December 9, 2025 • 48 mins
Topics include investing in real estate, plus new rules for Airbnb's in Beumont
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Well, hello Southeast Texas. Welcome to the Dana Simons Show.
I have some incredible guests joining us today. You're not
going to want to miss it. First up, I have
Lonnie White, executive vice president with First Financial Bank, and
she's going to be talking a little bit about are
you thinking about investing in real estate? Well, she's going
to give you some information about all the different types
of loans that may allow you to do that. Also
(00:23):
with us Joey Hilliard. He is the ward to City
Council And as you may have heard, there have been
some changes to if you own an airbnb. So we're
going to talk about what are those changes, how does
that impact you, and what do you need to know
if you're thinking about starting an airbnb. You know, I
personally have had Airbnbs, friends and family and co workers
(00:46):
have had Airbnbs, and so we want to make sure
that you're educated on what do you do and how
do you make sure that you are now in line
with what the city expectations are for owning an airbnb.
But before we get to start on all of that,
I'd like to talk a little bit about the market.
People ask me every day, Dana, how is the market
(01:06):
and so for us, we've had a little bit of
a softer month in the last month, but you know
what is happening, We are seeing an increase. We're grateful
for that increase. I think people are just tired of
sitting on the sidelines and they are now ready to
make the move. So if you're thinking about buying or
selling right now and you want us to give you
(01:27):
the information about what you need to know, is this
the right time or not. We're happy to meet with you,
no cost to you, just to sit down, visit, see
what your situation is, and let you know what is
going on in the area that you're interested in. So
give my office a call at four O nine eight
six six eight three two six. You know we're open
(01:49):
every day Monday through Saturday eight to eight and even
on Sunday we have the phones being answered as well.
So four O nine eight six six Team four nine
eight six six eight three two six. Or if you
want to visit us online at Dana Simmons real Estate
dot com, you can do that or check us out
on any of the social media platforms as well. So
(02:13):
I'm going to get started by introducing you again to
Lonnie White. Lonnie has been on the show before. But Lonnie,
remind everyone who you are, where you're from, and I'll
remind everyone that we initially met. How long ago has
that been that we met in BSF. I'm just gonna
say it was the nineties. I spent a long time. Yeah,
(02:35):
And so Lonnie White and I are a part of
we call it BSF. It's Bible Study Fellowship and it's
an inter denominational Bible study that's actually international. Just this morning,
I was visiting with one of my leaders who's in Nepal.
Morning for me, evening for her. So absolutely love BSF.
(02:56):
It has made such a difference in my life, and
I know other people's life and lives. And so you
are in actually a base class and I'm in an
online class. So what that means is your class meets
in person.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yes, we do Monday nights six fifty five Westgate Baptist Church.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And while it's not associated with the Baptist Church, that's
just the place that you guys get to meet because
they open the doors for you. And it's for women
and students.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yes, and there is also actually a men's class, a
satellite men's class that meets on Monday night as well.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah, so if you're interested in getting more information on that,
you can reach out to me or Lonnie, or you
can go online to Bible Study Fellowship and it can
connect you with getting logged in either to an online
a class online that meets I'm telling you almost twenty
four hours a day, there's a class.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Just pick the time and the day that you have
the time to do it and you can find a class.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
And if you prefer, you can do the day class
which meets on Wednesday, and my daughter and daughter in
law are remember of that, or the evening class where
Lannie is participating. So great way to get connected with
the Word of God. If that's something you want.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
To do, yes, And just a little plug for the
mini study. Yeah, it starts Monday night. We're doing we're
doing a lot of Bible books of the Bible and
the Old Testament this year, but we're going to be
studying Esther for the next three weeks. So if you're
interested in a three week study on Esther, just show
up on Monday night West Cape Baptist Church and we
will give you all the details on how to get
(04:32):
the materials.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
You can even go online and do that mini study
for free online. They have the mini study there. So
the Book of Estra is a great book. Started reading
it this week, so so excited to do that. So
other than BSF, I know that's a big part of
your life, big part of my life. Tell everyone a
little bit more about you.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, well, I'm not originally from Southeast Texas.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Got here, you could got here as fast as I could.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, No, I mean I've got to be called a
Texan by now.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I moved here probably in the middle of my tenth
grade year in high school. So I did graduate from
high school here, went to Lamar, graduated from Lamar University,
met a Texan and married him, and been here ever since.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Oh well, we just claimed you. We claim you full time,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
If you marry a Texan, that's it.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I mean yeah, Well, and you know you graduated here,
went to Lamar. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And my family, you know, my immediate family's here. Yeah,
my mother. My father's passed away, but my mother's still here.
And I have a brother and nieces and nephews.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, so you qualify. So been at First Financial Bank
for quite a while, but been in banking even longer.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yes, we'll just say since the nineties.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So love what you do at First Financial in that
We're going to get more into that in a minute.
But there are with First Financial seven local branches where
people can connect. You're basically out of the Orange branch,
but you do loans for people all over the state
(06:14):
of Texas.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yes, of course, now with everything being online and the
Internet and everything, I mean, we can service customers almost anywhere. Yeah,
in the state of Texas, Texas, we have a lot
of customers that maybe lived in this area for a while,
banked with us, and maybe moved to Houston or Dallas,
and we can still service those customers.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
And we'll get into a lot of the different loans
that you do here in the next segment because there
are so many options. And one of the things that
I love is that you guys are local. So anytime
I need something, I'm able to reach someone immediately and
not have to go through one hundred prompts on a
(06:54):
telephone system and then get a call back a week later.
And so that's one of the benefits. So we'll get
more into in the next segment, but also with us
so excited to have first time guests, first time on
my show Joey Hilliard, who is with Ward two City councilman.
So thankful for your service, but first want to hear
just a little bit about you.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Joy.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I know you've been here a long time.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Too, Yeah, I have. I have. So it's I mean,
it's a really interesting story. My dad was a basketball
coach and he was around fort Hood. He coached football
deer in Vietnam and he kept a group of kids
together and he started the FCA, so you know, which
is Fellowship of Christian Athletes and so he started that,
brought these kids together, held him, kept them out of
(07:37):
the drugs and you know what was going on back then.
And so those kids all graduated. Well, one of them
migrated or moved here and opened a business. And he
sought my father out. We were in Lubbock and came
abound him and said, you know, you're like a father
to me and I would like to bring you in
and give you a better life. And so he brought
(07:57):
my dad in and we came. We moved. My dad
moved the family. I always saying it us like the
Beverly Hillbilly. We loaded up the wagon and we moved
the family. But uh, we moved down here, and and
you know, for me, the to come from Lubbock in
West Texas. For me, it was the trees, the green.
I remember just sitting in the back. Of course, you know,
(08:18):
back then we laid in the back window of the car.
We didn't know that seat belts were listen.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
We had a station wagon. We laid that seat down
and we were all laying around in the back of
the station wagon. So I know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And just seeing all the green coming into Southeast Texas
was just amazing to us because we we had never
witnessed anything like that happened. I was a sophomore in
high school, so kind of the same. I mean, it's
situation and ironic that we're both on the same show.
But but you know, my dad came down here and
he began to work and and uh uh, Bill Charmers
(08:52):
ended up selling him National Foundation and and so I
went to school here and played football at Westbrook. I
got to actually play in the astrodam I say play.
I was a junior, so at the time I was
a blocking dummy. So I got moved up just for
the bigger guys to have something to hit. But I
actually got to suit up and play in the Asterdom.
So it's a really neat experience, you know, even if
(09:12):
it was just wearing a uniform and sitting on the sidelines,
it was still Yeah, you know, in Earl Campbell, we
got he, we got to meet him. He was there,
and so it was a really cool experience. And and
so then I ended up enlisting in the in the
Armed Services. And so I was in the Army, and
uh I served for six years and came back and
then got recalled back for Desert Storm. I can still
(09:34):
remember that day. I was at work and my dad.
You know, because when you eats, or you're transitioning out
of the service, you know, you go from a strict,
rigid kind of environment. You know, you know when you eat,
you know when you get up, you know, you're you
have exercise, you have everything your days blenned out. And
so to come home and begin to start getting into
a new routine, and then you get a telegram. Of course,
you know back then there were the cell phones. Well yeah,
(09:56):
I mean pages were just kind of a thing, right,
and so U I remember my mom and dad got
a telegram and they called me and they said we
need you to come over. You know, you've you've been
recalled back in the service for the war. So I
can remember that. I can remember the night before I left,
and how I can just the way my parents felt.
You know, at the time, it wasn't a parent, so
I didn't I didn't grasp what they you know, we're
(10:19):
sitting our kid off to war, and so you know,
I think about that now with my own kids, and
it just, you know, it kind of just wrings your gut.
And so I did. I mean, they gave me like
five days to report, and so I ended up going
and we trained and of course, you know, I never
got a chance to go into country, but we sat
on an airplane hangar fully loaded, ready to go. But the
(10:39):
you know, we just our troops just went through them
like butter and so you know, uh and and and
so that was and I got out. I got out
of that, and I went to Lamar uh and then uh,
I started working with my dad. And my dad was
old school coach, you know, I and and a lot
of people go, yeah, but I mean he was an
old school coach, you know, spare the rod, spoiled the
(10:59):
child kind of guy. So yeah, yeah, I had many
a miles on that wooden paddle. So but I went
to work for my dad and I came to work
late a couple of times and he fired me and.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
So, and that was at National Foundation or was it
National Foundation? No idea. Do you know I've known Bob
Johnson with National Foundation for a very long time. I
did not know that started previously with your dad.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Yeah, and Bob was one of my dad's, one of
the players that was part of that group of men.
In fact, Bob, my dad brought Bob from Houston. In fact,
Bob had started a a polygraph service and then the
Supreme Court of course shot it down and said it
was inadmissible, and he was just kind of like, oh no.
He reached out to my dad, and my dad brought
(11:43):
him here and training him, got him ready, and sold
National Foundation to him.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
So amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I love that history because you know, I've worked with
Bob for years and years. Yeah, because he just was
my go to, such great integrity and just a great man,
and I love the way he ran that business. I'm
so sorry I didn't get to meet your dad.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Well that's amazing though, So so I say all that
and so he fired you So.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
What happened we did and it led me to start
my own company and it's called Hydro Clean Services, and
uh I started it. And you know, I met the
love of my life at a young age. I mean,
she was a senior in high school and we ended
up somehow she ended up getting pregnant and uh, you know,
(12:32):
she's just amazing. Uh she had the baby, she finished school,
We raised the baby. The baby is born with a
congenital heart defect, and so, uh, you know, we were
young parents and we're dealing with you know, twelve thirteen medicines.
And so then at two years old, he received a
heart transplant. Wow, and so we you know, we uh
(12:53):
we did that and we you know, that was a
and in the process of that, we had another child.
And then we had another child and so you know,
uh and in that course of taking care of a
sick kid and a kid with a heart transplant, you know,
we always taught him he was normal. And you know,
we were very both of us were very active in
the schools. I mean, I did the Sally Curtis Carnival.
(13:14):
You don't you probably don't know, but you remember, I
mean it used to be a girl.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, my kids watched Sally Curtis. I do remember you
a little bit from that.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
And we we put on we changed the carnival and
turned it into this huge event and raised it was
it was an amazing time for the community to come
together and laugh and have fun. And it was a
really neat deal. And we did that and it was
very active in Westbrook, and and uh, you know, poured
our heart and souls into it. And uh, you know,
I've always really cared about the children. I mean, I've
(13:43):
always believed there are our future, and so it's very
important to uh, to nurture that because I mean I've
always said, you know, we can't us adults, it's hard
to change us, but we can we can make our
kids better, you know. And and that's the idea for me,
is that they are always smarter than we were. So
not to get off subject, but you know, then at sixteen,
(14:04):
we lost our son and so you know, we've we've
we've really experienced the highs and the lows of life.
And you know, we're still together and we're stronger than
we've ever been. And you know, she went to nursing
school in the process and ended up getting her nurse
practitioner license and now she's ventured off and starting her
own little, her own little business. So you know, it's
(14:27):
it's it's life has definitely been a bull ride, I
guess would be the best way to describe it.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
And it is it is for each of us. And
I love though that every single situation and circumstance I
feel like God uses for the next step and for
our purpose, and so I love that you can draw
from all of those things as a city council member
(14:54):
and that all of those impact or service for the
people here. And so I'm looking forward to seeing what
all happens. I know it's fairly new for you, and
I know when you talk about highs and lows, there
are gonna be lots of highs and lows, and everyone
who's listening and going to always agree with everything. But
(15:17):
what we have to do is we have to all
agree to come together to try to make our city better.
And while what I see I may not understand, and
I think that doesn't make sense to me. Sometimes we
don't see the whole picture, and so we do try
to elect people that we trust to put into the
(15:38):
place the direction we need. When we can't see. It's
like our kids sometimes we make rules and they don't
understand the big picture.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Or it's because of the trees. I always say that, And.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
So we can't know everything and see everything, and so
but my prayer is that that is the focus of
what we try to do and moving forward. So we
have lots to talk about today. So I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
No, I have a really long story.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
So yes, I loved hearing your story because I think
that it gives a perspective for the future. You know,
when we don't see the past and what's there, we
have no idea how your perspective is for the future,
and so I think hearing your past gives me great
perspective for you. So thank you for sharing that story.
(16:28):
Really appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah. No, excited to be able to talk more about
what's happening in South East Texas and things we can
do to move our city forward. That's exactly what we
all desire. So lots to talk about. Don't go away.
This is the Dana Simmons Show. Welcome back. This is
Dana Simmons. So excited for my guests today. Lonnie White,
(16:51):
Executive Vice president with First Financial Bank, and Joey Hilliard
who owns Hydro clean Services, but also Ward two City
Council members. So we've got a lot to talk about today, Lennie.
One of the things that we're going to talk about
with Joey is airbnbs and some of the changes that
have come along in the city with that. But what
(17:11):
I'd like to do is have you talk a little
bit about if someone is interested in beginning an airbnb,
which that's something you have to really consider all the
pieces to I personally did have a couple of airbnbs.
I no longer have them. I sold the properties. But
it's a lot to think about. You have to not
only purchase the property, you have to furnish the property.
(17:35):
And then you have to continually furnish the property with
things like towels because they steal them and throw pillows
and throw pillows and plates and cups and knives and
toilet paper and paper towels and all the things that
a hotel would offer you. You know, you have to
have some coffee and filters, and so it is a
(17:57):
big undertaking if you're going to consider doing that, and
a big expense up front. So let's talk about if
someone's saying, but you know, it's a really good ROI,
and I won't lie. It was a really good ROI
when I did it. But it's a lot of work,
and if you have time, energy, and effort to put
into it, it can be a great investment. But how
(18:21):
can someone initially if they're thinking that's something I want
to do, what are some of the products offered that
would allow them to normally purchase the home but then
also get everything to need for the home.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Yeah, so there's several different ways that you could go
about it. Traditional investment property financing is probably not the
best or the cheapest. An investment property loan typically requires
you to put twenty percent down. The rates and the
(18:54):
terms on those types of loans are not as good
as what you hear advertised for the purchase of a
primary residence, obviously, because it's a little risk your type
of transaction. But you can do it that way. If
you've saved up money to be able to invest in
some other properties, then you can definitely do it that way.
But if you do finance the property using that as
(19:17):
your collateral, you're probably going to want to have some
sort of a side line of credit for those expenses
that you were discussing earlier, just being able to buy furniture,
being able to I mean, you're going to have to
pay taxes and insurance on this property, just like you
do on your primary residence, and that's going to come
around every year. And that's I mean, of course you'll
(19:38):
be making some income, but to have the cash ready
to fund those expenses, it's good to have like a
sideline of credit for that type. So if you don't
want to use the investment property, but say you have
equity in your primary residence, that is a great way
to finance the purchase of investment property and also any
(20:01):
expenses that are associated with it. We have a product
called a home equity line of credit where you can
borrow up to eighty percent of the value of your home.
Now that's minus any existing leans that you might have
on it. It can be a first lean if you
own your property free and clear, or if you don't.
Let's say you have one of those three percent first
(20:25):
mortgages and you don't want to touch it, but your
property is appreciated enough to where you've got you've got
a lot of equity. You can do it as a
second lean home equity line of credit. That particular product
has a five year draw period on it, so you've
got five years where you can draw and pay off expenses.
(20:47):
For example. I know a lot of people buy they
have the line in place so that when they come
across a property that they're interested in, they don't have
to worry about getting financing.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
That's one of the things I have. Yeah, you know,
I have a rental property that I've had for a
very long time that paid for itself, and then I
have that home equity line of credit against that property
that allows me to utilize those funds to purchase additional
income properties. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So once you get you know, get into the business
and you've made some income and you've paid your property off,
or you've got a lot of equity in other properties
besides your primary residence, Yeah, you can definitely use that
as collateral for another line of credit.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Right, and getting into real estate as an investment doesn't
have to be expensive. There are some requirements for you
to have a down payment. One of the things that
I really like. If it's someone who's wanting to do
this and they're a first time investor, there is a
product that you guys have that allows you to get
(21:55):
in with only ten percent down if the home meets
certain criteria. Let's talk about how someone could get into
a rental you know, creating a rental property with that product.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Yes, so there are certain census tracks there. The acronym
is MMCT, but it stands for a majority minority Census track.
And if your property is in one of those tracks,
then we do have a mortgage product where you can
purchase an investment property for as little as ten percent
down without any kind of a private mortgage insurance.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, which is a huge savings. Yeah, I mean, and
it makes a wonderful difference. I mean I've used it
on one of the properties I bought last year and
it was incredible the difference, and the interest rate is
very comparable. I mean, it's a very good interest rate.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Right right, Yeah, it's definitely a way to go if
you want to use that the property you're buying as
collateral for the loan.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Well, there are lots of different options that you can
do to purchase investment properties, but really it's a matter
of sitting down and visiting with someone to look at
what is going to be the best option. For you,
and I think that's what you guys do really well.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Right right, Definitely, we like to look at the whole picture,
not just you know a lot of times people come
in and they say, I want to do this, Yeah, okay,
Before we can tell you what's best in that situation,
we need to look at your whole financial picture.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
And what are your goals and what are you trying
to do and where are you trying to go Because
what you think going in might be the answer, you
guys may have a better solution. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Yeah, Well hopefully you know, you're speaking with someone that's
got some experience with a lot of different lending products
in the market, and so they can advise you on
what's going to be the best way for you to
approach you your business or what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Yeah, And the biggest recommendation I can make is use
someone local. You know, I've so often seen challenges when
people think that they're getting a better deal from someone
who's online or out of the area. So often it
ends up in just a disaster.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Or you know, thinking that the interest rate is the
only factor in a real estate transaction, you know, just
thinking I can go online and get this interest rate,
you know, and it's you know, half a percent better
than what someone's offering locally. But then when you have
(24:37):
a weather event or some kind of a problem and
you need help and advice, there's nobody to talk to.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Yeah, there's no one to go to. That's what I
love about First Financial. I can walk into any branch
at any point, at any time, any branch all over
Southeast Texas, and I get the help I need personally
for my business, for my clients. There's always someone there
who can help me and assist me, and if they
don't know the answer, they help me direct me to
(25:04):
the person who does have the answer. If someone wants
to connect with you, Lonnie, how do they do that?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
You can give me a call. My cell phone is
four zero nine three three zero seven five four nine,
or if you prefer to email, my email address is
l white like the color at FFI in dot com.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Okay, Well, if you're thinking about investing in real estate,
I can tell you it's a great long term investment.
Over the last twenty five years of investing, I've seen increase.
If you're thinking about doing it and thinking you're going
to make money immediately, it's it's challenging and it's risky.
(25:51):
It's a risky situation short term. Can you do it, yes,
but it's a risk short term. So if you're looking
at a long term investment, real estate can be very
beneficial and create great wealth for you and your family
in a long term situation. And when we come back,
we are going to visit with Joey Hilliard. There have
(26:11):
been some changes to if you own an airbnb here
in South east Texas, so there are some things you
probably need to know. We want to make sure that
you have the facts and you get the information you need,
So don't go away. This is the Dana Simmons Show.
Welcome back. This is Dana Simmons. We have just been
visiting with Lonnie White. She is the executive vice president
(26:34):
at First Financial Bank, and we were talking about all
the different products that First Financial has that can help you.
If you are thinking about getting into investing in real estate,
you know, there's not just one way. There are lots
of different options that you may have. And what I
do love about First Financial is they're happy to sit
(26:56):
down and visit with you and connect with what's right
for you, What do you need, what is your goal,
What are your plans? Let them sit down and just
guide you through that process. They're not going to try
to just squeeze you into one specific product, So give
them a call and reach out. Also with us Joey Hilliard,
(27:17):
he is the Ward two City council member, but he
also has a small business hydro kling services. And we
were just talking about the fact that you are a
fan of First Financial too.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I am, I am. I was getting you know, I
didn't want to bust in on you you were talking,
but I mean they saved my small business through the
PPP loan. I mean, had they have not worked night
and day, and I mean countless hours, there's a lot
of businesses here that would not be would be out
of business. You know, I employed twenty five men and
(27:50):
mice and they would have all been out of work.
And so yeah, it was they did wonderful things. I
have we banked there. We love it. They've been so
good to us.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It's the trickle down effect too. You know, it's not
only the business owners that it helped, it's the people
that they employ. I'm the same way. You know, I'm
a small business owner as well. I know people think, oh,
real estate. But I have people who are a part
of my company and if we can't support them, that's
(28:21):
going to impact our entire community. And so when First
Financial stepped up and said, this is a lot of work,
it's dealing with the government, but we'll do whatever it
takes to help our businesses get this PPP loan, I'll
never forget it. And so that's one of the reasons
I'm a raving fan.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
So and if people don't know what PPP stands for,
it's paycheck Protection Program, right it was.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
That was during COVID when we needed to keep paying
the people who worked for us, our family. Really, I
mean I can are the people that work for me family,
and so wanting to keep things going. But you do
own a small business and it's called Hydro Clean Services.
So tell everyone first a little bit about that, and
(29:10):
then we'll get into the city council and the differences
and the changes that have been made with the airbnbs.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Okay, well, you know I started my business thirty four
years ago. You know, I was working three jobs. I
lived in a garage apartment over in Avenue c and
I went almost three weeks without power, you know, because
my dad wasn't going to help me, and I was
too proud to ask, but but he I did it.
And you know, I started with a little cold water
(29:37):
washing homes and began to build a business and build
trust and do quality work, you know, the things that
we all expect, and you know, returning phone calls, showing
up when I said I was going to be there,
and it was surprising that people are like usually they
don't show up, so we're we're really excited that you're here.
And so began to grow, and you know, hester Bell
helped me a lot, you know back then when you know,
(29:59):
she was doing real estate and just a fabulous lady
and got me some homes of people that were moving out.
I mean, you know, it makes sense. I always said,
you know, we we wash our cars, but our most
the thing we spend the most money on is our home,
and we just let it go. And you know, mildew eats.
It does, and it's not as fast as termites, but
(30:20):
it eats, and it'll destroy a home from within two
and it'll make us sick. And there's a lot of
things that can can go with that. And so you know,
we began cleaning houses and then I started moving into
the commercial end of it. And because the house is
dried up when it gets cold, our Christmas comes around here,
like my extra money's going to buy Christmas gifts or
you know, Turkey, and so you know, the work would
(30:42):
dry up. So we would go six months without any work.
And so we got in the commercial and we started
cleaning exhaust toods and in restaurants and so I always
tell people that's my flugel binder. And you know, it
takes a while to build it up. But you know,
we travel from Shreeport all the way to Austin, and
we service. I have twenty five employees, uh most of
(31:03):
and pretty pretty much every one of my employees barely
graduated high school or did graduate or didn't graduate high school.
And they're all local boys and men.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Excuse me, I don't know, you know, when you get older.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, I still do that to my son. He's like that,
you know, I'm thirty, come on, and so uh uh uh,
you know, it's it and and it's it gives me
hope to see because you know, I believe everybody deserves
a second chance. And so we've had a lot of
We've done a lot of work with the prisons, and
we've brought men in that were incarcerated that you know,
(31:40):
they made a mistake and they did their time, they
paid their price to society and and given an opportunity
because a lot of people won't give people an opportunity.
And I've always believed that everyone deserves a second chance.
And so, uh, you know, there was only one man
that was able to judge. I know a lot of
us think that it was us, but there's only one man.
And and and so it's been a it's it's been neat.
(32:02):
It's been a great spiritual journey, and it's highs and lows,
just like anything else. And God has always been there
for me and I am. I just remember him letting
me know. I mean, you know a lot of people's like, oh, wow,
we were not on your meds. But no, I mean
he he did. I knew. I mean, we were in
a bad spot. I had had a I mean, I
(32:23):
could take your whole show, but I had a partner
that I had gotten in with when I was probably
two years in. He said, I see the hustle and
enthusiasm and anyway, it was a huge mistake and cost
me dearly. But you know, I never folded the business.
And you know, you you know, Dana, you're you're in business.
You know those times you're like, I don't have to
(32:43):
make my payroll, you know, and you know, and I've
got insurance, I've got to pay and I've got these bills,
and you're like, you know, every day for me. And
when I turned the lights on there for a while,
I was like, hey, that's a start. You know, that's
where that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
They still work exactly.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
The check cleared, right.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
So but you know, people think, oh, you own your
own business, you're rolling in money. That's the impression it is.
It's not the truth. When you own your own business,
every day is a new day where you have to
go out and you have to earn that absolutely, and
so yeah, it's not always easy, No, it's not.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
And you know, I always say that the definition of
an entrepreneur is somebody that's too stupid to them in
their beat. And so you know, I'm pretty stupid because
there's a lot of times I should have been beat.
And you know, it has come a long way and
we're in a great place. In fact, we're buying a
new building over on Cardinal Drive, and we're expanding, and
(33:43):
so it's you know it sometimes you sit back, you know,
and I think about I I had a third grade
teacher that told me I'd either be dead or in
jail by the time I was twenty one. So I'll
always remember. You know, everyone's like, you didn't go to
Catholic school, But I'm like, I had some teachers that
could have been nuns because they were just but but
(34:04):
you know, I mean, but it's been an amazing journey,
and uh, I'm very blessed. But it's been a lot
of hard work and a lot of a lot of
heartache and and uh, you know, it's it's the ups
and downs of being a small business.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
It is. So what made you want to run for
city council?
Speaker 3 (34:24):
I just I got tired of the fighting on council,
which kind of sounds you know, everywhere running right, you know,
and and getting nothing done. You know, we had train
horns that were going off. You know, we have uh
we you know, we've got high crime rate. You know,
we've there's so many things in the city. And you know,
this city when when my son died, this city literally
(34:46):
just poured out for us. And and so we we have.
You know, I I love this place and and I
love the people in it. And you know, it's not
a perfect city, but it's my city and and I
love it, and and you know, I wanted to serve.
I have a servant's hard I guess, you know. And
I love to serve and to try to make this
(35:09):
a better place for all of us. I want my
kids to want to come back here.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
That's key for me too. You know, my kids are
back here and I'm thankful for that, and my thought
process is the same thing. I want my kids to
want to stay here. But when you do that, though,
you have to make tough decisions sometimes, and on the
council right now, you're doing that. You're making decisions that
not everyone likes, and there are always going to be
people who are against you no matter what side you're on.
(35:35):
One of the things that you guys have recently done,
that you've put into place is that you've added the
airbnbs to attacks that's needed to be able to continue
to expand the city. I know one of the things
that I had read, and I'll have you tell the
whole story, but is that it was taking away from
(35:56):
the hotel tax that the city would get which goes
to a certain fund, and so in order to recoup
some of those monies that you guys put into place,
that airbnbs would now be in a position to be
taxed that way. So to explain that a little bit more,
because I know my explanation was very rough.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Yeah, okay, So you know, I'm a businessman, and so
I'm I'm trying to look at it. You know, I mean,
the city's he orrhagy money and not just a little
bit of money. And so I'm like, how can we
come up with new revenue streams? How can we make
more money for the city without taxing us? And you know,
I mean I can get almost twice the home I
(36:37):
have here if I move out of Bomat because the
taxes are so much lower. So we're getting killed here
on taxes. You know, we froze water rates for seniors,
which is a big deal, especially for the older people,
but we really need to increase them because we have
so many problems with our streets and drainage. And you
don't realize, and you know, I guess the best thing
(36:57):
is that the can has been kicked down the road
for a long time and we're in a position now
where you know, people's toilets back up when it rains,
it comes up into their in their bathtubs. It's it's terrible.
And I mean, we we can put a we can
put a car on them on Mars, but we can't.
We can't fix our sewage systems. And so you know,
(37:18):
that's that's important to me, that that everyone's quality of
life is good, and and and and so on that
same note, I went and I said, why are we
not taxing these airbnbs? Why are we not? Because it's
a business. I mean, it may be an investment for you,
but it's still a business. And I have to pay
in my business. I wish I didn't have to. The
twentieth of the month, I got to collect that money
(37:39):
and I got to send that check in, and so
you do the same. Everybody has to do it. So, uh,
that was a loophole. So they were, they were they
were profiteering, which I am for, but equally so don't
put the burden on me as a business owner, on
you or anybody else that's that's out there struggling too.
You know, we all need to pay together. And so
(38:00):
the hotels were carrying that burden. If you stayed one
of our hotels, you were paying that that hot tags.
So why not in the airbnbs? Right? And so I
went to Demi and we as a council asked, We said, hey,
you know, this is a chance to at least generate
another two hundred thousand dollars a year. I mean, I know,
in the grand scheme of it doesn't seem like a lot,
(38:21):
but I mean multiply that times five or betimes ten,
and so we're making a dentt and we're everybody, and
it's not like this is a they're charging the people
staying there and they're going to get the same price.
If so, it makes it an equal playing field, I
guess would be.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
So if someone owns an airbnb, what do they do?
How do they what's the next step? Will you be
notifying them? Will they need to know to be registered?
How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, So I believe the city, because we literally just
passed the ordinance, and I believe the city is going
to reach out. There's I believe one hundred right now
of the airbnb homes here in Beaumont. So they'll get
a letter saying that now that we're required to charge
this hot tax and tell them how to set it up.
And if you don't receive a letter, because there's there's
(39:06):
a lot of these that are owned by people that
don't actually live here, so they're they're owned by other individuals,
you know, Houston, Austin, and so it's very surprising. So
people are investing, they're buying the houses here and then
they don't actually live here.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Did they have to register as an airbnb? I don't
know that much about it, So that's why I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Yes, well, they they will, but I think it's part
of their their occupancy when they when they their home,
when they buy their home. I'm assuming it's so new
that and you know, I've kind of been reading a
little bit more on it as far as you know
some of the finer print that that is going on.
But the city will will contact you, you will collect
(39:48):
the tax just like normal. You will pay the tax
to the control and the control and then we'll send
the tax, same thing the hotels do. It's they will
be notified the hundred that we know of and and
you know it's it's it's more than just that. But
we weren't even regulating them. And so I was getting
a lot of calls for these homes being trashed, you know,
fifty cars, and.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Challenging because you weren't required to register it. Yes, I
mean if you were, I wasn't aware. When I owned mine,
I didn't register it. And so I mean I had
one in Beaumont and one in Finet. But I know
exactly what you're talking about because we had a couple
of challenges come up and that's why we got out
(40:29):
of the business, because you cannot control every single thing
for the people who were coming in to rent it.
So so I understand. So if people have questions, if
they have an Airbnb or if they have questions about this,
how do they who do they need to contact?
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Well, they contact city the city Well dimmy's the department chair,
but it's the Ordnance Department and it's on the second
floor City Hall. Great people, I mean, they will work
with you. I mean they're just wonderful and uh and
they can help get you in the direction and and so, uh,
you know, this thing is has literally just came out Tuesday.
(41:07):
We just voted on it. Yeah, and so you know,
to me it to me, I'm I'm again I'm a
I have a business mind. That's what I know, and
I know that if my P and L shows that
I'm losing more money than i'm making, there's a problem.
I'm not gonna I'm going to go to the bank
once maybe twice. But then after that they're like, whoa, you're.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
We can't you're losing money, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
We can't help you and figure out what to do right.
And so it's that's the key. I think government has
to be run in a situation like this like a
business in that if you're if you're not, it's going
to keep being a problem and it's not going to
get better. Well, it has been such a pleasure visiting
with you, Joey. I loved being able to hear about
(41:49):
you but also about your business and about things going
on on the city council. And we will we'll have
you back.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I would love to come back. This has been a
lot of fun. It's been very good meeting you. And
you know you're you're with a great and that cares
for the people which you don't see. You know, most
of these banks comes so big that you're just a number. Yeah,
and so you know, it's nice to have that hometown
touch and that you know, you walk in theverybody smiles
and they know your name and think there's a song
about it. Yeah, yeah, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So, yeah, I appreciate it. When we come back, we're
going to wrap up the show. I hope you've enjoyed
it as much as I have enjoyed getting to participate
in it. But don't go away. This is the Dana
Simmons Show. Welcome back. This is Dana Simmons. So excited
to have you guys joining us today. Man, We've had
a great conversation with Joey Hilliard Ward two City Council,
(42:37):
just talking about the way that they are working to
make things better for Beaumont. Super excited to see what's
going to happen and how things go in the future.
Also with us Lonnie White, executive vice president for First
Financial Bank. And Lonnie one of the things we wanted
to end the show on today is how do you
make your finances better for twenty twenty six, So let's
(42:59):
talk a little bit of about what can people do
to make things better.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Yeah, this time of year, a lot of people, you know,
after we get through with Thanksgiving and Christmas, we start
thinking about getting our house in order for the next year,
for twenty twenty six. So sometimes we spend a little
bit too much for Christmas. Sometimes we've had things happen
in the previous year that we didn't expect. So there
are a lot of financial products out there to help
(43:25):
you if you need to consolidate some credit card debt
or just restructure some debt to get it in a
more I guess manageable.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Situation situation.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yeah, we'd love to help you with that.
Speaker 1 (43:39):
So what are some of the things that you can
do to make that happen. Let's talk about the options
for that.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Yeah, so depending on what your situation is, maybe you
just have one credit card that's gotten out of control
and you need to transfer it on to either a
loan or another line of credit that has a cheaper
interest rate. We can do that for you. You have debt
that's revolving, debt that you notice, Hey, every month, I'm
not really making any progress on these payments. I'm making
(44:07):
my payments on time, but I'm not getting anywhere with it.
Putting it on an installment loan will help you get
that debt knocked out quicker.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
It's so amazing to me when you look at that
credit card debt and that revolving debt when your interest
rate is so high, and really all you're paying when
you're paying that minimum payment is the interest.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Yeah, yes, you're not really making any headway. So the
home equity loans and home equity lines of credit that
we talked about earlier, those can be used to consolidate
debt as well, not just to purchase real estate.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
And the key is don't go get the credit card up.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Again, right, I mean, credit cards are great financial products
if you use improperly. Sometimes people though, like I said,
something maybe you didn't have time to plan for it
came up in your life last year and you weren't
expecting to have to use a credit card, but you did.
There's still a way out of it, though, to get
(45:02):
you back on track, And we'd love to look at
everything for you and help you see what's best for you.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
Yeah, because life does happen, things come at you that
are unexpected, and those unexpected expenses sometimes put you in
that situation. And for those of you who feel like
it's not going to end, it's just an ever never
ending battle, there are ways. And I think that's the
key is where you.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Just don't know what to do. What should my next
step be? Right? You'd love to be able to look
at everything for you and tell you here's some next
steps for you, right well.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
And that's one of the things that Joey and I
were talking about about First Financial Bank is that they
have helped us. Whenever you don't know what to do,
you can walk into the bank, ask for some help
and someone will sit there and help you see what
it is you need and how to impact you long term.
So Lonnie, thank you free for freeb Yeah, that's your
(45:57):
expertise too. I mean it's people all say, well, I
hated to call you. I'm like, that's if you have
a question about a house, don't hate to call me.
That's my job. I've done this for thirty years. I
might be able to help you come up with a
solution faster then you can research it, So just call me. Yes, men,
(46:17):
So thank you so much Leanne for being on the show.
If anyone needs to get in touch with you again,
tell them how to do that.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
My cell phone is probably the easiest way. It's four
zero nine three three zero seven five four nine, or
if you per email, it's l White at f fi
n dot com. Thank you, and joe stop by in person.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
Yeah, you can stop by any of the seven branches.
You're actually in the orange one. Yes, and Joey, thank
you so much for joining us. Thank you for your
service on the city council. Uh, thank you for giving
us information about hydro clean services. If someone needs their
house clean, if someone needs to reach out to you,
what's the best way for them to get you.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Well, there's my cell phone, which is four oh nine
two eight four twenty one thirty three. And uh, you know,
I also have an email. So I have Joey at
hydro hy d r O dash or the Minus side
clean dot com. And that's my business. And you can
(47:20):
send me stuff there and I can I can go
from there. But most people call me or text me
or you know, Facebook. You know, it seems to be
the new mode. That's what I get a lot of
and and so I you know, it's what's so neat
about today is that there's so many ways that you
can reach out to people, elected officials and people like that,
that you can you can actually voice your grievance rather than.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
Just you know, complaining it without writing difference.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Yeah, and talk. You know, I'm always ready to have
a conversation. I'd love to break bread and talk. And
you know, we may not always disagree, but you know
we can. We can agree to disagree absolutely and still
be friends because in the end, you know, we're all
in this together. This is our city, and we're one.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
People trying to make a difference.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Amen, Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
I hope you have a wonderful Saturday. This is the
Dana Simmons Show.
Well, hello Southeast Texas. Welcome to the Dana Simons Show.
I have some incredible guests joining us today. You're not
going to want to miss it. First up, I have
Lonnie White, executive vice president with First Financial Bank, and
she's going to be talking a little bit about are
you thinking about investing in real estate? Well, she's going
to give you some information about all the different types
of loans that may allow you to do that. Also
(00:23):
with us Joey Hilliard. He is the ward to City
Council And as you may have heard, there have been
some changes to if you own an airbnb. So we're
going to talk about what are those changes, how does
that impact you, and what do you need to know
if you're thinking about starting an airbnb. You know, I
personally have had Airbnbs, friends and family and co workers
(00:46):
have had Airbnbs, and so we want to make sure
that you're educated on what do you do and how
do you make sure that you are now in line
with what the city expectations are for owning an airbnb.
But before we get to start on all of that,
I'd like to talk a little bit about the market.
People ask me every day, Dana, how is the market
(01:06):
and so for us, we've had a little bit of
a softer month in the last month, but you know
what is happening, We are seeing an increase. We're grateful
for that increase. I think people are just tired of
sitting on the sidelines and they are now ready to
make the move. So if you're thinking about buying or
selling right now and you want us to give you
(01:27):
the information about what you need to know, is this
the right time or not. We're happy to meet with you,
no cost to you, just to sit down, visit, see
what your situation is, and let you know what is
going on in the area that you're interested in. So
give my office a call at four O nine eight
six six eight three two six. You know we're open
(01:49):
every day Monday through Saturday eight to eight and even
on Sunday we have the phones being answered as well.
So four O nine eight six six Team four nine
eight six six eight three two six. Or if you
want to visit us online at Dana Simmons real Estate
dot com, you can do that or check us out
on any of the social media platforms as well. So
(02:13):
I'm going to get started by introducing you again to
Lonnie White. Lonnie has been on the show before. But Lonnie,
remind everyone who you are, where you're from, and I'll
remind everyone that we initially met. How long ago has
that been that we met in BSF. I'm just gonna
say it was the nineties. I spent a long time. Yeah,
(02:35):
And so Lonnie White and I are a part of
we call it BSF. It's Bible Study Fellowship and it's
an inter denominational Bible study that's actually international. Just this morning,
I was visiting with one of my leaders who's in Nepal.
Morning for me, evening for her. So absolutely love BSF.
(02:56):
It has made such a difference in my life, and
I know other people's life and lives. And so you
are in actually a base class and I'm in an
online class. So what that means is your class meets
in person.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yes, we do Monday nights six fifty five Westgate Baptist Church.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And while it's not associated with the Baptist Church, that's
just the place that you guys get to meet because
they open the doors for you. And it's for women
and students.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yes, and there is also actually a men's class, a
satellite men's class that meets on Monday night as well.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah, so if you're interested in getting more information on that,
you can reach out to me or Lonnie, or you
can go online to Bible Study Fellowship and it can
connect you with getting logged in either to an online
a class online that meets I'm telling you almost twenty
four hours a day, there's a class.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Just pick the time and the day that you have
the time to do it and you can find a class.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
And if you prefer, you can do the day class
which meets on Wednesday, and my daughter and daughter in
law are remember of that, or the evening class where
Lannie is participating. So great way to get connected with
the Word of God. If that's something you want.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
To do, yes, And just a little plug for the
mini study. Yeah, it starts Monday night. We're doing we're
doing a lot of Bible books of the Bible and
the Old Testament this year, but we're going to be
studying Esther for the next three weeks. So if you're
interested in a three week study on Esther, just show
up on Monday night West Cape Baptist Church and we
will give you all the details on how to get
(04:32):
the materials.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
You can even go online and do that mini study
for free online. They have the mini study there. So
the Book of Estra is a great book. Started reading
it this week, so so excited to do that. So
other than BSF, I know that's a big part of
your life, big part of my life. Tell everyone a
little bit more about you.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, well, I'm not originally from Southeast Texas.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Got here, you could got here as fast as I could.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, No, I mean I've got to be called a
Texan by now.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I moved here probably in the middle of my tenth
grade year in high school. So I did graduate from
high school here, went to Lamar, graduated from Lamar University,
met a Texan and married him, and been here ever since.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Oh well, we just claimed you. We claim you full time,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
If you marry a Texan, that's it.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I mean yeah, Well, and you know you graduated here,
went to Lamar. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
And my family, you know, my immediate family's here. Yeah,
my mother. My father's passed away, but my mother's still here.
And I have a brother and nieces and nephews.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, so you qualify. So been at First Financial Bank
for quite a while, but been in banking even longer.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yes, we'll just say since the nineties.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
So love what you do at First Financial in that
We're going to get more into that in a minute.
But there are with First Financial seven local branches where
people can connect. You're basically out of the Orange branch,
but you do loans for people all over the state
(06:14):
of Texas.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yes, of course, now with everything being online and the
Internet and everything, I mean, we can service customers almost anywhere. Yeah,
in the state of Texas, Texas, we have a lot
of customers that maybe lived in this area for a while,
banked with us, and maybe moved to Houston or Dallas,
and we can still service those customers.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
And we'll get into a lot of the different loans
that you do here in the next segment because there
are so many options. And one of the things that
I love is that you guys are local. So anytime
I need something, I'm able to reach someone immediately and
not have to go through one hundred prompts on a
(06:54):
telephone system and then get a call back a week later.
And so that's one of the benefits. So we'll get
more into in the next segment, but also with us
so excited to have first time guests, first time on
my show Joey Hilliard, who is with Ward two City councilman.
So thankful for your service, but first want to hear
just a little bit about you.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Joy.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I know you've been here a long time.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Too, Yeah, I have. I have. So it's I mean,
it's a really interesting story. My dad was a basketball
coach and he was around fort Hood. He coached football
deer in Vietnam and he kept a group of kids
together and he started the FCA, so you know, which
is Fellowship of Christian Athletes and so he started that,
brought these kids together, held him, kept them out of
(07:37):
the drugs and you know what was going on back then.
And so those kids all graduated. Well, one of them
migrated or moved here and opened a business. And he
sought my father out. We were in Lubbock and came
abound him and said, you know, you're like a father
to me and I would like to bring you in
and give you a better life. And so he brought
(07:57):
my dad in and we came. We moved. My dad
moved the family. I always saying it us like the
Beverly Hillbilly. We loaded up the wagon and we moved
the family. But uh, we moved down here, and and
you know, for me, the to come from Lubbock in
West Texas. For me, it was the trees, the green.
I remember just sitting in the back. Of course, you know,
(08:18):
back then we laid in the back window of the car.
We didn't know that seat belts were listen.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
We had a station wagon. We laid that seat down
and we were all laying around in the back of
the station wagon. So I know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And just seeing all the green coming into Southeast Texas
was just amazing to us because we we had never
witnessed anything like that happened. I was a sophomore in
high school, so kind of the same. I mean, it's
situation and ironic that we're both on the same show.
But but you know, my dad came down here and
he began to work and and uh uh, Bill Charmers
(08:52):
ended up selling him National Foundation and and so I
went to school here and played football at Westbrook. I
got to actually play in the astrodam I say play.
I was a junior, so at the time I was
a blocking dummy. So I got moved up just for
the bigger guys to have something to hit. But I
actually got to suit up and play in the Asterdom.
So it's a really neat experience, you know, even if
(09:12):
it was just wearing a uniform and sitting on the sidelines,
it was still Yeah, you know, in Earl Campbell, we
got he, we got to meet him. He was there,
and so it was a really cool experience. And and
so then I ended up enlisting in the in the
Armed Services. And so I was in the Army, and
uh I served for six years and came back and
then got recalled back for Desert Storm. I can still
(09:34):
remember that day. I was at work and my dad.
You know, because when you eats, or you're transitioning out
of the service, you know, you go from a strict,
rigid kind of environment. You know, you know when you eat,
you know when you get up, you know, you're you
have exercise, you have everything your days blenned out. And
so to come home and begin to start getting into
a new routine, and then you get a telegram. Of course,
you know back then there were the cell phones. Well yeah,
(09:56):
I mean pages were just kind of a thing, right,
and so U I remember my mom and dad got
a telegram and they called me and they said we
need you to come over. You know, you've you've been
recalled back in the service for the war. So I
can remember that. I can remember the night before I left,
and how I can just the way my parents felt.
You know, at the time, it wasn't a parent, so
I didn't I didn't grasp what they you know, we're
(10:19):
sitting our kid off to war, and so you know,
I think about that now with my own kids, and
it just, you know, it kind of just wrings your gut.
And so I did. I mean, they gave me like
five days to report, and so I ended up going
and we trained and of course, you know, I never
got a chance to go into country, but we sat
on an airplane hangar fully loaded, ready to go. But the
(10:39):
you know, we just our troops just went through them
like butter and so you know, uh and and and
so that was and I got out. I got out
of that, and I went to Lamar uh and then uh,
I started working with my dad. And my dad was
old school coach, you know, I and and a lot
of people go, yeah, but I mean he was an
old school coach, you know, spare the rod, spoiled the
(10:59):
child kind of guy. So yeah, yeah, I had many
a miles on that wooden paddle. So but I went
to work for my dad and I came to work
late a couple of times and he fired me and.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
So, and that was at National Foundation or was it
National Foundation? No idea. Do you know I've known Bob
Johnson with National Foundation for a very long time. I
did not know that started previously with your dad.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Yeah, and Bob was one of my dad's, one of
the players that was part of that group of men.
In fact, Bob, my dad brought Bob from Houston. In fact,
Bob had started a a polygraph service and then the
Supreme Court of course shot it down and said it
was inadmissible, and he was just kind of like, oh no.
He reached out to my dad, and my dad brought
(11:43):
him here and training him, got him ready, and sold
National Foundation to him.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
So amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
I love that history because you know, I've worked with
Bob for years and years. Yeah, because he just was
my go to, such great integrity and just a great man,
and I love the way he ran that business. I'm
so sorry I didn't get to meet your dad.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Well that's amazing though, So so I say all that
and so he fired you So.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
What happened we did and it led me to start
my own company and it's called Hydro Clean Services, and
uh I started it. And you know, I met the
love of my life at a young age. I mean,
she was a senior in high school and we ended
up somehow she ended up getting pregnant and uh, you know,
(12:32):
she's just amazing. Uh she had the baby, she finished school,
We raised the baby. The baby is born with a
congenital heart defect, and so, uh, you know, we were
young parents and we're dealing with you know, twelve thirteen medicines.
And so then at two years old, he received a
heart transplant. Wow, and so we you know, we uh
(12:53):
we did that and we you know, that was a
and in the process of that, we had another child.
And then we had another child and so you know,
uh and in that course of taking care of a
sick kid and a kid with a heart transplant, you know,
we always taught him he was normal. And you know,
we were very both of us were very active in
the schools. I mean, I did the Sally Curtis Carnival.
(13:14):
You don't you probably don't know, but you remember, I
mean it used to be a girl.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, my kids watched Sally Curtis. I do remember you
a little bit from that.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
And we we put on we changed the carnival and
turned it into this huge event and raised it was
it was an amazing time for the community to come
together and laugh and have fun. And it was a
really neat deal. And we did that and it was
very active in Westbrook, and and uh, you know, poured
our heart and souls into it. And uh, you know,
I've always really cared about the children. I mean, I've
(13:43):
always believed there are our future, and so it's very
important to uh, to nurture that because I mean I've
always said, you know, we can't us adults, it's hard
to change us, but we can we can make our
kids better, you know. And and that's the idea for me,
is that they are always smarter than we were. So
not to get off subject, but you know, then at sixteen,
(14:04):
we lost our son and so you know, we've we've
we've really experienced the highs and the lows of life.
And you know, we're still together and we're stronger than
we've ever been. And you know, she went to nursing
school in the process and ended up getting her nurse
practitioner license and now she's ventured off and starting her
own little, her own little business. So you know, it's
(14:27):
it's it's life has definitely been a bull ride, I
guess would be the best way to describe it.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
And it is it is for each of us. And
I love though that every single situation and circumstance I
feel like God uses for the next step and for
our purpose, and so I love that you can draw
from all of those things as a city council member
(14:54):
and that all of those impact or service for the
people here. And so I'm looking forward to seeing what
all happens. I know it's fairly new for you, and
I know when you talk about highs and lows, there
are gonna be lots of highs and lows, and everyone
who's listening and going to always agree with everything. But
(15:17):
what we have to do is we have to all
agree to come together to try to make our city better.
And while what I see I may not understand, and
I think that doesn't make sense to me. Sometimes we
don't see the whole picture, and so we do try
to elect people that we trust to put into the
(15:38):
place the direction we need. When we can't see. It's
like our kids sometimes we make rules and they don't
understand the big picture.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Or it's because of the trees. I always say that, And.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
So we can't know everything and see everything, and so
but my prayer is that that is the focus of
what we try to do and moving forward. So we
have lots to talk about today. So I'm so excited.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
No, I have a really long story.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
So yes, I loved hearing your story because I think
that it gives a perspective for the future. You know,
when we don't see the past and what's there, we
have no idea how your perspective is for the future,
and so I think hearing your past gives me great
perspective for you. So thank you for sharing that story.
(16:28):
Really appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah. No, excited to be able to talk more about
what's happening in South East Texas and things we can
do to move our city forward. That's exactly what we
all desire. So lots to talk about. Don't go away.
This is the Dana Simmons Show. Welcome back. This is
Dana Simmons. So excited for my guests today. Lonnie White,
(16:51):
Executive Vice president with First Financial Bank, and Joey Hilliard
who owns Hydro clean Services, but also Ward two City
Council members. So we've got a lot to talk about today, Lennie.
One of the things that we're going to talk about
with Joey is airbnbs and some of the changes that
have come along in the city with that. But what
(17:11):
I'd like to do is have you talk a little
bit about if someone is interested in beginning an airbnb,
which that's something you have to really consider all the
pieces to I personally did have a couple of airbnbs.
I no longer have them. I sold the properties. But
it's a lot to think about. You have to not
only purchase the property, you have to furnish the property.
(17:35):
And then you have to continually furnish the property with
things like towels because they steal them and throw pillows
and throw pillows and plates and cups and knives and
toilet paper and paper towels and all the things that
a hotel would offer you. You know, you have to
have some coffee and filters, and so it is a
(17:57):
big undertaking if you're going to consider doing that, and
a big expense up front. So let's talk about if
someone's saying, but you know, it's a really good ROI,
and I won't lie. It was a really good ROI
when I did it. But it's a lot of work,
and if you have time, energy, and effort to put
into it, it can be a great investment. But how
(18:21):
can someone initially if they're thinking that's something I want
to do, what are some of the products offered that
would allow them to normally purchase the home but then
also get everything to need for the home.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Yeah, so there's several different ways that you could go
about it. Traditional investment property financing is probably not the
best or the cheapest. An investment property loan typically requires
you to put twenty percent down. The rates and the
(18:54):
terms on those types of loans are not as good
as what you hear advertised for the purchase of a
primary residence, obviously, because it's a little risk your type
of transaction. But you can do it that way. If
you've saved up money to be able to invest in
some other properties, then you can definitely do it that way.
But if you do finance the property using that as
(19:17):
your collateral, you're probably going to want to have some
sort of a side line of credit for those expenses
that you were discussing earlier, just being able to buy furniture,
being able to I mean, you're going to have to
pay taxes and insurance on this property, just like you
do on your primary residence, and that's going to come
around every year. And that's I mean, of course you'll
(19:38):
be making some income, but to have the cash ready
to fund those expenses, it's good to have like a
sideline of credit for that type. So if you don't
want to use the investment property, but say you have
equity in your primary residence, that is a great way
to finance the purchase of investment property and also any
(20:01):
expenses that are associated with it. We have a product
called a home equity line of credit where you can
borrow up to eighty percent of the value of your home.
Now that's minus any existing leans that you might have
on it. It can be a first lean if you
own your property free and clear, or if you don't.
Let's say you have one of those three percent first
(20:25):
mortgages and you don't want to touch it, but your
property is appreciated enough to where you've got you've got
a lot of equity. You can do it as a
second lean home equity line of credit. That particular product
has a five year draw period on it, so you've
got five years where you can draw and pay off expenses.
(20:47):
For example. I know a lot of people buy they
have the line in place so that when they come
across a property that they're interested in, they don't have
to worry about getting financing.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
That's one of the things I have. Yeah, you know,
I have a rental property that I've had for a
very long time that paid for itself, and then I
have that home equity line of credit against that property
that allows me to utilize those funds to purchase additional
income properties. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So once you get you know, get into the business
and you've made some income and you've paid your property off,
or you've got a lot of equity in other properties
besides your primary residence, Yeah, you can definitely use that
as collateral for another line of credit.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Right, and getting into real estate as an investment doesn't
have to be expensive. There are some requirements for you
to have a down payment. One of the things that
I really like. If it's someone who's wanting to do
this and they're a first time investor, there is a
product that you guys have that allows you to get
(21:55):
in with only ten percent down if the home meets
certain criteria. Let's talk about how someone could get into
a rental you know, creating a rental property with that product.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Yes, so there are certain census tracks there. The acronym
is MMCT, but it stands for a majority minority Census track.
And if your property is in one of those tracks,
then we do have a mortgage product where you can
purchase an investment property for as little as ten percent
down without any kind of a private mortgage insurance.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, which is a huge savings. Yeah, I mean, and
it makes a wonderful difference. I mean I've used it
on one of the properties I bought last year and
it was incredible the difference, and the interest rate is
very comparable. I mean, it's a very good interest rate.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Right right, Yeah, it's definitely a way to go if
you want to use that the property you're buying as
collateral for the loan.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Well, there are lots of different options that you can
do to purchase investment properties, but really it's a matter
of sitting down and visiting with someone to look at
what is going to be the best option. For you,
and I think that's what you guys do really well.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Right right, Definitely, we like to look at the whole picture,
not just you know a lot of times people come
in and they say, I want to do this, Yeah, okay,
Before we can tell you what's best in that situation,
we need to look at your whole financial picture.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
And what are your goals and what are you trying
to do and where are you trying to go Because
what you think going in might be the answer, you
guys may have a better solution. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Yeah, Well hopefully you know, you're speaking with someone that's
got some experience with a lot of different lending products
in the market, and so they can advise you on
what's going to be the best way for you to
approach you your business or what you want to do.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Yeah, And the biggest recommendation I can make is use
someone local. You know, I've so often seen challenges when
people think that they're getting a better deal from someone
who's online or out of the area. So often it
ends up in just a disaster.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Or you know, thinking that the interest rate is the
only factor in a real estate transaction, you know, just
thinking I can go online and get this interest rate,
you know, and it's you know, half a percent better
than what someone's offering locally. But then when you have
(24:37):
a weather event or some kind of a problem and
you need help and advice, there's nobody to talk to.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Yeah, there's no one to go to. That's what I
love about First Financial. I can walk into any branch
at any point, at any time, any branch all over
Southeast Texas, and I get the help I need personally
for my business, for my clients. There's always someone there
who can help me and assist me, and if they
don't know the answer, they help me direct me to
(25:04):
the person who does have the answer. If someone wants
to connect with you, Lonnie, how do they do that?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
You can give me a call. My cell phone is
four zero nine three three zero seven five four nine,
or if you prefer to email, my email address is
l white like the color at FFI in dot com.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Okay, Well, if you're thinking about investing in real estate,
I can tell you it's a great long term investment.
Over the last twenty five years of investing, I've seen increase.
If you're thinking about doing it and thinking you're going
to make money immediately, it's it's challenging and it's risky.
(25:51):
It's a risky situation short term. Can you do it, yes,
but it's a risk short term. So if you're looking
at a long term investment, real estate can be very
beneficial and create great wealth for you and your family
in a long term situation. And when we come back,
we are going to visit with Joey Hilliard. There have
(26:11):
been some changes to if you own an airbnb here
in South east Texas, so there are some things you
probably need to know. We want to make sure that
you have the facts and you get the information you need,
So don't go away. This is the Dana Simmons Show.
Welcome back. This is Dana Simmons. We have just been
visiting with Lonnie White. She is the executive vice president
(26:34):
at First Financial Bank, and we were talking about all
the different products that First Financial has that can help you.
If you are thinking about getting into investing in real estate,
you know, there's not just one way. There are lots
of different options that you may have. And what I
do love about First Financial is they're happy to sit
(26:56):
down and visit with you and connect with what's right
for you, What do you need, what is your goal,
What are your plans? Let them sit down and just
guide you through that process. They're not going to try
to just squeeze you into one specific product, So give
them a call and reach out. Also with us Joey Hilliard,
(27:17):
he is the Ward two City council member, but he
also has a small business hydro kling services. And we
were just talking about the fact that you are a
fan of First Financial too.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I am, I am. I was getting you know, I
didn't want to bust in on you you were talking,
but I mean they saved my small business through the
PPP loan. I mean, had they have not worked night
and day, and I mean countless hours, there's a lot
of businesses here that would not be would be out
of business. You know, I employed twenty five men and
(27:50):
mice and they would have all been out of work.
And so yeah, it was they did wonderful things. I
have we banked there. We love it. They've been so
good to us.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It's the trickle down effect too. You know, it's not
only the business owners that it helped, it's the people
that they employ. I'm the same way. You know, I'm
a small business owner as well. I know people think, oh,
real estate. But I have people who are a part
of my company and if we can't support them, that's
(28:21):
going to impact our entire community. And so when First
Financial stepped up and said, this is a lot of work,
it's dealing with the government, but we'll do whatever it
takes to help our businesses get this PPP loan, I'll
never forget it. And so that's one of the reasons
I'm a raving fan.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
So and if people don't know what PPP stands for,
it's paycheck Protection Program, right it was.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
That was during COVID when we needed to keep paying
the people who worked for us, our family. Really, I
mean I can are the people that work for me family,
and so wanting to keep things going. But you do
own a small business and it's called Hydro Clean Services.
So tell everyone first a little bit about that, and
(29:10):
then we'll get into the city council and the differences
and the changes that have been made with the airbnbs.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Okay, well, you know I started my business thirty four
years ago. You know, I was working three jobs. I
lived in a garage apartment over in Avenue c and
I went almost three weeks without power, you know, because
my dad wasn't going to help me, and I was
too proud to ask, but but he I did it.
And you know, I started with a little cold water
(29:37):
washing homes and began to build a business and build
trust and do quality work, you know, the things that
we all expect, and you know, returning phone calls, showing
up when I said I was going to be there,
and it was surprising that people are like usually they
don't show up, so we're we're really excited that you're here.
And so began to grow, and you know, hester Bell
helped me a lot, you know back then when you know,
(29:59):
she was doing real estate and just a fabulous lady
and got me some homes of people that were moving out.
I mean, you know, it makes sense. I always said,
you know, we we wash our cars, but our most
the thing we spend the most money on is our home,
and we just let it go. And you know, mildew eats.
It does, and it's not as fast as termites, but
(30:20):
it eats, and it'll destroy a home from within two
and it'll make us sick. And there's a lot of
things that can can go with that. And so you know,
we began cleaning houses and then I started moving into
the commercial end of it. And because the house is
dried up when it gets cold, our Christmas comes around here,
like my extra money's going to buy Christmas gifts or
you know, Turkey, and so you know, the work would
(30:42):
dry up. So we would go six months without any work.
And so we got in the commercial and we started
cleaning exhaust toods and in restaurants and so I always
tell people that's my flugel binder. And you know, it
takes a while to build it up. But you know,
we travel from Shreeport all the way to Austin, and
we service. I have twenty five employees, uh most of
(31:03):
and pretty pretty much every one of my employees barely
graduated high school or did graduate or didn't graduate high school.
And they're all local boys and men.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Excuse me, I don't know, you know, when you get older.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yeah, I still do that to my son. He's like that,
you know, I'm thirty, come on, and so uh uh uh,
you know, it's it and and it's it gives me
hope to see because you know, I believe everybody deserves
a second chance. And so we've had a lot of
We've done a lot of work with the prisons, and
we've brought men in that were incarcerated that you know,
(31:40):
they made a mistake and they did their time, they
paid their price to society and and given an opportunity
because a lot of people won't give people an opportunity.
And I've always believed that everyone deserves a second chance.
And so, uh, you know, there was only one man
that was able to judge. I know a lot of
us think that it was us, but there's only one man.
And and and so it's been a it's it's been neat.
(32:02):
It's been a great spiritual journey, and it's highs and lows,
just like anything else. And God has always been there
for me and I am. I just remember him letting
me know. I mean, you know a lot of people's like, oh, wow,
we were not on your meds. But no, I mean
he he did. I knew. I mean, we were in
a bad spot. I had had a I mean, I
(32:23):
could take your whole show, but I had a partner
that I had gotten in with when I was probably
two years in. He said, I see the hustle and
enthusiasm and anyway, it was a huge mistake and cost
me dearly. But you know, I never folded the business.
And you know, you you know, Dana, you're you're in business.
You know those times you're like, I don't have to
(32:43):
make my payroll, you know, and you know, and I've
got insurance, I've got to pay and I've got these bills,
and you're like, you know, every day for me. And
when I turned the lights on there for a while,
I was like, hey, that's a start. You know, that's
where that's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
They still work exactly.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
The check cleared, right.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
So but you know, people think, oh, you own your
own business, you're rolling in money. That's the impression it is.
It's not the truth. When you own your own business,
every day is a new day where you have to
go out and you have to earn that absolutely, and
so yeah, it's not always easy, No, it's not.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
And you know, I always say that the definition of
an entrepreneur is somebody that's too stupid to them in
their beat. And so you know, I'm pretty stupid because
there's a lot of times I should have been beat.
And you know, it has come a long way and
we're in a great place. In fact, we're buying a
new building over on Cardinal Drive, and we're expanding, and
(33:43):
so it's you know it sometimes you sit back, you know,
and I think about I I had a third grade
teacher that told me I'd either be dead or in
jail by the time I was twenty one. So I'll
always remember. You know, everyone's like, you didn't go to
Catholic school, But I'm like, I had some teachers that
could have been nuns because they were just but but
(34:04):
you know, I mean, but it's been an amazing journey,
and uh, I'm very blessed. But it's been a lot
of hard work and a lot of a lot of
heartache and and uh, you know, it's it's the ups
and downs of being a small business.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
It is. So what made you want to run for
city council?
Speaker 3 (34:24):
I just I got tired of the fighting on council,
which kind of sounds you know, everywhere running right, you know,
and and getting nothing done. You know, we had train
horns that were going off. You know, we have uh
we you know, we've got high crime rate. You know,
we've there's so many things in the city. And you know,
this city when when my son died, this city literally
(34:46):
just poured out for us. And and so we we have.
You know, I I love this place and and I
love the people in it. And you know, it's not
a perfect city, but it's my city and and I
love it, and and you know, I wanted to serve.
I have a servant's hard I guess, you know. And
I love to serve and to try to make this
(35:09):
a better place for all of us. I want my
kids to want to come back here.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
That's key for me too. You know, my kids are
back here and I'm thankful for that, and my thought
process is the same thing. I want my kids to
want to stay here. But when you do that, though,
you have to make tough decisions sometimes, and on the
council right now, you're doing that. You're making decisions that
not everyone likes, and there are always going to be
people who are against you no matter what side you're on.
(35:35):
One of the things that you guys have recently done,
that you've put into place is that you've added the
airbnbs to attacks that's needed to be able to continue
to expand the city. I know one of the things
that I had read, and I'll have you tell the
whole story, but is that it was taking away from
(35:56):
the hotel tax that the city would get which goes
to a certain fund, and so in order to recoup
some of those monies that you guys put into place,
that airbnbs would now be in a position to be
taxed that way. So to explain that a little bit more,
because I know my explanation was very rough.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Yeah, okay, So you know, I'm a businessman, and so
I'm I'm trying to look at it. You know, I mean,
the city's he orrhagy money and not just a little
bit of money. And so I'm like, how can we
come up with new revenue streams? How can we make
more money for the city without taxing us? And you know,
I mean I can get almost twice the home I
(36:37):
have here if I move out of Bomat because the
taxes are so much lower. So we're getting killed here
on taxes. You know, we froze water rates for seniors,
which is a big deal, especially for the older people,
but we really need to increase them because we have
so many problems with our streets and drainage. And you
don't realize, and you know, I guess the best thing
(36:57):
is that the can has been kicked down the road
for a long time and we're in a position now
where you know, people's toilets back up when it rains,
it comes up into their in their bathtubs. It's it's terrible.
And I mean, we we can put a we can
put a car on them on Mars, but we can't.
We can't fix our sewage systems. And so you know,
(37:18):
that's that's important to me, that that everyone's quality of
life is good, and and and and so on that
same note, I went and I said, why are we
not taxing these airbnbs? Why are we not? Because it's
a business. I mean, it may be an investment for you,
but it's still a business. And I have to pay
in my business. I wish I didn't have to. The
twentieth of the month, I got to collect that money
(37:39):
and I got to send that check in, and so
you do the same. Everybody has to do it. So, uh,
that was a loophole. So they were, they were they
were profiteering, which I am for, but equally so don't
put the burden on me as a business owner, on
you or anybody else that's that's out there struggling too.
You know, we all need to pay together. And so
(38:00):
the hotels were carrying that burden. If you stayed one
of our hotels, you were paying that that hot tags.
So why not in the airbnbs? Right? And so I
went to Demi and we as a council asked, We said, hey,
you know, this is a chance to at least generate
another two hundred thousand dollars a year. I mean, I know,
in the grand scheme of it doesn't seem like a lot,
(38:21):
but I mean multiply that times five or betimes ten,
and so we're making a dentt and we're everybody, and
it's not like this is a they're charging the people
staying there and they're going to get the same price.
If so, it makes it an equal playing field, I
guess would be.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
So if someone owns an airbnb, what do they do?
How do they what's the next step? Will you be
notifying them? Will they need to know to be registered?
How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, So I believe the city, because we literally just
passed the ordinance, and I believe the city is going
to reach out. There's I believe one hundred right now
of the airbnb homes here in Beaumont. So they'll get
a letter saying that now that we're required to charge
this hot tax and tell them how to set it up.
And if you don't receive a letter, because there's there's
(39:06):
a lot of these that are owned by people that
don't actually live here, so they're they're owned by other individuals,
you know, Houston, Austin, and so it's very surprising. So
people are investing, they're buying the houses here and then
they don't actually live here.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Did they have to register as an airbnb? I don't
know that much about it, So that's why I'm asking.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Yes, well, they they will, but I think it's part
of their their occupancy when they when they their home,
when they buy their home. I'm assuming it's so new
that and you know, I've kind of been reading a
little bit more on it as far as you know
some of the finer print that that is going on.
But the city will will contact you, you will collect
(39:48):
the tax just like normal. You will pay the tax
to the control and the control and then we'll send
the tax, same thing the hotels do. It's they will
be notified the hundred that we know of and and
you know it's it's it's more than just that. But
we weren't even regulating them. And so I was getting
a lot of calls for these homes being trashed, you know,
fifty cars, and.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Challenging because you weren't required to register it. Yes, I
mean if you were, I wasn't aware. When I owned mine,
I didn't register it. And so I mean I had
one in Beaumont and one in Finet. But I know
exactly what you're talking about because we had a couple
of challenges come up and that's why we got out
(40:29):
of the business, because you cannot control every single thing
for the people who were coming in to rent it.
So so I understand. So if people have questions, if
they have an Airbnb or if they have questions about this,
how do they who do they need to contact?
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Well, they contact city the city Well dimmy's the department chair,
but it's the Ordnance Department and it's on the second
floor City Hall. Great people, I mean, they will work
with you. I mean they're just wonderful and uh and
they can help get you in the direction and and so, uh,
you know, this thing is has literally just came out Tuesday.
(41:07):
We just voted on it. Yeah, and so you know,
to me it to me, I'm I'm again I'm a
I have a business mind. That's what I know, and
I know that if my P and L shows that
I'm losing more money than i'm making, there's a problem.
I'm not gonna I'm going to go to the bank
once maybe twice. But then after that they're like, whoa, you're.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
We can't you're losing money, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
We can't help you and figure out what to do right.
And so it's that's the key. I think government has
to be run in a situation like this like a
business in that if you're if you're not, it's going
to keep being a problem and it's not going to
get better. Well, it has been such a pleasure visiting
with you, Joey. I loved being able to hear about
(41:49):
you but also about your business and about things going
on on the city council. And we will we'll have
you back.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
I would love to come back. This has been a
lot of fun. It's been very good meeting you. And
you know you're you're with a great and that cares
for the people which you don't see. You know, most
of these banks comes so big that you're just a number. Yeah,
and so you know, it's nice to have that hometown
touch and that you know, you walk in theverybody smiles
and they know your name and think there's a song
about it. Yeah, yeah, right exactly.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
So, yeah, I appreciate it. When we come back, we're
going to wrap up the show. I hope you've enjoyed
it as much as I have enjoyed getting to participate
in it. But don't go away. This is the Dana
Simmons Show. Welcome back. This is Dana Simmons. So excited
to have you guys joining us today. Man, We've had
a great conversation with Joey Hilliard Ward two City Council,
(42:37):
just talking about the way that they are working to
make things better for Beaumont. Super excited to see what's
going to happen and how things go in the future.
Also with us Lonnie White, executive vice president for First
Financial Bank. And Lonnie one of the things we wanted
to end the show on today is how do you
make your finances better for twenty twenty six, So let's
(42:59):
talk a little bit of about what can people do
to make things better.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Yeah, this time of year, a lot of people, you know,
after we get through with Thanksgiving and Christmas, we start
thinking about getting our house in order for the next year,
for twenty twenty six. So sometimes we spend a little
bit too much for Christmas. Sometimes we've had things happen
in the previous year that we didn't expect. So there
are a lot of financial products out there to help
(43:25):
you if you need to consolidate some credit card debt
or just restructure some debt to get it in a
more I guess manageable.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Situation situation.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yeah, we'd love to help you with that.
Speaker 1 (43:39):
So what are some of the things that you can
do to make that happen. Let's talk about the options
for that.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Yeah, so depending on what your situation is, maybe you
just have one credit card that's gotten out of control
and you need to transfer it on to either a
loan or another line of credit that has a cheaper
interest rate. We can do that for you. You have debt
that's revolving, debt that you notice, Hey, every month, I'm
not really making any progress on these payments. I'm making
(44:07):
my payments on time, but I'm not getting anywhere with it.
Putting it on an installment loan will help you get
that debt knocked out quicker.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
It's so amazing to me when you look at that
credit card debt and that revolving debt when your interest
rate is so high, and really all you're paying when
you're paying that minimum payment is the interest.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Yeah, yes, you're not really making any headway. So the
home equity loans and home equity lines of credit that
we talked about earlier, those can be used to consolidate
debt as well, not just to purchase real estate.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
And the key is don't go get the credit card up.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
Again, right, I mean, credit cards are great financial products
if you use improperly. Sometimes people though, like I said,
something maybe you didn't have time to plan for it
came up in your life last year and you weren't
expecting to have to use a credit card, but you did.
There's still a way out of it, though, to get
(45:02):
you back on track, And we'd love to look at
everything for you and help you see what's best for you.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
Yeah, because life does happen, things come at you that
are unexpected, and those unexpected expenses sometimes put you in
that situation. And for those of you who feel like
it's not going to end, it's just an ever never
ending battle, there are ways. And I think that's the
key is where you.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Just don't know what to do. What should my next
step be? Right? You'd love to be able to look
at everything for you and tell you here's some next
steps for you, right well.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
And that's one of the things that Joey and I
were talking about about First Financial Bank is that they
have helped us. Whenever you don't know what to do,
you can walk into the bank, ask for some help
and someone will sit there and help you see what
it is you need and how to impact you long term.
So Lonnie, thank you free for freeb Yeah, that's your
(45:57):
expertise too. I mean it's people all say, well, I
hated to call you. I'm like, that's if you have
a question about a house, don't hate to call me.
That's my job. I've done this for thirty years. I
might be able to help you come up with a
solution faster then you can research it, So just call me. Yes, men,
(46:17):
So thank you so much Leanne for being on the show.
If anyone needs to get in touch with you again,
tell them how to do that.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
My cell phone is probably the easiest way. It's four
zero nine three three zero seven five four nine, or
if you per email, it's l White at f fi
n dot com. Thank you, and joe stop by in person.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
Yeah, you can stop by any of the seven branches.
You're actually in the orange one. Yes, and Joey, thank
you so much for joining us. Thank you for your
service on the city council. Uh, thank you for giving
us information about hydro clean services. If someone needs their
house clean, if someone needs to reach out to you,
what's the best way for them to get you.
Speaker 3 (46:59):
Well, there's my cell phone, which is four oh nine
two eight four twenty one thirty three. And uh, you know,
I also have an email. So I have Joey at
hydro hy d r O dash or the Minus side
clean dot com. And that's my business. And you can
(47:20):
send me stuff there and I can I can go
from there. But most people call me or text me
or you know, Facebook. You know, it seems to be
the new mode. That's what I get a lot of
and and so I you know, it's what's so neat
about today is that there's so many ways that you
can reach out to people, elected officials and people like that,
that you can you can actually voice your grievance rather than.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
Just you know, complaining it without writing difference.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Yeah, and talk. You know, I'm always ready to have
a conversation. I'd love to break bread and talk. And
you know, we may not always disagree, but you know
we can. We can agree to disagree absolutely and still
be friends because in the end, you know, we're all
in this together. This is our city, and we're one.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
People trying to make a difference.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Amen, Well, thank you so much for joining us today.
I hope you have a wonderful Saturday. This is the
Dana Simmons Show.
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