Some of you may already be familiar with Josh Bauerle, also known as the CPA on Fire. As both a young investor and a CPA, Josh takes a logical investing approach informed by his professional experience. By day, he works hands-on providing other entrepreneurs and small business owners of every stripe with superior tax and financial planning advice.
Josh’s real estate investing has been highly informed by his career as a CPA, and vice versa. He began his career with two properties, but now boasts a more robust 15 property portfolio. Josh is from the Midwest and has also done his most lucrative investing there. No doubt, his nuanced understanding of his home region gives Josh unique insight that has proven extremely useful for investing in this market.
Josh uses his online platform to host a vast amount of educational content. Tax subjects are famously difficult to write about in a clear, engaging way, yet Josh consistently produces clear and simple articles and videos. Whether you need to know how to record your investments on Schedule E or get advanced tax strategy questions answered, odds are good Josh has covered the topic you need in his materials.
When we asked Josh about one of his first and best investments, we quickly learned that how he pulled off his negotiations was perhaps the most impressive part of the story. He was generous enough to break down his strategy, which is built off of a fact-driven approach.
Josh shared that when he enters a negotiation, he tries to anticipate every possible counter-argument that the seller may have to his requests. For each potential point of contention, Josh develops the most effective response possible. But rather than beginning with rhetorical flourish or argument, he starts with the raw data and facts that serve as evidence for his position or will refute the seller’s concern.
Any investor can take a leaf out of Josh’s playbook in this regard. The next time you find yourself in even a minor negotiation, try practicing this technique. You can even give it a shot in a lower-stakes transaction, say at a flea market, and work on substantiating your position with facts and evidence in the less consequential contexts/environments before leveling up to real estate negotiations.
Josh was kind enough to join our lead attorney and podcast host Scott Smith for an episode of The Real Estate Nerds Podcast. Tune in to hear the two investors and real estate professionals analyze the details of Josh’s best deal. Josh’s episode of the Real Estate Nerds Podcast features even more of his tips on negotiation, taking advantage of a motivated seller, taxes, and more.
Are you inspired by the successes and failures of other investors? Do you have ideas for what you’d like to see more of in our Investor Profiles? If you want to learn more about a particular investor in this section or determine what legal protections your own portfolio needs, contact the team at Royal Legal Solutions. Feel free to ask your questions to our experts or schedule your consultation.
Scott Royal Smith is an asset protection attorney and long-time real estate investor. He's on a mission to help fellow investors free their time, protect their assets, and create lasting wealth.
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