QUICK!  When $1.2 million drops in your lap, how do you invest it?  I’m Bryan Ellis.  I’ll tell you exactly how RIGHT NOW in episode #161.----Hello SDI Nation!  Welcome to the podcast of record for savvy self-directed investors like you!What would you do if $1.2M in investment capital just dropped in your lap?  That’s what happened to Ted, a listener to this show who recently completed the sale of one of his businesses and now has a cool $1.2 million of after-tax money just sitting there, waiting to be deployed.Ted is a VERY SMART GUY.  Brain surgeon level.But for Ted – like so many other people who are very successful in their own fields of endeavor – well, when it comes to investing, his logic turns off.So Ted called me up and said:  Bryan, I’ve got $1.2M.  I’ve heard you talking a lot about these little houses in Birmingham that I can buy for under $60,000 each.  And that are yielding net returns of 10-15%.  My calculations say that I could buy 20 of them and would immediately have a net income of at least $120,000 per year, totally passively.  So let’s do it.  I’d like to buy 20 houses.Well, folks, a few days ago, I promised you I was going to be even more transparent with you on this show.  So here it is… at that moment, I was counting my money!  Selling 20 houses to Ted was going to be a profitable event for me, and it was pretty exciting.But then my rational mind returned to me.Now look… I know something about Ted.  He’s a wealthy guy.  This money – the $1.2M he’s trying to invest now – it’s not his only capital.  He’s a serial entrepreneur and has done really well for himself.So in that way, Ted makes the grade for someone who is worthy of making a $1.2M investment decision.But I had to ask Ted a couple of questions, namely:  Tell me how you feel about this, and tell me how Vicky feels about it.  Vicky is Ted’s wife.Ted told me he was really excited.  He’s done some research into Birmingham, and he “gets it”… though he’s still nervous about investing in the southeast, since he’s never done it before.  He also really likes the strategy we use for totally insulating him from the risk that the economy will decline or that his tenants will lose their jobs… those things are no longer a concern for him.  And he’s definitely excited about getting a large income totally passively for the first time in his life, and about the tax benefits.  He’s checked out our property managers, and he feels very good about them.  Sure, he’s nervous.  But Ted’s ready to take the plunge and buy 20 houses.Vicky, well… she’s also interested, and she’s happy with she sees on paper… but she’s far more cautious.  Vicky is familiar with all of the information that Ted has… and she agrees with his assessment.  But she’s really nervous.  To Vicky, even though she and Ted have other assets, to her, $1.2M is practically all of the money in the world. And you know what… she should be feeling cautious.  The fact is this:  Ted and Vicky have never done business with me before.  They’ve checked me out… that’s for sure.  Given me the third degree, actually.  As well they should.  But they know me only because a friend of theirs who is a doctor in California referred them to this show.  This particular doctor is a client who trusts me explicitly and allows me great latitude in allocating his portfolio, and we’ve done very, very well for him.  So my client’s referral carries a whole lot of weight with Ted and Vicky.And here’s the thing:  I’d like to do this deal with Ted and Vicky.  It would be good for them.  It would be good for me.  A real win-win.  But now… as in right now, this very moment in time… well, the timing is right for Ted and Vicky.I told Ted I absolutely believe he’s making a great decision for how to deploy that capital based on his financial situation and the other assets in his portfolio.  But I proposed that he adjust the timing.  Here’s what I mean:Instead of buying 20 houses right now, which Ted could do with the stroke of a pen, I propose