Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show with your host,
Frank the Bank Coodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group
right here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years, joined
by his incredible co host, Senia Akishana realtor with Mahara and.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Associates, Tampa's top real estate company.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Together they have helped finance and clothes nearly one billion
dollars of real estate every year.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
If you're looking for local mortgage or real estate advice.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
The Business Happy Hour team has been right here on
news radio WFLA for over a decade.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Listen right here or fight us on the Business Happy
Hour YouTube channel.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Or follow us on Instagram at Frank Thebankkodo. Now, sit back, relax,
and get ready for some serious mortgage, real estate and
business talk with two of Tampa's top experts.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Here's Frank the Bank and Senia.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Hey Tampa Bay. Welcome back to the number one business
show on the radio, the Business Happy Hour. Your co
host and myself, Sennia Akisha from Mahara and Associates and
Frank the Bank. How you guys doing on this Sunday morning.
I hope it's a great morning for you guys. Maybe
it's Saturday morning. Maybe you're listening on Saturday. Maybe you'll
listen on Sunday. Maybe you're on Instagram, maybe you're on Facebook.
(01:09):
We're just happy that you guys are tuning in today,
and don't forget we are on all kinds of platforms, podcasts,
iHeart Radio, Spotify, Apple nine to seventy, WFLA one O
two point five, and other channels. Just find us anywhere.
And if you do see us online, like and share
and get it out there please. I'm like, oh, I forgot.
We gotta get our volumes at I'm wondering, like, is
(01:31):
that me? What is my feedback?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Guys?
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Sorry, that's my amazing co host Senya Akeishaa from Mihara
and Associates.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
How you doing, Sam Good?
Speaker 5 (01:38):
I was so tuned into you I forgot all about that.
Speaker 6 (01:40):
Oh that was so nice.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Yeah that was a great. Hello.
Speaker 6 (01:43):
So yes, hello, hello, Yes, how is your fourth?
Speaker 5 (01:46):
It was great?
Speaker 6 (01:47):
Yeah, what'd you guys do?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
We did our just home fireworks, which actually we don't
typically do, but we decided to do it and it
was a first experience for my little one.
Speaker 6 (01:55):
So he's hooked.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Oh so that thing you showed me, you're gonna have
to tell us about it, and that's on the list
for next year's firework.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
How old is your is your son?
Speaker 5 (02:05):
He's like three and a half.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Oh he's hooked on fire and explosively. Yes, Oh my god,
I love it. This I gave my nephews for Christmas,
this cool little box. It is a gag box they
make you can buy and it's my first fire right
and it has like a little fire starter kit in,
a little can of gasoline, a little thing of matches.
It's all obviously fake, right, but you give it to
like little kids for Christmas and they're like, oh, that's
(02:27):
amazing and they open it up, but it's like underwear.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
So I thought that was a funny one I did
this year. But yeah works.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Us boys tend to like fireworks, We like explosives. And
so we were at the beach this fourth of July,
Madera Beach. If you guys have never been out to
the beach on fourth of July, it is it is
a sight to see. Matter of fact, Before I go
into that, let me introduce our guest Tos because I
see Andy, he's gonna he's I know he's gonna want
to chime in on this. So I've got Andy Whitchurch
(02:54):
on here. Guys become a good friend of mine. We
met probably Andy about a year ago, maybeout a year ago, yes,
something like that, like not too long after I bought
the new model S. Actually is very convenient.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yeah, yeah, we got to be friends. And you invited
me here so generously, and here we are having a
great time.
Speaker 6 (03:10):
Here we are now.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So Andy owns mobile Well, actually you own Finishing Touch
of Tampa Bay.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah, mobile details.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
We come out of Dune, Eden. We're a mobile detail company.
Probably have a wide range of services. We've been doing
it for seventeen years.
Speaker 6 (03:25):
Man, that is a long time.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That's a long time.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
To be in that industry. I mean a lot.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I gotta say that, Andy. A lot of people in
your industry, they're kind of in and out. They're like
fly by nighters. You know.
Speaker 6 (03:35):
They get a truck, they get a tank, and they're
in it.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
You've noticed a few that have lasted. Yeah, a lot
of them again here today, gone tomorrow.
Speaker 6 (03:42):
Yeah you say they really really are.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
I feel, you know, blessed to be around.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, there's a reason, and you are on the business
happy are So we are going to talk business yes, sir,
And I'm going to tell my listeners the reason that
I asked you to come on the show today. I'm
going to tell them the reason that I am such
a loyal customer and how we became friends, because you
know it, it's all about who you know, not what
you know. And I was referred to you word of mouth,
so I didn't go find you online or I.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Was gonna say that's my best source. It's always your
best source. Yeah, right, send what's your best source? Absolutely,
it's word of mouth, matter of fact, you know what.
That is a great topic. We're we're gonna talk about
word of.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Mouth advertising today, especially when we get into the show
with Andy. But I wanted to make sure I introduced him.
And by the way, guys, if you're going to learn
all about him and what he does and the cars
he works on in the services he provides. But if
you guys would like to jump ahead of all that,
you can go to mobile detail now dot com. That's
his new website, mobile detail now dot com. Full disclosure,
I haven't even seen it because I don't need to
(04:37):
see it because I know how good of a job
he does. I already referm out to everybody, and I
can't wait till we you know, I tell people about you,
and I'm gonna save it for the rest of the
other part of the show, but I talk about how
you have like a pit crew, right, so don't let
me forget to talk about it.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Yeah, that's that's a special thing, you know, don't I
don't know a lot of companies that bring as much
labor as I do.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
No matter of fact. I made a comment to you
when we were doing the show. I don't know if
you notice. And there's there were a couple of guys
always in the parking lot here at iHeartRadio doing mobile
detail I always see a truck pull up and they
got their water tank and all that. And when you
compare what Andy does to every other detailer. Again, I'm
not gonna spoil it all right now.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
But yeah, it's unique.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
It's unique, right, And I even joked with you. I
text you after the radio show what I pulled up.
This guy was just starting to wash this car next
to me, and when I got in my car an
hour and fifteen minutes later, he still was not done,
you know, he was just finishing. And I'm like that, right,
there is why these businesses are not sustainable for most people.
You can't take an hour and a half to do
(05:40):
one car.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
It's do well. You know, we've grown in seventeen years, right,
So okay, you know you have to get to a
point where you either stop growing, right or you continue
to grow and you bring out right and you know,
my goals and limits, I feel like are end lists.
So I'm just going to keep bringing the help and
he just trying to be great out there and putting
our best foot forward. And that's what we do, man,
(06:03):
you do it very very it's homegrown.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So we should talk about Okay, so we're gonna have
two topics later in the show. We're gonna learn about
Andy and the we're gonna get back into some business
and let's talk about word of mouth advertising and growing
your business because Ray and I Ray mahar And Associates,
that's who Sinia works for, very similar business model. You know,
him and I work very much the same as as
we're producing owners and we're in the trenches with our teams.
(06:27):
And he has never been scared to grow and same
with Lincoln Lending Group, we haven't been scared to grow.
You know, we want to give opportunity just like Ray
does and put boots on the ground. And it's a
great business model, but you have to be you have
to be ready to manage it and sustain it because
the more people you.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Add, there's a lot to it, man, I mean the logistics,
the growing pains as I.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Mean, it's there's one set of growing pains. When it's
just you out there hoofing it doing the cars, right,
your growing pains are you're limited, there's only so much
you can accomplish. But then you start adding other people,
you got a whole different set of growing pains.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Well, all the communication that I have with my co
customers and then you know, managing the hell, managing the guys,
making sure everything's just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And we're gonna get into that. We're gonna go to
that second second part of the show. We're gonna bet
to be talking about his pit crew that he uses
to clean your car and it gets extra special attention.
So let's talk some real estate. Let's talk about the market.
But before that fourth of July, so you chilled out, Andy,
what'd you do on fourth of July?
Speaker 4 (07:24):
So I just hung out with the family. We had
a nice relaxing, fireworks and you know, just R and
R with the family. And it was kind of nice
because you know, I, as a business owner, I don't
get to sleep in very much. Yeah, so being able
to do you know, I know, normally take a lot
of vacations in the summer.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
It is a busy time. I imagine we drop off.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
A little bit because a lot of my customers travel
the snowbirds go home. I think a lot of business
owners deal with that in Florida.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
They do absolutely.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
So just kind of took it easy, you know, enjoyed
it worked a little bit, you know when I probably
shouldn't have been, and you know, hung out with a kid.
I have a dog, Olivia, and she's seven years old,
so that's always very enjoyable for Does she like fireworks, Oh,
she loves it. She all the typical kids stuff. You
don't got all your fingers. Everybody made it, Yeah, fingers
and no burns.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I think I think people are getting slightly smarter. Although
I did just see some some famous rapper something calls
himself like something four or something like that, blow off
two fingers, So now the whole joke is like, now
he's like five minus two ors a lot of that's
my fair.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Listen. I'll watch them all day long, love to watch them.
I will not get near one to light one. No,
and not my thing.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
So you guys do need to check out.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I will say, if you want to see the coolest firework,
the new twenty twenty five, coolest firework, I'm that guy
who goes to the fireworks stand and I and I see,
you know, it used to be mortars, and I've told
my brother in law was like, we're not getting mortars again.
Those are the ones you've lightened to have the tube
and boom and then it blows up and it's like, dude,
you're sitting there just like sending one or two fireworks
up over and over and over and then you, if
(08:54):
you get real stupid, you tie them all together and
that's when you blow yourself off.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
Right, So which which happened?
Speaker 5 (09:00):
Well, listen, I we didn't tires, but I think that's
the one we had.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
That little one.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Loved it, just to say, well, the kids love them
because they're the big explosion.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, boom and then boom.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
But this year.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
If you like Roman candles, if you like machine guns,
if you like gatling guns, if you like the fireworks
that go boom all in one, you gotta get yourself
the F five Roman candle machine gun. All right.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
It was on sale at a Galaxy fireworks stand for
one hundred and twenty five dollars and you get two
gatling gun cylinders. And you guys got to go to
Frank the Bank Coto on Instagram or my Facebook Frank
Coto to watch this Frank the Bank Codo on Instagram.
You have to see this video that we threw Freebird behind.
It is a three hundred and eighty eight shot gatling
(09:45):
gun rotating cylinder. It is an electronic thing. You light
the front, you hold down the trigger, and it just
spends and sends the biggest Roman candles into the sky
that you've ever seen for about two straight minutes. I
would say, pretty safe of a firework. I mean, could
the thing blow up in my hand. Probably if it did,
I'd be it. I wouldn't be here right now.
Speaker 6 (10:06):
You you'd probably be doing this from a hospital room.
But it is amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
It was the best one hundred and twenty five dollars
I've ever spent. People were texting me, calling me.
Speaker 6 (10:15):
Like what is that? Where did you get that.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I was like, I don't know, but I am going
to get every single one of these next year because
I don't need anything else.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
That's how it might be sold out because of you too.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
There's only three of them on the shelf and really yeah,
and you know, hindsight, I should have bought all of them, right.
But anyway, that's my tip. That's my Frank the Bank
fireworks tip for you guys. Go to Frank frankdbank dot com.
I'm sorry, not frankdibank dot com. Go to Frank the
Bank on Instagram Frank the Bank codo, and you've got
to check out this rotating fireworks display from fourth of July.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
So on to real estate Sin.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
We only got a minute left, so I think we
let's just maybe let's not do our stats right now.
Speaker 6 (10:51):
Let's break. Let's do our stats.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Coming in to the second segment, everybody, a lot of
our listeners text me, if you don't do the stats,
I get in trouble. They're like, okay, you know, I
listened to your show to hear these stats, so if
you don't do them, it's a bit disappointing.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
So we don't want you get in trouble.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
We're not gonna.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Disappoint you guys today, and we're also going to to
learn a bit about Andy and his business. But before
the break, i'm gonna throw you guys. I'm gonna tease you.
Senn and I like to say the phrase Mary the
house date the rate you really really need to pay attention. Okay,
the FED share is gonna get replaced. The administration wants
rates to go down. The economy is going in the
right direction. Rates are already down from where they were
(11:29):
just two months ago, and Senny and I are seeing
more activities. So if you don't buy the house now
when the rates drop, you will end up paying more
for the house. It is basics supplying to man, we
don't have it. I'm gonna ask Senny about inventory here
in just a minute. When we get back from the break,
we're gonna find out why you should buy now. Contact
Frankdebank dot dot com or call Senya at.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Eight one three seven five five reel.
Speaker 6 (11:50):
Let's say at seven five five reel. We're gonna take
a quick break.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
We'll be back to you guys on the Real Business
Happy Hour, talking mortgage industry and market update with some statistics,
and then We're gonna talk about businesses.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Stay tuned all the best mortgage or real estate advice
from Tampa Bay's top experts. It's the Business Happy Hour
with Frank, Debankoto and Sennia.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Hey Tampa Bay, Welcome back to the Business Happy Hour,
number one show for all things business and entrepreneurial. We
just met Andy Whitchurch here. He's our guest host on
the show. He's the owner of Finishing Wait, I'm gonna
say finishing Wait, hold on, finish finish line. No, what
the hell Finishing Touch. I can't even read my own writing.
(12:32):
I've came back to I'm like, I know this says
finishing No.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, yeah, A Finishing Touch of two Finishing Touch.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Of Tampa Bay.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Since two thousand and eight, Andy has been running the
car detail and washing game for fleets, cars, RV's, boats,
you name it. They do all kinds of other services.
We're going to talk a little bit that after the
real estate statistics, which Senny and I are going to
do right now, tell you what's going on in the
real estate market. And Andy, you can chime in on this.
I know you're not in the real estate game.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Well, I'm a homeowner. You are homew Yeah, and Lincoln, London,
you know, did some great stuff for me in the
last year, and I'm forever grateful for that and thank you.
You know, we all watched the raids. Of course I
refined my home. I think it was about it was
Trump's first term. It was his first run, right, yes,
(13:20):
so one point seven. Oh my god, dude. Like when
you bring that up, people are like, did you just
say what I thought you said? Yeah, And I'm like
they told me at the bank, They're like, You're never
going to see this again. Yeah, and it was. It
was just a great day.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
No, you never will.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Matter of fact, I had lunch I don't know a
couple of years man, actually mustn't helpen a few years
ago with with one of the wealthiest people that I know.
And he sat across from me at lunch and I
will I'll say I did not take his advice I
should have. And he looked at me and said, Frank,
he goes, I'm gonna tell you right now as a friend.
He goes, what you're seeing in this market will never
happen again in your lifetime. He goes, you need to
(13:55):
take every penny of equity out of your home right
now at these two point in something three percent rates because.
Speaker 6 (14:01):
It will never happen.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Is that the first go around?
Speaker 6 (14:04):
That was the first go.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Round when when they when they dropped, and I'm like,
you know, but you're sitting there and you're like, but
that means I'm gonna like have like a seven hundred
eight hundred thousand dollars mortgage that I don't have the
something new. He goes, but you have no idea, he goes,
if you can borrow that money at two point something
over thirty years.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Oh man, He's.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Like, just suck it up, swing the payment and invest
that money. And I really wish I had done. I
probably would have doubled the money.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
By now.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
I'm surprised you did it. You're like the money guy
because that's very solid advice.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
It's super solid advice.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
It was even for me. It was a little bit
scary because you're taking it all at once. So I
did something similar. Actually funny, I did something that i'd
know you business back then. Oh I was, Yeah, I
founded the company in two thousand and three, so I've been.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I mean running the skill.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
I didn't do it, but I did. I did. I
did take his advice halfway.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
And I did an equity line of credit, right, so
my my rate is way higher than what I could
have gotten at the you know, two eight seven five. Now,
I did refinance the house and fixed in the note.
And actually i'll tell you what I did. I'll just
tell it to be honest. I did a ten year
loan and I got two.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
I got higher than you. Actually, I got two and
a quarter on a ten year loan. And then I
paid my house off.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
That's still crazy free. It was too good.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
And then I did an equity line which has a
much higher rate, but it's you know, it's adjustable and
it's interest only. And then I only may I only
pay on what I borrow. So that's the key to
an equity line. Is an equity line you can take
out on your house in second or third lean position,
and you don't mess with what you have on your
first rate. So if you have a first mortgage like you,
oh my god, you probably have the lowest one of
anyone in history, right that you hit it on the deck.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
The lady I called and I said, I know nothing
about this. I just called my bank. I'm like I've
been hearing these commercials and you know, I just I
just thought i'd call, and she goes, today's your lucky day.
That was the first words out of her mouth. And
I was like, well, tell me about that. Yeah, And
then she did, and I was like, wow, what a
phone call?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Oh no, no, you called if you locked in under
two percent. There was the smallest windows for people to
do that. I remember that said, like, yeah, very small windows.
You could get into threes. You know, almost everybody could,
you know, in the twos, but very small window to
get under two p two.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
I mean, no, that's that's like good for you.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
You remember back in the day when everything was like
fourteen percent.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Oh yeah, that's so I got into the business. You
remember a little better than me. But I got into the.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Business well our parents, right, it was our parents, Yeah,
twelve thirteen percent. When I got in two thousand, they
were just coming out of the nines, right, So they
had already come down from the teens to the nines.
And that was one of the biggest refi booms we had.
So when I started in the mortgage business, it was
like fish in a barrel, Like everybody you called was
in the nine. So we were our rates. We were
actually this is fine story. We are the first loan
(16:37):
I ever locked, first loan I ever closed my entire
career in two thousand was at six point six two
five percent. And the lady cried, she was so happy
at six point six two five percent because she was
like at ten percent. Right, that was our market. And now, yeah,
I'm talking to you painting and the butts out there.
You guys are complaining about freaking fives and low sixes.
(16:58):
These people were crying to get the sixes. And by
the way, the average over forty years, the average interest
rate is six point seventy five over.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Forty what is it now? What's the average is now?
Like eight nine or something? See, okay right there, See
I don't know. Yeah, I'm glad he said that, right sin,
What do you think.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
The obviously the misconceptions out there.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
So yeah, yeah, we're not we're not dating the interest rates.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
He wouldn't know.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
He's got you know one.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Now, this guy looking at rates for anything, Uh no,
your government FAHA and v A right now, in the fives,
I mean you could get five and a half. You
could probably get five and a quarter on an FAHA
or VA rate. You can get five nine nine six.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Thank you. It's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
It is, but it's the consumer, like and you are,
the average consumer still thinks because of the stupid media,
that the rates are you know, seven's eight percent, and
that's part of the reason that the market is being
held down. That's why Sinny and I keep telling, you know,
telling people, listen, when when the media comes out and
says that these rates are you know, four point eight
seventy five five percent, watch out because there's not Cinya
(18:05):
doesn't have enough houses to sell the amount of people
who are going to comme in the market, which means
the ones out there are going to go to highest
and best price.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Sure, you know, I wonder what that threshold is for people, because,
like to your point earlier, I bought N eight and
it was a fee cha for six percent. I thought
it was amazing. I was so happy. I mean, we're
kind of there now, and you know.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
We're backwards.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
A lot of people are sitting where well because I
guess of the you know, two three, four percent, So.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
I'll tell you it's it's when the news media says
for at least two weeks that were in the low fives,
we're going to go crazy. When they say the word
four's it's over.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
Do you think that will happen?
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
I do.
Speaker 6 (18:45):
I think.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I think.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I think after the FED, after the FED changes, I
think the FED will.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
I mean he's working towards that. Oh you know that's
his goal.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
It is the goal, Yeah, it is, and he knows it.
He knows very well that when that little change happens,
it's it's going to be almost overnight though, the action
that we're going to see in this market. So we
had two days back in March where the rates touched
the high fours, and the activity in those two days
passed what was year to date in forty eight hours.
(19:14):
It was unbelievable. So I know for a fact, you know,
when I don't know for sure, I would have guessed
by now, to be honest, that I would have lost
my bet. But it's gonna happen. It's not a matter
of if, it's when.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
This is how he makes his living. I mean, he
knows this stuff. He's you know, first Frank.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
The bank, Frank the bank. And you know what else
I do know is positivity is a big thing. You
have to stay positive. You go out there and preach
negativity all day guess what you're gonna get negative?
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Well, keep your positivity. Let's get those low rates soon.
Speaker 6 (19:42):
I'm keeping it positive.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
So we didn't do stats in this segment, so we're
gonna do it as soon as we get back and
then we're gonna learn a little bit about Andy and
the business. So we had a little too much fun
in that segment, but I was our short one, So
you guys stay tuned as soon as we get backward
to find out what's going on in the real estate
market with sinnya Akisha from Mahara and Associates.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show with your host,
Frank the Bank Coodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group
right here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years, joined
by his incredible co host Senya Akishna, rialtor with Mahara
and Associates.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Tampa's top real estate company.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Together, they have helped finance and clothes nearly one billion
dollars of real estate every year.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
If you're looking for local mortgage or real estate advice.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
The Business Happy Hour team has been right here on
news radio WFLA for over a decade.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Listen right here or find.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Us on the Business Happy Hour YouTube channel or follow
us on Instagram at Frank Thebankkodo. Now, sit back, relax,
and get ready for some serious mortgage, real estate and
business talk with two of Tampa's top experts.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Here's Frank de Bank and Senia.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Hey Tampa Bay. Welcome back to the Business Happy Hour.
We have Andy witch Church here, the owner of Finishing
Touch Tampa Bay, car the Itellian RV's boats fleets, all
kinds of stuff. We're going to learn about him and
his business and everything he does and what he's done
for me. In just a second, before that, we have
to do our real estate stats. We are a segment
late on real estate stats with Sennia Akisha from Mahara
(21:07):
and Associates.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
Sana, can you give me some good news?
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Let's do it? God, I love it so sometimes we
jump around, but I figured today for our main numbers,
let me just kind of go down the line, and
I mean, I think it's good news.
Speaker 6 (21:23):
Oh good.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
In Hillsborough County, our median sale price was four hundred
and thirty thousand, the average sale price five hundred and
fifty thousand, the median time to contract thirty two days,
and the month's supply is four point two, which is
a forty percent year of year.
Speaker 6 (21:42):
That's a lot. That means we have a lot more inventory.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
A lot more inventory, but still the four point two.
So to your point with hey, if the interest rates
get to that spot, like, I don't think that's quite
enough to feed the demand. When you know, everybody comes
out of the woodwork.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
I will say though, like you said, it's forty percent higher.
Is more of a balanced market than it would have
if these rates dropped a year ago, we would have
been a lot of trouble.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Well, inventory has been historically low. That's why you know
part of the problem when you know during COVID market
everything got ran up.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
There just wasn't enough, right right, But yeah, so and then.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
New pending sales for Hillsborough were up three point six
percent year every year. For Panela's county. Our median sale
price is four hundred and sixty thousand. The average sale
price is six hundred and seven eight sixty two. Median
time to contract same as in Hillsborough thirty two days
and the month supplies at five WOW, which is up
(22:37):
still by almost forty percent year over year.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
The average sale price of a house in Panellas County
is six hundred and seven thousand days.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
Yes, you notice how Wes say, like the median, I
do feel like that's a more accurate picture, you know,
for the you know, the typical buyer. But yeah, the
average is it takes obviously all the prices, so the
higher price homes get averaged in.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
But the media is still over over five hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
For sixty But I mean still this is you know, yeah,
our prices are.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Good, Yeah, they're good today.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
You better get in now.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
And if they do want to get in and look
at a house, what's the best way to call you?
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Eight one three, seven five to five reel?
Speaker 6 (23:18):
That's I love it.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Seven five to five reel is how you would get send?
What else you got said?
Speaker 5 (23:22):
Well, let's finish up with Panelas. So new pending sales
are up seven point three percent year every year, okay,
And then for Panella's county, our median sale price is
three hundred and seventy five average sale price is four
hundred and ten thousand, and the median time to contract
is thirty nine days, so a little bit longer than
stol Panella's thirties but I mean still, yes, we're not
(23:44):
looking at you know, forty five sixty days because they
did see numbers like that, you know, a few months.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
Back, right, right, So things are not sitting anymore. I mean,
you know a month, that's.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
You know what, that's the other thing. So I guess
for stats, that's really it. But I wanted to say
things are sitting if you're not doing the right things
to sell your home, right So I do think right now,
for sellers, it is important to price aggressively. Yep, yeah,
you know, listen to your real estate agent, look at
the comps, don't look at the Zillos and all that.
And no, no, well Zillo says this, talk to a
(24:15):
real estate agent and price your home aggressively. It'll you'll
end up with more money in your pocket in the
end than Oh well, if I price this, can people
still make an offer? And no, usually it just doesn't
work like that, and you don't want to end up chasing.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
The market right.
Speaker 6 (24:29):
As a matter of fact, I made a comment to
my wife the other day. It blew her mind.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I was like, if I had a house right now,
I was going to list it, I'd list it low.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
And that's a great strategy.
Speaker 6 (24:36):
Yeah, which has never been a strategy.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Mind. I've always kind of been to the higher guy
and let people kind of get to my price. But
in this market, you want to create more buzz on
your house. You want to list it at a very
good price to attract more buyers. And the idea is
to get them fighting over your house.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
Yeah, and I told you, like with my two listings,
they are still under contract. That's exactly what happened. Yeah,
you know, sellers were very amenable to you know, pricing
aggressively and we get multiple offers.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Yeah, and then all of a sudden you could get overlist. Yeah,
for the house, absolutely, it is interesting.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
The other thing is just if you do anything to
your house to get it ready for the market. I'm
a big believer in hiring a professional company to deep
clean goes along with you know, detailing. For selling your car,
you'll probably you know get a better deal for you know,
the trade or whatnot. If it's just in good condition. Guys,
just do it. That is the money that you will
absolutely get back. Yeah, you know, few hundred bucks, but
(25:29):
I mean it makes such a big difference. You know,
if you're remodeled five years ago, but you're not the
you know, cleanest person and tedos about it. If you
have somebody that's really scrubbing, you know, and making it
look like a brand new remodel, you know, with your
fixture shiny again and your shower glass like new chemicals.
That you could do all that, but most homeowners probably
don't do it. There are a few, you know, you
(25:50):
walk into a house and it's like, oh my gosh,
this isn'tmmaculate.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
You live like this.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
But so I'm going to add on to that one
extra piece of advice. If you're trying to sell your home,
do some landscaping.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Yes, that was my other one.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Curb appeal absolutely, Yeah, people ask about like the praisers
and stuff. I'm like, listen, it's first impression. The guy
rolls up to your house and it has great curb
a peep. Well, guess what you're getting comped to the
best houses in the neighborhood. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Pressure wash, I mean pressure washing. I have a little
machine that hey, I actually enjoy doing it myself. Do
the pressure washing, get the cob webs off, you know,
or there are cob webs by the way.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
There's a company called Shackshine shackshine. My wife keeps wanting
me to call him. I keep telling her no. But
they do all of that. They shine the shack. Okay,
so Andy might be an idea. They do pressure washing,
they do cob web removal, pressure washing the windows.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
I think it's only exterior. I think it's like shining
the shack.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Well, great stats in that was awesome. I thought that
was very positive. So get your butt off the mary
the house, date the rate, get your butt into the
market right now.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Do not wait.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
I want to bring in Andy. I don't want to
waste too much time. We don't have a whole lot
of time. We get a segment and a half here, Andy,
tell us a little bit about you. I know you've
been in business since two thousand, which is a long time,
means gonna be in business forever. Tell the listeners a
little bit about you, and then let's talk about the
business and what services do you provide. Then I'm gonna
tell the story about how we met.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah, so we live in Duneedon, my wife and daughter.
I've moved here in ninety four. I worked in another
family business for fourteen years that ultimately fell apart because
of the recession. And so I always sort of knew
that I had. I was an auto enthusiast, and I'm
kind of a structured guy. I think, you know, play
(27:31):
a lot of golf in the structure, and so I
was sort of doing it on the side when we
were getting into the recession and they ultimately sold the business,
which ultimately turned over like four or five times, and
it sort of fell apart, and then I started just
getting a few customers on the side. So I was
(27:54):
sort of thinking about how I could market myself to
the right people. And I had a guy called me
one day and they were doing a little advertising campaign
at the Biltmore which now is the Pelican, and he said,
if you sign up for this little advertising campaign, it's
five hundred bucks. But here's the kicker. I'm gonna talk
to the general manager and I'm gonna let you perform
your service at the club in front of the right customers.
(28:16):
So I was like, great, you know, if he's gonna
let me do that, you know, I'll have a check
for this afternoon. So he came on board, and I
was there for ten years every Saturday at six o'clock
in the morning. What for ten years, Like that's a
commitment to business.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Right, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
So about six months went by, and maybe not that long,
maybe it was like three or four months, but I
was still doing my regular job, and I just thought,
you know, one day I'm gonna have to leave here.
I don't know what the circumstances are going to be,
but it's gonna happen. But maybe I can kind of
further that along and find another club, you know, but
(28:57):
it has to have all the right you know, things
and stuff. So I proposed it to East like Woodlands,
and it took us a few times. They love the idea.
They signed a deal. I just wroughte them a check
for a couple bucks.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Right.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
I was there for thirteen years on Sundays. Wow. So
you know, as a business owner, it encompasses a lot
of things, you know, it encompasses a commitment, work ethic,
just many things. But when I had those two businesses,
I was able to grow my business that way. And
so then I moved on from the family business and
(29:31):
the residual stuff that came from those clubs. Right, just
it just took off, man, you know, sort of like
holding the tiger by the tail.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
No.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Yeah, anyway, so I got a bunch of workers, and
you know, I mean I don't pat myself on the
back a lot, but because they think you take your
eye off the you know. But you know, we do
a great job.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
So when you first got the first account the Buildmore,
were you you doing a lot of or pomise, No,
it was the Beltmore which is now the Pelican. Yeah,
and were you Were you doing a lot of the
work for yourself? Were you out there getting your hands
dirty and getting down with the cars and everything.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
But I'm still doing that no way. I mean, you know,
you and I stand around at your house and chat.
But for the most part, you know, I mean you're
in the roll up the sleeves. People ask me sometimes
they go, so do you work or like, you know,
the lady just told me today, she goes, well, you
got a pretty nice gig. I go, what do you mean?
And she goes, you and I just standing here talking
and your guys are doing the work, And I go,
(30:28):
I guess that's not too bad, you know. But yeah,
I mean I never minded working, right, I just always
wanted to be paid a little bit better for yeah,
and I feel it. And so you know, it's grown
and word of mouth, as we talked about, is my
best friend. And there's always got to be a lot
of different avenues, right, yep. But I've just met a
(30:48):
lot of great people along the way and we just
keep going.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
That's awesome. So how I met you, it's actually word
of mouth. I met you from one of my guys,
one of my branch managers who worked for me, Chris Crawford,
and it just so happened, you know. It's all it's
all about right place, right time, right. And I had
a detailer for a number of years. I probably had
this guy for like six seven years when I bought
my first model less and I still like the guy,
(31:12):
good guy, but he just started kind of pushing the
prices up, pushing the price up, and he wasn't changing anything.
Matter of fact, he asked me the service was getting
worse and the price was going up. And when that happens,
that makes you look around, right, makes you ask questions.
And I just so happened to me having lunch with Chris,
and I said, I was a little annoyed by it,
and then he goes, you know, you got to talk
to this guy, Andy, And I think his first words
out of his mouth, something like this guy does all
(31:33):
the Ferraris for Tampa like you can trust him with
your car.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
We did. We did three different stints at Ferrari or
Tampa Bay. Yeah, for six months at a time.
Speaker 6 (31:42):
But something like that. You know, when you hear that,
you're like.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I mean, it's the real deal. Stuff. Like when you
they first of all, to get in the door, there
is extremely difficult. Oh you you get brought in by
the guy that's like the top guy in the area
for buying them.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Yeah, I can't imagine. But hold, we gotta take a
quick break. We gotta actual commercially we have to do.
Speaker 6 (32:01):
Get the ideow this.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
And associates.
Speaker 6 (32:11):
All right, Tampa Bay.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
We're getting back right back into it with Andy Whitchurch,
good friend of mine who's the owner of Finishing Touch
Tampa Bay. Their website is mobile detail Now dot com.
That's mobile detail now dot com. I will say, if
you guys know me, you know I'm picky. I'm in meticulous.
I was never the best guy keeping my own car clean.
But I've always been a car guy. And when I
bought my first, my brand first brand new car, Tesla
(32:33):
Model S in twenty fifteen, I needed somebody to help
me take care of it. And I had somebody until
I met Andy. And I will tell you Andy, not
only did I was I looking for somebody. You answered
the call, you said I'll be there at nine am.
You were there at eight fifty five, which I'm usually
the late one, and when you showed up, I will
tell you, I know we were talking about Ferrari before
(32:55):
the break and all that and that. Of course, you
know when somebody says, hey, this guy cleans Ferrari's, you know,
I know what it takes to get into Ferrari Tampa
Bay or Eeves or any of these guys, and you
got it.
Speaker 6 (33:04):
That's all that mattered to me.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, it wasn't easy to get into. And then once
you get into it, you just fully appreciate, you know,
a lot of the choices that got you into the industry.
Oh yeah, and it's white glove and as an owner,
and you know, when you've given birth something like this,
it's just very gratifying, man.
Speaker 6 (33:22):
It is.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
And I can tell so when you pulled up that
first day, one of the most impressive things to me
and joke with you about your pit crew is it
wasn't you jumping out of a car with a pressure
washing a foam cannon. It was like five guys jumping
out and they all knew what to do, just like
a pit crew.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Yeah. So we've got a twelve foot trailer. It's fully
stocked with water, electricity, all the products. My guys have
the same job to do on every stop, you know,
we do. We average anywhere between six and nine stops
a day. We do simple. Sometimes the washes could be
multi car washes like you and your wife car on Saturday.
(34:01):
It could be you know, another couple like yourself and
they're like, well, you know, this is our once a
year detail. Some of these people will go monthly, you know,
bi monthly, quarterly, I mean weekly. I mean it's just
all over the place.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (34:16):
We've also got connections to like, you know, paint correction,
ceramic coding, PPF final, and we do I know a
good friend of mine does interior reconditioning. The guy who
just introduced me to recently does a wheel repair, paintless
dent removal. You know, we cover our bases that we've
I've got other business owners that I've got working relationships with.
(34:37):
So again for me, it's it's wash wax and detail.
We do a lot of problem solving out there, and
some of our best customers are are the businesses with fleets.
Right We've got I've got plumbing company right now that's
got twenty vans and they go once a month and
we just blow right through it. The guys just run
out in front of me. I come behind them with
spot free water. We clean the windows. One hour, we're
(35:01):
out of there. So it's express, right, And and not
that it's rushed. When I say it's express, I mean
we're bringing five guys. It is pit crew rush just
because just because it goes quick that you know, the
customer is always there to sign off on the quality.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
That's that's why I'm never going to stop saying pit crew,
because it is. That is what Formula one race. These
guys rip the tires off, change all this stuff in
thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (35:26):
Let me tell you, somebody might not know about me.
So we used to east like Willans on Sunday in season,
forty to fifty cars in like five to six hours.
You know how many car keys that is sitting in
front of me, My god, and you have to manage
the cars, the request, the quality, the guys you can't
lose keys all the payments, dude. It's I was just like,
(35:51):
and there's never any problem. You lose a key fob,
it's five hundred bucks. Oh, eight thousand bucks. We've lost
a few of us. I can't even explain how it happened.
But you know, but you know, when I work for
my parents in a high volume business, you know, doing
this now in a high volume, it's sort of just
what I've always done, right, And you know, some people
(36:12):
see problems and I just laugh and go come on now, like.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
Oh see, I love that some people see problems the
other see solutions.
Speaker 4 (36:18):
It's problem solving, that's it. So we do a great job.
We you know, we again, we're mobile to the residents,
we're mobile to the business. We do office buildings, fleets.
We're in bel Air, North Peneunce a lot where I
come out of dune Edon.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
Yep. Now what's your area where?
Speaker 4 (36:35):
So we go pretty much from like State Road fifty
four to Saint Pete Beach. Okay, you know, and there's
obviously dollars involved. I mean, I can't go to State
Road fifty four Saint Pete Beach for sixty five bucks
or something. But you know, we try to work with
people and we do have some service called stuff that
kind of applies and you know, unless you're down the friend,
(36:55):
friends and family plan. Yeah, but yeah, so we just
try to be great out there you are and uh,
never been disappointed. Flora Florida's a service based stay right,
I think.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
And that goes to the word of mouth advertising. To
get that and to get the referrals and those gigs,
you have to do a great job. That's the number
one principle, you know, And that's why you've been in
business for so long.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
And it's organic, right. We sort of get lost with
all the Google and all the all this other stuff,
but the word of mouth is organic and it's never
failed me.
Speaker 6 (37:26):
Right right.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
It's not a lead, it's a referral when it's a
word of mouth. And you know, and Chris told, hey,
give him a.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Call and it didn't cost me anything, no for you
to tell her how good we are at or you know.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
And the funny thing is you would only cleaned Chris's
car a couple times, like you you you were not
even like doing his car a lot, but you made
such an impression on him that when his boss made
a comment. He was comfortable enough to tell me who knows.
He knows I'm meticulous. He's like, give this guy a call,
and the rest was history.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
It's just about relationship building, I think, you know, personal
said professionally and even managing the help. And if you
put that in, you know, where do you get your help?
How do your guys are good? So I've a lot
of people have asked me that. Yeah, so I'm lucky, right,
I mean we all have to be a little your secret. Yeah, yeah,
I don't know now, but anyway, No, I tap their networks,
(38:16):
you know, and I could get a pretty good, you know,
feel about people, and you know, and I'm I communicate
well as to what I expect from you. And I
try to take care of my guys. Yeah, because other
business owners will steal them, you know.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Yeah, well then let's let's we only got a minute
levels stealing real quick. Nothing has I've had this happen
to me in letting people in my car. And I'll
be honest, I keep you know, a gun or two
in my car, and I will be money in there.
There'll be something, you know, a check from a job
or something like that. And I don't worry about.
Speaker 5 (38:43):
That, but it'll leave your car in lock.
Speaker 6 (38:45):
No, not on lock, but I don't worry about it,
like you know.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
And I actually told you in the very beginning, I said, hey,
just let you know there's you know, there's a gun
here here or whatever.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
And we have a rapport, right, Yeah, and that report
is why we get along. And yeah, we got our
vibe and and you know that.
Speaker 5 (39:01):
I'm before we run out of time, guys, Yeah, because
I really need to ask this, Like, I've had an issue.
It's a I have a well newer car, first black
car I've owned, and man, I've heard they're tough to
you know, keep clean, and that is very true. My
issue is that I have reclaimed water for sprinklers. No
matter what we do, there's just always the overspray. Do
(39:22):
you guys have a solution for that? Like bring you
over to get.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Rid of my water? Tell people a lot.
Speaker 6 (39:27):
I go.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
Look when we go out to your house, I'm like,
is this going to be a recurring problem? Because if
it is, we might not want to do too much.
I mean, we can correct it, and there's a couple
of different ways, but it's a process and it's going
to cost a few bucks. So as the customer, I'm
going to tell you, let's let's just try to get
this fixed so it's not a But yeah, there are
(39:48):
a couple.
Speaker 5 (39:48):
I'll talk to you after the show. Definitely try to
keep it clean, but man, we're gonna thorn.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
We got to jump off nine seventy.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
That's the show with Andy with Church Finishing Touch Tampa
Bay Mobile detail now dot com, Mobile detail now dot com.
I am personally vouching for this guy. Andy, thank you
for coming on this.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Speaker 6 (40:05):
It's been awesome.
Speaker 4 (40:06):
Nice