How will Trump policies affect real estate investors specifically?  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll give you the answer right now in Episode #241 of Self Directed Investor Talk. ----- Hello, Self Directed Investor Nation.  Welcome to the show of record for savvy self-directed investors like you, where for just 7 minutes of your time per day, we give you MASTERY as a self-directed investor. Welcome to another week, folks.  I’ll be honest with you, I’ve had a pretty awful last 24 hours and don’t even feel like doing this show right now.  Am I allowed to admit that to you?  Well of course I am.  It’s my show, I can say whatever I want.  I suspect that’s part of why you continue to listen, frankly. But I have some important things to say today and it might take just a minute or 2 longer than the 7 minute standard we have around here. Ok, let’s talk about Trump and how I expect his policy proposals to affect real estate as an investment. Look, I think overall, the outlook is extremely positive, but with one rather large question mark I’d like to explain to you, and I need for you to listen to every word of this brief show so you can hear that. First, the good news: If Trump is even only partially successful at cutting both personal and corporate income tax rates as he’s pledged to do, then I can tell you with utmost certainty what will happen:  The economy will BOOM, absolutely BOOM. Let me tell you something… I’ve already told you I’m feeling a little foul this morning so I’m not going to hold back on you, and while I hope I don’t offend any of you, the fact is I’m far less concerned with your sensibilities than your portfolio value. So here’s the deal:  In the history of the United States – over 240 years – EVERY SINGLE PRESIDENT has produced one particular economic result, so common, so baseline is this result.  That result is that each president has seen at least one year of GDP growth of 3% or more. All presidents – every single one of them – except, that is, Barrack Hussein Obama, who also holds the distinction of being the fourth-worst presidency on record for GDP growth, clocking in at an anemic 1.45%... and those stats are per Obama’s own Department of Commerce, the link to which you can find on today’s show notes page at SDITalk.com/241. Curiously, even JIMMY CARTER had a better average GDP. So why does this matter?  Here’s why:  The American economy is nothing more than a real-world demonstration of the prevailing psyche of the American public.  That’s it.  And for the last 8 years… and frankly, longer than that… because George W. Bush was certainly no great champion of economic growth… but PARTICULARLY for the past 8 years, Americans have operated under an explicit admission from our leaders that there’s a “NEW NORMAL” in effect, which includes things like lower job growth, decreased national security and reduced prominence of America on the world stage.  If you think Obama didn’t actually say that, check out the show notes page on SDITalk.com/241. Why does it matter?  Well that sort of talk is bother a damper on the psyche of Americans, and is totally ANTITHETICAL to the very fundamental nature of who Americans are.  We are optimists.  We are opportunists.  We are lovers of freedom.  We are seekers of wealth and greatness. And suddenly, we have a President who – love him or hate him – TOTALLY agrees with all of that… and has made the GREATNESS of America the central theme of his campaign and his Presidency.  So he’s looking to  do the things that ALWAYS spur economic growth, which are to reduce the punishment of taxation so there’s MORE MONEY in the pockets of people and companies; and he’s looking to substantially cut back the complexity of regulation and the costs those regulations create, which also directly contributes to MORE MONEY in the pockets of people and companies. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that MORE MONEY in the hands of people and companies means more spending which leads to more econo