It was likely a cash offer with a skilled negotiator.

IMO it is important to plan your education and develop the skills you have.

I would like to find a mentor who will be able and willing to share their knowledge and skill with me but know that is a difficult task.

Besides, they will get to improve their "BS meter", a necessary skill in this business!!.

I just don't have the people skills neccessary to compete with you!

I got the tech skills to create the products, but I need someone better than I am to package it up and push it through the right channels.

Listing agents have a way of making individual buyers think that they are working with them, when in reality, they represent only the seller and anyone not skilled in dealing with an agent can quickly be had.As mentioned above, find someone you can work with first.

There are some businesses though that can be started on a shoestring budget.Look at what your good at and see if there is a way to sell these skills in some way.

I worked in a bank before where we brokered a small manufacturer to a gentleman for his son to develop his management skills.

That is the only one I can think of off the top of my head.It is a vastly different skill set.