Saturday, April 24, 2010

Josh Duggar: Shiftless Layabout or Financial Genius?

The general concensus seems to be that Josh is a camera hog, he is riding daddy's coattail's, and he's hoping that TLC is his ticket to fame. He says on the screen that as a carsalesman sometimes they have money and sometimes they don't. He also says he wants to hire someone to work at the car lot so he can spend more time with his family. He also wants to invest in real estate to help build his financial portfolio. A lot of those statements seem to counter each other. So somewhere in there we have to ask: is Josh a shiftless layabout or is he a financial genius?

First off, there is a period of time between the 1 hour specials and the TV show where Josh was a graduated teen and out earning money. He has said on film that he had done enough construction work to know that he didn't like it enough to do it as a career and he wasn't speaking of the house they built as a family--he meant as an outside job. He has also said he has a political consulting business. He has an audio/visual business and gets come credits for it on the TLC documentaries before the 30 mintute shows started. So before he opened the car business he did have some capital saved up with which to do so.

There are four years from the time he got his GED to the time he got married when he was earning money and saving money--he had no expensives to speak of--his parents were paying his living expenses before he got married (food, clothing, shelter) so everything he made would have been wisely invested, as taught to him by his parents from a very young age.

I personally don't know when he opened the car lot. From watching the TV show (I do own the first 2 seasons and have the 3rd on You Tube) it seems that it was started before the TV show started. Jim Bob paid rent for his original car lot, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Josh to be paying rent or leasing the space for his car lot--just as long as he isn't going into debt--rent/lease isn't considered debt by Dave Ramsey (I'm not sure what Jim Sammons considers rent.) It's possible the space that Josh is using is a commercial property owned by his father--his father owns a lot of commercial property, not just the chicken ranch. It's also possible that Josh bought the property himself--afterall he had been saving up his whole life (allowance, etc) and was taught how to invest. Until someone comes out and just asks, we'll never know.

The other question people ask is why are his hours only 10-5 M-F: how is he going to sell any cars with such weak hours of operation? There are a few things people need to remember. First of all, as a religious man, he is following in his family's footsteps and saving Saturday as a sabbath day to spend as a family day and Sunday to spend as a worship day. The other obvious thing people need to remember is--in that part of Arkansas, Josh Duggar is famous. He isn't just some kid selling cars, he's a guy with a national TV show selling cars. If you don't think people are coming from all over Arkansas just for that reason to buy a car from him, or at least test drive one of his cars, you're kidding yourself. He is selling plenty of cars just because his name is Josh Duggar and he is on TV. He can play that "we're just poor ol' folks starting out" all he wants to, but in the REAL reality, he's a nationally known reality TV star and that WILL sell cars--plus his family HAS been in that town for a couple generations and his name is trusted--THAT will sell cars too.

The other unknown out there is "Does he make money from TLC and if so, how much?" I'd say yes he probably does and it's probably plenty. Because he is over 18 and because he has a family entity seperate from that of his father's, I'm sure he has to sign a deal seperate from that of his father's. He also has, I've heard, gotten some credits for audio/video production on some of the episodes so he will earn a paycheck for that.

Josh Duggar will never go into debt. While he may say he's struggling week to week, or month to month because of the car lot (as any car lot that size probably does) that very well could be true, because as he's probably learned well from both his dad and those Jim Sammons videos he's watched over and over from childhood, any money he's made could very well be in untouchable investments---cds and money market accounts. He and his wife may have also decided that they are going to "make it on their own" and not use any TLC money to pad the monthly budget, but rather put that money into investments--which would be the smart thing to do--which is probably what his father is doing--scooping up investment properties in this down real estate market and turning them into rentals.

Josh Duggar will probably never have to work as hard as his father had to to make the money his father has. Of course that is the dream of most parents. However, his father did do a good job of teaching his son the value of a hard day's work (Josh learned the hard way that he doesn't want to be a carpenter, plumber, or electrician, but at the same time he does know how to do all of those jobs and can do all of those jobs for any properties he owns.) Right now, as their family is being filmed, the Josh Duggar family really does have more than one job--TLC is a job. Even though they've moved out on their own, they still travel on all the field trips, get drop in visits from the film crew to the car lot, their home, and get followed to Anna's parent's house in Florida.

It would not surprise me one bit if he had the cash stashed away somewhere to buy up investment properties in Arkansas. I haven't done the research (you know me, I won't because one of you will) but I'm sure it's cheap and since he's paying cash and buying it without any loans he can buy it "as is" and do any and all repairs himself and with the help of family and friends. He knows where to go to buy cheap and used and recycled building supplies and he knows how to negotiate for deals--he also has a father that owns a complete set of tools that he can borrow from.

So on one hand he may look like he's lazy---he doesn't seem to put his best foot forward on TV, but you have to look deeper and really analyze the situation. It would be nice if they'd explain themselves a little more, but they don't and probably never will. I doubt we'll ever know how much any of the Duggars get from TLC. But seriously, as annoying and off the cuff as Josh is, I'm starting to lean more towards financial genius than shiftless layabout.

12 comments:

  1. Its a funny thing but I just rewatched '16 kids and moving in' which had Josh doing all intro's and voice overs etc. It struck me that he was coming accross as a really nice young lad. I found myself wondering what had changed. Not that I don't still think that he's a nice enough young man but I do think that something in his manner has changed.
    One of the things that people criticise the family for is 'exploiting their kids on tv' sigh but in this case I wonder whether it is just too much exposure and perhaps loosing that original innocence.
    I'm sure that he is not 'Big Headed' but, bless him, he does come accross as rather self important.
    I think he is going to be financially savvy, and that he and Anna have been bought up to not fritter money away and those habits will be fairly well entrenched by now - he may even turn out to be more and more like Jim Bob - remember we didn't see the young Jim Bob but reading their book he would appear to have had confidence in himself, as well as a good salesman.
    I'll bet you that when Josh and Anna say they sometimes do and sometimes don't have money, that they are following the parents example of constantly ploughing profit back into cars and saving up to buy/construct their first house. The place they live now is rented but keeping it in the family!
    I think you've nailed it pretty well Marybeth and actually if he is a business man why oh why would he throw away the sort of publicity that makes his name known and his business successful.
    But he doesn't always come accross well on tv does he?

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  2. I do wish they would explain themselves more. We take what we see on TV and run with it! I don't think Josh is lazy...but I do think he does NOT want to have to work hard. I don't blame him for that. His folks had to work hard when he was little. Now they are at a point where they don't have to. Josh is wanting to be home more, because his Dad is home most of the time. When I saw him with a new employee...I had to rethink what I said a while back about him being broke. Maybe he isn't as broke as I thought. I will say that he'd better make and save all he can because we all know good shows don't last forever. I bet he already has land of his own and will build his own home soon. Then the rental house can be passed down for others to get a fresh start. :)

    JB is very savvy when it comes to investments and I'm sure he's passing the knowledge on to his kids. They have been on TV for a while now. Bet all of them have enough money to buy a house and land right now! I think people forget the money the kids are making... when they are feeling sorry for them.

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  3. The place they live now is rented but keeping it in the family!
    *****************************
    Josh owns the home they live in free and clear. he either bought it from his grandfather very cheaply or g'pa gave it to him I'm not sure which but hes not renting. The renting came from the fact that is was one of g'pa's old rental houses.

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  4. Oh thanks Cyn, hadn't realised that - obviously wasn't paying full attention on that episode :)

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  5. Thanks for the info. Cyn. The house is the perfect size for his family for now. I really didn't think he was renting. I thought he was just staying there til he could build another home. Obviously I wasn't paying full attention as well.

    I grew up in a house that size. My dad built another room where the car port was.

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  6. I just thumbed through their book...he is renting the car lot space from his parents--small FYI.

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  7. I think one thing that really annoys me, being a 24 year old woman who is engaged to be married, is that the house Josh and Anna live in now was pretty much given to them. Having tried to buy a home this past year, so we could have something of our own to start out in, and not having parents who have tons of money or properties of that type, it really annoys me that he says "once I was married, I was out on my own". No, you weren't. You were given that home, which is a huge help right there. You don't have to pay rent, you don't have to pay a mortgage, you definitely have it easy in that regard. Even if he bought it cheap off his grandparents, it still irks me that he says they are poor lowly folk; try living in an apartment, scrimping by on your income to save up for a down payment on a house, like the rest of us, and then I would believe you.

    Sorry, it's the one thing about Josh and Anna that irks me!

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    1. i get what you are saying maybe he shouldn't have said he is "poor and lowly folks" (do we have proof he really said that anyway)?? but the fact is that his father and mother made some radical life altering decisions when they were younger that made it possible for josh and anna to "take it easy" shall i say.. it all come back to how you are living your life. The Bible says in Exodus Chapter 20 Verses 5 and 6 "5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

      Josh is a second and maybe even third or fourth generation of the Duggars that is seeing God's blessing and promise in his family's life.

      you can be the Abraham in your family history TODAY and decide to follow God, through Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (if you aren't already) and maybe not you and your wife but definitely generations to come will see the fruit of your life.

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    2. What a load of hogs wollup you are spouting Pete.

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  8. I remember hearing at an IBLP seminar that parents should encourage young people to finance their education by working and alternate internships and apprenticeships and that parents should do the most to help newly-weds buy a home (instead of education costs). Any one familiar with this?

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  9. Caron, I'm not familiar with it, but it's brings up interesting points...speaking as someone who has an over-priced private school degree paid for by my parents that i've never used for any practical reason, yet they insisted that i have--not that i minded, after all at 18 i certainly didn't want a job hahaha--there are other ways to go about getting an education...and my husband just read an article that "name brand" degrees aren't any better than a public school degree...i probably would appreciate my education more and would have gotten a degree that came with a skill/use if i had anything to do with the payment of said degree...and at 40 i don't own a home--never really thought about owning one because i've never found a place i wanted to live "forever" but as an investment i can certainly see that a home bought back when i was 18 would be worth more now that my degree...

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  10. When, I see most kids at home, on their computers, video games etc, I do not think the Dugger kids should be criticized for not working harder. While I would not want 19 kids, they are doing a good job with these kids. I certainly see my share of kids not wanted, with no ethics or morality, so the Duggers are a breath of fresh air. I certainly would rather have them as neighbors , than many
    .

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