Just a few days ago, a newer investor asked me if our investment strategy would change due to tariffs and the perceived economic turbulence around that.

He was concerned about potential recession risks and how it might affect our deals.

Here’s what I told him, and what I’m telling you if you’re caught up in similar worries:

Focus On What You Can Control

In our business, we focus on what we can control while underwriting deals conservatively to account for risks present in both the market, asset class, and specific project we’re evaluating

This allows us to do well, even when the market doesn’t cooperate.

We’re buying good deals in good areas with the right structure that allow us to execute our business plan successfully.

Stop Using National News As An Excuse

Many new investors look to the national news cycle as reasons to not take action.

Tariffs, tax changes, political landscapes, geopolitical news… a whole bunch of things that are truly outside of their control.

Unless you’re a large pension fund or institutional investor deploying hundreds of millions of dollars, you shouldn’t allow 90% of macroeconomic news significantly affect your day to day investment decisions. If you feel like it is, you’re probably just looking at crappy deals, of which you don’t have the conviction to execute.

Here’s What Actually Matters

Your focus should be:

“How do I find a great deal, in a good area, and structure it to reduce the likelihood I jeopardize my (and my investors’) capital?”

That’s it. That should be the extent of your focus.

This is even more critical for new investors because the biggest roadblock isn’t market conditions… it’s just getting that first deal done!

You need to mitigate the obstacles between where you are and closing that first deal. Focusing on large national issues or politics outside your control only delays your timeline to getting that first deal done.

And getting that first deal done is fundamentally the only thing you should be concerned about and the only thing you can actually control as an investor.

The market will do what the market does. Your job is to find good deals regardless of what’s happening in the news cycle.