I don’t go on rants very often. But this one has been building. Lately, I’ve had multiple conversations with contractors and subcontractors who are getting burned. Not just a little. They’re doing the work, finishing the job, and then not getting paid. Or getting paid months later. Or worse, being told after the fact, “I’ll pay you when the property sells.” That’s not just bad business. That’s wrong. What bothers me most is this: This isn’t accidental. There are investors being taught that this is a strategy. “Fund your deals using your contractors.” Let that sink in. Most contractors cannot afford to fund your deal. They have families. They have payroll. They have real expenses. This is how they make their living. The real issue is not just money, it's honesty. If you don’t have the money, say that upfront before the job starts, Not after the work is done. I understand starting with nothing. When I started, I didn’t have money either, But I told my contractors the truth. Here’s what I can afford. Here’s what I can’t. Here’s the situation. And then we worked it out together in a way that made sense for them. That’s integrity. What I’m seeing now is different. People are hiring contractors knowing they don’t have the ability to pay. Hoping the deal works out. Hoping the property sells. Hoping they figure it out later. That’s not hope. That’s shifting risk onto someone else. And that someone did not sign up for that. This hurts real people. When contractors don’t get paid: They fall behind They struggle to pay their crews Some go out of business All because someone else wanted to get ahead. There is a right way to do this. We’ve had the same policy for decades. When the work is done, they get paid. Period. We cut checks every Friday for invoices in hand. Our contractors know this: If they do the work, they will get paid. That’s how you build something that lasts. Not by cutting corners.

How Do I Get Paid Back? When I lend on a deal—private or hard money—I’m not thinking about the return first. My first question is simple: How do I get paid back? And once that’s answered… I ask it again. What if that doesn’t work—how do I get paid back? And then again. If that doesn’t work… how do I get paid back? That’s the mindset. Not fear. Not negativity. Just reality. Because deals don’t always go as planned. And the lenders who get burned… are usually the ones who assumed everything would go right. Let me simplify this. The deal matters more than anything else. Before I ever look at the borrower… I look at the property. Would I buy it myself if I had to? Because if things go sideways… I might. If I don’t want the property… I don’t want the loan. Next, I look at the borrower. Do they have experience? Are they realistic? Or are they overly optimistic? Optimism sounds good… but it doesn’t protect the lender. Reality does. I’ve done a lot of deals. I can usually tell pretty quickly if someone is seeing things clearly… or if they’re stretching to make the deal work. And here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear: If the deal is tight… the money gets tight. But if the deal is strong… the money gets easy. I’ve said this for years—A great deal solves almost everything. Let me give you an extreme example. If someone is buying a $1,000,000 property for $100,000… and wants to borrow $100,000… My question is already answered. How do I get paid back? Almost any way. That kind of margin covers mistakes. It covers bad exits. It covers a lot of things that go wrong. Now most deals aren’t that good. But the principle holds. The less margin there is… the more risk there is. And that’s where most new borrowers—and new lenders—get into trouble. Borrowers: If you want money to be easy… bring a real deal. Not a hope. Not a stretch. A deal. Lenders: Don’t fall in love with the return. Fall in love with the protection.

Progress- plumbing inspections passed. Electrical, mechanical and framing on Monday. 3 weeks in. I need more houses or lots. Prefer Roane, Loudon, Blount or close to these areas. Let me know.