ONE SINGLE WORD explains it all, my friends.  Why do so many people mindlessly plow so much money into stocks & mutual funds, when FAR BETTER OPTIONS exist?  I’m Bryan Ellis… I’ll tell you what that ONE WORD is, and how YOU can get more of it RIGHT NOW in Episode #115.----------Another day, and I get to be with you yet again!  I swear to you, my friends, I feel like the luckiest man alive to get to spend this time with you each day!Welcome back to ANOTHER exciting episode of the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like YOU.So, folks, before I get started:  Today I’m delivering a POWERFUL webinar that’s exactly perfect for many of you.  If you need a way to generate a solid, predictable and astoundingly safe 7% on your investment portfolio, I’ll show you EXACTLY how to do that in today’s webinar.  It’s not an exotic strategy… in fact, you’ll understand the fundamentals in under 30 seconds.  But it is POWERFUL… and if you’re looking for a way to deploy the CORE of your portfolio… the part that you’re depending upon, and that you can’t afford to risk… well, join us today!  The webinar cost $97 for the general public but for you as a listener to the Self Directed Investor Radio show, I’ll admit you without cost.  But there are only a small number of complimentary passes remaining for today’s live broadcast and then for a couple of re-broadcasts that are coming up.  If you’d like to get one of those free passes, then text the word RESERVE to 33444 right now.  Again, text the word RESERVE to 33444 right now and I’ll send you a link so you can get one of those complimentary passes!My friends, yesterday was a crazy, delightful day.  My team bought 4 different houses yesterday, all of which were bought so far below value that we have every reason in the world to expect to be able to turn these properties very quickly for really, really substantial profits.I’d like to tell you about one of those deals.  It’s the one of the 4 I know most about, because my wife Carole and I bought it, at her urging.A quick aside – gentlemen, aren’t you grateful for your wife?  Wow… that woman has improved the quality of my decision making immensely, both in steering me away from bad ideas and pushing me towards the good ones.  Carole… thank you.  I’m doing a terrible job of expressing how truly grateful I am for you, and how profoundly CENTRAL you are to the success of our businesses, but I want you to know, and I want everyone to know:  I *KNOW* I couldn’t do it without you… not even close.  And what I get from you isn’t just nebulous help in the form of being a good, supportive wife – which you certainly are – but you also contribute materially and substantially to our businesses in ways that nobody ever sees publicly, and I’m so grateful to you.  Thank you!Ok, returning from that aside:  I’d like to tell you about the deal I got yesterday, because it’s a really good one.  But the reason I want to tell you about it is not to brag, but to express today’s point about the ONE WORD that explains why so many people choose fundamentally QUESTIONABLE investments – including stocks & mutual funds – when so many superior options exist.So about this deal… I wasn’t planning to buy it.  I wasn’t planning to do any investing yesterday at all.  I was just minding my own business when the phone rang.On the other end of the phone was a friend and colleague who I’ve come to respect and trust.  This guy is a dynamo at finding really great real estate deals.He called me and said… “Bryan, I know you’ve been looking for some rental property in the Phoenix-Tucson corridor.  I’ve got one for you if you want it.”  Well, I wasn’t expecting the call, so I was a bit surprised, but certainly intrigued.He went on to explain…  “Property is worth $100k.  You can rent it for about $850.  Including purchase and renovation, you’ll be in it for $55,000.”Ummm…. Yeah.  I think I want that one.The deal is great, and it’s in a region of the country where we have some serious