Mike Browning

Author: MB

  • Don’t Let Taxes Eat Your Profit

    Don’t Let Taxes Eat Your Profit

    You earned it. The IRS doesn’t need all of it.

    When people sell property — whether it’s a home, a lot, or raw land — they usually focus on the price.
    And that makes sense.

    But what often gets overlooked is how much of that price you actually keep.

    Because depending on your situation, the IRS might be waiting to take a pretty big bite out of your profit.

    I’m not saying this to scare you. But I’ve seen more than a few sellers surprised by how much smaller their “take-home” ended up being.

    Here’s the thing: you don’t necessarily have to be one of them.

    If you know a few basic rules, you can structure your sale in a way that keeps a lot more of what you’ve earned.

    To make it easy, I’ve put together a short guide called “Minimize Your Capital Gains Taxes.”

    It walks through several of the best strategies used by experienced sellers — written in plain English, not accountant-speak.

    Here’s what it covers:

    • The IRS Exclusion Rule: How to qualify for the $250,000 / $500,000 gain exemption.
    • Improving Your Basis: Why it pays to keep track of upgrades, remodels, and improvements.
    • 1031 Exchanges: How reinvesting the right way can defer taxes altogether.
    • Timing & Strategy: Why a little planning before you sell can save a lot later.

    It’s not a long read — five minutes tops — but it could save you thousands.

    Get it Here

    If you’re even thinking about selling property in the next year or two, it’s worth understanding how the numbers really work.

    And if you’d like me to show you what your land, lot, or home is worth in today’s market, I’ll include that too — no charge, no pressure, no tax lectures.

    Disclaimer:

    I’m not a CPA or tax attorney, and this guide isn’t tax or legal advice. Everyone’s situation is different, so you should always consult qualified professionals before making financial decisions. This information is just meant to help you ask better questions and make better plans.

  • Nobody Knows the Future (But That Doesn’t Stop Them from Pretending)

    Nobody Knows the Future (But That Doesn’t Stop Them from Pretending)

    Forecasts are fine—just don’t build your life around them.

    As humans, we crave certainty. It makes us feel better to look at the world, make some assumptions, and act like we know what’s coming next.

    The problem? We almost never do.

    I ran across a 1999 Texas Water Development Board report recently. It had population projections for 2030 that are… slightly off.

    Here’s a few local gems, compared with actual 2025 estimates:

    CityProjected 2030 Pop.Actual 2025 Est.% Error
    McKinney65,912226,000+243%
    Frisco45,450235,000+417%
    Prosper2,72646,000+1,587%
    Melissa1,26926,000+1,949%
    Celina4,06061,000+1,402%

    **I didn’t include Princeton on the list, but the projections showed it to lose population between 1999-2030.

    (Today it’s only the fastest growing city in the US)

    Good thing nobody was betting real money on those guesses.

    If cities had actually planned their water capacity around those projections, we’d be in trouble.

    Thankfully, most local leaders had the sense to look around and see what was actually happening on the ground.

    Not everyone, of course. Some folks still play politics with growth—voting one way to serve water and another way on annexation just to score a few points online.

    It doesn’t stop the growth, but it does make them feel clever. And look good to their supporters.

    Anyway. The bigger point is this:

    You can plan all you want, but nobody really knows the future.

    If you ask me what your land or lot will be worth in five years, I’ll tell you the truth—I don’t know.

    What I can tell you is what’s happening right now, and what similar properties have actually sold for.

    That’s what matters when you’re making decisions today.

    So if someone promises to tell you exactly what something will be worth later—run. They’re either lying or don’t understand reality.

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    PS- Want to know what your property’s worth today? I’ll tell you what I know. No charge, no pressure, no fortune telling.

    And no virtue signaling.

    Is it ever a bad time to begin a conversation with an expert who also knows what he doesn’t know?

    Click below:

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  • Knowing When To Take a Shot

    Knowing When To Take a Shot

    Threading the needle is great, but avoiding disaster is job one.

    While waiting for the Cowboys game to start last Sunday, I was watching Minnesota take on Philadelphia. I was pulling for Minnesota, since a win would help Dallas.

    But because of injury, Carson Wentz was playing quarterback for the Vikings. He used to play for Philly, and last Sunday it kind of looked like he still did. On one play — 2nd and 27, no less — he threw a pass that had no hope of being completed and got picked off.

    After the game, Wentz said he was “trying to make a play.” But his poor decisions cost his team.

    Fast forward to the Dallas game. With Dallas leading, Washington’s starter got hurt. On just his second throw, backup Marcus Mariota made a terrible decision on a broken play — interception, returned for a touchdown. Game over.

    I didn’t see a quote from Mariota afterward, but he looked like he was trying to “make a play” too.

    Big plays are great, and they’re what fans remember. But a big part of winning comes from avoiding big mistakes. A quarterback has to know when it’s time to take a risk, and when to live to fight another day.

    The backup QB is often more athletic than the starter — but usually sits because he doesn’t make decisions as well.

    That same logic applies outside football. Selling land isn’t as complicated as reading an NFL defense, but it’s not as simple as it looks either. There’s more to it than most people realize, especially when you’re watching someone who’s been doing it for decades.

    Is it cheaper to do it yourself?

    It depends.

    Mistakes can be expensive. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you can leave money on the table, take longer to sell, or worst of all, wind up in a lawsuit.

    I’ve been at this nearly 30 years. I’ve learned to be careful — sometimes overly so — and I’ve seen plenty of others learn the hard way. A few lessons have come that way myself.

    The good thing about experience is that it helps you spot trouble before it starts.

    Sometimes the smartest play is knowing when not to make one.

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    PS- you’re probably not ready to buy or sell now. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to make sure you are ready in case something changes.

    To get a free, no obligation report on your property, including nearby sales and activity and current opinion of value, just click below. You’ll also get articles like this in your email.

    Is it ever a bad time to start getting your ducks in a row?

    Click Below.

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  • Play Ball!

    Play Ball!

    They say baseball is defined by numbers but it also defies the numbers.

    Like Most Things.

    The World Series starts Friday.

    With so much riding on every game, postseason baseball can be a lot more fun to watch—even for casual fans. For a sport that measures everything, it sure gets unpredictable when it matters most.

    And that’s the point. The numbers show who’s better over time, not who will win today.

    A .250 hitter is considered average. A .300 hitter is a star.

    But the difference between them? About one extra hit per week.

    Watch only a few games, and you’d never know which one was which. Many weeks, the “average” guy might even look better. The game’s randomness keeps it interesting—and keeps fans hopeful.

    Kind of like real estate.

    You’ve seen the agent who lucked into one great result and now claims she gets her clients THE MOSTEST THE FASTEST.

    Maybe she does. But there’s no way to know. Every deal is different, and the numbers you see usually come from the same place the bragging does—the agent.

    So what do you do? Go with someone you trust.

    If your agent doesn’t realize those stats don’t mean much, they’re clueless.

    If they do and use them anyway, they’re dishonest.

    Either way, not who you want representing you.

    If you’d rather work with someone who tells you the truth, even when it’s not shiny, I know a guy.

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    PS — You’re probably not ready to buy or sell anything today. But it never hurts to know where you stand. Getting current market info is free, useful, and comes with zero obligation or pressure.

    Is it ever a bad time to start a conversation with an honest expert?

    Click below.

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  • Hate To Have Missed This

    Hate To Have Missed This

    It’s not every day you get a chance to hear from an all-time great

    If you’re in any kind of service business, I’m sure you get a lot of the same kinds of emails I do — free webinars that turn out to be thinly disguised sales pitches for something you probably don’t need.

    But every now and then, one might actually be worth the time. I had the chance to watch one of those today. Unfortunately, I missed the invite and the show was over by the time I got back from lunch.

    The webinar was hosted by Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference — one of the best negotiation books out there. If you can master even a few of his concepts, it’s like playing a completely different game than everyone else. In a good way.

    And since basically everything in life involves negotiation, I’d say it’s worth learning.

    You can buy it here on Amazon.

    In the book, Voss talks a lot about empathy — a word that’s commonly misunderstood. Most people confuse it with sympathy.

    That’s not what it is.

    According to Voss, empathy is the understanding of another person’s world — without judging, and without necessarily agreeing.

    You know you’ve hit that point when you can explain their position back to them and they say, “That’s right.”

    (Not “you’re right,” but “that’s right.”)

    That’s when the light turns green for real progress. Until then, a negotiation is just two people talking past each other and trying to convince one another.

    So if I already know all this, why am I so annoyed about missing the webinar?

    Because the guest was Daryl Davis.

    He’s a blues musician, author, and actor — but also one of the greatest negotiators alive, even if not in a business sense.

    There’s a documentary about him called Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America. You can find it on YouTube (at least you could this morning). I highly recommend it.

    The movie tells how Davis — a black man — has personally convinced hundreds of Ku Klux Klan members to leave the organization. Many of them even gave him their robes when they quit.

    He’s got a closet full of them.

    Davis accomplished all this using empathy. Not agreement, not argument — understanding.

    If empathy can do that, I think it’s fair to say it might help you in whatever it is you’re doing — business, family, or real estate.

    So yeah, I’m sorry I missed it. I’m sure I would’ve learned something new, and it would’ve been an honor to ask him a question. Maybe I’ll get another chance.

    Until then, I’ll reread Voss’s book (again). I get something different out of it every time.

    Would it be a terrible idea to improve your negotiating skills — and your life?

    Buy the book here.

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    ***As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click a link and buy something, I may receive a small commission — at no extra cost to you.

  • Repetition Is the Point

    Repetition Is the Point

    Your kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from being told something repeatedly.

    I recently read something that said there’s usually one thought or chapter in any business book that’s worth reading. I think that probably applies to personal development books too.

    It’s an interesting thought, but not the whole story. If you only read one book, you’ll probably take away quite a bit from it.

    Assuming you read a good one (look here).

    But once you’ve read several, you’ll notice they cover a lot of the same ground. You might not find much new in any single book.

    Although you still need to read it cover to cover to find out what it is.

    Still, that doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time. In fact, it’s the opposite — you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t.

    If you’ve got kids, you already know that people often have to be told something more than once before it sticks. Even when they’re well-behaved, it can take patience to steer them the right way.

    And where do you think they got that from?

    Even if these books share the same ideas, each approaches them from a different angle — and that’s what helps. Sometimes one phrasing or example hits differently and gives you insight you missed elsewhere.

    (This might be that one “thought or chapter” the person was talking about.)

    As a quick example, take goal setting:

    In his various books, Scott Adams says systems > goals.

    In Start With No, Jim Camp says the only valid goals are those you have near 100% control over.

    In The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson says your small daily habits deserve more focus than your larger goals.

    All slightly different — all pointing to the same idea. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

    If you want to lose weight, don’t obsess over what the scale says every morning. Commit to eating a certain way every day and exercising regularly. Those are daily actions you can actually complete — and feel good about.

    Then check occasionally to see if those habits are getting you closer to the result you want. If so, great. If not, you’re still succeeding by completing the process — just make adjustments and keep going until you get there.

    So keep reading, it pays off.

    Even if a lot of it seems redundant.

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    PS — This one didn’t have much to do with real estate directly. But if you’re the kind of person who values learning and improvement, is it really that crazy to think you’d want to deal with similar people in life and business?

    You’re probably not ready to buy or sell land today. I don’t deal in pressure — but is it ever a bad idea to get ahead of things? Especially something consequential like this?

    I offer a free, no-obligation opinion of value on any lots or land you own. Even if you’re not ready to sell, can it hurt to know where things stand?

    There’s also free analysis and thoughts like these posted frequently.

    Just click below:

    Got a lot you might want to sell?
    Get a FREE, no obligation report on what it could sell for today.
    Get Your Lot Valuation

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  • There’s Always More Than Enough

    There’s Always More Than Enough

    No matter how much Jesus gives us, there’s more left over.

    On two separate occasions, Jesus fed a multitude of people with what seemed like a tiny amount of food.

    The first time, He fed a crowd of 5,000 at Bethsaida with five loaves of bread and two fish.

    Later on, He fed 4,000 in the Decapolis with seven loaves and a few small fish.

    I don’t see it pointed out often, but in both cases the Bible says the numbers only counted the men — not the women and children. We don’t know how many that added up to, but it could easily have been two or three times the size we usually picture.

    So twice, He fed thousands of people with basically nothing. And this wasn’t a symbolic snack — they ate until they were full.

    And afterward, there was more left over than they started with.

    Pretty neat trick(s), you have to admit.

    But I think that part — the more left over afterward — doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

    It’s not just a miracle about food. It’s a picture of how Jesus works, and how it’s different from how we work.

    The apostles looked at what they had and thought there was no way it could be enough. But it was. More than enough.

    When we look at our sin — or at the world’s — it’s easy to think there’s no way provision has been made to cover it all. The idea that one man’s death and resurrection thousands of years ago could be enough for everyone seems impossible.

    But it is.

    It’s more than enough. There’s more left over when He’s done than when He started.

    Thankfully.

    There’s enough for all of us. And if we ever need more, it’s still available.

    You may feel like you’ve done too much, for too long, and strayed too far to be forgiven. Not true.

    Or you may think you need to clean yourself up first before coming to Jesus. Also not true. (And it’s a good thing, because without Him, you can’t.)

    Jesus offers forgiveness and salvation to whoever asks for it.

    And after you get it, there’s still more left over for the next guy. Hard to beat that deal.

    If you’re reading this, it’s not too late.

    Ask Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord and Savior today.

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    PS – I’ve been saying recently it’s wise to keep a physical copy of the Bible.

    Reading the Bible won’t save you, only faith in Jesus does that. But it will help you understand God (and yourself), and can only lead you in the right direction.

    Reading or listening electronically is great—until the power or the connection goes out.

    Will that happen? Maybe not. Could it? Sure.

    It’s a risk you can remove easily and cheaply.

    You can buy one here on Amazon

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.

  • The Highballer

    The Highballer

    You’ve heard of lowball buyers, but others will tell you whatever you want up front.

    I’m sure most people reading here have had the experience of going to a car lot. I kind of like the process, but I’m weird. And I negotiate for a living, so it’s kind of like practice.

    But for most people, it’s like pulling teeth.

    We all know how it goes. You find a car you like and take it for a test drive. Afterwards, the salesman asks this question:

    “If I can get you the right price, would you buy the car today?”

    Well, sure. Who wouldn’t for the “right price?”

    Next step you go in the office, and they ask you for a number. You try to give them a low number, but my experience is most people don’t go low enough. (a good rule of thumb is if you’re not at least a little embarrassed by your initial offer, it’s too high)

    Salesman takes the number, acts excited, and says he’s going to go get it signed off on by his boss.

    You know what happens next. They can’t do it. You start negotiating, and they use every trick they know to play off your neediness. Including dragging the process out for hours. So you feel like you’ve wasted time if you don’t make a deal.

    If they know what they are doing (and they do), you probably end up agreeing to something you regret.

    It’s not necessarily that you shouldn’t play the game, it’s that you need to know what the game is before playing.

    A similar thing happens in land sales, especially in areas that are ripe for development.

    It’s not every buyer, but certain buyers will be very aggressive in trying to get your property under contract. Even if they are pretty sure it won’t work at the number you’re asking.

    They say, “what will it take?” You give them a number, they write it up and you sign. And you start counting the days til you can spend the money.

    Even more than you expected!

    But don’t forget there are contingencies in those contracts. They can get out of the deal, and it doesn’t usually cost them much.

    So even if you’re asking too much, they go ahead and sign it up. Worry about that later.

    Come back to you a couple months down the line, use every trick they know to get the price down, get more time, whatever. They know you have a bunch of time invested, and it’ll feel wasted if you have to start over.

    So you give in more often than not.

    Was it a dumb idea? Not necessarily. Sometimes the game is worth playing.

    But you have to know what the game is, and what to expect.

    Like This, Get More Here!

    PS — Not every buyer works that way, and it doesn’t always mean they’re dishonest. To buy something, you’ve got to get it under contract first, and some are just more aggressive about getting there.

    The key is knowing what you’re getting into. If you’re not in the business, it’s hard to know who’s who—but you need to. Or have someone in your corner who does.

    Yes, you’ll pay on the back end—but the peace of mind is worth it.

    Is it ever a bad time to start a conversation with someone who knows the players and has the integrity to treat you right?

    Click below,

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  • Sound Good? Keep Your Head On a Swivel

    Sound Good? Keep Your Head On a Swivel

    Win/Win usually means they plan to win twice.

    There are certain phrases that just scream “look out” as soon as you hear them.

    Most guys know that if a woman says “we need to talk,” it’s not an invitation to a discussion. You’re about to be told something—most likely about how you’re being a jerk.

    If someone shows up talking about “fairness?” It’s a pretty safe bet they aren’t about to start listing ways they can improve things for you.

    And if someone tells you “it’s not about the money?” Trust me, it’s about the money.

    If you’re perceptive, you’ve noticed that all three of those things usually come right before a negotiation of some sort.

    There’s another phrase that should set off the same alarm bells: Win/Win.

    For most people, that phrase conjures visions of cooperation, collaboration, and conviviality. But win/win usually isn’t the real goal of those who preach it.

    For a trained negotiator, it’s a tactic—a way to use your good nature (and your neediness) to skin you alive.

    They say win/win, but they mean win/lose. And they don’t intend to be on the losing side.

    What win/win really means in practice is: “I’m about to demand concessions from you and give little or nothing in return.”

    And if you complain afterward? They’ll tell you the deal was fair.

    After all, any agreement you voluntarily sign is technically win/win by definition.

    Negotiation is voluntary. Everyone has the right to say “no.” The fact that you didn’t means you saw yourself as better off with the deal.

    So technically, you “won.” Just not as much as they did.

    So what do you do about it?

    First, lose your neediness. In almost every case, you don’t need to make any particular deal. You may want to, but the sun will come up tomorrow either way.

    Don’t let your need for approval push you into doing things you don’t want to. If your counterpart’s a pro, they might act offended—but that’s just theater. People actually respect those who won’t be pushed around. Once you drop the neediness, everything changes overnight.

    Finally, learn to live in your adversary’s world. You don’t have to agree with their position, but you have to understand it and be able to explain it as well as they can. When you can describe their perspective and get back a calm “That’s right,” (not “You’re right”)—you’re ready to win for real.

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    PS — I talk a lot here about how negotiation touches every part of life. It’s one of the biggest leverage points you can improve. Two of the best books I know on the subject are Start With No by Jim Camp and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.

    I recommend both, but you can start with either. You can buy them at the link below.

    Recommended Reading

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something—anything—after clicking that link, I may receive a small commission. It doesn’t change your price.

  • Don’t Be an AI Lawyer

    Don’t Be an AI Lawyer

    Shortcuts can get you in trouble if you don’t make yourself an expert first.

    Yesterday I wrote about how doing things the hard way is often the best way in the long run. Some things are necessarily complex if you do them right — and if they’re not done right, they don’t help you succeed.

    Hard now, easy later.

    That doesn’t mean you should avoid an easier path if it truly gives you the same result. Or that you shouldn’t look for better ways to do things. It just means the goal should be to get it right first — then evolve from there.

    Like I said yesterday: hard is slow, but slow leads to smooth. Smooth leads to fast. And fast leads to easy.

    A little while after I wrote that post, I read something that said the same thing in fewer words:

    Efficiency is great, but effectiveness comes first.

    If you trade effectiveness for efficiency, you’re playing a losing game.

    There’s something new posted here most days. I try to stay ahead so I don’t have to write daily, but I write these myself. Maybe not the most efficient system — but I’ve found the more I write, the faster and better I get. And the more I write, the more ideas I have.

    If efficiency were the goal, I could hand the writing off to AI. But then you’d be reading “7 Ways to Prepare Your Property for Sale” and “Top 10 Home Staging Tips.” Clickbait.

    You wouldn’t be here if that’s what I did.

    That’s not to say AI tools can’t be useful. Proofreading, formatting, maybe. But you’d still better read the final product yourself and make sure it says what you meant.

    And don’t trust it with facts. It can make up some things that are… creative.

    And for sure don’t use it to write legal briefs. Ask the attorney who did that and ended up submitting fake case law.

    Or worse, the non-attorney who tried to use it to write court motions. I hear that didn’t go great either.

    I don’t know what the future holds, but for now AI is fine for handling some basic tasks.

    Anything that requires accuracy or precision? You’d better check it yourself.

    Which means you’d better be an expert in whatever you’re using it for.

    And how do you get to be an expert? By doing the slow, hard work — at least at first.

    Efficiency is great. But not if it compromises effectiveness.

    Like this? Get more here!

    PS – All this is really just a long-winded way of saying that while what I do might look easy, it isn’t. It’s taken decades of slow, hard work to get to this point.

    It’s not rocket science — but it’s not easy either.

    When it’s time to buy or sell land, is it crazy to say you might benefit from someone who’s done the hard work long enough that it’s second nature?

    Click below.

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