CW 657 FBF - Og Mandino, Peter DeGrgori & Richard Lillycrop- The Seeds Of Success & Fending Off An IRS Attack

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Welcome to the Creating wealth show with Jason Hartman. You're about to learn a new slant on investing, some exciting techniques and fresh new approaches to the world's most historically proven asset class that will enable you to create more wealth and freedom than you ever thought possible. Jason is a genuine, self made multimillionaire who's actually been there and done it. He's a successful investor, lender, developer and entrepreneur who's owned properties in 11 states, had hundreds of tenants, and been involved in thousands of real estate transactions. This program will help you follow in Jason's footsteps on the road to your Financial Independence Day. You really can do it. And now, here's your host, Jason Hartman with the complete solution for real estate investors.

Welcome to another edition of Creating Wealth. This is Jason Hartman and we're glad to have you listening today. A Few things. We have a three part show for you today, but before we get to that, I just want to mention a few things. Number one, I hate it when I go to those real estate seminars or I hear some salesman selling any product under the sun and they tell me this is the best time ever to buy this widget or whatever it is, right? Well, I do have to say that this is becoming a very, very, very opportune time to be investing in real estate. With the Federal Reserve's actions this past week and the week before, we are coming into a time of exceptionally cheap mortgage money. As you've heard me talk about many times in the past. The mortgage is a major part of the real estate asset and because of this artificial reduction in interest rates and this loosening of the money supply caused by the mortgage meltdown which became apparent last year, especially last August, but you could see the seeds of it long time before that. Obviously it is becoming a very, very good time to, to be stocking up on cheap debt. And the other side of this, of course I want to remind you, is that this means we will have more inflation because the money supply is being loosened more than it should be in a time where we already have a lot of inflationary pressure. And I tell you we're going to do a show on this in the future. But, but there is so much inflation heading our way, in my opinion over the next 10 years or so as India and China's economies continue to boom and grow and more consumption occurs. So we'll talk about that later. But suffice it to say, pay Attention, the market is soft. There's kind of a perfect storm developing right now. And you've got developers who are under a lot of pressure nationally. These are very motivated sellers. We, we are striking incredible deals with them. At the same time, the other factor you have is the mortgage money is getting very cheap. And then the third factor here is that even though the mortgage money is getting cheap because of the mortgage crisis, lenders are still leery and conservative and a little bit scared, as they should be. They should have been more careful years ago and we wouldn't have been in this mess. But regardless of that, it is harder for your renters to qualify to borrow. But those who can qualify have a very, very great opportunity right now because they can borrow at really, really opportune, really, really low, low rates. Think about it. Two months ago, mortgage rates were 14% higher than they are today, approximately. Of course, it depends on your qualifying situation and it's a little more complicated. But if you got a mortgage two months ago, you would have paid significantly more in your interest rate. And remember, when you talk about interest rates, don't talk about it like the rates are up or down 1%. Talk about it like what is the relative difference in those rates. And from two months ago it's about a 14% difference. That's extremely significant. All right, a couple of reminders. We cooperate with brokers. I want to just remind you, I really don't mention this very much on the show here, but we are an open network and a lot of real estate brokers and mortgage people outsource their investor clients to us. And so we do cooperate with brokers. So keep that in mind if you are a licensed real estate person.

Remember you're listening to Flashback Friday. Our new episodes are published every Monday and Wednesday. Also, we are moving next month. We've got a big beautiful new office that we are moving to in Costa Mesa, California, right by the very famous South Coast Plaza area. We're going to be almost triple the size in terms of office space and it's a nice upgrade for us. So just know that we are moving soon and our new address will be on the website. And we are growing quickly. We have career opportunities available. If you're interested, talk with any one of our investment counselors or visit the careers page on our website@jasonhartman.com if you're interested in franchises, talk to us about that. Check out the franchise page on our website as well and be sure I know a lot of you listening are non local listeners. We have listeners from 26 countries at last count, all around the world. And you can get on our conference calls. They are 100% free. And the difference between the conference calls and the Creating wealth podcast show is that the conference calls are a little bit more timely and we usually have on them a lot of different speakers and a lot of guests, a lot of local market specialists from various areas. So just wanted to mention those few reminders and housekeeping items to you. And let's get on with the show now. We have a three, three part show for you today. The first part, I want to share something that really, really changed my life. It is an inspirational sort of poem or prayer, if you will. And it is by one of my very favorite mentors from many years ago, Og Mandino, the late Aug Mandino. You may have heard of Aug Mandino, read his books, very famous. Probably his most famous work was called the Greatest Salesman in the World. But he's written many books and is an excellent famous speaker worldwide for many, many years. Just a tremendous guy. And a long time ago I picked up a book called Mission Success probably when I was about, oh, I'm going to guess I was about 20 years old, maybe 21 years old at the time. And so I'll share a little bit about that. And then we have a prior guest back on the show today, Peter De Gregory, who is a CPA who specializes in working with real estate investors and business owners. And he will be talking about another way that the IRS is picking on us and attacking us and how to make sure we keep them out of our way and keep them from bothering us. And I think you'll be interested in that. And then last but not least, we have one of our clients who will be on this show today, and that is Richard Lillycrop, frequent listener and hi Richard. I'm sure you're probably listening now from England, who we'd be talking about some of his reasons for investing in American real estate from abroad, the currency exchange rate issues and why he likes American real estate so much. So I think you'll enjoy that. First, the Seeds of Success by Og Mandino. Now this is a story and I would highly recommend you get the book. I believe it's out of print, but you can still find it on the Internet. And I was able to find the tape, yes, the cassette tapes, and buy them used on the Internet. I couldn't find them new and I someone must have borrowed my version of it from long ago, but I used to listen to this multiple times a day. And it was really, really inspiring for me, just in setting my mindset right. I used to listen to it every single morning. And I think you will really like this. This is a story about a young man who, during World War II, was stationed over in England. And he met an older woman who became his mentor. And she mentored him and helped teach him about life and success and good mindset and a good attitude and all of these things. And when he left England, she gave him this book called the Seeds of Success. And in this book was this beautiful little verse that you're about to hear. It's about five minutes long. And we'll just start with the part where he is opening the gift as he's leaving England. And then he will read the Seeds of Success. And then we will go on with Peter after that, and then our client from England. So listen in, I think you'll enjoy this. And you may want to just play it over and over and over because it is really inspiring and really beautiful.

Our enlisted men were already engaged in a serious poker game when our C47 transport lifted off from Scotland's Prestwick Airport early on the first day of the new year. Bob had his clipboard out and was writing another letter to his wife. Hank was agonizing over a crossword puzzle, and Tim had his face against one of the small windows, scowling at the Atlantic Ocean far below.

Winnie. I reached into my travel bag and removed her gift that I had carried close to my heart on that last mission. I carefully peeled the gold foil away from a thin red leather book. On its jacket cover, embossed in gold, were the words the Seeds of Success. Clipped to the COVID was a letter dated December 1, 1944.

Dear Luke, by the time you open this package, there probably be an ocean between us, but neither distance nor time will ever really separate us. Here, with all my love, is this tiny book. I have asked many favors of you, and you have never disappointed me. I now ask one more, the most important of all. Every morning, take a few minutes to read the Seeds of Success.

When you do, you will plant seeds of love and sharing and courage and perseverance into your subconscious mind that will produce a glorious harvest throughout the day. Because you have programmed yourself for success, not failure, for joy, not hate, forgiving, not forging.

Later in your life, after you prove to yourself that using the seeds of Success has borne good fruit, you are free to share them with the world if you wish, providing that you're willing to offer yourself as a living example of their value. When and if you do, just tell them that it was your legacy from an old lady who loved you very much.

God bless Winnie.

I folded the letter carefully and tucked it away. Then I began to read the words in the little book. Except for two days when I was recovering from surgery, there has not been a day in the past 40 years when I faced the world without first reading these words from the seeds of success.

God, I thank you for this day. I know I have not accomplished as yet all you expect of me, and if that is your reason for bathing me in the fresh dew of another dawn, I am most grateful. I am prepared at last to make you proud of me. I will forget yesterday with all its trials and tribulations, aggravations and setbacks, angers and frustrations. The past is already a dream from which I can neither retrieve a single word nor erase any foolish deeds. I will resolve, however, that if I have injured anyone yesterday through my thoughtlessness, I will not let this day sunset before I make amends, and nothing I do today will be of greater importance. I will not fret the future. My success and happiness does not depend on straining to see what lurks dimly on the horizon, but to do this day what lies clearly at hand. I will treasure this day, for it is all I have. I know that its rushing hours cannot be occasional, accumulated, or stored like precious grain for future use. I will live as all good actors do when they are on stage only in the moment. I cannot perform at my best today by regretting my previous acts, mistakes, or worrying about the scene to come.

I will embrace today's difficult tasks, take off my coat, and make dust in the world. I will remember that the busier I am, the less harm I am apt to suffer. The tastier will be my food, the sweeter my sleep, and the better satisfied I will be with my place in the world. I will free myself today from slavery to the clock and calendar. Although I will plan this day in order to conserve my steps and energy, I will begin to measure my life in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not seasons, in feelings, not figures on a dial. I will remain aware of how little it takes to make this a happy day. Never will I pursue happiness because it is not a goal, just a byproduct. And there is no happiness in having or getting, only in giving. I will run from no danger I might encounter today because I am certain that nothing will happen to me that I am not equipped to handle with your help. Just as any gem is polished by friction, I am certain to become more valuable through this day's adversities. And if you close one door, you always open another for me. I will live this day as if it were Christmas. I will be a giver of gifts and deliver to my enemies the gift of forgiveness. My opponents, tolerance, my friends, a smile, my children, a good example. And every gift will be wrapped with unconditional love. I will waste not even a precious second today in anger or hate or jealousy or selfishness. I know that the seeds I sow I will harvest because every action, good or bad, is always followed by an equal reaction. I will plant only good seeds this day. I will treat today as a priceless violin. One may draw harmony from it and another discord, yet no one will blame the instrument. Life is the same, and if I play it correctly, it will give forth beauty. But if I play it ignorantly, it will produce ugliness. I will condition myself to look on every problem I encounter today as no more than a pebble in my shoe. I remember the pain so harsh I could hardly walk and recall my surprise when I removed my shoe and found only a grain of sand.

I will work convinced that nothing great was ever achieved, without enthusiasm to do anything today that is truly worth doing. I must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in with gusto and scramble through as well as I can. I will face the world with goals set for this day, but they will be attainable ones, not the vague, impossible variety declared by those who make a career of failure. I realize that you always try me with a little first to see what I would do with a lot. I will never hide my talents. If I am silent, I am forgotten. If I do not advance, I will fall back. If I walk away from any challenge today, my self esteem will be forever scarred. And if I cease to grow even a little, I will become smaller. I reject the stationary position because it is always the beginning of the end. I will keep a smile on my face and in my heart, even when it hurts. Today I know that the world is a looking glass and gives back to me the reflection of my own soul. Now I understand the secret of correcting the attitude of others and that is to correct my own. I will turn away from any temptation today that might cause me to break my word or lose my self respect. I am positive that the only thing I possess more valuable than my life is my honor. I will work this day with all my strength, content in the knowledge that life does not consist of wallowing in the past, appearing anxiously at the future. It is appalling to consider, contemplate the great number of painful steps by which one arrived at a truth so old, so obvious, and so frequently expressed. Whatever it offers, little or much, my life is now.

I will pause whenever I am feeling sorry for myself today and remember that this is the only day I have and I must play it to the fullest. What my part may signify in the great hole, I may not recognize, but I am here to play it, and now is the time I will count this day a separate life. I will remember that those who have fewest regrets are those who take each moment as it comes. For all that it is worth. This is my day. These are my seeds. Thank you, God, for this precious garden of time.

Just a reminder, you're listening to Flashback Friday. Our new episodes are published every Monday and every Wednesday.

Well, did you enjoy the Seeds of Success? Isn't that just a wonderful thing? Play it over and over. I highly recommend it. I have heard it thousands of times and I just love it. One of the parts I love the best is where it says, I will live as all good actors do when they are on stage, only in the moment. I cannot perform at my best today by regretting my previous act's mistakes or worrying about the scene to come. And then one of my other favorites is I will treat today as a priceless violin. One may draw harmony from it and another discord, yet no one will blame the instrument. Life is the same, and if I play it correctly, it will give forth beauty. But if I play it ignorantly, it will produce ugliness at the end. He says, I will remember that those who have fewest regrets are those who take each moment as it comes for all that it is worth. So enjoy the Seeds of Success. Get the book if you can find it and you're lucky enough, get the audio version because I think that's particularly inspiring. And just read it over and over. Play it over and over. OG Mandino is just wonderful man, just did a great job with that. So thank you to OG. Let's talk to Peter de Gregory and let's hear a little bit about the IRS and what they are doing to that holy grail of tax benefits, that real estate professional status. Now, as an investor, this does not necessarily have anything to do with having a real estate license or being in the real estate business as a broker, a salesperson. This is a status that is available to real estate investors and it can really help you save on life's largest expense. But the irs, you know they're hungry for money and they are cracking down a little bit on this. So I want you to hear from the expert just for a few moments here about what's going on there. And then we want to welcome our client, Richard Lillycrop, and end the show with that. And thanks so much for listening. Here is Peter. It's my pleasure to welcome back a prior guest, Peter De Gregory, a CPA based in Newport Beach, California, with Vertical Advisors. And you can visit his website@verticaladvisors.com I want to say before we get into the topic of the day today that Peter is a tax expert. However, remember that this is group tax advice, so it's general in nature, and your tax situation may be different. Taxes are a complex subject. So whatever you hear here on our podcast, this one, or any of the podcasts for that matter, be sure you talk with your individual advisor or call Peter's office and retain him for your individual advice so that all of the advice is tailored to your specific situation. Peter, welcome.

Thanks, Jason. Thanks for having me back.

Great to have you here. You know, I've been seeing a lot lately about what seems to be the holy grail of tax benefits, that status of real estate professional, as it is called by the irs. And the IRS seems to be getting a little bit more picky about this tax benefit in terms of who qualifies and who doesn't. Tell us what's going on there.

Yeah, good question. I've received a lot of phone calls from my clients. Also. Here's what's happening is the US Economy is not as good as it's been. Congress is looking for some more money, so they've asked the IRS to go find some more money. And one of the areas the IRS is looking at is real estate professionals, because if filled out properly on your tax return, it reduces everyone's taxes.

Yeah. Excellent. And you know, Peter, one thing I want to say again to our listeners is don't get bored with this issue of taxation because it is life's largest expense.

It is.

So please listen carefully to what we're talking about today, because I think it can really benefit you. Okay, well, tell us more.

Well, so what I want to go over briefly in the next five minutes or so is just giving the listeners a little bit more information on the real estate professional status is not changing. The IRS is looking at it more. So what do you need to know to make sure if you do get audited, what, what is the actual law?

Okay, so in other words, what you're saying Is it is still possible to qualify as a real estate professional and get all of the wonderful tax benefits that go with it. The question is the qualifications are being judged and scrutinized a little more closely by the irs.

Right, exactly.

Okay, good. Well, we have a prior podcast on this subject that any of these listeners, if they want more detail because we won't have time to review it all today as to real estate professionals. So go back and listen to when I had Peter on last time. There's a podcast back there. Just look up the prior podcast about it. But go ahead.

Yeah, I think it was number 28.

Podcast number 28. Thank you.

It's down there. So here's what happened. Probably a couple months ago there was what's called a tax court memo that was issued by the irs. And the IRS went in and audited a husband and a wife and found out and proved that the wife, who was apparently supposed to be the real estate professional, didn't qualify. And the tax court summary opinion is Harmon Harmon versus Commissioner. So if you want Google it or go to the IRS website and you can read it yourself. But here's the overall issue is the spouse had two jobs. She had a full time job, worked 2000 hours and then she had a part time job and they only had one piece of rental property and on their tax return they wrote down that they qualified as a real estate professional.

So I can see the problems here right away and correct me if I'm wrong, but how could she possibly spend another 750 hours a year being a real estate professional working 2000 plus having another part time job and who knows how many hours there's. And then number two, one rental property. How are you going to justify 750 hours to the IRS with one measly property?

I agree. In my opinion, impossible. So just kind of the highlights here is it just didn't meet the smell test and the IRS went in and they caught it for audit and they actually went to the spouse's employer and said show us how many hours she worked. They qualified that she worked over 2,000 hours. And they said look, you have to work more hours in real estate and You've already worked 2,000 hours in your job and you have a part time job. So let's just round it to 2,300 hours. So you need to prove to us that you've worked over 2,300 hours on your one property.

Wow.

Wasn't able to do it. So just make sure it makes sense. I don't think that there's an exact number of how many pieces of real estate that you need. But here's some important facts to remember. The more properties, the better, because it's going to be easier to get to real estate professional status.

And I've heard, and it's great that you don't want to name a number because there is no number. And that's good that you don't name a number. But just to put it out there, I have heard other tax advisors say that you really got to have at least 6, 7, 8 properties to justify the time. If you want to make a comment, feel free.

I think it depends if you have a property manager or not. I have some clients that have enough time and ability that they actually manage all their properties, so they're going to be able to get their hours much quicker. But if you're going to be not as involved, then you're going to have property managers, and definitely the larger number of properties is going to make it easier for you to get those hours. So we're going to go briefly just over the real estate professional and make sure everyone remembers it. And here's the law. It's in Internal revenue code, section 469. For anyone that wants to read it. The law hasn't changed. The IRS we're seeing is auditing them more. So if you may have potential exposure, make sure you have your ducks in a row, make sure you have your logbook. And your log book is going to have to prove that you've worked over 750 hours in real estate. And if you have a job, more hours in real estate than all your jobs combined.

Okay. So, Peter, a lot of clients get confused on this because I hear them ask the question all the time. You don't have to have a real estate license or be a realtor to do this. Right?

Correct.

Okay. Because you said worked in real estate, so I just want to be careful. It's really worked on investing in real estate and learning about real estate. Right. Or yeah.

So if you're a real estate investor, you own properties and you rent them and you collect rents, then the hours that you spend on those real estate, doing rehab, talking with your property managers, going to real estate seminars, all these things are going to add up. Talking with potential renters, reviewing lease agreements, all those different things. But there's other ways of becoming a real estate professional. If you own your own business and you're a real estate agent or a broker, that's probably going to qualify you. If you're a contractor and you own your own business. Those hours working in real estate are going to help you get to real estate status. So, again, this is where you need to understand the rules and talk with your tax advisor.

And a lot of our clients, what they do is they just keep an Excel spreadsheet in their computer, and every time they come to one of our seminars, they write that down in the time. So, you know, no more criticism about my seminars being too long.

Right. And I'll just give you one last example here. I have a couple clients that are under IRS audit under this exact issue. And one of the ladies said, hey, you know what? Maybe I'm going to just let the IRS win. It's going to just be a waste of my time for me to pull together all this information. Now, I didn't like to hear that because I want clients to get the benefit. So when I briefly told her if she let the IRS win, it was going to cost her about $20,000 in taxes, she decided that it was worth it for her to go through and pull all the information. So, look, it's easier to do it and write it down when you're actually doing it. So go and write it down, put it in a logbook, put a brief comment example of what you were doing, and that should be enough support, much better than not having one. And in this case, this lady didn't have a good enough log book. There was impossible for her to get the hours with just only one property. So consider if you have enough properties and consider if you are truly a real estate professional.

All right, I'm sure that was helpful to you hearing about the real estate professional status. And we have a lot of stuff coming up on taxation, on creating wealth, on lease options as a way to improve your cash flow in your rental properties, and just a whole lot more coming. So keep on listening to future shows. Now let's go to our client from across the pond, as they say, and welcome Richard Lillycrop from England. We wanted to do something kind of different today and talk to one of our clients from overseas. So we've got Richard Lillycrop on the phone. Richard, welcome.

Thank you, Jason. It's good to speak with you.

Good to speak with you, too. I know you've been a podcast listener, and we appreciate you listening and we're participating, particularly fascinated, and wanted to have you address a little bit the subject of why you were interested in American real estate and maybe the issue of the exchange rate and so forth.

Okay. Well, basically, it comes down to figures, simply the rental Returns here in the UK are pretty short compared with similar properties in the US you can typically get like, a double rate of return and the property is half the price.

That is really amazing. I've long felt that American real estate is really, in many areas, not in. Of course, the overpriced bubble markets is still really a bargain when you look at it on a global scale. That's interesting that you noticed that. How did you happen to find us, by the way?

Probably middle of last year, I was listening to quite a few business and investing podcasts, and I've done a real estate search, and basically your podcast came up after listening to a few. I registered on your website and that's when Gia called me back to discuss what I was interested in buying.

Excellent. Well, we're glad to have you as a client. And now you're on the pound. So you live most of your life in pounds, not euros, right?

Yeah, that's correct, yes.

In England, are the mortgages denominated in pounds also? Because I know many European countries, even if they're not on the euro, they denominate mortgages and larger assets in euros. Sometimes.

Yeah. Everything in the UK is pounds.

Okay, great. And so how has that exchange rate changed for you, Richard, over the past few years?

Well, I can remember when I was younger going on vacation to the US and it was probably about $1.50 to the pound. But recently I've seen on the news it's like 2.1 to the pound. Pretty amazing exchange rate at the moment.

Yeah. And, you know, I think that's actually going to even get a little bit more favorable for you, unfortunately for us, in ways.

Yeah. I'm wondering how far it's going to go.

Our government, as you know, has been extremely irresponsible with their spending. And the only way to sort of get out of this mess is to devalue the dollar, the currency. That seems to be the only way out, really.

Yeah, yeah.

So the rental returns are about double. Double in the States. Have you looked at other countries as.

Well as the U.S. i haven't, actually. There's been a lot of hype recently here about Eastern Europe, Romania, Bulgaria, but I haven't really looked at those markets. I like the US because it's, for one, the size. It's just so big and established and it's just so stable as well.

Right. And the legal system is so transparent here. I don't know. Richard, did you happen to catch the podcast I did on my Eastern European?

I did, yeah.

Yeah. I don't Know what you thought of that. But I felt that Romania was probably the best out of all of those, but still speculative.

And, yeah, I think there's some big gains to be made, but you've really got to be brave to give it a try.

That's a good way to put it. Brave. Brave. And know what you're doing. And a lot of management attention, because I heard lots of stories about corruption and payoffs and that sort of thing. Thing over there.

So, yeah, my reason for choosing the US as well was also the language.

Yeah, that's a good thing. Of course. You speak English better than we do, by the way.

It sounds so much nicer.

We've just been doing it longer.

I love it when you call a company and they have a British person answering the phone or on the voicemail. It sounds so classy, and it's wonderful.

The American accent is just as good for us, believe me.

Really? Wow.

Okay.

We don't have the accent.

Yeah, we don't. I don't have an answer. Gia has a question for you.

I just wanted, you know, you mentioned the rental rate was different. If you can just give us a comparison, because you purchased the house in Austin. What was the price of that property?

$171,000.

And what rent are you getting on that?

The rent is $12.50 a month.

So you're saying a property that price in your area would be about 650, half that. Is that what you're saying?

Okay, yeah.

I can give you an example. I've got the first property I bought a couple of years ago now, but I bought it for 118,000 pounds, so I guess $230,000. And I'm getting 525 pounds a month.

Wow. How much were you able to borrow on your U.S. purchases, Richard?

I could borrow up to 70%. Okay, so put a deposit down of 30.

So 30% down for a foreign buyer, and that's good. You still get a lot of leverage. And remember, one thing we always say is denominate your debts in dollars or any other depreciating currency, and denominate your assets in hard assets, like the real estate, the property, the commodities within the structure, the house sitting on the land. So that's a good thing. And how did it go in terms of getting your property rented in Austin? Austin was the first one you bought, and I know you're doing another transaction through us as well in Ohio.

Yeah, I found Austin to be very quick. The property closed November, middle of November last year, and it was leased by the middle of December. So basically one month from closing.

Yeah. Good. So that was really fast. What interests you about real estate as an investment vehicle?

I think it's fantastic. Basically, you put down what is a small percentage of the property costs. The bank then lends you the rest. The tenant pays your mortgage for you, and then every pound or dollar that the property goes up in value is basically yours.

Isn't that great? I mean, there is just no better equation than the. I always say that real estate is different because it has special characteristics. And as we're talking. Richard, I'm sure you've looked at the financial markets today. It seems like we're in a big mess as far as the stock market. And I don't think that's going to get much better anytime soon.

No, I saw your mortgage rate came down today or your interest rate.

Yeah. And you know what that means, don't you? It means more inflation and devaluation of the dollar. So that 70% loan you have on that Austin property and the next one for your Ohio property keeps getting cheaper to pay back. That's a great deal.

Yeah.

I have a question for you. Had you looked into working with other investor networks and if so, how did Platinum Investor Network differ from those.

I haven't dealt too much with other networks. Basically the three properties I have here in the uk, I've sort of done the work myself, looking into markets and stuff. I did have an off plan investment, but didn't actually go through last year. But basically once the company signed me up, then I didn't really hear anything after that. I was just sort of left on my own.

Oh, I see. Okay.

So would you recommend Platinum Investor Network to your friends and relatives?

Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah.

Great.

Good. Well, thank you.

Basically, from the initial market recommendation from yourselves and the choosing of the property right through to the leasing process with the property manager, everyone has been just totally professional and the communication is excellent, especially with being such a long distance away.

That's what's so great about today's world. You know, email and the Internet makes it all so easy, doesn't it?

Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah.

Good.

The communication has been just fantastic. And even after leasing the property, Platinum Properties have kept in contact to check everything's okay.

Excellent. Thank you for your kind words on that, Richard. Are there any things you. You'd like to see us do differently or any services we should add?

That's a tough question. Really. I don't know if I'd change anything. Maybe the only addition would be like a tax advisor as part of your group, someone you could just speak to who would know just the basics of like non resident investor questions. Someone you could just fire questions to.

Oh yeah, that's no problem. We've got that already. Karam and Gia will get that for you after we're off the call here. We've got a couple different advisors that can help you there.

Okay, excellent.

Richard, I think that this is really one of the best things for foreign investors. I think that the foreign investors have a real leg up on buying American real estate in undervalued markets where the land is really cheap and where you're borrowing the money, the currency is devaluating. We think it will continue to devalue a lot more. And it's just a great thing for you. It's kind of like you're arbitraging the currency, but you're doing it with the bank's money mostly, or at least 70% is with the banks and then the tenants money paying the bank back for you.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah.

So it's a good thing. Any words in closing you'd like to mention about that or anything else?

Well, I guess just a quick comparison of the two markets. Here in the uk, the land probably makes up over half of the total value of the property. It's pretty lucky to be able to buy the property so much cheaper or the land effectively so much cheaper in the U.S. right.

And I'm sure you've probably listened to the podcast we did on the risk evaluation model where cheap land lowers your risk dramatically and expensive land becomes much more speculative and risky.

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

Good. Yeah, that's a good thing to notice. Well, Richard, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. I'm sure our listeners all over the world will appreciate your thoughts and your perspective on it, and we appreciate.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

Thank you, Richard. And we will definitely be in touch.

Great. Thanks very much.

Take care. Bye.

Bye. Thank you.

Bye. Thanks so much for listening today. Stay tuned for a few announcements and happy investing. Hey.

So we've been Platinum members for a couple of years now and we're just real pleased with the way things are working out.

We couldn't be happier and it's really changed our lives for the better.

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