I encourage you to dive deep into forums, listen to podcasts, and connect with like-minded individuals.

I'm eager to learn from experienced investors, connect with other like-minded individuals, and contribute to the vibrant discussions here.

Having worked for both tech startups and large tech companies, there is a tendency for organizations to focus on one competency, usually the one that the founder has.

Then hire one that sounds competent and that you can get along with.

.: is exactly right "there are a lot of highly unrealistic/hopeful sellers like this currently who overpaid in 2022 and need to sell"A competent realtor adds the value of "and then negotiated" which is the most important portion of he transaction.

My nightmare is with the lender (who was supposed to be an individual investor) but found out after the fact (partners didn't share information.)

A Solo 401(k) may be advantageous for self-employed individuals, offering the potential for participant loans, higher contributions, and no custodian fees, as well as higher contribution limits and the option for tax-deferred or Roth contributions.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

Granted, once I know you as an individual are tied to a transaction, then I can see what you have done in the past and any future transactions.

Sometimes you get lucky.You could even bring up the subject of seller financing (search online for ideas of how to structure a seller financed offer), and make sure a competent real estate attorney helps write the offer documents (if it gets that far). 

They were referrals and the business started to grow simply because I had a competent team that was responsive and looked out for the owners' best interests.