Joe Felz: Millionaire in the Van Down by the River

Grab your favorite cold brew and settle in for an extraordinary tale of redemption and triumph, as I welcome Joe Felz to share his incredible journey from the confines of a prison cell to the heights of the real estate industry. Joe, a once eight-time convicted felon, now co-owns a brokerage, a wholesaling and acquisitions company, a small hedge fund and manages a personal portfolio of 65 properties, all while running a full construction company. His story isn't just about success; it's a profound look at the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of ambition and hard work.

Our conversation shifts gears into the parallels between disciplined athletic pursuits and mastering the real estate game. We bring insight from a former wrestler who now dominates as a social media influencer and property investor, illustrating the intense commitment it takes to come out on top. Learn how principles of sacrifice, conviction, and an unwavering work ethic are the cornerstones of not just building a business, but excelling in the ultra-competitive marathon that is real estate investing.

To cap off this episode, Joe and I dive into discussions that stretch beyond property lines, addressing topics like minimalist living and the impact of government regulations. We debate the implications of recent legislative actions and share dreams of creating eco-friendly living spaces. Joe's decision to lead by example with a sustainable lifestyle reinforces the notion that personal choice can drive societal change. This episode is a melting pot of personal anecdotes, practical advice, and in-depth discussions that shine a light on the various facets and experiences within the vast world of real estate. So, tune in and get ready to be inspired to take action in your own entrepreneurial journey.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

What's up everybody. Welcome to the Titanium Vault. I'm your host, rj Bakes the Third, and today is a very special day because we are here with our good friend Joe Fells and Joe and. I are not only going to be podcasting, but we're going to be drinking beer while doing it.

Speaker 2: 0:19

What's up, joe here? Here, give me a beer.

Speaker 1: 0:21

There you go. What did you say you're drinking over there, american water.

Speaker 2: 0:25

This is American water, also known as Miller. Like there you go. I was an immigrant, invented the bet. Like really, people talk shit. This is the best pilsner out there. You can drink this all day.

Speaker 1: 0:37

I'm not gonna lie. When I'm at hockey tournaments, stuff, that's what I drink. But tonight we're rocking the Einstuk, my Viking beer. It's got to match the beer, you know so.

Speaker 2: 0:48

I'll uh like you wouldn't catch me turning down a Viking beer of any kind ever.

Speaker 1: 0:54

It's tasty, you Viking. So for the people that don't know who you are, I know you got a lot to tell today. Tell us what it is that you do in real estate. How'd you get started?

Speaker 2: 1:08

Um. So currently, as it pertains to real estate, I have a real estate brokerage that I well, let me say, I co-own, a real estate brokerage, a wholesaling and acquisitions company, uh, and a a little hedge fund here in Augusta. Thank you, then, personally, just just Joe Fells. I own creative construction solutions, license billed on electricians, a full construction company in Augusta pretty good reputation. I also have, uh, my own portfolio of 65-ish properties, uh, rental properties. There's a couple flips in there, a couple bear lots, buy and hold stuff, but few airbnbs Georgia, tennessee, washington state. I uh closed my South Carolina branch after me, and HOA and Buford didn't get along um, um and uh pretty much. If you're in Augusta, georgia, uh, if you want to buy a house on market, sell a house on market, lease a house. If you want to rent a house, uh, if you want to get one off market, sell one off market, renovate one, fix one. You got busted by the. If you have a house in Augusta, georgia, there's really nothing I can't do to help you.

Speaker 1: 2:21

There you go, so I had to get started. I didn't get into real estate because I know you got a hell of a story.

Speaker 2: 2:25

So what did you do? Um, man I, I bought a house, um, I was fresh out of prison and living in my mom's basement, um, and I literally asked her you know, uh, going, literally going off of a adage of Marvin Peerman. You know, if you ain't got your money for it, you don't need it. I said, mama, dad, let me live here until I can buy a house. You know, and that's kind of a bold statement you know, I didn't have a driver's license. You know, I was a eight-time convicted felon out on parole. Uh, I'd spent, you know, two years before I went to prison as a fugitive. You know, I ran away, uh, and I was gone. They didn't know if I was alive or dead, and then I was in prison. And now I'm in their house, in my mama's basement on sandy run court, um, telling them, hey, let me live here till I can buy a house.

Speaker 2: 3:15

And you're probably thinking like a, a nice house, like a house, house. I was talking about buying like a, a house like product. You know, a some assembly required, um, and I did, man, I, the first house I bought was on uh, old Lewisville road, right up from the jail in Augusta, man, and it was listed for 19,000 bucks and became a bidding war shop for the fences dog. 19,000 cash money, you know no, 20,000 all alone here, baby, and uh, you know, I got it, man, I got it. It's currently worth about 165 and it's rented for 1250.

Speaker 1: 3:59

Wow great deals. Hey, first house I ever bought. Listen, georgia is one of my favorite markets and we've done quite a few deals in the Augusta market, so I know those kind of numbers exist out there quite a bit. What about? I mean, so your ain't time convicted, fella you're. You're living in your mama's basement. You said, hey, let me live here until I could buy a house. What led you to real estate? Why was that the the thing?

Speaker 2: 4:26

Well, so I wasn't per se looking for real estate, but that segued me into buying the house. I knew I wanted to buy the house because I didn't want to live in my parents basement Right, let me say I was fresh out to Changa and I was trying to, you know, get somewhere, dog, and uh, I, uh, I just knew I needed a house. The real estate portion came from, you know, I had started my own little business and I was doing all this contract work for uh, estro properties who had between two and 250 section, eight rentals, and so really the seed was planted there. You know, I I say I tell people all the time you will learn best through osmosis take your ass somewhere and your brain will follow. And I was with people who were actively making money in real estate and so I laid down with dogs and caught fleas. Basically it jumped on my mind and you know it was planted. And once I went with it, you know, I bought this house and I wasn't thinking turn it into a rental. I was thinking don't pay to live, right? Uh, that's all I was thinking freedom.

Speaker 2: 5:35

Well, once I bought it, when I was remodeling it, I saw this other house right up the road and it was a big two car garage, I mean acre lot, two car garage, dude, and it was. It was wrecked, it was fuck old a dog, it was in bad, bad shape and uh, it was just perfect for me. You know they, uh, they had to sell it, real bad. I wound up buying it for $13,000. Oh, literally, I got into real estate because the house had a bigger yard. I mean, hey, a blind hall, find an acorn. Never down again, dog, what you want to say, right?

Speaker 1: 6:14

so you want now it for 13 because they had a bigger yard. So now you're moving out of the 20,000 store.

Speaker 2: 6:20

No, I, I actually never lived there. I had it almost all the way done, like, and I came back and I remember my girlfriend at the time later to be wife, now ex-wife uh, she had to move out of her house, her lease was up and and I had bought this house. We literally came back from a family beach trip and went, got all of her stuff and moved it into this house. It was wrecked. There was a hole in the floor where the termites had eaten up through the hardwoods like that bad. There was a posse nest under the sink like it had leaked and rotted out. Dude, this thing was wrecked.

Speaker 2: 6:58

But the air conditioner worked. Um, I wasn't, I wasn't an heat and air guy, I didn't know. I didn't have the ac going in the other one and it worked here, and so we just brought a mattress put on the floor, man, um, and I came in here. I literally, dude, I fixed this house up. The first thing I learned is the sewer line was bad. After I spent six days gutting the bathroom to the dirt and putting it back, the toilet flush for a day and a half, then I had to replace the sewer line and you know, I basically I was living in this house and I had another house, and so what do you do? If you have an empty house, you do something with it, dog, you don't just let it set. So I, I, I rented it, and that that was the beginning of an empire.

Speaker 1: 7:41

I love it. I love it, man, and you know I talked to you before uh, you know the podcast and I was saying, hey, man, I similar start where you know, we were contractors and then we started getting hired by investors and it was the same thing. It was like hold on, I'm, I'm on the wrong side of this game. I'm doing all this work and he's making all the money like what am I doing this for? I need to go buy the houses and then still do the work. So it sounds like we had similar past there in the beginning where, from the contractor side of things, so when you were doing that work, is that kind of like what spurred you to keep it on those rentals? Or were you immediately digging like man, I should flip these and make big cat paydays?

Speaker 2: 8:24

well, no, I, I didn't flip like. I did not flip a house as far as like buy to sell right for shit. I had almost I had 10 or 12 paid for rentals before I flipped my first house, that's crazy Joe.

Speaker 1: 8:43

I mean like quite honestly, I don't know if you understand, like how rare that is well.

Speaker 2: 8:49

Well, here's the thing, dog. I really did. Um, and what most people don't comprender is that I grew up without a TV. I was born in Papua New Guinea. My parents were missionaries, I was. I was in a church. We had a prayer hike every morning, every night. I didn't have a TV.

Speaker 2: 9:04

I was kicked out of UGA my second semester for selling dope. Give me a little taste of freedom. I'm right back home. I was gone, man.

Speaker 2: 9:11

I was a fugitive in the streets for two years, then in the prison, and I literally got out and started working, going to alcoholics anonymous and running trails, and that was all I did for a decade. That was it. That was it, and so I've never really stopped to look at anything. If you see how I live now, bro, I'm not looking at shit now, I'm just going and doing. I never stopped to really consider, and I lived in a cave my whole life. It was just me and the people I surrounded myself, which, with which were all of my choosing and all of my training.

Speaker 2: 9:42

You should see the guys that work for me. They're fucking sharp. And, uh, my family is just so gangster dude, like I didn't know it, because if you're born in a dark closet. That's all you know. But I was always the black sheep in the fuck up of my family. I mean, look at my story. I've been in three psychiatric lockups and so I've been, you know, my whole life. I've never felt like I accomplished anything at all, I mean until maybe a year and a half ago. I've won 40 and 50 mile foot races and bought and sold 100 houses without the use of a mortgage, and you know, I've never really considered it an accomplishment, because you can do all you fucking want to and all it leads to is more longing for the next accomplishment.

Speaker 1: 10:25

Dog, it's all smoking years I got to ask you about that because, like I, I just became aware of you in, like, the background story of this is it's a couple years ago. I went and I grabbed a 19 year old and a local real estate meetup and I said why are you here? And he said I want to learn how to do real estate. I don't really know what this wholesale thing is, but I think it sounds like something I want to do. And I said well, you can either come work for me or you're a little punk-ass bitch and you really don't want to learn how to do this. And he came in when he worked for me. So here we are, three years later.

Speaker 1: 11:03

He comes in my office the other night and he said hey, do you know Joe Fels this? I said I don't. He said dude, you need to get him on your podcast. So I messaged you that night and I said hey, man, you want to drink some beers to shoot the shit? And you said you have me a drink beers to shoot shit. So here we are, right. And then and I share that because I didn't do a whole lot of background on you, but I watch your social media we talked on the phone the other day you seem like, uh, really well spoken. I mean, you're a character but uh and but.

Speaker 1: 11:41

But you're really well spoken. You seem like you're like super intelligent. So when you're talking about three times in psychiatric boards, eight times felt like what was going on in your life that caused you to go through those issues okay, and that's the thing man.

Speaker 2: 12:00

I live my life and always have by a different motivation system than almost any other human I've ever met. That's why man is that's why I break algorithms is you put me in. All you see on the internet is my daily life right.

Speaker 2: 12:18

Hell. They thought Albert Einstein was retarded for years. Yeah, it is, that's what I'm saying, and I'm not saying I'm him at all, but what I'm saying is my brain. The things that are coming into my eyes are the same shit that's coming into your eyes, but once it, that's where it stops. Man Like, and when I was a kid man I think I was about I was a junior senior in high school man and I was on the wrestling team. Dude, I wrestled 119 pounds and I was good at it. I'd do anything to make weight running a sauna and a trash bag in front of little Asian ladies at the Y Dude, I go make myself rich after Thanksgiving dinner anything.

Speaker 2: 12:57

And it was around that time I started waking up in the middle of the night. Man, at like two or three in the morning, just boom, ready to go, and I'd go run. I'd go run around the neighborhood right there on Sandy Run Court, all around Montclair. And one day my dad had like a premonition. He'd always wake up and check on us. I'm a father now. If you've got kids, you know you do it all the time and he went down there just to look at and I was gone Now. Back then I was like dad I just went on a run.

Speaker 2: 13:25

Now you got to think this isn't like 2002, 2003,. No cell phones, I'm just gone. We freaked out and after I came back they're like what happened. I was like what I woke up. Two and one for a run. They're like wow, okay, you know, between dad and the sweat bags and the won't eat and the vomiting, we just need to get this kid looked at. And you know, I've been in a number of times and they've put me on medication. Dad, ain't nothing wrong with me, right?

Speaker 1: 13:56

You're just a driven person. I mean you wanted to succeed at what you were doing. I mean we were talking about that. You're like bro, I don't even know what I'm doing with this social media stuff, but I'm just it's working, dude, I don't.

Speaker 2: 14:10

Every video, every single video you see on the internet has been recorded, edited, posted by me. I've hashtagged every single one myself in my hold on. Remember all that other shit I said I own, like I do that and I also do this all at the same time, man, and that's just how I am. You know I competed and trained and ran all these ultramarathons. I've won some 40 and 50 milers. You know I'm up at 630 in the morning. You know I do not live a cushy lifestyle.

Speaker 2: 14:48

To quote Matt Brown, the UFC fighter, I live my life in misery. Like I take that you know most people would never know it by looking at me, but I mean huge fan and follower of Jesus, like I just understand them differently than y'all do. And that man literally told me two things take up your cross, your instrument of torture, daily and follow me. And I happen to be an itinerant carpenter who lives in a van going around doing nice things for people. I don't know, I'm just trying to follow this dude. And another thing he told me is, if you don't a sword, sell your cloak and buy one and like. So I live by these things, man, and you can tell, and you know it's led to a lot of success in real estate, man. But if you apply these principles to pretty much anything, you'll be successful. Look at social media.

Speaker 1: 15:40

I love that man. I mean, let me ask you this because you started buying houses like, you bought those first couple what I call shit boxes right, 19,000, 13,000, and now they're worth something right. But did you ever educate yourself on what you were doing with real estate? Was it always just like, hey, buy cheap, you know, fix it up, it's worth it.

Speaker 2: 16:04

All right. So that's the thing man Like when you say educate yourself. I have never listened to a podcast of any kind. The second podcast I've ever interacted with we recorded the other one last week. I've never read a book on investing. The only self-help book I've ever used is a calculator. I mean, it's pretty basic. My rule of thumb all these years has just been redneck real estate dog Gross numbers. You can run all your vacancy blah, blah. Look, if I can get 2% gross return a month, I'll buy it. If I can buy this house for 20 and put 20 in it and have 40 in it and rent it for 800, it's a go. There you go. There you go. Now you can factor in all that vacancy and if them numbers hit, you're good dog.

Speaker 1: 16:54

There you go, man and I agree with that. I mean because there is this, like in the nicer neighborhoods, people talking about 1% rentals. They don't cash flow. They don't cash flow or work shit.

Speaker 1: 17:07

It doesn't work. 2% is where you've got to be minimally in most neighborhoods, and I agree with that. Now let's talk about finding properties because, dude, I educate At this point, I have literally educated thousands of people on how to be real estate and they struggle with figuring out. How do I find motivated sellers, how do I talk to them? What paperwork do I use? How do you figure all these shit out?

Speaker 2: 17:33

Well, buying houses, how do you?

Speaker 1: 17:36

find the houses to buy.

Speaker 2: 17:38

Okay, the best leads I've ever gotten are organic. That's a no-brainer, right. I'm gonna start out by saying deals, beget, deals. The more deals you do, the more deals that find your way into your lap, and that's how I got the majority of them. I've only bought maybe seven or eight houses off the market my entire life. I don't buy on market. I started doing wholesaling. I was marketing direct to seller, just myself sending mailers, cold calling, driving for dollars. I was getting my feet wet. I see a house over here, right down the address. Go, put a little note on the door.

Speaker 2: 18:19

Hey, I was a young, hungry kid fucking hustling. That's what I was and that's the thing, man, I've always done, what I thought was my job. But what it really was a lot of times was the training for my next job. Like, yeah, I was after hustling, I was learning what didn't work and I was learning how the system worked, how you found data and how you tracked down people. And you know, oh God, that's a shelf corporation. I wonder who I talked to at the shelf corporation. You know, like you know, hey, you learn to weed out entities pretty quick. You taste your tail long enough. It's like watching the animal planet. Do you see the little bears trying to catch them at the river? That's what I was doing, man.

Speaker 1: 19:01

I love it, man. Listen, you are a testament for, instead of analysis, paralysis, sitting down reading the books, listening to podcasts and all this bullshit, you just went out there and started taking action. Next thing, you know, you know, like dude, I'm a millionaire. I own all these properties. Add 2% rentals all over the place in Augusta, georgia, but you're talking about your own shit in Washington state. I gotta ask you about that later. I don't even understand why.

Speaker 2: 19:27

Hey, you're gonna come there, ain't you? I'll do it. If you invite me, I'll do it. Hey, we can drink beer on my porch and look at the Olympic mountains, and there's your choice of legal shops everywhere. We can go to the beach in nine minutes from my house at Olympic National Park in 15. My neighbor, gary, grew up in Alaska building pipelines. Just sit here and talk to Gary, man, come to the seashack, I love it.

Speaker 1: 19:53

So you're one of Justin. One of the things that Justin said dude, you gotta talk to this guy. He bought a van or a school bus or both, or something like this, and it's like what you live in or what you're working out of, or some shit. What's the story? What's going on? What do you got A van or a school bus.

Speaker 2: 20:12

So well. I live in El Suave, which is a 1999 Dodge Widebody Explorer. I like my van's like I like my hips, wide body. Look at Alex, and sorry, we were flagged for hate speech. They do that all the time.

Speaker 2: 20:39

I man, literally man, in May of 22, I was about at the breaking point, man, you know I was. I'd been sober for 12 years, I sponsored people, I was married, I had two kids, I'd done everything that society told me to be happy and I was absolutely miserable. I did this shit at a high level, a really high level, and you know, I damn I was miserable man and so I, literally I was getting divorced. I pretty much left my company to Brandon and the guys and said here, guys, here's a full-fledged construction company, Do what you want to with it. I was done, literally done, and I bought El Suave. I spent some months fixing it up, putting solar on it, and I, literally I bought this house out on the West Coast and I needed and I said, fucking, I'm gone, I'm gone, dude. I cried my eyes out, Dude, I'll cry talking about it, man, Just I fuck it man.

Speaker 2: 21:38

I literally said fuck it and left in that van and drove across the country, looking for the soul of America. Man, I'd done everything y'all told me to. I beat you at it and I'm fucking miserable, I'm screaming without a mouth, and so that's what I did, man, I did that and I drove across the country. Man Met Alex along the way on Tinder and who had a school bus? Who had a school bus. Interesting how this all works. It was then. It was literally on this trip when I got social media. That's literally when it started. I didn't have any social media for seven years.

Speaker 1: 22:15

Right.

Speaker 2: 22:16

And so it just started there, man. And so I live in the van dude. I drove all the way. I've driven the whole country coast four times. I have an off-grid generator in there. It pushes 240 volts, it's a six kilowatt inverter. You know I backfeed your house, man. You know it's pretty cool Full kitchen, full bath water heater, propane heater, ac heat, you know a little table, anything you want, man. You got mobile internet in there and Starlink. What else do you need?

Speaker 1: 22:46

I love it, but go back to like what caused you to do this. He said you were invisible. Why? Were you invisible.

Speaker 2: 22:54

You ever read the book Song of Solomon Well?

Speaker 1: 22:58

parts of it, not the whole thing.

Speaker 2: 23:01

Reportedly the wisest man to ever walk this earth Right. And to summarize it vanity of vanity, sayeth the preacher. All is vanity, and grasp meant to win. Dude, this is what I'm. This is. If I could tell y'all any fucking thing, you heard nothing else than I hear this.

Speaker 2: 23:18

In the last 20 years I have been from the lowest dregs of society to the highest peaks and pinnacles, and it's all fucking smoking. Goddamn mirrors. Every bit of it. Like that's the thing, Guys making a million dollars, Like look, you're seeing the millionaire down. I don't give a fuck. Just give me the van, Fuck the van. Just give me the river. Just give me the fucking river. I'm so thrilled to have a van.

Speaker 2: 23:45

You know why, guys, If you cannot learn to be happy with less, you'll never be fucking happy. You only own one thing in your entire life One it's your body. I don't own this badass jacket. I'm just using it while I'm here and I'm gonna die and it's gonna be somebody else's. The only thing I own is my body. I was born with it and I'll die with it. Most people never realized that they don't give a fuck about their body. You slap God in the face Like what I'm trying to tell you is, my brain works different.

Speaker 2: 24:18

Man and I was here and I've tried everything. I've been in three psychiatric lockups in the inside of five jails, three prisons. I've lived in my mama's basement. I've been sober in AA. I've chaired meetings in the middle, the same mental hospital I was locked up in. I chaired meetings there for four years, Motherfucker.

Speaker 2: 24:35

I've won ultramarathons. I've had a million dollars in the bank. I've wrapped up in a bed of insulation to keep from freezing at night. I've held onto the pylon of a dock while the police walked on top of it looking for me naked in the water. And no matter where I am, I have the same two fears that I will either fail to gain something that I want or that I will lose something that I have that I do not wanna give up. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. You can take all the money away, bro. This is it. And when you figure that out, man, your life is just different. Like, why am I working like this? Why? Why am I doing this? Why? And, man like, I ran away when I was 19. I've spent years, years alone with an active mind, reading the Bible and history, which has a tendency of repeating itself, and then running up mountains listening to shit like the Unabomber Manifesto. What does that do to a human psyche?

Speaker 1: 25:41

Right, man, I had to tell you your story is inspirational on so many different levels. From the mindset of like tangible things, like you're talking about your jacket and the band, the million dollars, like that doesn't really matter, but yet you're still driven to go out and be successful. Yeah, so what drives you? Because it seems like commercial things are not important to you. So what drives you to be successful in both real estate and social media? Cause you're killing it. You just passed $50,000 down in the script. Congratulations, by the way.

Speaker 2: 26:23

Look, thank you, man. And I'll be honest, dude, I'm much happier in the woods with no cell service and a bag of shrooms and no clothes, but and God lets me do that, man but I'm here for a reason, dude. Hey man, you can't hold lightning in a bottle, cause, right, you can do it and like, that's why I'm here, man. I'm a made man. I could be sitting anywhere doing anything, but I'm working 15 hours a day busting my ass. Why? What a question for somebody.

Speaker 2: 26:55

Until I couldn't tell you how much money I made a calendar year in my life and very few people know this. But except for one small period where I had to because of some tax election, I have never drawn a salary of any kind out of any company I've ever owned, except $249 a week for a brief period from creative construction. I live like a pauper, largely without money. I don't eat meat, I rarely take hot showers, I don't use an air conditioner, like, why am I doing this, man? And literally, I got on social media for one reason, man, one reason only that if I could do all these things and show people that I can invest money and I can fix houses, I can build a soul, I can van life, dude.

Speaker 2: 27:42

I can run up a fucking mountain. I'll grab a snake. I'm fearless. They'll respect me. And if they'll respect me, they'll listen to what I have to say. And all I have to say is this guys, america, you need to make your houses smaller and more efficient and be happy with less, because you're fucking the planet. That's what I'm fucking here. And whatever I gotta do, dog, as long as you're hearing them words, that's all I care about and you hear them to heart, and you see the intensity on my face when I say them and know that, yeah, fuck the money, man, that's what I'm here. And finally, god's, let me get to a place where I'm, somewhere that might be, somewhere where a lot of people will fucking see it and my God, look at my fucking eyes. America, make your houses smaller and more efficient. Be happy with less, because you're fucking the planet. That's it.

Speaker 1: 28:34

It's facts. Let me ask you a question I saw on your social media the other day. Someone commented on there about well, joe, the reason why you do this is because you have money. The reason why you can invest in real estate is because you had the money. I don't have the money Now. I saw your response, so that's why I'm asking where you were, like you have no idea where I came from. So talk to the people right now that are listening to this and say I want to be just like Joe. I want to make a difference for people. I want to make a good living, I want to take care of my family. I don't want to live beyond my means, but I just want to make a living and I want to be real estate. How can they follow and gain inspiration from you? What do you say to those people?

Speaker 2: 29:21

Step one if anybody is trying to get into real estate on any level, the first this is step zero. You need to find a group of people who are actively making money in the market in which you're located and put your shoulder next to them. Fuck a self-help book, fuck. I've never read Bigger Pockets and I got them. Okay, this is what I'm here to tell you. Just find some people who are doing the deal.

Speaker 2: 29:46

Don't believe the hype. That's what I'm saying, man. I've never read a book of any kind. Look at me. I'm a five foot four redneck. If I can do it, you can do it. Just trust me, most people just don't do it because they're scared. They're scared of failure, man. They have no cojones. And yeah, put your shoulder next to somebody. And the other thing is you have to audit yourself, like some people. Saying I want to get into real estate is like me saying I want to get in the NBA. All right, dude. At one point I tried out for the midget porn industry and they told me I was too tall and too short at the same time. What do you want me?

Speaker 1: 30:35

to say Some people even cut the mustard dog and I'm pretty sure you're saying that because, listen, I've had a lot of people on here and it's like they're trying to sell some sort of education, right. So they're like everybody, anybody can do this, right. Sign up here, you know, give me money and I can need you. And I've openly said it hey, man, talk to sellers ain't for everybody. Learning how to do it, marketing and everything like that Brand numbers, construction ain't for everybody, you know. So I agree with you that real estate and best thing is not necessarily mint for every single person out there, just because, hey, you saw a show or you saw Joe Fells on Instagram and you're like dude, he was like he's living a great life. I want to try it out. It doesn't mean you got to do the exact same thing. Now I can actually batch Jack.

Speaker 2: 31:31

Let me tell you one thing real quick. I liken real estate to the fight game so much because it's very similar. Hey guys, you see these guys on TV and you're like, oh, I can do what they do. Dude, you don't even move like them, you don't think like them, you have no idea what these guys do. In fact, you're so ignorant that you don't even know what you don't know. And if you stepped in that ring, the consequences would be quick and lethal and like, yes, what they don't see is the time and effort.

Speaker 2: 32:07

And Bruce Lee nailed it If you want to be good at something, do it 10,000 times. So I mean, yeah, dude, they, I'll post it tomorrow. I'm gonna post something tomorrow. You know this lifestyle, what I do, real estate, van life, ultra running, asceticism, minimalism these lifestyles are not for people who want it or who need it. It is only reserved for people who do it. And if you want to get in real estate, really you have to buy a house and it is incumbent on you to figure out what it looks like to get from A to B, based off of honest self appraisal and objective thinking.

Speaker 1: 32:43

So all right, so this jacket, you wear the jacket all the time and I was gonna ask you a NASCAR question and I mentioned this before you say you've never watched NASCAR.

Speaker 2: 32:55

I have never watched a NASCAR race in my life.

Speaker 1: 32:58

So why the hell do you wear a Dale Earnhardt jigger jacket every single day? This is fashionable as hell.

Speaker 2: 33:03

Who is this? That's Alex. Hi, alex, hey.

Speaker 1: 33:08

She's. It's fashionable. That's something I was. I was hoping that, since you said bread in that real estate, that we were gonna be able to talk NASCAR. You don't like NASCAR Now.

Speaker 2: 33:19

I love racing, but the old fashioned kind of shanks mare. I used to run an ultra marathon every other month. I ran 50 miles a week. I love racing, but I feel you should do it the old fashioned way. I'm not a big fan of fossil fuels and you know shit like that, and I love nature, but I mean, I don't even like Budweiser. I just think this jacket's badass.

Speaker 1: 33:42

I bought it off of some. You showed up and drink a mill of light to wear the Budweiser jacket. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 33:49

I mean. But let's be honest, rj, I bought this off of some dude fixing his moped on the side of highway 56. Hey, I'll find it the video's on Instagram. Last year I bought one from a homeless guy a badass Georgia jacket. I literally busted a UE and turned all the way around and pulled up to a whole gang probably 20 homeless people right there in downtown Augusta. No fear, walk straight up. What's up? Guys? I want to buy your jacket. I gave him 200 bucks and then a ride out of there so nobody else would rob him, and I gave that to my brother for his birthday. It was the heart, the old Georgia before it became the like, the politically correct, nice looking dog.

Speaker 1: 34:33

Right, yes, yeah. The old I got you, I got you, I got you For what For what For the pitch? Yeah, yeah, I think you said lethal. When you said lethal, it ticked off, immediately, kicked us off.

Speaker 2: 34:51

All right.

Speaker 1: 34:52

Let me yeah, it's okay. So you keep talking about the old Jamaeratons. How did that get coming about? Because that's like that's shit right there you use. This is why were you always a runner and that's just part of your life, or is that something that you?

Speaker 2: 35:06

just, I'm proud about this dude. So, man, my dad was a. My dad was a marathoner. Sub three hour guy Ran Boston five times and never stopped at an aid station. This man could run a marathon in a six to half minute pace without a drop of water and loved it. Dude, he just took a piece of a laminated paper with a list of names on it and he prayed for him the whole time. That's how my dad ran marathons at a sub three hour pace. That's my. Now. It makes a little more sense, right, yes, but and he always was on me, all of us kids who's gonna do the distance? And you know, I was a wrestler and I played football. I wasn't trying to run 26 miles, but what dawg, I got a car and man, what was it?

Speaker 2: 36:00

2000 and 13, maybe 12, 13, man, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's, couldn't run anymore. Right now we can barely walk. I had to help him wipe his ass a few days ago and when he was diagnosed man, we started run for Mike. My sister did man, hashtag run for Mike, boy man. And is it okay if I give you a little backstory?

Speaker 1: 36:29

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 36:31

So my dad was a medical doctor man. He was a medical missionary Papua New Guinea that's when I was born and he never gave a shit about the money man, he was there to help people and he had this friend named Jack Loomis in Rockford Illinois who had ALS, lou Gehrig's disease, and you know he's going out quick. And my dad told me the story about when he visited him. Oh crap, when he visited him he said Jack was on the bed. He was always a big, boisterous guy and he couldn't move, he was weak, he was dying, he was on his death bed. And my dad looked at him and said, hey, jack, if you could do anything, what would you do? And Jack looked out the window and it was cold and rainy outside. He said, mike, I'd get up out of his bed and I'd go run. And that rain and I'd feel it and I'd feel every bit of it.

Speaker 2: 37:18

And when my dad started losing that man, we started running for him. We did. My sister beat the motherfucking Marines on their own obstacle course dude, their own obstacle course. My sister won a 50K in Mississippi in May. I've won two forties and a 50. My dad was there for some of these man and like he was there and he saw it. Man, catch him on the hill.

Speaker 2: 37:48

Son, whenever I'm running, man, I feel a cold wind on my face, dude, that's what happened. Though, man, you asked about what changed my dad. Dude, I was actually running, thinking about my dad, thinking about all this stuff, the cold breeze on my face, that's my dad, dude. Anytime there's a hard wind in my face, it's my dad. And, dude, I was running on the road in Hepsiba, georgia. I ran pretty much a 10K every morning at least. That's just you know, like you, drinking a cup of coffee and taking a piss, that's me running a 10K.

Speaker 2: 38:27

Right and dude, halfway in I had a massive like running, had a massive, massive Damascus road, spiritual experience like that. That was in February. Six months later, I was in a van headed to the West coast, and my entire life was different. And that's kind of it, man. And I haven't run in ultramarassan since then. I got injured for the first time a few weeks later, training for the Georgia death race of Tor 10 and three times, and I haven't run one since. Well, I mean not a race. I ran 29 miles the other week on the Appalachian Trail, just came off the couch, right you know you shared that story.

Speaker 1: 39:12

I'll share a little bit of mine. You know I've been an entrepreneur now for 14 years Officially started my first entity real business I'm all in started in LLC in 2012. It was August 6th 2012. My dad watched Monday night football Cowboys versus the Eagles. On September 5th or September 4th. September 5th. That night he fell in his house that he lived in for 30 years and hit his head and never woke up, went to the hospital. 16 days later he died.

Speaker 1: 39:56

I got woken up on September 5th and was told your dad's having brain surgery right now and my son was born October 19th, on my birthday, a month later. So I started a business, my dad died and I had a son and a three month span really two months, but 60 days span, if you want to say it and I always think back to that moment because I can't really remember life before that and I share this with you, man, because you know your dad is, you know, not in good health, but enjoy every moment that you have with him right now because you know, here we are 12 and a half years later, man. I can't remember many moments Like it's really not sweet, man, it sucks. It sucks real bad. And he was my best friend back then and now I'm his son and he's my best friend and you know you talked about being an entrepreneur and you know making your house smaller, live with less. I have all these moments that I remember now in my son and I remember when I started my business I was so proud to tell my dad that I was falling in his footsteps as an entrepreneur. But what sucks about that is is I didn't cherish those memories, I didn't embrace those moments and every person I talked to that I can that wants to listen to anything that I have to say nowadays I tell them, man, embrace moments.

Speaker 1: 41:49

Embrace moments that you have with people that you love. You never know, even like this moment right here. Man, maybe someone out here is listening right now and they're going to go tell their dad they love him and it might be the last time they get to do it. Because I had no idea. I was a little punk ass, 20 something year old. I didn't think about going and watching that money, not football game with my dad. I didn't call my dad about that game. Why? Because I watched the game and I went to a dive bar to get drunk that night doing some yager shots Because I was about to have a kid, so I had to get as many nights in the dive bars as I could. You know what I'm saying. I didn't call my dad, I didn't talk to him about the Cowboys game. Embrace those moments, embrace those opportunities you have, man, appreciate you. Let me tell a story, man.

Speaker 2: 42:40

Thank you for telling me, man. That's called a connection, bro. It can empathize. That's your hero man. You've looked up to him since the day you were born and you have a kid too, so you've realized I don't know if it ever hit you or when it did. When you're changing that diaper, bro, my dad did this to me and look where he is now. Like I'm saying, just like everybody who ever fought Conor McGregor thought they knew what it was like to fight Conor McGregor until they woke up. When it actually hits you, it's like whoa man, whoa, yeah, man.

Speaker 2: 43:22

Let me tell you I don't know if you saw, but it was two years ago, maybe three, I don't know chronologically, but three games ago I rode trip to a little place called Indianapolis with my 70 year old mama to meet my brother and sister and watch Georgia beat Bama. No way, that's awesome. Hey, so my mama she has the ESPN app installed with notifications. We have a group text. My mom and my two brothers all college football season, golf, march Madness, pro football, college football, baseball mama's on it. She drinks beer, I mean. She's also got a black belt in American kickboxing and graduated from Georgia Southern in 1970. And then my mom and brother Statesboro. She's a gangster. She's a gangster. Georgia Southern Eagles right.

Speaker 2: 44:18

And we watch all football games at my parents' house on Sandy Run Court. That's where Sandy Run Original comes from.

Speaker 1: 44:26

That's awesome. Hey, let me ask you you see Augusta, right, I know Augusta is. Hey, that's where the masters are, is that? Is it as big of a deal as the people in Augusta?

Speaker 2: 44:37

Yeah, make no mistake, we have a government here in Augusta, but the Augusta National. Like they run this, channel you know I get you. I have, dude, I've been. Yeah, you know I don't give a shit about golf, but I love the tournament, dude. Yeah, the sandwiches are still 250. Wow, the same ladies have been making them since like the 40s, I mean. And it's. Do they have a? Have you ever been? No, no, it's on my bucket list.

Speaker 1: 45:12

dude, I gotta go.

Speaker 2: 45:13

Well, I may or may not have a Jesus themed Airbnb less than a mile from the national.

Speaker 1: 45:19

Jesus themed Airbnb.

Speaker 2: 45:22

Right across from Lake Olmsted.

Speaker 1: 45:24

I love it bro. Hey, is it as gorgeous in person as it is on TV?

Speaker 2: 45:29

Man it's. It is a vibe dawg. Let me just tell you, going to the West Coast and seeing these old growth forests taught me about these vibes. And when you go to the national, it's a vibe dude. It's the only place you'll go in America where everybody is on their best behavior all, all times.

Speaker 1: 45:46

Yeah, silent, I gotta tell you if you love it there, if you love the West Coast, have you ever done the 18 mile drive around Pebble Beach in California?

Speaker 2: 45:57

No, I have not yet Now.

Speaker 1: 46:00

now you need to get in your van and you need to go do the 18 mile drive around Pebble Beach Golf Course. You want to talk about the vibe that's. You need to look that up, brother. That's that vibe right there 18 miles.

Speaker 2: 46:14

I just y'all back.

Speaker 1: 46:17

They call it 18 mile drive, because the drive, because it's 18 mile circle, that land that you stop at Pebble Beach Golf Course, right, but every stop has its nature, bro. It's got like this thing sequoias. It's got like this old cypress that's dead, but it's like growing out of the side of a rock and it's just, it's memorable, bro. You stop and you just look at these and it's like this is the only place that you can see something like this. There's a place where you stop and there's like thousands of seals and they just, they're just dead, bro. There's rocks that are stacked up a certain way and they don't know why they got. It's just, it's crazy. You got to go. It's a vibe man, you would love it. It's totally your style.

Speaker 2: 47:02

So don't worry, I'm putting it on the list, dude, and you can tell I'm an adventurous guy. I want to go everywhere, everywhere and anywhere. That's cool. I want to be there, dude.

Speaker 1: 47:12

That's, that's my, my, my plan, so do you take requests from fans on crazy shit that you'll do in the future, all the time and and, and.

Speaker 2: 47:23

I'll be honest with you, man, I'm really, I really think we're we're working towards launching just a show, probably just on YouTube, to start yeah, the Joe show. Man, it would be so easy to have 30 minutes of content every single day. I mean and and and, literally like with the premise of hey, I'm Joe, I find houses with a story all over the US. You know a creepy farmhouse in my hometown in Missouri with all the weird deaths, suicides, and then it caught on fire twice. You know like hey, and find the story and then show up with a band of traveling band hippies to pimp this bitch out. I like, yeah, so here's my request.

Speaker 1: 48:04

Okay, so we started teaching people real estate. They come into our office, we teach them, and you know the big beer. I would take them at store. And I got my asses back here, right? So they nicknamed me the Viking wizard, so that's where the Viking stuff came from. All right. So then I embraced it. I was like, all right, you're gonna make me a Viking, that's cool. So I fell in love with all things biking. So here's my request you love running. You said you'll take adventures by request. Yes, I just at some point in time. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to go to Iceland. Okay, can you go to Iceland? Fuck, yeah, as long as it ain't too cold. And I want you to run around all of Iceland.

Speaker 2: 48:51

How long is it? How big is Iceland?

Speaker 1: 48:53

I don't know. Let's see Mike's head big, 50 mile ranges and shit.

Speaker 2: 49:01

Dude, like I would love to run around Iceland, Run from one waterfall to the next on the Joe show. Do they have a trail there?

Speaker 1: 49:11

It's called, like the Golden Circle Road, so it literally goes all the way around the whole country.

Speaker 2: 49:18

Well, fuck yeah, Cleetus. Like dude man just call me Joe Gump Shit.

Speaker 1: 49:25

All right. So I got what you said that day. Apparently, people call you Joe there. Right, you get that a lot. I don't know why I don't know. Yeah, how do you handle that? How do you feel about?

Speaker 2: 49:43

that I'll take as many compliments as you'd like to give me. What the hell do?

Speaker 1: 49:51

you mean, I want to make sure you're like hey, caption this without using the words of Joe Dirk.

Speaker 2: 49:59

I just, I am, I just want to meet David Spade. Like, imagine putting me and David Spade in the same room for an hour. I mean with, I just come on man. That would be high entertainment If you've listened this far.

Speaker 1: 50:13

send this to David Spade right now. Tag David Spade let's get, let's make this happen. Joe Bell needs to meet David Spade.

Speaker 2: 50:22

David Spade, I think you and I'd get along and find a fair amount of things to talk about.

Speaker 1: 50:28

I listen, I'm. Do you think David Spade is actually a cool guy?

Speaker 2: 50:33

Fuck, yeah, man Look. Yes, dude, that's the thing. Hey, let me tell you, people who suck cannot play cool people, they can't.

Speaker 1: 50:44

I don't know, I don't come on.

Speaker 2: 50:49

I'm talking about cool people. All right, the big Lebowski, jeff Bridges, yeah, that's what I'm saying. David Spade, joe Darts, gotta be cool man. You can't fuck up my entire childhood bro.

Speaker 1: 50:59

I think that's it in a look. Listen, here's my thing. This is even more of a reason why Joe needs to meet David Spade. David, I don't think you're a cool guy, I'm Mr Spade.

Speaker 2: 51:12

I think you're awesome and I would love the chance to prove it.

Speaker 1: 51:16

Joe wants to prove it to me, so you need to prove it. I don't think you're a cool guy.

Speaker 2: 51:22

You know what. I don't know if I'm asking you on a date, dave or what, but like I'm coming, I mean, what's up? I'll drive my van up. Dude, I'll let you hang out.

Speaker 1: 51:32

Did you see his movie? Well, you don't watch TV. Well, I've seen. He had a movie on Netflix a couple of years ago, something Missy Little Missy or Missy calls or something like that. Yeah, dude, it was about a girl from his work that not that he wanted, but he wanted another girl named Missy. That was the hot chain and the funny girl that was crazy. He kept kind of dissing and that was the whole premise of the movie. But I'm gonna be on the movie, bro. From the get go, missy seemed like she was down for all kinds of things. She was down for all kinds of fucking fun, bro. And look, they didn't sound cool during that movie. That's all I'm saying. Well, fuck, don't hurt.

Speaker 2: 52:18

That was like you know. You would have to have a lot of uncoolness to undo the coolness bestowed by this one movie. You see what I'm saying. Like the shooting, hey, hold on. The shittiness of the other five, or whatever Star Wars they made, has not diminished the gold of the original three.

Speaker 1: 52:33

Okay, all right, I give you that. I give you that.

Speaker 2: 52:37

That's fair.

Speaker 1: 52:39

Yeah, they lost me at.

Speaker 2: 52:41

Jar Jar Dog.

Speaker 1: 52:43

I mean, if you were a David, if you're really going to go hang out with Joe, just can you bring Adam Sandler with you and let me hang out with that. That's awesome.

Speaker 2: 52:50

Jim Carrey. I have an autograph picture of Jim Carrey. I sent Jim Carrey a fan letter when I was in second grade, third grade, and he sent me back an autograph picture and I still had it. Yes, he did, and it's him. And I mean I don't know if he signed it or not, or I'd be, but I've kept it all these years.

Speaker 1: 53:13

All I'm saying is is Jim Carrey and you seem like y'all would get right along.

Speaker 2: 53:19

Well, all righty then.

Speaker 1: 53:22

All right, bro. A couple of last questions before we get out of here, like to the people that you know truly are inspired by your story, man, what, what do you have to say to them about, like, taking action and getting started? Just you said, it's just go follow somebody.

Speaker 2: 53:43

Yes, Well, if all right, if you, if you are at this, there's there's levels to shit. If you're at this stage where you have a concept in your head of I would one day like to be in real estate, the first thing you need to do is go find some people in your area that are making money in real estate. That's what I want you to do, basically go find the other successful hunters in your woods and see what they're doing. Don't, don't you? And what I'm trying I don't like. I'm sorry if I'm pissing coaches off that are making a lot of money doing this. I'm just being honest.

Speaker 2: 54:20

Don't find a one fits all book. Find somebody for your market dude that's actually doing it and you're not. And what I'm saying is guys, go old school. Go old school, be an apprentice. Don't find somebody that you're that's going to charge you money to learn from them. What I want you to do is go find somebody who's doing this and then you can go offer your services to them in exchange for information and training, like just guys, can I push a broom?

Speaker 1: 54:49

That kid that I was telling you about. Hey, you got to interview Joe. He's been working with me for three years. He started when he was 19 years old.

Speaker 2: 54:58

Justin Hill.

Speaker 1: 55:02

I told him the other day. I was like, bro, you will have 20 years by the time. You're my age in this industry. How much further along is he going to be than I am when he's my?

Speaker 2: 55:18

age, just yes, and people. Here's what people think hey, if you're going to make, if you're going to be a nurse, you got to go to school for what? Two years At least to come out and make $50,000 a year. So if you would like a career where you can actively make six figures without working passive income, what sort of time commitment are you expecting to put into this? Right, and I want you to. This is if you look at every fucking video I put up. It is called the reality of blank Real life, renovation, reality of investing, reality of travel life, van life. I'm just showing you the real deal.

Speaker 2: 55:58

I'm not cutting any corners of pulling no punches and it's hey, it's refreshing to have somebody tell you that, guys, if you want to get in real estate, plan on five years to doing it like, just understand. If you want to get great at something, plan on putting the time in. If you do not have this in your schedule, don't do it. And if you're on the climb up, if you're already working, whatever and you want to get in real estate, before you try investing and making money off of other people's houses, you need to own your own. I'm like you got to, because that's a money leak, dude. You're throwing away money that you're actively earning. You know, in real estate I was investing dividends and returns on investment all these years. It's the complete opposite. We want exponential growth, not de-habilitating leaks. And so after that, man, if you're really trying to go up, man, you know you need to get your own living situation debt free. You know you need to get your own living situation get free or free, I'm not going to say debt free, but at least if you're paying a mortgage, you're paying into something. And then, lastly, man, you need to.

Speaker 2: 57:05

The best way to do this is to get a job in one of these industries. I am now a licensed electrician. I got paid $8 an hour to go to school at Rob's a Pot as Electric when I was an eight time convicted felon, without a driver's license. Ding, ding, ding. You do that for two years. You can go get your electrical license. Okay, that's what I'm saying. You can get paid to learn, and then you can also meet, learn other things and apply your trade on the side, and you'll have it wherever you go.

Speaker 2: 57:34

Man, like you know, your law degree is useful, I guess, but not during a hurricane. And also, man, these are things you know. I go to different markets all over the place. Guys, I can get a job anywhere in the world, not just America, that's easy, but anywhere in the world the day I show up without a fucking application or an interview. Why? Because I have real world skills. People, I can go fix your house right now, any part of it, and that's in demand, no matter what.

Speaker 2: 58:08

And so all that to say this equip yourself with real world useful skills, get paid to learn these skills if you possibly can, and then learn to get in the employee of somebody where you can burrow into the armpit of real estate, because if you don't know anybody, it's hard to get an in. Like, how do you find an off market deal? Everybody sees the market. How do you find a hard money lender? How do you find a sub two deal? Like this stuff, that's yeah, dude. It's like how do you pick up a hot chick at the bar that everybody's trying to get? You need to have a lot of money or be real slick dog.

Speaker 1: 58:46

So you know you were that answer very extended answer. I appreciate it was thorough, but you were. You were talking about the reality of real estate, the reality of bad life, and I think that's where you and I probably resonate with, with our followings, in our audience. I started making a name for myself by recording my calls with sellers live unedited. So, hey, this is RJ. See, you've got a house and pre for closure, you're looking to sell that. And then, you know, got pussed out, hung up, picked the phone up, called again and I did it for eight hours a day and people are like this is insane, I can't believe I'm watching this. No one shows this. Everyone edits it. It always shows the good stuff. No one shows the bad stuff, and I think that's what you're showing too. It's like, hey, here's just reality, like you want to do this. Here's the good and the bad, not just the good, because there's bad that comes along with it too. So my last question with you for you, joe, is you're very interesting and unique individual.

Speaker 1: 59:59

I have previously asked guests where do you want to be in five years? And I just had my six year anniversary of the podcast and I got to go back to some of my original guests and actually share what they said about where they want to be in five years, five years later. So it was a lot of fun. My question to you is where do you want to be? I don't even want to put a time on it, but what do you want your future to look like? Where do you want to go from here? Because you're already kind of doing what you want, so where do you want to go from?

Speaker 2: 1:00:37

here. If I had my dream, like my dream, you know, I always want to travel. That's the thing I never want to be set. But if I had a base of operations, it's something that I could do. I would have an Echo Lodge in Costa Rica or Uruguay, like right there on the beach man, like built out of the jungle, employing indigenous people at high wages and bringing as many wealthy Americans to experience a new way of life as I possibly could. That's what I would love to do, man. Just you know, cuando yo estaba en prison, me enciende mi mismo español and I would love to go somewhere with little government regulation, where a motherfucker can just live peacefully without being fooled with man, and have an Echo Lodge where people can come experience life like I do, because if you live like I do for even a short period, it will change you intrinsically as a person. Um, and I, oh wait.

Speaker 1: 1:01:45

I totally forgot something, RJ.

Speaker 2: 1:01:49

I'm fine, you can keep me as long as you need.

Speaker 1: 1:01:53

Joe, I fucked up the whole interview where I started out. You said you have a hedge fund. Little one yeah, a little one. And you also said you hate the government, right, yeah? So what are your thoughts about this? Because I've got roasted on the internet on my opinions on this. Tiktok hates me. Okay, washington and Oregon senators just introduced a bill to outlaw hedge funds from owning single family real estate. What are your thoughts about that?

Speaker 2: 1:02:36

How can you outlaw somebody from buying a house in the land of the free? You dipshit. I'm here to expose that, dude. Hey bro, have you ever compreendaid in the land of the free? You have to ask the government's permission and pay the money and let them in your private residence in order to fix your house. Yeah, hold on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. How did we get here?

Speaker 2: 1:03:04

I think we got back to a little time known as 1775, when the British enacted the quartering act and people had to let government officials in their house and they started a goddamn war. That's what I'm saying, literally like whoa. And what they've done is just taken a little more, and taken a little more, and taken a little more, and nobody's ever stepped back and said fuck you, man, get out of my fucking house. And here's what I'm telling you, to quote General Jackson, man, he said well, the president has made his decision and let him enforce it.

Speaker 2: 1:03:37

If you look at my criminal record like man, look, I don't know what your fucking law says. I can print a common sense and you cannot deprive me of my life, liberty and the pursuit of my happiness, and I'm going to do what I see fit on my land, regardless of what you say, and if you want to lock me up for it, it won't be the first fucking time I went to jail, homeboy, come do it. What I'm telling you is during the Salem witch trials, they thought they were right. And during the Spanish Inquisition, they thought they were right and the American government thought they were right during slavery to you, fucking assholes. And you were wrong then and you're wrong now. What do you want me to say in? History always has a way of reckoning things out, so you can talk about whatever you want to, man, but that's a bunch of bullshit, dude.

Speaker 1: 1:04:18

Yeah, listen. So what happened is I've got this show that we do called part of the disruption, where we talk about trending topics and we have a minute to answer. Cool, so I got it. I got a question about the Sanctis down in.

Speaker 2: 1:04:33

Florida. Okay, give me back story, because I don't. If you could believe, I don't follow the news at all.

Speaker 1: 1:04:40

So so here, the Sanctis down in Florida, and Chinese citizens can no longer purchase Florida real estate. Okay, and the question was what? How do we feel about that? And I said it's a slippery slope. I don't want the government telling anyone who can and can't own. If you don't want a Chinese citizen owning your real estate, don't fucking sell it to him. How about that?

Speaker 2: 1:05:09

Case in point.

Speaker 1: 1:05:10

Good, here's the thing, brother. Two hundred and fifty years ago we were all immigrants coming over here buying this shit. Okay, it's not, it's not owed to us that we, it's our right to own it. It's our right to own it if we fucking pay for it and you go by. So I said I don't want anyone saying we can't, can't own real estate. So that was the Republicans. The Democrats response was fuck you, hedge funds can't own real estate. Oh, oh, slippery slope starting Now. What's gonna happen now? We're just waiting on the Republicans to respond. This is the bullshit I hate, dude. I want the government to stop talking about real estate. I want them to stop talking about who can and can't own it. Hey, all right to own it, and we want to own it. And however we want to, I want to do it inside of a hedge one. I can do it.

Speaker 2: 1:06:03

How about this? Why do we happen to listen to you if you can't even balance a fucking budget? Dipshit, like why y'all are the worst businessmen I've ever seen. Y'all couldn't think yourself out of wet paper sack and you're working with trillions. Y'all fucking suck hey. Like that's what I'm saying. If, if, if, hey, if all of America, like all the working class Regular Joe's of America, could send a message to everybody in Washington DC is this you Fucking suck on all levels.

Speaker 1: 1:06:37

All right, joe, you think the American people spoke and said, at least on my social media, that they agree with this.

Speaker 2: 1:06:48

They don't want to here's. Do you know why? Can I say why? Because the government pitches it to him like that. Thank you, that's what they give it to you.

Speaker 1: 1:06:57

Joe that he think that the reason why houses have gone up in price is because of hedge funds, whereas you and I both know we've been doing for way too long. Bro, how much did a two-by-four cost when you started a comparison? How much cost now?

Speaker 2: 1:07:15

say less, bro, I say less. Hey, dude, you know what this really is. This is like silent darts back and forth. You know I said RJ. Can I give you another plausible scenario? The Republicans say Well, you know, chinese citizens can't buy it. And the hedge funds go hey, that's a good idea, because a lot of Chinese corporations and citizens are buying a lot of real estate. And if we take out these top bidders, so like American farmland, right, which terrifies the shit out of me, but we shouldn't be that dumb dog. What do you have me to say?

Speaker 1: 1:07:57

That's why I keep saying people are saying, dude, we've got a major problem in Arizona with I think it's tight land, is buying a shit ton of land in Arizona and and not allowing people in Arizona to use the water rights that is coming with this, the land.

Speaker 2: 1:08:20

Fucking sell it to them. Well, and that's the thing. I see what the other side pushing back, like well, fine, we're gonna introduce this one. Well, hedge funds can't buy it either. There goes your lobbyist Right. You see what I'm saying like, but they nobody's thinking about the other side. What if I'm a seller and I have a fantastic deal, but you were literally depriving me of life and liberty by telling me I cannot sell my property to an American citizen Just because he lived in a different country prior to getting American citizenship. Right, what is it? So? What you're saying is what you were doing is a literally in essence discriminating against people from China, literally by by definition of the law. If you're from China, we're going to treat you differently. Yes, I Don't know how you can do that, nor why that makes any sense.

Speaker 1: 1:09:13

Like, why the way it would want to be like. Stand strong on that, I the bro. It's anti-money that I thought this country was built on, but apparently you and I are in the when we're the rare breed now they were. We still believe that's a thing Right.

Speaker 2: 1:09:34

I want the government out of my house for every reason that like and here's the thing, here's the problem is that when I say that people, now the mindset is well, what are you doing in there, bitch, this is my house, why do you? I do not have to tell you, nor is it proper for you to even fucking Ask this is the sow. I mean, like, dude, this is my private. You know what happens in here. I fuck my old lady and I shit. What else do you want to know about? Dog like shit? Man, hey, if you, I and I that's what I'm saying man and people, they just they go with it because they're pitched that way, man, and this is the scary thing to me, rj, that it's all in. Why do we have building inspections?

Speaker 1: 1:10:18

Whoo, why do we have there's the, there's the theory that goes out, where we want to make sure that buildings are built correctly, correct, where we want to make sure that everything is done up to code, to a standard, so we're eliminating fires, buildings falling down, right, yes, yes, yes, but if we've ever, if you've ever gone through that process.

Speaker 2: 1:10:40

You know that it's not the case.

Speaker 1: 1:10:42

What so ever?

Speaker 2: 1:10:42

well, hey, rj, I will challenge you this, because I had a theory that new buildings are way, way safer but also more shittily built than the other ones. They are Like there. That's the thing and when I was researching this.

Speaker 2: 1:11:01

Hey, and I challenge you or anybody listening, you can email bells investment at gmailcom. F ELZ investment at gmailcom with any links. I want an incident of red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red, red country of 330 million people, and then of that, 42% were simply caused by people plugging a space heater in to a circuit that wasn't designed to handle it. It's user error. So we're literally talking about like 190 people a year and you're making us all by $70 breakers for this. Dude, that's one what? No, dude, you're just trying to make me buy shit. You're not keeping anybody safe, but what you've done is create a matrix of book, this fucking big, on how to build a house that you can now fee and trap, trap me on and charge me for inspections, employee a whole bunch of old washed out contractors weren't good for anything else and also now I can come in your house and see how much it's worth to raise your tax value. What? That's all they've done, dude, and I prove this to myself by going to Europe. I spent three weeks in a van clandestinely touring old construction that was built in the 1200s, so far ahead of us, without ever a building inspection.

Speaker 2: 1:12:56

And here's the problem, bro Cephas, like these people back then were building shit and they weren't bound by a book. We have literally boxed in an entire industry. There is no innovation anymore. You have to play by these bullshit ass rules. Look at the cost of housing. That's what I'm saying. Like it's ridiculous. It is so stupid. And the older shit is always better, man, from here to there, man, I mean I Well, joe, it's hedge funds fault. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's hedge funds fault. Why? Why is it my fault and why? If I own a house? Here's the thing. If I own a house, I do not see how anybody well hold on. If I own a house, free and clear, no note, I do not see how any other man on planet earth or government entity can tell me what to do with inside the four walls.

Speaker 1: 1:13:51

Well, unfortunately, guys, our interview with Joe Bells was cut short due to the snowstorm here in Texas. We had a power outage. So I just wanted to say hope you guys thoroughly enjoyed the interview and thank you, joe Bells, for being a guest on the titanium ball, blown away by his mindset, his journey, overcoming the trials and tribulations he had early in life. If you enjoyed this video, make sure you like it. If you enjoyed the podcast, make sure you leave us a five star review and we'll see you guys next time on the titanium ball.