EP 77: Why the Best Investors Blame Themselves Featuring Peter Fortunato

Oct 20, 2025

Join Peter Fortunato, a seasoned real estate investor with over 60 years of experience, as he delves into the importance of personal responsibility in investment. He argues that true success comes from owning your deals and navigating challenges with integrity. Discover how to turn setbacks into opportunities, prioritize relationships over profit, and think like a long-term capitalist rather than a hobbyist. Peter also shares insights on effective deal structuring, proactive communication, and the value of clear paperwork in sustaining wealth.

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INSIGHT

Ownership Frees Improvement

Taking ownership frees you to learn and improve because you stop blaming external factors for deal outcomes.
Peter Fortunato says admitting your deal is your fault lets you analyze choices and correct them for next time.

ADVICE

Use Hypotheticals To Uncover Objections

Use storytelling and hypotheticals to separate people from immediate stress and surface workable solutions.
Ask, “In the event we could arrange this, is there any reason you wouldn't do it?” to elicit yes/no clarity.

ANECDOTE

Option Sale Saved A Seller And The Deal

Pete sold a house with a five-year lockout option then sold that option to others to help the seller and preserve his economics.
He restructured terms twice to give buyers profit while extending his buyback timeline and keeping relationships intact.

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If your deal goes wrong, it’s not the market. It’s not the seller. It’s not the lender. It’s you.

In this episode, legendary creative investor Peter Fortunato breaks down what it really means to take full ownership of your deals — from how you structure them, to how you treat the people involved, to how you handle things when they go south.

For over 60 years, Pete has taught investors across America how to think like dealmakers — not speculators. In this conversation, we explore why your deal is your fault (and that’s a good thing), how to navigate messy situations with integrity, and what it takes to build wealth that actually lasts. You can find his first episode on the podcast here: https://youtu.be/F1JkCXq8GY4.

We cover:

- Why “your deal is your fault” is the most freeing mindset in real estate

- What to do when flips don’t sell and rentals go negative

- The difference between micro economics (people) and macro economics (headlines)

- How to keep relationships intact when a deal gets messy

- The key skills that save more deals than spreadsheets ever could

- Why success in real estate begins and ends with responsibility

Join Courtney at this next class, his Paper (Paperwork) Course — December 6–7, 2025 | Tampa, FL at the Westshore Holiday Inn. Tickets available at PeterFortunato.com. Joey Long will have a meetup at the Pinellas Ale Works the Thursday night before the class where Pete will be speaking on How to Do Repeat Business. You can watch Joey's most recent episode here: https://youtu.be/b7BUB1jEe00?si=fmGV-1Nh1yoXoUwM.

Follow @CourtneyFricke for real-time creative finance strategies. Explore free resources and upcoming events at CourtneyFricke.com. Keep learning — subscribe to The Strategic Success Podcast for weekly episodes that help you take the next right step toward your success.

If this episode challenged how you think about deals, responsibility, and success — hit Subscribe, share it with another investor, and remember:Your deal is your fault. Own it — and you’ll own your future.