatever you wake up to, in a lot of ways, determines how your day goes…it's fun to wake up in a new place.” (09:24)
  • Moving brought unexpected gratitude: “I feel way more gratitude living there, which is really interesting and I think that's very powerful.” (11:13)
  • The discomfort of stretching financially was intentional for Zach: “I started to really analyze discomfort and how I perform better when I'm uncomfortable. So let me go get financially uncomfortable for a minute was kind of the thought process.” (11:24)

Comfort, Nostalgia, and Identity

• Both Brody and Zach reminisce about living simply and the value it brings:
  • Brody: “I have zero issues driving this vehicle...It doesn’t mean I don’t like nice stuff. Like you’re saying, it’s fun…But if I had to switch it, I’m cool.” (12:58)
  • Zach: “For me…it’s fine to go back to the trenches. Like, that’s where I was built. That is who I am…I just don’t want to go back if I need to.” (15:23)
  • The familiarity of humble beginnings is both motivating and grounding for both.

Deal Mechanics: The Art of Finding, Funding, & Forcing a Deal

• Leveraging Equity & Financing (18:12–18:45)

  • Zach took a HELOC (home equity line of credit) on his previous house:
    • Bought for $320k in 2016, appraised at $600k, owed $280k: secured $320k line.
    • Both units’ tenants covered mortgage plus HELOC payment, so the new borrowing didn’t impact cash flow.

• Negotiating the Purchase (18:46–23:09)

  • Target home was listed at $1.7M but sat on the market for 200 days.
  • Initial offers rejected; seller wanted to put it in the Parade of Homes, requiring further investments.
  • Ultimate deal involved agreeing to a $1.9M price, but Zach successfully negotiated upgrades and customizations (notably, the pool type) that required adjusting the contract multiple times—eventually closing at $2,299,000.
  • Candid about complexity: “There was a lot of resistance, though, for somebody that didn’t know how to navigate any of it.” (23:09)
  • Only $180k of Zach’s “own” money was required at closing; the rest came from leveraging existing assets.

• Overcoming Obstacles & Problem Solving (21:13–27:02)

  • Zach describes a challenging process working between builder, the builder’s wife (agent/design), and the funding partner.
  • Key strategy: When confronted with “no” from sellers, keep asking why and look for solutions: “If someone says no…it just means, like, not that way or not right now or not in this…Whatever.” (26:54)

Key Takeaways & Advice for Listeners

• Creating Win-Win Transactions (25:31–27:28)
  • Real estate deals work best when both sides’ motivations are considered and aligned: “All real estate investing is, is figuring out how can I create a win-win.” (26:13)
  • Be persistent, ask questions, and don’t assume a “no” is final.
  • Brody emphasizes: “So many times it’s just a matter of asking the right questions, not walking away from the deal.” (26:43)
• Encouragement to Listeners
  • Zach’s Parting Advice: “Go for it. I think I put myself in a box that I wasn’t even aware that I had put myself in. If you’re willing to get uncomfortable, that’s probably the biggest hurdle…Just do what it takes to win if it’s good for you.” (28:18)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Environment Affecting Mood
  • “Whatever you wake up to, in a lot of ways, determines how your day goes.” – Zach (09:24)
• On Gratitude from Change:
  • “I feel way more gratitude living there, which is really interesting and I think that’s very powerful.” – Zach (11:13)
• On Dealing With Obstacles:
  • “There was a lot of resistance, though, for somebody that didn’t know how to navigate any of it.” – Zach (23:09)
• On Negotiating and Options:
  • “No doesn’t necessarily mean that. It just means, like, not that way or not right now or not in this…Whatever.” – Zach (26:54)
• On Pushing Personal Boundaries:
  • “If you’re willing to get uncomfortable, that’s probably the biggest hurdle…just do what it takes to win if it’s a good deal.” – Zach (28:18)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:03: Introduction; Zach’s early living situation and house hacking.
• 06:25–09:11: Zach expands search, finds the dream house, mindset on “mixing it up.”
• 09:13–12:20: The role of environment in personal growth and gratitude.
• 15:23–18:12: Identity tied to modest roots; thoughts on going “back to the trenches.”
• 18:12–18:45: How Zach leveraged HELOC to fund the purchase.
• 18:46–23:09: The negotiation process, customization, and overcoming seller resistance.
• 23:55–27:28: Problem solving, creating win-win deals, lessons learned.
• 28:18–28:57: Zach’s closing advice—embrace discomfort and go for it.

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a real-world, transparent look at what it takes to step into a larger property—whether as a home or an investment—and the internal shifts required to do so. The conversation balances actionable tactics with deep personal reflection, making it valuable for new and seasoned investors alike. If you’re looking for permission (and a roadmap) to think bigger and push beyond your comfort zone in real estate, this is a must-listen episode.

Transcript

[A]

We, like, walked in, and I just remember being in, like, the living room. It's just like, framed and sheetrocks up and ceilings are super tall, and it's got a basketball court in it. And I'm just like, this would be sick to raise my kids here.

[B]

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Real Estate Investing School podcast. I'm your host, Brody Fawcett, and today we have a real deal episode. For those of you that are just joining us for the first time ever, these real episodes come out every single week on Thursdays. And the purpose of it is to dive into one deal that an investor has done in hopes that you can learn from it and go implement it in your own investing. So it's nice because there's different ways to get experience and to learn. One of those is through your own experience and making mistakes and spending money and losing money. The other is to learn from people who have had success and had failures. So hopefully you're learning as much as you can. Today is going to be really exciting because we have something a little bit different than we normally do. We're still going to talk about a deal, but I have with me Zach Memmott in person. What's up, Zach?

[A]

What's up, dude? So stoked to be here.

[B]

So excited you're here. You guys are ready to move out. I know 100 you've been ready.

[A]

Yeah, I've been ready.

[B]

Which is fun too, because we've actually jammed on. On different, like, what's a good property to buy and what do you look for? And it's been fun, but dude. So we're gonna dive into a legit deal for you guys that are watching it on YouTube. We're gonna throw up some pictures and whatnot so you can actually see if you're cool with that.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Because this house is for freaking awesome.

[C]

It's.

[B]

It's so rad. To put it in perspective, we were talking about earlier, I'm like, if your house was here in Maui, It'd be over 10 million bucks. Like.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So if we can just fly it over here, that'd be great.

[A]

Yeah, it would be way good.

[B]

But quick overview and we'll dive into this thing. So this. This is like, I don't want to say your dream home, but, like, up until this point, this is your dream home. So this is a little bit different. Usually we talk about, you know, these investment properties and what their cash flowing, different things like that. Specifically, I asked if we could talk about this one because I kind of was. Was watching it from the sidelines, from the standpoint of it came up, how are we gonna do this thing? Can we do this thing? What does that look like to now? Like, all the way through fruition where you guys are living there, loving it, enjoying it. So I think it'd be good just because I saw that process and it was so cool watching you go through, like, just the mindset of it, of one figuring out a way to go get it done. And I think a lot of people could learn from that, whether it's like their. Their dream house or just an investment that they don't think they can go take down.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And a lot of that's probably mindset related, but as we kind of dive into it, usually we start with how you found it. And so maybe let's just start. Start there.

[A]

So we were looking, well, for probably, like two years to get out of the home we were in. It's the one that we had bought right after we got married. And.

[B]

And you were house hacking this. Right? Wasn't there.

[A]

Isn't there an apartment there when I. I was selling in Seattle.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Shea would fly home, and she's like, I found one. I'm like, cool. I don't care. Like, if it fits in what we can afford, go ahead. I don't. I'm working, you know, like, yeah, focused. And there was a basement apartment, so we've rented that out since we lived there, which left like 300 bucks remaining for the mortgage. And then they would split utilities with us. So it was really cheap. You know, we lived in it for a long time. And I just got to the point where I was like, man, nothing in my life has changed drastically. My income had, like, drastically changed, but driving the same vehicles, like, living in the same house, I was like, we should shake it up. I want to get out of here. Like, just have. Have some fun. Let's move into something a little more fun. And it's.

[B]

I don't know, which I think is important people to know. Like, you. You're not the monetary guy. Like, you're. You're like, hey, I live in a shack. I'll drive, whatever. Like, it doesn't matter. Like, with what you said with your wife, like, if you like it, you, like. Like, that's. That's how you are. You just don't really care a lot about material things.

[A]

No, I really enjoy them, but, like, they don't mean a lot to me.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Other than they're enjoyable.

[B]

Totally. Well, I think that enjoyment at least, like, Since I've known you, like, I've. I've watched that kind of switch, which has been so fun for me to kind of see where you're, like. Where you're like, I'm enjoying this thing, and I've worked hard, and, like, I'm celebrating, and I think you're holding back from that for so long, and it's cool to see.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't know why I was. But at the time, I was just like, let's. Let's shake things up. Get out of here. So we started looking, and I was very specific on where I wanted to live. I wanted to live, like, on the east bench of Ogden or in South Ogden, only between, like, this address and this one. And so that put us in a specific type of home, because they're all right there.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And we had found one that was, like, 1.5, like, 9, 200 square feet on 2 acres. It was sick. Had. I mean, it was older. It had, like, marble floors and just, like, some crazy things. But I was like, this house is really underpriced for what it is, and the basement's unfinished, and I can finish it and make some money and we could get out of here in a couple years and do something fun with it. But we offered them, like, 1.7, and they're like, no, we have a cash buyer out of California. All right, whatever. They come back to us, like, six months later. Okay, the cash fell through. Do you want this house? And I was like, no. Like, mentally, I've just moved on, not really thinking about it anymore. And we had looked for so long and found so little that I wanted to, like, live in. And I was like, if I'm gonna spend the money, I'm gonna get what I want. Like, if I'm gonna go from this situation that cost me almost nothing to a situation that cost me a lot, it's only going to be for something that I want.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so eventually, it was actually after our first mastermind, I was like, I just got to make it happen, figure something out and get into this other situation. So I expanded, like, the range of area that I would live in. I was like, hey, let's go look at some homes. And I was like, but maybe let's look at these. Because home prices had changed drastically in the amount of time.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, that. That home now is probably, like, 3 million bucks. That one, that was 1.5.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

And it's enormous. Like, 9,000 square feet. It's really sick. But at the time, homes were just cheap like, they. Compared to what they are.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so we start looking again and like, anything at the million mark is nothing that I want to live in.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Relative to what I'm already in.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm like, yeah, it's kind of the same, you know? And so we start looking and we find a couple that like 113 to 1 7. I'm okay. I'm not spending more than 1 7. So we go find this house, and it's in an area I was like, least wanted to live in because it's simply. Because when I drive home from the airport and drop my buddies off, I have another 30 minutes and it sucks when it's one in the morning.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I was like, I don't want to do that. So it was only that. But we, like, walked in and I just remember being in, like, the living room. It's just like framed and Sheetrocks up and ceilings are super tall and it's got a basketball court in it. And I'm just like, this would be sick to raise my kids here. And so we leave and I'm like, we can buy that. Like, told Shay, I was like, you have my permission. Like, go ahead, do it. And so we start doing it. And where do you just want me to go to how. How we found it or what Were you.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. No, you're. No, you're good. It's good. Yeah. Hearing the story, I mean, I think. I think just to kind of what I'm hearing so far, right. And just pausing. I think this is. This is give people a takeaway. Because normally in, like, we tell people just. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Right? And all these things where it's like you give different advice to different people in different situations. And for most people probably even listening to this, like, yeah, you probably. I mean, most people in general live above their means, right? They're. The house they live in is. Is a house that's, you know, they. Not that they shouldn't live in it, but, like, it's probably not an investment property. They probably, you know, are pinching pennies to get it and different things like that. Maybe not the average listener to this show, but just in general, right? So. So usually the advice is like, like, hey, be careful. Like, go get into an investment property. Go house hack. Go find something where you can build some equity and move out and have it worth something, right? And like, you've been doing that for a while, just being, like, very disciplined in what you're doing. You've been in this house for a while, your mortgage was. You're paying 300 bucks, right. And so I think at certain times, like, like I said, different advice for different people. So don't take this and. And be like, hey, I need to go, you know, find my. My parade of homes, like, dream house. But for you, like, it was one of those things where you could afford to do it. And it's kind of fun, exciting, because you're, like, pushing the limits of, like, oh, I'm going to expand my horizon on what I can actually live in and what I want to live in and where I want to raise my family.

[A]

And then just where I wake up in the morning.

[B]

Totally. What do you mean by go to bed?

[A]

I don't know. I think I'm pretty, like, introspective, but I think what. Whatever you wake up to, in a lot of ways, determines how your day goes. And.

[B]

Oh, I love that.

[A]

It's really fun to, like, wake up in a new place, you know, like, if you're on vacation in a sick hotel and you wake up, you're just like, this is sick.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I started to, I think, talking to you and just kind of running through my life and where I was at, what I was feeling. I was like, I've woke up and I've seen the same dresser in the same spot for eight years.

[C]

Like, yeah.

[A]

Same pictures on the wall, same mirror over here. Like, I just want to change it. Like, I want to feel something different when I wake up in the morning, and I want to feel something different as I go to bed at night. Like, as I'm turning all the lights off in my house, I think through this type of stuff, which is weird.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm like, I want that to feel a little bit different. Different.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so, yeah, I just.

[B]

Which. Which, like, you say it now, like, it was just, like, I woke up one morning, I'm like, hey, I want to mix it up. Like, I legit, remember, like, our first. Our first mastermind in. In Las Vegas. And it was like, I. I don't care to have it. Like, I. I'm good. I'm good with this. I'm good with that. And so, like, for those that are listening, that are in that spot of like, hey, like, I'm. I'm fine. I don't need this to be any more happy or whatever. Like, you probably don't right to be more happy. But I love, like, now hearing you talk about it because, like, it was, like, a process, and you went through this change a little Bit and now it's cool to see how excited you are about it.

[A]

Yeah, no, it's. It's just. As I went through it, I started to change my opinions. I was talking to somebody the other day and I was like, I'm pretty sure 99% of the opinions I held 10 years ago, like, don't exist anymore. Like, all been blown up, you know, same probably. But yeah, it's. I don't even know why we got onto this, but it's way more exciting to wake up there. Like way more exciting to go to bed there. It's. It's honestly more fun to turn the lights off at night.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like watching the house shut down, you know what I'm saying?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, that might sound kind of stupid, but I didn't realize. I feel way more gratitude living there, which is really interesting and I think that's very powerful.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I feel gratitude when, like my nieces and nephews are playing in the pool. And like we had the pool heated. They were doing some work on it and it had just. It was freezing. It was like 20 degrees. My kids are like, can we swim? Like hell yeah, you can swim. Like, let's go get in the pool. So it's like middle of winter, they're in the pool. And I'm just full of gratitude. Where our house sits, we get the sickest sunsets. And I'm just like full of gratitude. Yeah, like all the time. And so I didn't realize it would have that effect on me, but I was so comfortable living in this house. And then I started to really analyze discomfort and how I perform better when I'm uncomfortable. So let me go get financially uncomfortable for a minute was kind of the thought process that I came to. But where we were living. Yeah, like, I'd move back there if we needed to, like, and I wouldn't even care. I'd just be fine, like. But it, I didn't realize how complacent I had become because of the environment was so familiar and yeah, it was so easy.

[B]

Totally, man. Yeah, that's how it's. It's funny. I had to go to Home Depot. This is like, I don't know, a couple years ago. And my father in law's truck was parked behind mine. So I'm like, oh, I'll just, I'll just take his, you know, And I. My truck's $100,000 truck. Right, right. And I think his is 2500 bucks and it's stick shift. And I drove to Home Depot. I just Took his truck. And I'm like, this is legit.

[C]

Like.

[B]

Like, I really, like, swear. Not even lying. I. I have zero issues driving this vehicle.

[A]

I can totally relate.

[B]

I'm cool with it. 100 doesn't mean I don't like nice stuff. Like, you're saying, like, it's fun. It's fun to work hard for it. And I love it, like, love driving my truck, but it's like, if I had to switch it, I'm cool.

[A]

Yeah. So what? Right?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

We just wrecked Shay's car. Like, totaled it, and I.

[B]

This one. You put. Put regular or gasoline? No, no, no.

[A]

I put gas in her diesel twice. So I'm not used to it.

[B]

Brand.

[A]

Yeah, but we had just bought her that, and our house is on a hill, and it had snowed. We go around the corner, and within, like, five seconds, I was like, babe, I'm sliding, and I'm not gonna be able to stop. And so we. By the time we hit this curb, we're probably going 65 miles an hour down this hill. And it just, like, busted the wheels off the car, bent the axles all up, bent the frame. And so, like, looking at it, you can't really tell. Besides, the wheels are all messed up.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But it totaled it. And so she's been driving my truck, and I asked my stepdad. I was like, hey, can I borrow one of the cars? So I'm in this, like, 2014 CR v. Freaking love it, dude. Like, I'm happy to drive it every day.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

No issues. Like, I don't mind it at all.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I don't know why that is, but I know it's.

[B]

You know what's interesting, too, because I. I mean, you and I both have a sales background, but, like, I remember. And maybe it has something to do with, like, bringing you back to those days. Like, because we did it when we. I want to say didn't have to do it, but really, like, didn't have to do it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Now you. You like it. Just. You cherish it that much more. And I remember.

[A]

Yeah, it's familiar.

[C]

It is.

[B]

And I remember being in Toledo, Ohio, in the middle of a summer. Humid, hot.

[A]

And.

[B]

And the window on the driver's side wouldn't roll down. All the other ones would roll down, but not the driver's side. And no ac. Right.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

And. And there was no AC because I hit a tire that was in the middle of, like, the freeway, and it took out the radiator, and I literally had bungee cords holding it together. Right.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And sweating do talk about like, you have motivation to get out of your car because it's better, it's better weather outside than it is inside. You're not like sitting in your car and not going to, going to work because you're so hot. And so it's just one of those things where it was like that for months because I'm like, okay, do I want to go spend, you know, the 1400 bucks that it takes to fix this? Or I could save that up for something else, you know, and just grid it out, grind it out. And like, man, those are the, those are the cherished moments. Same with living in the house. Like house hacking and doing. You did.

[A]

I think that the familiarity aspect is one of them. But I also think for me, I've talked to guys about this, but it's like I'm fine to go back to the trenches. Like that's where I was built.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That's where my identity comes from. Like, that is who I am.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I just don't want to go back if I need to.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I get a chance to go back, I do cherish it. It's familiar. It's like nostalgic in, in ways. But yeah, I don't miss it necessarily.

[B]

I. I remember when we got married, like my mom and my mother in law, they both brought some things that like represented me and Andrea's mom. Some stuff represented her. But one of the things was that her mom had was like a dollar and she was just talking about Andrea and she was like, if she needs to like be on a budget and be good with money, like she will be the best at it and can like sacrifice and do that. She's like, but if she doesn't need to and she can go spend it like and can afford it, then she will also. Right. And so like just those traits, I love that. And that's exactly how she is. And she was on board with, you know, our whole real estate journey and just sacrificing for the future, but kind of the same, same concept. And I think that I've said this before, but like, even with. We call it our blue house. Right. Because it was this blue house that we bought and it was like, wasn't our first property that we bought, but it was the first one we bought and lived in together. And it was, there's a basement unit and we lived upstairs. And even to this day we talk about it, we're like, you go back to the blue house. You know, we bought it for 160 grand. And like, even when we moved out at the time, this is probably a lot like, for you in a certain, certain aspect. But when we moved out, it was. It wasn't because, like, we needed to go get a bigger and better house. And I think sometimes people see that from the outside, but it was literally like we thought we were doing so good because the basement tenants were paying for our mortgage. And reality was us living there was. Was costing us an opportunity of renting it out. Right. And so we're losing money instead, we could be getting another house that's being paid for by the people upstairs. And so kind of having that realization is what made us move. But we always talk about, like, dude, we could go back.

[A]

Well, yeah. And that's. That kind of ties into. If we want to get into, like, how the deal went on this house.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's what we're supposed to talk about right back there. This is. Like I said, this episode is going to be a little bit different this time.

[A]

It was. So we found this house. I remember walking in, being impressed by it, saying, let's do it. And then I was like, I. I didn't know. I didn't know anything about anything. Like, because the first house, I wasn't even there when she bought it. Like, I just let her go and she did it and I, you know, docu signed some stuff and it was over with.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And like, I had. When I finally saw we already owned it, like, I had just still been selling in Seattle at the time.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I didn't know anything about real estate or investing or whatever. And really my first exposure to it was talking to you a little bit and kind of coming to realize I could leverage that house against, you know, to get me into this other one. And so ended up working through maybe.

[B]

Tell me what you did to leverage when you say that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What'd you do to leverage it?

[A]

Yeah. So I'm trying to remember the whole process of what came first, but I just did a HELOC on it. So a home equity line of credit. We had bought the house for 320 grand, I want to say, back in 2016.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And it appraised for 600. We owed 280. So they gave us 320 basically back on. It's just interest only for a year. But the really cool thing is the upstairs tenants and the downstairs tenants pay the mortgage and the HELOC payment and it still cash flows. So I get it's all covered. So I took that money and put it towards this house. But getting into that house, it was listed at 1.7, and it had been sitting for 200 days. They tried to make the parade the year before and couldn't get materials. So we offer them one point, like, 68. And they're like, no, like, all right, what do you want? But I remember calling you. I'm like, what do I do? And you're like, well, what do they actually want? Like, well, it's got to be money. So I call them back, no, ask them what they want. So we talked to him again. Our real estate agent does like, no, we just got permission to put it in the parade this year. So we want to do that. But if we do that, we have to put the pool in. We have to put the heated driveway stuff in. We have to do this, this, this. So the price is going to change. I'm like, okay, well, what's it going to? What's the new price or 1.9? And I told Shea, like, 1.7 is where I'd go. But I. Two things that I will, like, just rebel very hard against is being told, no, I'm being told I can't. Yes, I'm going to. I don't even care if I care that much. But if you tell me that I'm going. And it's this deficiency in me, I guess, but because they had, like, challenged me on it and told me I couldn't have it, and then I go, we're putting in the parade, so you can't. I'm like, well, tell me what I need to do to lock it up prior to that. So they come back at 1.9, and I didn't like the pool they were putting in. It was the vinyl liner pool in this big old house. And I didn't feel like it fit very well. And so I was like, well, I want a gunite pool with the spa built in. And this, this, like, well, you can't do it. And I just. Just thought at the time, I was like, there must be some money. And the pool for the home builder, I don't know why he would care, you know, if I do this or not. So anyways, we sign at 1.9, and then I go back to him. Okay, I'm putting this pool in. So we need to adjust the home price. And they were not happy about it. Oh, but during this process, I should probably bring this up. If we're talking about what it took to get it done, My real estate agent and the builder could not get along. And the builder's wife was the real estate agent, and they. So I just cut him out entirely. Like, stopped using my real estate agent for anything. And then the builder had a funder that made all the decisions. So if I went to the builder, he'd have to go back to the funder back. Well, they want to do this pool now. We have to amend this document.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so they were ticked about. About me trying to change the pool because they're like, well, that's not gonna. We're not gonna make the deadline for the parade. So I find a pool contractor that's like, I will absolutely make that deadline.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I'll put everything on hold. I'll make the deadline. And he lives, like, four blocks from me, and he's big in northern Utah for pools. So they bring this, the guy that has the money down to talk with us, and he walks up to me and goes, I'm Eric Stevenson. My name's the one that's on this house. Like, what's up, man? Mine's the one replacing yours because he was kind of a butthead. Okay. He's like, I'm the one that's. My name's going to replace yours on this house. Nice to meet you. Let's get this stuff ironed out. Because I'm not really here to chit chat, like, I don't want to be here type of deal. So anyways, we get the pool contractor in, and it's just constant, like, tension because the builder and his wife was. The wife was panicking, like, we're not gonna make the parade. We're not gonna make the parade. She's also the interior designer on the house.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So they built it interior, designed it. Like, they really wanted to put their name in the parade, and so we had to amend the price. And they're like, yeah, it's gonna be 2.3 something, something. And I was like, well, I'm gonna have to amend my taxes to do that, which might have been true. I don't know. So I can do 2.299. And that will make it. So I don't have to amend my taxes, but that will make this really easy. Let's just get it done. And they're like, all right, fine, 2.299. So we. We get it done. I. I only put 180 grand of my own money down on this house, but we put 500 total down because we had the money from the HELOC, got the pool we wanted. Yeah. Got all the landscaping was done. It was fully furnished. Like, we didn't take anything besides our clothes and our cars from the old house and our pots and pans and stuff. Yeah, it was completely done and cool. There was a lot of resistance, though, for somebody that didn't know how to navigate any of it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, dude. Well, I, I. It's. I mean, a couple good things. We're both on time, but a couple things I want to pull out of that just to make sure people are picking up and can apply. Because if the way it worked was you're kind of confused, right? Like, okay, you're asking this much. I'm offering you this much, and then you're saying no. And it was kind of like our conversations were like, yeah, they said no. Like, what? What's a way to get it done? Like, how can we figure this thing out? You know? And it was just kind of like, well, there's got to be a reason, right? And there's always a win win. And that's, like. Because that was, I don't know, the time frame between, like, getting. Getting a no and then figuring out a solution. But it wasn't. It wasn't overnight. It wasn't in a week.

[A]

Probably, like, three weeks.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So it took some time, right.

[A]

Because we were here in Maui when they told us no, and I was like, I was not worried about it.

[B]

Yeah, you were, like, done. Yeah, you were, like, done.

[A]

Okay, I'm gonna play around, you know?

[B]

Yeah. Well, this one was cool because it was like, okay, well, well, why? Let's figure out why, right? And. And just, like, sales, like, how do you create a win win scenario? And that's when you found out, okay, it was because of XYZ is because they wanted to make the parade of homes. And then it's like, okay, like, is that it? Boom. Like, let's figure that out. You know, we can solve that problem. We can work with you. And I was telling Jackson this because I just got a bunch of, like, fitness equipment. You just saw it in my garage, about half of it. But the guy, like, it was just for sale on Facebook, you know? And I messaged him, like, four months ago when he was selling, was listed a lot higher than what I got it for. And just seeing how flexible he was on price, I was kind of putting together my gym, and he wasn't really willing to budge much. And then he reaches out to me, you know, last week and was like, hey, you still interested in this? Like, I'm ready to get rid of it. And he's like, what would you pay for It. I'm like, well, my gym's kind of built out now, but I'll give you this for it. And he's like. He's like, all right, done. I'm like, oh. I told him, like, I'll give you this for it. But, like, honestly, I don't have space for all of it yet. I want to build, like a detached garage and have more of a gym space, but I'm like, it's going to take me a minute before that's built. And he's like, okay. He's like, I'll take what you can fit and what you want. And he's like, I have a extra garage at my house. I'll store everything for you.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

And. And so later I found out, like, he sold a company that he started for, you know, 100 plus million bucks. And just like that. Not saying you can only be a problem solver if you're an entrepreneur, but like, there was. He was willing to solve the problem. You know, it was like, hey, like, this is. Here's the issue. I don't have space for it, so if I buy it, I have to go pay for storage somewhere. And he's like, let's figure out a solution. And I feel like some people are just like, nope, that's not what it's for. It doesn't work. And so I, I think if there's anything to pull out of this, everything you've went through and talked about and touched on, even though we've. We've dove deep and gone about this different, I think people are going to love this just from the mindset component of it.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

But it just like you said, if someone says no, which is what happened, it's like, wait, why? You know, and that's all, dude, that is all real estate investing is, is figuring out, hey, how can I create a win win, Right. Has to be win for me because I'm investing in this and I'm buying it. Right. But I also realize it has to be a win for you because you're the one that's selling the property. So let's, let's figure out a way where we can create that. If it's a win lose or a lose win, it doesn't work. Right. Real estate does not work.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so many times it's just a matter of asking the right questions, right? Not walking away from the deal, but like, okay, well, what would it look like? Why? Why won't? This work? Or hypothetically, if it were to work.

[A]

In a lot of instances, in Life, like, no, doesn't necessarily mean that. It just means, like, not that way or not right now or not in this. Whatever.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

You know, and especially with lending. Well, and I was gonna ask you this, like, who has a. A tighter box? Is it the seller or the buyer? Because I would feel like the buyer probably has harder lines. They have to stay in.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I would just. If I could go back and do it again, I would have pushed the seller on where they could go harder. Like, what. What else can you do? Or how can this work? Or whatever. Because I think in a lot of cases, if someone's trying to sell something, they need it to go.

[C]

Yeah, Yeah.

[B]

I think it depends on the market, too, a lot of times, right. Supply and demand. And it's. It's like, say, a buyer's market or a seller's market. And so I think a lot of it depends on how much demand there is and how flexible people are willing to. To get. But overall, dude, like, that's why there's always a win, right? It's like, okay, you need X amount of dollars for your house. I am looking at cash on cash return. Right. So more important than the purchase price to me is my down payment, so I can pay you more than X amount of dollars that you want for your house so you're happy. And for me, instead of putting a traditional 20% down, you're going to carry X amount of dollars of it. Or it's just like, there's so many ways to make it work. And so, love, love, we were able to dive into that one, man. And. And anything kind of in. In closing, we'll wrap this thing up. That, that you want to leave us with.

[A]

No, I would just say go for it. You know, Like, I think I put myself in a box that I wasn't even aware that I had put myself in. I was just, like, living very comfortably. And I think if you're willing to get uncomfortable, that's probably the biggest hurdle. Right. And two people are, oh, I can't do that, because they'll make something up. It's actually just uncomfortable for them. They may not have the education on it or, oh, that might stretch my money a little thin or whatever it is. Yeah, you want to get uncomfortable and then just do what it takes to win if it's a. If it's good, like, if that's a good deal. And, yeah, I mean, if it's. Don't do that when it's detrimental, like, but do it if it's going to be a win for you. Like, figure it out. Make it happen.

[B]

Love it. Dude, wise words to end on. Thank you guys for tuning in. Thanks Zach, for sure. Dropping some some bombs on this deal and go find your dream property. Be going to make it happen. Thanks, guys.