November 18, 2025 • 40 mins
Today Frank and KSENIA talk with Leon Smith from Mihara And Associates. We proved that the market is not down year over a year. We talk the card Business and give strategies for buyers and sellers in today's market
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show with your host,
Frank Thebank Coodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group right
here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years, joined by
his incredible co host, Senya Akishna, realtor with Mahara and Associates.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
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 (00:31):
Listen right here or fight.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Us on the Business Happy Hour YouTube channel, or follow
us on Instagram at Frankdebankkodo. 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 to the Business Happy Hour, your
number one show for all things business and entrepreneurial. I
am your host, Frankdebankkoto, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group
and eight one to three mortgage dot Com in studio
with a couple of amazing realtors. Every once in a
while the sun and the moon and the stars line
up to form the perfect real estate show. And today
(01:12):
is one of those days. I am blessed to have
not one, but two co hosts today from Mahara and Associates.
I just had a nice little breakfast with Ray Mahara,
the founder of Mahara and Associates, last Friday, and we
talked about this awesome new strategy of bringing on the
top agents from Tampa Bay and Senny and I interviewing
(01:33):
them and learning the strategies from them, because I'll be
honest in not all real estate agents are created the same,
are they.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
No, they're not.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Everybody comes from different walks of life and that's where
they learn to sell and do what they do what
they do and pick out their clients. And you know,
not all of them are from Eastern Europe.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So that's me.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
But no, Leon, for sure, Yes, is just a different kind.
And I mean I've known him for a while now,
he's been with Maharran Associates and he's just been a
go getter, yes, and very ambitious. I mean he does
a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
He does, he does a lot. And Leon has a
very busy life too. If you get to know him.
He does some very interesting things. Actually, I found out recently.
I think you and Ray share kind of a love
for some of these little cards as well, you know,
and there might be a business to that. So we're
to actually talk about the card business as well. If
you guys don't know what we're talking about, you're gonna
(02:25):
have to stay tuned to find out. Because, believe it
or not, that was my first sales job. I've never
even told you this story, but my very first sales job,
back when I was probably about thirteen years old, was
selling trading cards and baseball cards.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Does Ray know that because that was his story too,
was it really?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
No, I didn't share it with Oh yeah, okay, all right.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
When I was on the other side, I was with
like the Pokemon ego and all those trading cards.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, and listen, cards are cards, guys.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Some of them have been around for fifty years, some
have been around for five years. But let me tell you,
there's a market out there, and it would blow your mind.
I can't believe like.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's made it comeback.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
One of my friends actually he got offered like a
full time salary position to like move to California because
I guess he's so good at it and.
Speaker 6 (03:07):
What Yeah, especially breaking Now, breaking is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I don't even know what that is.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
So that's where you actually open up packs on live
video and you can sell the packs people paid for
packs ahead of time. Uh huh, and you can sell
the packs break it live and send on the cars
that they got from the pack. Yeah. Live breaking is
crazy right now.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Okay, so listeners, you got at the stay tune because
we're gonna get to that, because I'm writing that down
on my show notes here, because breaking it is like
breaking bad? Are we making meth? We get?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
What do we do?
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Funny thing is everybody, that's like the best show of
all times. I've never watched it. You've never seen it either,
have you said? Aye?
Speaker 6 (03:40):
My wife loves it and I've never watched this that's show.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So we'll talk about that actually before we before we
get crazy in the show. You guys know Landman is back.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yes, I just watched the episode. It's only the one.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
God, it's so.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Frustrating because well, you know what, it's a good thing
because otherwise I would just binge watch.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I watched the whole season. You know, like Netflix comes
out with the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
So so Ray got me into that show. You know,
Ray and I had lunch one day and by there
was Ray mahar the owner of Maharan Associates. He gets
me into Landman. We're at lunch and he could not
shut up about this show Landman, and and I'm like right,
I was like, these are like an owner of a
mortgage company, an owner of a estate company, and all
we're talking about is this TV show. And I got
(04:21):
home I told my wife, I'm like, listen. Ray literally
said that tonight we have to watch it. He's like,
put down everything and watch this show. So I got
to Nicole to watch, like, I don't know, two maybe
three episodes. She doesn't like anything violent, right, she hates
like the stress and the violent space, especially at night.
I don't blame her, honey, I get it. You want
to go to nightmares, you know. So the show starts
out with him being like beaten by a cartel, like
(04:43):
in like a shipping container and cutting off fingers and stuff.
And I'm like, oh, this is not gonna go good.
Speaker 6 (04:49):
No, So then the the from me it was.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It last night or the night before, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I watched it yesterday but I mean the Billy Bob
Thornton lines that he's got.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Like, if that har what do they call it? Is
it an Emmy or a Grammy or what do you
get for TV shows? I don't know, I'm terrible this
it's one of those.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
It's not Grammy.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think that's for the music industry.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Okay, then it must be an Emmy. Right, maybe it's
an Emmy, but anyway, so so I'm like, if this
guy doesn't get it, like, somebody better give this guy
an award for that show. But I tried to put
it on last night. Right, my wife finished dinner first,
and I'm sitting there and she went in to the
bathroom and I clicked it on and she comes down
and she sees the intro and she just looks at me,
and you know, if you're listening, honey, She's like, why
you gotta be a jerk? And I'm like, what do
(05:29):
you mean a church? I was like, it's the first episode.
She's like, you know, I don't like this show. And
I'm like, do you think it's second season? Could we
give it a shot? Could we just like yeah? Maybe
the don't tell her.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Ray she doesn't like it.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
He told everybody in the office, and I think that's
when all of us just have to watch.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I think Ray is responsible for Billy Bob Thornton's race. Yeah,
I swear this, man. I mean I'm not I'm not
a TV guy, but I do like do you have
a show?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Sen oh Man, so many but you.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Always have one show? Or do you have a bunch?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I have a bunch?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
You got a bunch and they do binge watch a bunch,
like when I start one?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
That's good. I just watched The Beast in Me.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I haven't seen that either.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
That was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Okay, what is that About's what.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
The guy from the Americans? I forget his name, but.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Okay, all right, it's got clar Dines and it was
pretty good. I mean I like kind of like the
crime you know, mystery things.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Okay, so you like you like a little anxiety, then
you like a little stress, then I guess. So yeah,
how about Julian are you? Are you a one show
guy or you're a multiple show guy? What are you?
Speaker 6 (06:29):
My go to is more like the Law Side Law
Medicals CSI n CIS.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So you must love it how they play like two
or three of them back to back there's like you
got the fire one, the law enforcement.
Speaker 6 (06:41):
I'm Chicago is actually really good, Okay, and then there's
a new medical I forget the name of it is,
but it's supposed to be God, I forget. They're in
the second season now I forget it, but it's on
my list.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well it's either fire Lawyers or or police office Lawyer.
Oh that's a good one. Lincoln Lawyer. I watch that now.
That's been for a while, right, yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And I think that then they just agreed to doing
the third season. They went off for a little bit,
and now I think they're bringing it back.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Is that the one where the guy like was a
not an Ivy League guy and he gets in or something.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Is that he takes over another office, right for some
of that he was really close to and that's just
to reprove himself, right.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Okay, so that's what it was. Now I'm losing my
track at that. But this, what the heck was? I
gonna say, Lincoln Lawyer something two shows? Yeah, oh, one
of those cop shows recent by My father in law
loves those, right, So it's kind of funny joke. Every
time he's over. It's the only time it's allowed on TV, right,
So then I'll sit and binge watch it with him.
Didn't they just kill off one of their main characters,
this girl in one of the I don't know I'm
(07:38):
killing I'm gonna ruin. I'm gonna spoil it for somebody.
Never mind, we won't talk about that again. Leon's looking
at him.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Like, I don't know which one are you talk about?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I there are so many? So anyway, landman, guys, you
heard it from Ray mahar you heard it from Frank
the bank Land man.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I have not seen the first episode of the second
season because of my lovely wife, So now we have
to make decisions. We go to bed together or does
Frank get to watch the episode one night a week.
But to your point, Benjing would kill me. So we
are going to talk all about real estate today. That
was a fun intro, you know. Sometimes we do a monologue.
Sometimes we just talk about having fun. And Leon caught
(08:14):
right in with us here, so we're just ran with it.
Leon Smith is with Mahara and associates. When we get
into the second segment, we're gonna learn a bit where
to do stats, and Leon's going to chime in on stats.
He's never been part of our stats. And by the way,
I got in an argument with somebody or into last week.
I'm not going to say with who about the stats
that Senya put out there on whether they're accurate or not.
(08:34):
Because I was at a table with a bunch of
people and I told them the stats that Senny and
I did on Tuesday, and they're like, no way, They're like,
the market did not increase in price, it did not
go up. And I'm like, I mean, she's a statistician,
she knows what she's talking about.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Well, I repeat the stats, but I hope these are correct.
I pull them from you know, public.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Source, right, and you pull them from MLS right.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Well, no, actually it's like NARS.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
Oh it's nar An association, and I mean it does okay.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I would hope they're.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Accurate as you were. I hope so, because if not,
I'm in big trouble with the person I was arguing with.
Speaker 6 (09:08):
There's a misalignment of the data versus how it feels exactly.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I could see that.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Exactly because a lot of people feel the big question
is kind of are we at the bottom, right, you know,
have we hit the button? My opinion is yeah, we're
at the.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
Bottom, always up in my opinion, always up.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
I agree, But you know, the question is like what
is the bottom for certain people? And you know a
lot of people feel like the market has gone down.
And I'll just lead into this before we start into stats.
But a lot of people and I think Leon were
on the same page, right, people think like the prices
have gone down, listenings have gone down, all this, and
I'm sure it does happen in pockets. But when Send
did the stats last week, we looked at a couple
that went up. So I tell you what. We got
(09:44):
two minutes left in this segment. Let's start into the stats.
Are you ready?
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Well, I mean to the point I made to you though,
when you talk to agents and stuff like, we're very
hyper local. Most agents, you know what I mean, We concentrate,
you know, on a pocket of you know, either a neighborhood.
Typically you kind of know what's going on in the
zip code. But I mean, aside from your concentrated area,
you you know, you might not know, and you know,
at different neighborhoods, they there's different things going on. There
(10:10):
are definitely neighborhoods where they're having a hard time selling.
There's lots on the market, and then there's others where
you know demand is still up there. You know they
list a home priced well, I mean it'll get snatched up.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I'm gonna pick up on a phrase you just said, priced.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Well because priced well is key right now?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yes? Right? And would you agree lye on, Like, if
a house is priced right now, what's the other factor
besides price well? Be quiz you guys, go lee, I mean,
what's the second most important factor besides the right price?
If you wan't how to move?
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Sorry I had to beat at you, but I mean
that's right condition condition?
Speaker 6 (10:43):
Oh absolutely, Because the homes like you.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
If you're priced well and you do have showings, that's
how you know you're priced well, but you're not getting
any offers. It usually means that you know there's just
things up that your price isn't up to part with
the condition.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah right, and let me let me let me ask
you this question. I've got a minute left. Do you
ever run into issues where the where you're telling the seller,
Like you go in and you look at a property,
You're like, listen, you're gonna you need to do this,
this and this if you want to move your house absolutely,
and do they listen most of the time or not?
Speaker 6 (11:11):
Or I think after COVID probably a good sixty percent
of seller is like, no, I can still get COVID
prices are very close to COVID prices as is. And
I'm like, yeah, the market's different now.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
No, no, it is different, and it's you know, and
I'm not going to say this negatively, but I'm gonna
be blunt. Buyers don't have vision as a whole.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
They walk in and instead of being like, oh, I
can fix those cabinets, or I can make this my
own or I can redo the flooring, they literally walk
in and like this will never do I can't do
this right. And and then you know, I know we've
all in this room here, we've all invested. You know,
we've all bought things. So that means we've had to
have vision at one point or the other, which means
we got to walk in and we get we don't
we can't say what is it? We got to say
(11:52):
what will it become?
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:53):
So on that note, we're gonna take a break on
the Business Happy Hour. We'll be back with a Leon
Smith from mahar And Associates and of course Senny Akishina
with the best stats in real estate and they're real,
So stay tuned. We'll be back in just a minute
to talks tats with two awesome agents, all the.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Best mortgage or real estate advice from Tampa Bay's top experts.
It's the Business Happy Hour with Frank, Debank Koto and senniakish.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeahpa Bay, welcome back to the Business Happy Hour, your
number one show for all things business entrepreneurs. You know,
twelve years of doing the radio, I never know if
I'm talking over the music or if I'm talking with
the music. When that happens, it does did you guys
notice like I kind of start talking in the road,
you know, I don't know, trying to time it. I'm
trying to time it, you know, I'm just listening to
(12:37):
the music. I'm like, how want I just start talking now?
So anyway, we are back on the Business Happy Hour
with Leon Smith from Maharran Associates and of course my
amazing co host Senya Akeishana, also from Maharran Associates. These
two cats know each other, they've worked together and Leon
has never been part of our stats section, So we're
gonna do that. Uh and I asked Leon a question
(12:58):
before the break about do sellers always listen to you
when you tell them you need to fix something up
or sell for more? Because I asked a question, I said,
what are the two factors that determine if a house
sells and sanyas said condition, I just told you your
own answer.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I'm thinking about the next thing.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
You guys need to watch the show on Instagram. If
you're just listen by the way, uh, if you just
listen on nine to seventy, you need to start watching
our Instagram show around eleven am every Tuesday, because I
promise you'll get a laugh if you just look at
our faces when we're talking, Like, look at Leon right now. Yeah,
He's like, what are they talking about? I love Leon's voice,
(13:38):
though you have a sick radio voice, like you're not
even talking into your mic and you are booming over there.
I told you you have a I know, I was
trying to do my Instagram thing. I'm like, all right, Leon,
you kind of need to shut.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Up batle bit.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
My photo is listening to everything Leon's say and it's
hearing nothing of what I say.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
So anyway, let's uh, I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Gonna go back to that question real quick, and then
we'll go into our staf and then we'll learn about Leon.
But I asked the question about the two things, and
it was price and condition, right, So I asked, Leon,
do you have a problem sometimes that you know, you
you get the list of hows and you tell somebody, dude,
you got to do this, like, you know, what are
some of the things that you have to tell somebody
to do to try to get more money.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
I mean, at the end of the day, what it
comes down to is it's always about how it looks
and can somebody envision the potential if it's something needs
a little bit more work, you know, if it's not
fully updated right, right, and then just being able to say, hey, listen,
you know you didn't do it. You need to sell
it because I tell stories, right, That's how we do it.
That's how we do it best. And I always personally
give examples with multiple different pictures of vision vision because
(14:40):
buyers don't have it right, right, So I do a
lot of video renders of different color carminations, couches and
stuff like that just as an extra backup.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
God bless AI.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
I know it's awesome, it's awesome. So I get a
lot of kickback. You know. It's like, well, I don't
want to put any more into it, okay, but you
have a green room and a purple floor, Like it's
just it's all mashing against each other, right, and that
just takes away.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, because you know, it's like a lot of times
that's why people say, don't want a bunch of personalized
stuff around the house.
Speaker 6 (15:14):
I personalized declutter Yep, what did you say? Depersonalized and declutter?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Okay, that those are a good piece of advice too.
It's like, you know, dude, sorry, people don't really want
to see your family pictures and all your little heirlooms.
They want to have a vision of what they're going.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
To put, clean your baseboards.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
But if you do nothing else, so the decluttering that
is key huge, right. I mean that people have to
go in and see the home, not your stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Right.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
You think about it. If you're coming to somebody's house
and you're seeing pictures, family pictures of two three generations,
are like, they're still here. I can't see myself in
this house with other people here their spirits.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
But even that, like as an agent, I can't help it.
I get distracted right now, I'll look, Oh, do I
know anybody?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
A wow?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You know this family is so you know what I mean.
You can't help, But just look more.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
When I see like the service plaque of somebody certain
in the military, I'm like, oh man, look at those
stars and stripes.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
All right, right, it does take away, But I think
you nailed with the clutter. The clutter is definitely an issue.
And what Leon said is like, you need to see
the house. We need to see the floor, we need
to see the walls. We can't clutter. So I'm gonna
present a real quick solution. Then we're going to go
right into stats. Here. We have a buy before you
sell product. Leon knows about it, Senia knows about it. Basically,
if you are a seller, all right, you can get
(16:25):
your mortgage paid off on the house you're selling in full,
and we will give you six months with no mortgage
payment on that house to get it sold with Leon
or Senia all right, and we will give you seventy
five percent of the remaining equity in your home. And
what can you do with that? Whatever Leon and Sennia
tell you to do. You can get rid of the
(16:46):
green carpet. You can use it to clean, to declutter,
to put stuff in a pod. You can use it
to pay your down payment on the new house, to
pay your closing cost, to pay off debt, to qualify
and get this, you can even use that money to
put into the new house. You're it is unlimited what
you can do with it. There is no payment, there
is no interest. There is a small fee for closing
costs and whatnot. And the way to find out if
(17:07):
you qualify is go to contact frankdbank dot com or
reach out to me directly. Just give me the address
to your house, tell me what you owe on it,
tell me what you think you can list it for,
or I'll ask Leon or Senia and we're gonna tell
you within ten minutes if you qualify for this amazing
free money bridge program. That will solve Leon and Sendia's
problems and hopefully yours. So that's for you listing agents,
(17:27):
and that's for you if you're selling your house and
you'd you know, anybody can qualify as long as the
house qualifies. So again, contact frankdbank dot com. Just tell
me that you want the buy before you sell product,
and we'll do that and maybe I'll introduce you to
Leon and Senia if you don't have an agent, or
you can call them directly. Sendya. How do they reach you?
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Eight one three seven five five for real and Leon?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
How do they reach you? Email?
Speaker 6 (17:49):
Phone? What do you like email our phone? Eight one
three n two.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Eight nine nine two eight all right two nine five
nine nine two eight guys. And if you forget them
all contact Frankdbank dot com and I'll get you introduced
to them. So let's talk stats, sin, Okay, what do
we got?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Well, you know what stemming from that conversation that you
told me what I ended up doing. And I've actually
got Florida numbers for us today, okay, just because our
new numbers for you know, our local counties, yeah, haven't
come out yet, so you know, I'm just trying to,
you know, provide some fresh perspective.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
And they don't look a whole lot different than you know, our.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Area, except we do know that you know, tamp Up,
you know, Panila's hillsbro we are more in demand, okay,
slightly less inventory, but for September of twenty twenty five,
so year over year, the median sale price is fourner.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And ten thousand, okay, And.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
It's a zero percent change year over.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Year, okay, so the moret's not down.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
No, closed sales were up by almost fourteen percent year
over year, and this is for all of Florida. So
what I did do to also give you some.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Perspective closed sale prices, no close sale, how many close sales?
So the volume was up, prices even fourteen percent? More transactions, yes, okay.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
But in twenty twenty four that number was four ten,
up by about two point two percent media and sale
price okay. And twenty twenty three it was up by
one point three percent, oh my gosh. And in twenty
two was up by thirteen point eight So I mean
(19:27):
we know the number, like we know, you know, the
post COVID or you know COVID time when everything was crazy. Sure,
that's when we saw the big uptick, But none of
those numbers were negative, right that. So like when people say, oh, man,
you know, real estate market's.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Just going down.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Sure, you know it's been slow to gain you know,
equity or whatnot. But I mean, this is what these
stats are telling me. I didn't, you know, just come
up with them myself and try to do some calculations
out of the sky.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm going to get in trouble because I'm going to
do a post after this, and I'm gonna say Floridian
prices were up over the last three years year over year,
not down. But I can also see in a hyperlocal
market how you feel it's down if you're not getting
equity because we're so used to it anyway, I'm not
I gotta take a quick break. When we get back,
we have more stats from Sennia. We're gonna ask Leon
what he thinks of him, and we're gonna learn who
(20:17):
Leon Smith is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Stay tuned, Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show
with your host, Frank Debankkodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending
Group right here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years,
joined by his incredible co host, Sennia Akishna, realtor with Mahara.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Associates, Tampa's top real estate company.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Together they have helped finance and clothes nearly one billion
dollars of real estate every year. If you're looking for
local mortgage or real estate advice, the Business Happy Hour
team has been right here on news radio WFLA for
over a decade. Listen right here or find us on
the Business Happy hour YouTube channel or follow us on
Instagram at Frank Debankkodo. Now, sit back, relax, and get
(20:58):
ready for some serious mortgage real estate in business talk
with two of Tampa's top experts. Here's Frank Debank and Senia.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
All right, Frank the Bank and Senia are back in
studio here with Leon Smith from Maharan Associates. We've got
the trifecta. We're gonna get back into stats right now
because these stats are real and Sennya decided to take
this out of hyper local and go to Florida Local
for us. And before the break you basically said that
the there was no increase in sales price. There was
(21:26):
a fourteen percent increase in sales, but the key is
there was no decrease. Yes, right, so that's the good news.
But I'm a firm believer that everybody is so used
to getting so much equity, you know, year every year,
they're like thinking it's going down, but it's not.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
It's just not aligning with what they thought. Like so
especially with COVID, everybody's getting fifteen twenty thirty five plus
percent year over year increase in the.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So it feels like it because it did go the
other way. I guess you got to think about it, right,
We got a correction, we got a cup.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Oh yeah, it's softened up.
Speaker 5 (22:01):
But I mean the point is when I looked at these,
I'm like, all right, am I going to see numbers
where you know one of these year over year for
Septar is going to be oh, you know we're down
five percent, seven percent something, you know, more signa.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
But I mean it's it wasn't so so I love
that that that's don't lie. But what Leon, I just
really dwelled on what you said. You said, we got
a correction, but people don't realize it. We had a
correction because you're no longer realizing so much increase in equity.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
Well, demand cooled off.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Demand cooled off. But seeing on the Break, I said, hey, guys,
you got to bring this into the show. Don't talk
about In the break was making a good point about
you have so many people on the fence right now.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Leon Aloe has fifty fifty.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
That's what he said in the break Buyers And what
did you say? You go, well, what happens when that
one buyer is looking for the house and they all
wait to buy? Well, now would you say.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
You're saying they're waiting for the you know, interest rate decrease. Okay,
so when that happens, Yeah, that one guy's okay, I'm
ready lee that forty nine are going.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
To follow right right, Yeah, that's the heart and heart
with them too, because you know, I'll lot of agents
over the years like hey, you know, get the house,
where about the rate later? Right?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Right?
Speaker 6 (23:05):
I didn't get behind that because I knew that there's
a longer period. Right, it's gonna bite you and we're
seeing it already.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
So what do you think about now? Though?
Speaker 6 (23:15):
I think that you just need to be educated with
your numbers. You need to understand because a lot of
people realize that they can float the number for a
certain period of time. That's that comfort level, right, have
a conversation around that, yep, because everybody's different. So let me.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I'm gonna give this real quick and then uh we'll
finish stats and go into all all leon here. But
walking into the studio today and I had this rate strategy.
I'm not gonna spend too much time on it, but
I'll tell the story. Is I had a gentleman on
the phone, very savvy guy. He's getting basically a seven
hundred thousand dollars mortgage, and another originator gave him a
quote of six point one two five percent, charging him
(23:47):
a point. So they're charging them seven thousand dollars. Well,
I called him and I said, listen, I just got
to ask you. Do you believe rates are going to
go down within the next year or so? It goes absolutely.
I go, then why are you gonna pay a point?
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Right?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
It doesn't make any sense? So I went nuclear. I
call it new, but it's just good math. I gave
him follow me on this. Instead of six and and
eighth six one two five, I gave him six six
two five. It's gonna cost him two hundred and thirty
five dollars more a month. And most people are like, well,
that's stupid. Why did I do that. I'll tell you why.
I'm giving him a point, so he's not paying seven
(24:17):
for the point, thank you, which is quick math. Fourteen
thousand dollars divide two thirty five into fourteen thousand. He
gets sixty one months five years.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
He can float that before break even on the cost.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Being so if you believe, and I told him, I said,
do you think they're going down next? Year, he goes,
I will guarantee I'm refinancing under two years, and I'm like, then,
you just saved eleven thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I love that you're one of those guys that tells
them that though.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Thank you, you know, because oh, rate.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
Buydown that's been such a big thing, you know, and
a lot of people are you know, promoting that.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
But yeah, it doesn't always make sense.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Don't buy your rate down right now? Absolutely not. And
if a broker is telling you to don't to buy
down a rate, they are not your friend. They're trying
to make more money on you, and they're not looking
out for you. I hardly ever push that hard. But
call me and we'll give you an estimate that makes sense.
What else would we do on stats before we go
all leon all day?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Well, let's see.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
So, I mean new pending sales are also up, so
I mean not just in Florida, but are you know
Hillsboro Pasco panelas So that means hopefully.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
You know, for October numbers, we're also going to be up.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
In activity.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
For Florida up seven percent for new pending sales.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Oh wow, I think here it's a little bit lower
and largely like panelas their September numbers, Like, there was
definitely some big shifts going on there, but I think
it's good.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
You know they were.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Hurricanes.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Yes, they saw a lot of the shifts in their market.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Oh, we had a hurricane season. Is it over yet?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Almost?
Speaker 5 (25:48):
And it's like officially the end of November, so I
got a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
But man, the weather's been beautiful. We've really gotten lucky.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Listen, there's gonna be a storm tomorrow because kind of
what I've been.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Saying that every time we're in the clear, I think almost,
but knock on wood, we are.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
There was a set that I saw It was it's
the first time in what thirty years that we didn't
have a hurricane hit the US and created three Cat
five hurricanes in the water that didn't touch the US.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
Wow, So like you had enough last year.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So the kim trails are working Florida. Don't get into
that on this show.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
That's a whole different rabbit hole.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
That's the whole other show. Like what are they? They're
con trails, not kim trails.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Oh man, I'm in big trouble.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
All right.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Uh, let's move into Leon because we got these awesome news,
and I'm going to totally get in trouble and I'm
gonna make a post as soon as they get off
this show about the market not going down, and I'm
going to get some haters for this, and then I'm
gonna just send them all over to send you.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Leon.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Tell us a little bit about you. Where did you
come from? How'd you get into real estate? I know
we share a little bit in the card game. Who
the heck are you?
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Well?
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Thanks for having me on here. So I'm born to
raising Jersey. I spent twenty five years in middle and
then I got an opportunity to leave Jersey to take
over the Florida market for a very large company that
then got bought up by Starbucks. So I was a
district manager for them. And then I didn't want to
(27:15):
do it anymore. I got tired of bureaucracy. So a
buddy of mine that I grew up with said, hey,
he's going into real estate, and then I trusted him.
I was getting get into the realestate. Originally wasn't New
Jersey decided it wasn't the right time, and then when
I came here, I was like, all right, let's get
into it. Let's see what it's about.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And the rest was history and just I.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Mean, since then, I've met my wife, we're now married,
I've got four kids, I got a beautiful house, amazing career.
I mean, it's just it's done wonders for me. Since then,
I've been almost ten years now doing real estate.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Now, you said on the break, you work six counties,
six counties. That's a lot. It is, what counties do
you work?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
I saw him in Hillsboro, Penelas, Pasco, Citrus, Polk And
then every once in a while for my repeat buyers
or sellers all go out to I've done Orlando, I've
done Miami. The drive doesn't bother me.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
You like it, huh?
Speaker 6 (28:08):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
You are a car guide too.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
I am a car guy too.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yes, and you've got a decent little selection of fun
comfortable right.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Yes, you know my stinking Lincoln.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah, I love that market man. If you don't know
Lincoln market man, that is an awesome guy.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
Three and a half year projects so far that.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
It's a beautiful car though, super comfortable, a lot of
fun it is. It is all right. So so what
who is your client? Who do you like to work with?
Are you kind of like anybody, guy, you more buyers, sellers?
What do you like investors?
Speaker 6 (28:37):
So right now it might go to his bets. Yeah,
so I've been I niched out to VA about three
and a half years ago, specifically focusing on buyers, those
who are retired or active. I do a lot of
VIA relocations, so that's mostly where my focus has been.
And then helping vets realize that their VAS can help
(28:58):
them buy multiple properties, which a lot of them are like, wait,
what that's right. I've got two vets that I've been
helping for six years now and probably fourteen or fifteen
properties they bought over the time period using the VA.
Every time.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Man, I love it. He is finally a real estate
agent is telling the story of multiple The most I've
ever done for one VET is eight and that I mean,
that's that's something to be said. But the vets, it's
all about education.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
Yeah, huge, such a drop off on education, especially like
the oldest time vets, you know, the ones in the
forties and fifties that didn't know or just recently got
their benefits because there's a lot of cloud around that. Yes,
realizing hey I can buy I don't needt any money down.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah, we did a loan for a vet who was
almost homeless a few years ago. Actually it was for
a company you worked for back in the day. And
he was sixty two years old and had never used
his VA benefit.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
And that just blows my mind and it breaks my
heart a little bit too, because these guys give up
their life literally what we have now and they didn't
know about their benefits.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Right right, And so we're speaking to the veterans right now.
By the way, if you are a veteran and you
want to reach out to Leon, how do they reach
out to you.
Speaker 6 (30:06):
You can reach out to me by call our text
to eight one three two nine five, not nine two eight.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
That's two nine five nine nine two eight. For all
you veterans out there now, what you're work in a
lot of counties. I mean, do you have to have
the knowledge I think to work out, I'll go all
the way to Citrus or Polk or Hernando. But it
doesn't bother you because you go up there and drive.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
No, the drive is fantastic. Again. I have a big family.
I have four kids. You know, it's a little bit
a loon time on the road, right, just jam out
on the way right, set your mood, set your tone.
The other thing, too, is numbers are numbers, right. County
by county numbers are numbers. Just like what you did.
You pulled county numbers on what the sales were, right,
what the value is. It's the same thing right right.
At the end of the day, it comes down to
(30:46):
use your base numbers. Know what you're looking for, create
a strategy on what it is that you're right, if
it's the best way, if it's short term, if it's
long term, and I understand how to work those numbers.
That's all it is.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
I love it now. You said, uh, Gott, what do
you say? He said something earlier segment about I'm losing
my mind going north. Oh, that's what I would asking you.
You made a comment about where you see a lot
of buyers buying right now? Now we're in Tampa. Where
are you seeing this?
Speaker 6 (31:10):
I see most of them right now flocking. They're they're
leaving if they're coming in and haven't been here before,
so those are relocating on orders or whatever. Most of
them buying North Hillsboro, South Pasco. Why more bang for
your buck?
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (31:24):
And it's a pretty strong difference, you know, years ago
it was marginal, you know, like Hillsboro to Panellas, it
was maybe ten dollars a square foot difference, right, but
then taxes played a big role. Right now we're seeing
fifty sixty seventy dollars a square foot difference.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Some South Hillsborough too. Some people don't realize just how
big Hillsborough County.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Is, largest county in the state, you know, so like Riverview, I.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Mean, what there's why, Mama, lots of new builds going
on there.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
I think, yeah, I prefer the northern part just because
you know I'm already there too, but you know South
Hillsboro as well.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
All right, and can you give the listeners maybe a
little example. I'll shoot, you know what, we got fifteen seconds.
We're gonna give an example when we get back from
the business afire after break, an idea of maybe what
can you get if you go up to spring Hill
or go north or go south, like Sennia said, compared
to what you get if you're staying right here in Hillsborough.
What is the difference to you as a buyer, and
(32:20):
what's it going to cost you? With the interest rates today?
We'll be back in the business happy Hour in just
a minute with Leon and Senia.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Let's get back to.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
The Business Happy Hour radio show with your host Frank
the bank Koto, owner of Lincoln Lending Group, and his
co host Sennia akishna.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Realtor with Mahara and Associates.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
Hey Tapa Berry.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
We are on the last segment here of the Business
appre If you have missed the entire show, you need
to hit rewind, or you need to go find us
on iHeartRadio or Spotify or wherever podcast system you use.
And you got to listen to this show because it's
been a lot of fun. With Leon Smith from Aharran Associates,
Sennia Akisha, we were talking real estate stats. If you
didn't hear it, the market it is not down. We
(33:01):
all agree we're at the bottom, but we are not down.
You're just down from the fact that you haven't realized
equity over the last couple of years. But home prices
have really not dropped. Home sales have increased year over
year for the last three years.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Right, Well, we had how many so those couple of months,
but I was happy to see the September numbers go up.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
I think August it took a dip.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
But yeah, but all that met is interest rate talk
gets them moving real.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Quick, right, it does, and when those is not if
it's when those rates drop, get ready. So we are
encouraging you to get your butt off the fence right
now and start talking to Leon or Senia about getting
that house sold, getting that new house bought, because, like
Sennia said, Leon's got fifty buyers and that first one's
going to get into the market and look and when
the rates drop, the other forty nine are coming in.
(33:51):
And we all know what supply and demand does. It
does not get you good deals. So get in now. Listen, guys,
when the rates drop or when they do a fifty
year mortgage. Everybody, you're not a genius, I promise you.
Neither am I. We're all gonna have the same idea though,
and it's not gonna be a genius one. It's gonna
be a two little too late one. So get in now.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Leon.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I do want to touch on this because you do
have a listing that I want to make sure we
talk about. And then I want to chat a bit
about your hobby about cards, because you know, believe it
or not, there's a lot of big name people who
are involved in this, and I think, you know, I
think some of the listeners would like to know, because
if you be honest, you want to work with people
who are similar to you. And when I'm talking to
this client walking in today, you know, we're talking math,
(34:33):
we're doing this, he throws out there. When I told
him he was gonna save fourteen thousand dollars, he goes, well,
that's another ar fifteen for me. I just stopped in
my tracks and I'm like, oh, you like to hunt
and shoot. He's like, yes, I do. Boom connection. Right,
So first let's talk about your listing. Sure, when, when, where?
What are they gotta do? And then let's talk about
these cards and then real estate.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Yeah, so I have a Bridyho listener that went live
the beginning of last week. Kid's twelve hundred square foot
first floor condo right here, right literally right down on
the road from our office. Okay, two hundred and twenty thousand,
two bedroom, two bath with a fully converted Florida room.
It's a little bit older on the inside where it's
super clean, it's nice, it's peaceful.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
What neighborhood is it?
Speaker 6 (35:18):
It is in Lakeside lakeside.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Yeah, okay, so right around the corner. Yeah, got it.
Two hundred and twenty thousand dollars. That seems like a
really good deal.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
It is.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah, do you do you know how much the HOA is?
Speaker 4 (35:28):
And that's what I was gonna ask, Yeah, what are.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
So the h way if I wrote correctly, is four
to seventy.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Okay, so still respectable, respectable right.
Speaker 6 (35:35):
Right, not too crazy, especially today's climate. Yep.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
I've seen him at nine hundred dollars.
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Oh yeah, right now.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
We just had one to come in at fourteen hundred
dollars from HOA at the beach and I literally called
the guy. I'm like, bro, you know you can like
buy a three hundred thousand dollars more in a house
for that dice, like four hundred five hundred. That's run
of the mill.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
If you find an HOA under three point fifty, now
you're probably not getting anything done. Condo. So it's a
good one two bedroom, two bath. Yeah, that's a great deal.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
And if they want that, how do they reach you?
Speaker 6 (36:05):
They can call me eight one three two.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Eight.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
That's it, guys. And if you forget all this and
you reach out to me, and just say I want
to talk to Leon about that listing. We're gonna get
it done. Bill Clinton will be there for you. A
lot of news today coming out. Let's see Leon cards.
So I got to we only have like four minutes left,
but I got to ask about this card thing because
you it was my first job was selling baseball cards back,
(36:29):
you know, thirty five years ago. Right then I found
out Ray apparently that was his first job. I don't
have to call them on that tell me about this
card thing, because I think there's a lot of listeners
that might be into this, that want to work with
somebody they have something in common with.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
Yeah. So I'm well, I'm not on the sports side.
I'm on the trading card side. So I'm on the Magic,
the Pokemon, the u Gio, the Locana, so more of
the active trading card side.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
I started with Magic and Pokemon since the beginning. So
I was. I was an active player in the community
right traveled playing Matt car game. Yeah. So when Magic
first came out in late ninety four early ninety five,
I was actually in competition. I was registered to play.
I played for many years and it kept me off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Interesting.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
So that during that time, I didn't have a home
for two and a half years, So that gave me
a community to lean on to keep me clean and
out of trouble.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
That's awesome.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
So when I started doing well in real estate, I
went back to it and turned into a business and
now that's what I do, and my goal eventually is
to open up a store to recreate that safety net
for kids today to be able to have a place
to go to play that is accepting and a safe
place for them like I had when I was young
with young kid.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Dude, that is awesome because that that is old school. Yeah,
I mean kids, you know when I first got into it,
and Ray will probably tell stories too, That's that's what
we would do. You go hang out. Yeah, you hang
out in the card store, and like you said, it
was it was the safe place before we called it
the safe place. You got to hang out with people
that had the same interest as you. You're off the street.
I mean I never knew that about you, that that
you know, you were basically homeless and that's crazy. And
(38:01):
the cards man so and you do very I mean
I know you make money at that too. It's believe
I'm I'm not gonna say, what about your money you make,
but you do well in cards, right, tell us real
quick about this breaking thing. Tell me that in thirty seconds.
Speaker 6 (38:14):
Sure, so breaking. Essentially what it is is you go
on to like whatnot or any other stream. You sell
the packs for a price, so it pays the price
for the pack, and then you open the pack live
on video. They get to see what the hits are
and then you ship them their hits. That's crazy, and
so it allows you to connect with the community and
it's the business model is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Wow, that said, what now I just recently heard about this.
What is it like an auction type auction?
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Yeah, so it's basically a live video auction site.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, right, and people are you going to do that?
Are you going to break packs and do that for people?
Speaker 6 (38:49):
I wish I had that kind of time.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Good point. I was about to say, it seems time.
Speaker 6 (38:53):
It's a huge time consumption, right, So that's not something
that I'm personally gonna do. I do have a couple
of people that on front that are like, hey, we'll
do it for you, mm hmm. I just haven't gotten
to that point.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
So so this just kept hitting my brain the whole
time you're talking. And we're going to kind of in
the show on this Leon Smith, I think you get
the Work to Live Award today. You are the is
does he not? You are the epitome of someone who
is clearly living. I'm working to live. You work to
support your family to give that awesome home life. You
(39:25):
are working to get into that hobby. You've got a goal.
I love how you're bringing something back from your childhood
and you're like, man, this is now a business like
you know, I had that. So if you guys want
to meet somebody and want to work with a real
estate agent who truly knows the definition of why we
go to work, you have something in common with him.
He's got listings of condos that are only two hundred
thousand dollars for beats egg, and he's selling in a
(39:48):
market that's going up right, sir.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
That's right, and in six counties and in six Hey,
you meet a real estate agent that'll take you all over.
Maybe you're very flexible to your location. That's your guy.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
This is your guy, actually, And I'm gonna give an
remember out one more time. It's eight one, three, two
nine five eight two nine five nine nine two eight.
We want you to give Leo a call Leon, Leon, Leo, Leah,
don't call Leo, whatever you do, call no, no, we
call him Leon. Call Leon Smith from Aharran Associates. And
of course we love Ray, we love Cinia. It's been
(40:19):
a great show with lots of good news. Leon.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
Thank you for coming on, thank you for having appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Yes, and you guys are geting to see this all
over social media, so stay tuned and we'll see you
next week on The Business Happy our Thanksgiving episode. Stay tuned,
Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show with your host,
Frank Thebank Coodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group right
here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years, joined by
his incredible co host, Senya Akishna, realtor with Mahara and Associates.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
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 (00:31):
Listen right here or fight.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Us on the Business Happy Hour YouTube channel, or follow
us on Instagram at Frankdebankkodo. 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 to the Business Happy Hour, your
number one show for all things business and entrepreneurial. I
am your host, Frankdebankkoto, the owner of Lincoln Lending Group
and eight one to three mortgage dot Com in studio
with a couple of amazing realtors. Every once in a
while the sun and the moon and the stars line
up to form the perfect real estate show. And today
(01:12):
is one of those days. I am blessed to have
not one, but two co hosts today from Mahara and Associates.
I just had a nice little breakfast with Ray Mahara,
the founder of Mahara and Associates, last Friday, and we
talked about this awesome new strategy of bringing on the
top agents from Tampa Bay and Senny and I interviewing
(01:33):
them and learning the strategies from them, because I'll be
honest in not all real estate agents are created the same,
are they.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
No, they're not.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Everybody comes from different walks of life and that's where
they learn to sell and do what they do what
they do and pick out their clients. And you know,
not all of them are from Eastern Europe.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So that's me.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
But no, Leon, for sure, Yes, is just a different kind.
And I mean I've known him for a while now,
he's been with Maharran Associates and he's just been a
go getter, yes, and very ambitious. I mean he does
a lot.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
He does, he does a lot. And Leon has a
very busy life too. If you get to know him.
He does some very interesting things. Actually, I found out recently.
I think you and Ray share kind of a love
for some of these little cards as well, you know,
and there might be a business to that. So we're
to actually talk about the card business as well. If
you guys don't know what we're talking about, you're gonna
(02:25):
have to stay tuned to find out. Because, believe it
or not, that was my first sales job. I've never
even told you this story, but my very first sales job,
back when I was probably about thirteen years old, was
selling trading cards and baseball cards.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Does Ray know that because that was his story too,
was it really?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
No, I didn't share it with Oh yeah, okay, all right.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
When I was on the other side, I was with
like the Pokemon ego and all those trading cards.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, and listen, cards are cards, guys.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Some of them have been around for fifty years, some
have been around for five years. But let me tell you,
there's a market out there, and it would blow your mind.
I can't believe like.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
It's made it comeback.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
One of my friends actually he got offered like a
full time salary position to like move to California because
I guess he's so good at it and.
Speaker 6 (03:07):
What Yeah, especially breaking Now, breaking is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I don't even know what that is.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
So that's where you actually open up packs on live
video and you can sell the packs people paid for
packs ahead of time. Uh huh, and you can sell
the packs break it live and send on the cars
that they got from the pack. Yeah. Live breaking is
crazy right now.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Okay, so listeners, you got at the stay tune because
we're gonna get to that, because I'm writing that down
on my show notes here, because breaking it is like
breaking bad? Are we making meth? We get?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
What do we do?
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Funny thing is everybody, that's like the best show of
all times. I've never watched it. You've never seen it either,
have you said? Aye?
Speaker 6 (03:40):
My wife loves it and I've never watched this that's show.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
So we'll talk about that actually before we before we
get crazy in the show. You guys know Landman is back.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yes, I just watched the episode. It's only the one.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
God, it's so.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Frustrating because well, you know what, it's a good thing
because otherwise I would just binge watch.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I watched the whole season. You know, like Netflix comes
out with the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
So so Ray got me into that show. You know,
Ray and I had lunch one day and by there
was Ray mahar the owner of Maharan Associates. He gets
me into Landman. We're at lunch and he could not
shut up about this show Landman, and and I'm like right,
I was like, these are like an owner of a
mortgage company, an owner of a estate company, and all
we're talking about is this TV show. And I got
(04:21):
home I told my wife, I'm like, listen. Ray literally
said that tonight we have to watch it. He's like,
put down everything and watch this show. So I got
to Nicole to watch, like, I don't know, two maybe
three episodes. She doesn't like anything violent, right, she hates
like the stress and the violent space, especially at night.
I don't blame her, honey, I get it. You want
to go to nightmares, you know. So the show starts
out with him being like beaten by a cartel, like
(04:43):
in like a shipping container and cutting off fingers and stuff.
And I'm like, oh, this is not gonna go good.
Speaker 6 (04:49):
No, So then the the from me it was.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It last night or the night before, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I watched it yesterday but I mean the Billy Bob
Thornton lines that he's got.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Like, if that har what do they call it? Is
it an Emmy or a Grammy or what do you
get for TV shows? I don't know, I'm terrible this
it's one of those.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
It's not Grammy.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think that's for the music industry.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Okay, then it must be an Emmy. Right, maybe it's
an Emmy, but anyway, so so I'm like, if this
guy doesn't get it, like, somebody better give this guy
an award for that show. But I tried to put
it on last night. Right, my wife finished dinner first,
and I'm sitting there and she went in to the
bathroom and I clicked it on and she comes down
and she sees the intro and she just looks at me,
and you know, if you're listening, honey, She's like, why
you gotta be a jerk? And I'm like, what do
(05:29):
you mean a church? I was like, it's the first episode.
She's like, you know, I don't like this show. And
I'm like, do you think it's second season? Could we
give it a shot? Could we just like yeah? Maybe
the don't tell her.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
Ray she doesn't like it.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
He told everybody in the office, and I think that's
when all of us just have to watch.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I think Ray is responsible for Billy Bob Thornton's race. Yeah,
I swear this, man. I mean I'm not I'm not
a TV guy, but I do like do you have
a show?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Sen oh Man, so many but you.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Always have one show? Or do you have a bunch?
Speaker 4 (06:00):
I have a bunch?
Speaker 5 (06:01):
You got a bunch and they do binge watch a bunch,
like when I start one?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
That's good. I just watched The Beast in Me.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I haven't seen that either.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
That was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Okay, what is that About's what.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
The guy from the Americans? I forget his name, but.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Okay, all right, it's got clar Dines and it was
pretty good. I mean I like kind of like the
crime you know, mystery things.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Okay, so you like you like a little anxiety, then
you like a little stress, then I guess. So yeah,
how about Julian are you? Are you a one show
guy or you're a multiple show guy? What are you?
Speaker 6 (06:29):
My go to is more like the Law Side Law
Medicals CSI n CIS.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So you must love it how they play like two
or three of them back to back there's like you
got the fire one, the law enforcement.
Speaker 6 (06:41):
I'm Chicago is actually really good, Okay, and then there's
a new medical I forget the name of it is,
but it's supposed to be God, I forget. They're in
the second season now I forget it, but it's on
my list.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Well it's either fire Lawyers or or police office Lawyer.
Oh that's a good one. Lincoln Lawyer. I watch that now.
That's been for a while, right, yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And I think that then they just agreed to doing
the third season. They went off for a little bit,
and now I think they're bringing it back.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Is that the one where the guy like was a
not an Ivy League guy and he gets in or something.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Is that he takes over another office, right for some
of that he was really close to and that's just
to reprove himself, right.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Okay, so that's what it was. Now I'm losing my
track at that. But this, what the heck was? I
gonna say, Lincoln Lawyer something two shows? Yeah, oh, one
of those cop shows recent by My father in law
loves those, right, So it's kind of funny joke. Every
time he's over. It's the only time it's allowed on TV, right,
So then I'll sit and binge watch it with him.
Didn't they just kill off one of their main characters,
this girl in one of the I don't know I'm
(07:38):
killing I'm gonna ruin. I'm gonna spoil it for somebody.
Never mind, we won't talk about that again. Leon's looking
at him.
Speaker 6 (07:44):
Like, I don't know which one are you talk about?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I there are so many? So anyway, landman, guys, you
heard it from Ray mahar you heard it from Frank
the bank Land man.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Is it?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I have not seen the first episode of the second
season because of my lovely wife, So now we have
to make decisions. We go to bed together or does
Frank get to watch the episode one night a week.
But to your point, Benjing would kill me. So we
are going to talk all about real estate today. That
was a fun intro, you know. Sometimes we do a monologue.
Sometimes we just talk about having fun. And Leon caught
(08:14):
right in with us here, so we're just ran with it.
Leon Smith is with Mahara and associates. When we get
into the second segment, we're gonna learn a bit where
to do stats, and Leon's going to chime in on stats.
He's never been part of our stats. And by the way,
I got in an argument with somebody or into last week.
I'm not going to say with who about the stats
that Senya put out there on whether they're accurate or not.
(08:34):
Because I was at a table with a bunch of
people and I told them the stats that Senny and
I did on Tuesday, and they're like, no way, They're like,
the market did not increase in price, it did not
go up. And I'm like, I mean, she's a statistician,
she knows what she's talking about.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Well, I repeat the stats, but I hope these are correct.
I pull them from you know, public.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Source, right, and you pull them from MLS right.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Well, no, actually it's like NARS.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
Oh it's nar An association, and I mean it does okay.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I would hope they're.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Accurate as you were. I hope so, because if not,
I'm in big trouble with the person I was arguing with.
Speaker 6 (09:08):
There's a misalignment of the data versus how it feels exactly.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I could see that.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Exactly because a lot of people feel the big question
is kind of are we at the bottom, right, you know,
have we hit the button? My opinion is yeah, we're
at the.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
Bottom, always up in my opinion, always up.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
I agree, But you know, the question is like what
is the bottom for certain people? And you know a
lot of people feel like the market has gone down.
And I'll just lead into this before we start into stats.
But a lot of people and I think Leon were
on the same page, right, people think like the prices
have gone down, listenings have gone down, all this, and
I'm sure it does happen in pockets. But when Send
did the stats last week, we looked at a couple
that went up. So I tell you what. We got
(09:44):
two minutes left in this segment. Let's start into the stats.
Are you ready?
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Well, I mean to the point I made to you though,
when you talk to agents and stuff like, we're very
hyper local. Most agents, you know what I mean, We concentrate,
you know, on a pocket of you know, either a neighborhood.
Typically you kind of know what's going on in the
zip code. But I mean, aside from your concentrated area,
you you know, you might not know, and you know,
at different neighborhoods, they there's different things going on. There
(10:10):
are definitely neighborhoods where they're having a hard time selling.
There's lots on the market, and then there's others where
you know demand is still up there. You know they
list a home priced well, I mean it'll get snatched up.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
I'm gonna pick up on a phrase you just said, priced.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Well because priced well is key right now?
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yes? Right? And would you agree lye on, Like, if
a house is priced right now, what's the other factor
besides price well? Be quiz you guys, go lee, I mean,
what's the second most important factor besides the right price?
If you wan't how to move?
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Sorry I had to beat at you, but I mean
that's right condition condition?
Speaker 6 (10:43):
Oh absolutely, Because the homes like you.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
If you're priced well and you do have showings, that's
how you know you're priced well, but you're not getting
any offers. It usually means that you know there's just
things up that your price isn't up to part with
the condition.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah right, and let me let me let me ask
you this question. I've got a minute left. Do you
ever run into issues where the where you're telling the seller,
Like you go in and you look at a property,
You're like, listen, you're gonna you need to do this,
this and this if you want to move your house absolutely,
and do they listen most of the time or not?
Speaker 6 (11:11):
Or I think after COVID probably a good sixty percent
of seller is like, no, I can still get COVID
prices are very close to COVID prices as is. And
I'm like, yeah, the market's different now.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
No, no, it is different, and it's you know, and
I'm not going to say this negatively, but I'm gonna
be blunt. Buyers don't have vision as a whole.
Speaker 6 (11:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
They walk in and instead of being like, oh, I
can fix those cabinets, or I can make this my
own or I can redo the flooring, they literally walk
in and like this will never do I can't do
this right. And and then you know, I know we've
all in this room here, we've all invested. You know,
we've all bought things. So that means we've had to
have vision at one point or the other, which means
we got to walk in and we get we don't
we can't say what is it? We got to say
(11:52):
what will it become?
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Right?
Speaker 3 (11:53):
So on that note, we're gonna take a break on
the Business Happy Hour. We'll be back with a Leon
Smith from mahar And Associates and of course Senny Akishina
with the best stats in real estate and they're real,
So stay tuned. We'll be back in just a minute
to talks tats with two awesome agents, all the.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Best mortgage or real estate advice from Tampa Bay's top experts.
It's the Business Happy Hour with Frank, Debank Koto and senniakish.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Yeahpa Bay, welcome back to the Business Happy Hour, your
number one show for all things business entrepreneurs. You know,
twelve years of doing the radio, I never know if
I'm talking over the music or if I'm talking with
the music. When that happens, it does did you guys
notice like I kind of start talking in the road,
you know, I don't know, trying to time it. I'm
trying to time it, you know, I'm just listening to
(12:37):
the music. I'm like, how want I just start talking now?
So anyway, we are back on the Business Happy Hour
with Leon Smith from Maharran Associates and of course my
amazing co host Senya Akeishana, also from Maharran Associates. These
two cats know each other, they've worked together and Leon
has never been part of our stats section, So we're
gonna do that. Uh and I asked Leon a question
(12:58):
before the break about do sellers always listen to you
when you tell them you need to fix something up
or sell for more? Because I asked a question, I said,
what are the two factors that determine if a house
sells and sanyas said condition, I just told you your
own answer.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I'm thinking about the next thing.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
You guys need to watch the show on Instagram. If
you're just listen by the way, uh, if you just
listen on nine to seventy, you need to start watching
our Instagram show around eleven am every Tuesday, because I
promise you'll get a laugh if you just look at
our faces when we're talking, Like, look at Leon right now. Yeah,
He's like, what are they talking about? I love Leon's voice,
(13:38):
though you have a sick radio voice, like you're not
even talking into your mic and you are booming over there.
I told you you have a I know, I was
trying to do my Instagram thing. I'm like, all right, Leon,
you kind of need to shut.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Up batle bit.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
My photo is listening to everything Leon's say and it's
hearing nothing of what I say.
Speaker 6 (13:56):
So anyway, let's uh, I'm.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Gonna go back to that question real quick, and then
we'll go into our staf and then we'll learn about Leon.
But I asked the question about the two things, and
it was price and condition, right, So I asked, Leon,
do you have a problem sometimes that you know, you
you get the list of hows and you tell somebody, dude,
you got to do this, like, you know, what are
some of the things that you have to tell somebody
to do to try to get more money.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
I mean, at the end of the day, what it
comes down to is it's always about how it looks
and can somebody envision the potential if it's something needs
a little bit more work, you know, if it's not
fully updated right, right, and then just being able to say, hey, listen,
you know you didn't do it. You need to sell
it because I tell stories, right, That's how we do it.
That's how we do it best. And I always personally
give examples with multiple different pictures of vision vision because
(14:40):
buyers don't have it right, right, So I do a
lot of video renders of different color carminations, couches and
stuff like that just as an extra backup.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
God bless AI.
Speaker 6 (14:52):
I know it's awesome, it's awesome. So I get a
lot of kickback. You know. It's like, well, I don't
want to put any more into it, okay, but you
have a green room and a purple floor, Like it's
just it's all mashing against each other, right, and that
just takes away.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, because you know, it's like a lot of times
that's why people say, don't want a bunch of personalized
stuff around the house.
Speaker 6 (15:14):
I personalized declutter Yep, what did you say? Depersonalized and declutter?
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Okay, that those are a good piece of advice too.
It's like, you know, dude, sorry, people don't really want
to see your family pictures and all your little heirlooms.
They want to have a vision of what they're going.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
To put, clean your baseboards.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
But if you do nothing else, so the decluttering that
is key huge, right. I mean that people have to
go in and see the home, not your stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Right.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
You think about it. If you're coming to somebody's house
and you're seeing pictures, family pictures of two three generations,
are like, they're still here. I can't see myself in
this house with other people here their spirits.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
But even that, like as an agent, I can't help it.
I get distracted right now, I'll look, Oh, do I
know anybody?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
A wow?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You know this family is so you know what I mean.
You can't help, But just look more.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
When I see like the service plaque of somebody certain
in the military, I'm like, oh man, look at those
stars and stripes.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
All right, right, it does take away, But I think
you nailed with the clutter. The clutter is definitely an issue.
And what Leon said is like, you need to see
the house. We need to see the floor, we need
to see the walls. We can't clutter. So I'm gonna
present a real quick solution. Then we're going to go
right into stats. Here. We have a buy before you
sell product. Leon knows about it, Senia knows about it. Basically,
if you are a seller, all right, you can get
(16:25):
your mortgage paid off on the house you're selling in full,
and we will give you six months with no mortgage
payment on that house to get it sold with Leon
or Senia all right, and we will give you seventy
five percent of the remaining equity in your home. And
what can you do with that? Whatever Leon and Sennia
tell you to do. You can get rid of the
(16:46):
green carpet. You can use it to clean, to declutter,
to put stuff in a pod. You can use it
to pay your down payment on the new house, to
pay your closing cost, to pay off debt, to qualify
and get this, you can even use that money to
put into the new house. You're it is unlimited what
you can do with it. There is no payment, there
is no interest. There is a small fee for closing
costs and whatnot. And the way to find out if
(17:07):
you qualify is go to contact frankdbank dot com or
reach out to me directly. Just give me the address
to your house, tell me what you owe on it,
tell me what you think you can list it for,
or I'll ask Leon or Senia and we're gonna tell
you within ten minutes if you qualify for this amazing
free money bridge program. That will solve Leon and Sendia's
problems and hopefully yours. So that's for you listing agents,
(17:27):
and that's for you if you're selling your house and
you'd you know, anybody can qualify as long as the
house qualifies. So again, contact frankdbank dot com. Just tell
me that you want the buy before you sell product,
and we'll do that and maybe I'll introduce you to
Leon and Senia if you don't have an agent, or
you can call them directly. Sendya. How do they reach you?
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Eight one three seven five five for real and Leon?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
How do they reach you? Email?
Speaker 6 (17:49):
Phone? What do you like email our phone? Eight one
three n two.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Eight nine nine two eight all right two nine five
nine nine two eight guys. And if you forget them
all contact Frankdbank dot com and I'll get you introduced
to them. So let's talk stats, sin, Okay, what do
we got?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Well, you know what stemming from that conversation that you
told me what I ended up doing. And I've actually
got Florida numbers for us today, okay, just because our
new numbers for you know, our local counties, yeah, haven't
come out yet, so you know, I'm just trying to,
you know, provide some fresh perspective.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
And they don't look a whole lot different than you know, our.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Area, except we do know that you know, tamp Up,
you know, Panila's hillsbro we are more in demand, okay,
slightly less inventory, but for September of twenty twenty five,
so year over year, the median sale price is fourner.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And ten thousand, okay, And.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
It's a zero percent change year over.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Year, okay, so the moret's not down.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
No, closed sales were up by almost fourteen percent year
over year, and this is for all of Florida. So
what I did do to also give you some.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Perspective closed sale prices, no close sale, how many close sales?
So the volume was up, prices even fourteen percent? More transactions, yes, okay.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
But in twenty twenty four that number was four ten,
up by about two point two percent media and sale
price okay. And twenty twenty three it was up by
one point three percent, oh my gosh. And in twenty
two was up by thirteen point eight So I mean
(19:27):
we know the number, like we know, you know, the
post COVID or you know COVID time when everything was crazy. Sure,
that's when we saw the big uptick, But none of
those numbers were negative, right that. So like when people say, oh, man,
you know, real estate market's.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Just going down.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Sure, you know it's been slow to gain you know,
equity or whatnot. But I mean, this is what these
stats are telling me. I didn't, you know, just come
up with them myself and try to do some calculations
out of the sky.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm going to get in trouble because I'm going to
do a post after this, and I'm gonna say Floridian
prices were up over the last three years year over year,
not down. But I can also see in a hyperlocal
market how you feel it's down if you're not getting
equity because we're so used to it anyway, I'm not
I gotta take a quick break. When we get back,
we have more stats from Sennia. We're gonna ask Leon
what he thinks of him, and we're gonna learn who
(20:17):
Leon Smith is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Stay tuned, Welcome to the Business Happy Hour radio show
with your host, Frank Debankkodo, the owner of Lincoln Lending
Group right here in Tampa Bay for twenty three years,
joined by his incredible co host, Sennia Akishna, realtor with Mahara.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Associates, Tampa's top real estate company.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Together they have helped finance and clothes nearly one billion
dollars of real estate every year. If you're looking for
local mortgage or real estate advice, the Business Happy Hour
team has been right here on news radio WFLA for
over a decade. Listen right here or find us on
the Business Happy hour YouTube channel or follow us on
Instagram at Frank Debankkodo. Now, sit back, relax, and get
(20:58):
ready for some serious mortgage real estate in business talk
with two of Tampa's top experts. Here's Frank Debank and Senia.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
All right, Frank the Bank and Senia are back in
studio here with Leon Smith from Maharan Associates. We've got
the trifecta. We're gonna get back into stats right now
because these stats are real and Sennya decided to take
this out of hyper local and go to Florida Local
for us. And before the break you basically said that
the there was no increase in sales price. There was
(21:26):
a fourteen percent increase in sales, but the key is
there was no decrease. Yes, right, so that's the good news.
But I'm a firm believer that everybody is so used
to getting so much equity, you know, year every year,
they're like thinking it's going down, but it's not.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
It's just not aligning with what they thought. Like so
especially with COVID, everybody's getting fifteen twenty thirty five plus
percent year over year increase in the.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So it feels like it because it did go the
other way. I guess you got to think about it, right,
We got a correction, we got a cup.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Oh yeah, it's softened up.
Speaker 5 (22:01):
But I mean the point is when I looked at these,
I'm like, all right, am I going to see numbers
where you know one of these year over year for
Septar is going to be oh, you know we're down
five percent, seven percent something, you know, more signa.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
But I mean it's it wasn't so so I love
that that that's don't lie. But what Leon, I just
really dwelled on what you said. You said, we got
a correction, but people don't realize it. We had a
correction because you're no longer realizing so much increase in equity.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
Well, demand cooled off.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Demand cooled off. But seeing on the Break, I said, hey, guys,
you got to bring this into the show. Don't talk
about In the break was making a good point about
you have so many people on the fence right now.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Leon Aloe has fifty fifty.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
That's what he said in the break Buyers And what
did you say? You go, well, what happens when that
one buyer is looking for the house and they all
wait to buy? Well, now would you say.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
You're saying they're waiting for the you know, interest rate decrease. Okay,
so when that happens, Yeah, that one guy's okay, I'm
ready lee that forty nine are going.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
To follow right right, Yeah, that's the heart and heart
with them too, because you know, I'll lot of agents
over the years like hey, you know, get the house,
where about the rate later? Right?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Right?
Speaker 6 (23:05):
I didn't get behind that because I knew that there's
a longer period. Right, it's gonna bite you and we're
seeing it already.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
So what do you think about now? Though?
Speaker 6 (23:15):
I think that you just need to be educated with
your numbers. You need to understand because a lot of
people realize that they can float the number for a
certain period of time. That's that comfort level, right, have
a conversation around that, yep, because everybody's different. So let me.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I'm gonna give this real quick and then uh we'll
finish stats and go into all all leon here. But
walking into the studio today and I had this rate strategy.
I'm not gonna spend too much time on it, but
I'll tell the story. Is I had a gentleman on
the phone, very savvy guy. He's getting basically a seven
hundred thousand dollars mortgage, and another originator gave him a
quote of six point one two five percent, charging him
(23:47):
a point. So they're charging them seven thousand dollars. Well,
I called him and I said, listen, I just got
to ask you. Do you believe rates are going to
go down within the next year or so? It goes absolutely.
I go, then why are you gonna pay a point?
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Right?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
It doesn't make any sense? So I went nuclear. I
call it new, but it's just good math. I gave
him follow me on this. Instead of six and and
eighth six one two five, I gave him six six
two five. It's gonna cost him two hundred and thirty
five dollars more a month. And most people are like, well,
that's stupid. Why did I do that. I'll tell you why.
I'm giving him a point, so he's not paying seven
(24:17):
for the point, thank you, which is quick math. Fourteen
thousand dollars divide two thirty five into fourteen thousand. He
gets sixty one months five years.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
He can float that before break even on the cost.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Being so if you believe, and I told him, I said,
do you think they're going down next? Year, he goes,
I will guarantee I'm refinancing under two years, and I'm like, then,
you just saved eleven thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
I love that you're one of those guys that tells
them that though.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Thank you, you know, because oh, rate.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
Buydown that's been such a big thing, you know, and
a lot of people are you know, promoting that.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
But yeah, it doesn't always make sense.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Don't buy your rate down right now? Absolutely not. And
if a broker is telling you to don't to buy
down a rate, they are not your friend. They're trying
to make more money on you, and they're not looking
out for you. I hardly ever push that hard. But
call me and we'll give you an estimate that makes sense.
What else would we do on stats before we go
all leon all day?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Well, let's see.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
So, I mean new pending sales are also up, so
I mean not just in Florida, but are you know
Hillsboro Pasco panelas So that means hopefully.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
You know, for October numbers, we're also going to be up.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
In activity.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
For Florida up seven percent for new pending sales.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
Oh wow, I think here it's a little bit lower
and largely like panelas their September numbers, Like, there was
definitely some big shifts going on there, but I think
it's good.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
You know they were.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Hurricanes.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Yes, they saw a lot of the shifts in their market.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Oh, we had a hurricane season. Is it over yet?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Almost?
Speaker 5 (25:48):
And it's like officially the end of November, so I
got a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
But man, the weather's been beautiful. We've really gotten lucky.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Listen, there's gonna be a storm tomorrow because kind of
what I've been.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Saying that every time we're in the clear, I think almost,
but knock on wood, we are.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
There was a set that I saw It was it's
the first time in what thirty years that we didn't
have a hurricane hit the US and created three Cat
five hurricanes in the water that didn't touch the US.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
Wow, So like you had enough last year.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So the kim trails are working Florida. Don't get into
that on this show.
Speaker 6 (26:22):
That's a whole different rabbit hole.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
That's the whole other show. Like what are they? They're
con trails, not kim trails.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Oh man, I'm in big trouble.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
All right.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Uh, let's move into Leon because we got these awesome news,
and I'm going to totally get in trouble and I'm
gonna make a post as soon as they get off
this show about the market not going down, and I'm
going to get some haters for this, and then I'm
gonna just send them all over to send you.
Speaker 6 (26:45):
Leon.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Tell us a little bit about you. Where did you
come from? How'd you get into real estate? I know
we share a little bit in the card game. Who
the heck are you?
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Well?
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Thanks for having me on here. So I'm born to
raising Jersey. I spent twenty five years in middle and
then I got an opportunity to leave Jersey to take
over the Florida market for a very large company that
then got bought up by Starbucks. So I was a
district manager for them. And then I didn't want to
(27:15):
do it anymore. I got tired of bureaucracy. So a
buddy of mine that I grew up with said, hey,
he's going into real estate, and then I trusted him.
I was getting get into the realestate. Originally wasn't New
Jersey decided it wasn't the right time, and then when
I came here, I was like, all right, let's get
into it. Let's see what it's about.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And the rest was history and just I.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Mean, since then, I've met my wife, we're now married,
I've got four kids, I got a beautiful house, amazing career.
I mean, it's just it's done wonders for me. Since then,
I've been almost ten years now doing real estate.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Now, you said on the break, you work six counties,
six counties. That's a lot. It is, what counties do
you work?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
I saw him in Hillsboro, Penelas, Pasco, Citrus, Polk And
then every once in a while for my repeat buyers
or sellers all go out to I've done Orlando, I've
done Miami. The drive doesn't bother me.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
You like it, huh?
Speaker 6 (28:08):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
You are a car guide too.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
I am a car guy too.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Yes, and you've got a decent little selection of fun
comfortable right.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Yes, you know my stinking Lincoln.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah, I love that market man. If you don't know
Lincoln market man, that is an awesome guy.
Speaker 6 (28:23):
Three and a half year projects so far that.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
It's a beautiful car though, super comfortable, a lot of
fun it is. It is all right. So so what
who is your client? Who do you like to work with?
Are you kind of like anybody, guy, you more buyers, sellers?
What do you like investors?
Speaker 6 (28:37):
So right now it might go to his bets. Yeah,
so I've been I niched out to VA about three
and a half years ago, specifically focusing on buyers, those
who are retired or active. I do a lot of
VIA relocations, so that's mostly where my focus has been.
And then helping vets realize that their VAS can help
(28:58):
them buy multiple properties, which a lot of them are like, wait,
what that's right. I've got two vets that I've been
helping for six years now and probably fourteen or fifteen
properties they bought over the time period using the VA.
Every time.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Man, I love it. He is finally a real estate
agent is telling the story of multiple The most I've
ever done for one VET is eight and that I mean,
that's that's something to be said. But the vets, it's
all about education.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
Yeah, huge, such a drop off on education, especially like
the oldest time vets, you know, the ones in the
forties and fifties that didn't know or just recently got
their benefits because there's a lot of cloud around that. Yes,
realizing hey I can buy I don't needt any money down.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
Yeah, we did a loan for a vet who was
almost homeless a few years ago. Actually it was for
a company you worked for back in the day. And
he was sixty two years old and had never used
his VA benefit.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
And that just blows my mind and it breaks my
heart a little bit too, because these guys give up
their life literally what we have now and they didn't
know about their benefits.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Right right, And so we're speaking to the veterans right now.
By the way, if you are a veteran and you
want to reach out to Leon, how do they reach
out to you.
Speaker 6 (30:06):
You can reach out to me by call our text
to eight one three two nine five, not nine two eight.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
That's two nine five nine nine two eight. For all
you veterans out there now, what you're work in a
lot of counties. I mean, do you have to have
the knowledge I think to work out, I'll go all
the way to Citrus or Polk or Hernando. But it
doesn't bother you because you go up there and drive.
Speaker 6 (30:25):
No, the drive is fantastic. Again. I have a big family.
I have four kids. You know, it's a little bit
a loon time on the road, right, just jam out
on the way right, set your mood, set your tone.
The other thing, too, is numbers are numbers, right. County
by county numbers are numbers. Just like what you did.
You pulled county numbers on what the sales were, right,
what the value is. It's the same thing right right.
At the end of the day, it comes down to
(30:46):
use your base numbers. Know what you're looking for, create
a strategy on what it is that you're right, if
it's the best way, if it's short term, if it's
long term, and I understand how to work those numbers.
That's all it is.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
I love it now. You said, uh, Gott, what do
you say? He said something earlier segment about I'm losing
my mind going north. Oh, that's what I would asking you.
You made a comment about where you see a lot
of buyers buying right now? Now we're in Tampa. Where
are you seeing this?
Speaker 6 (31:10):
I see most of them right now flocking. They're they're
leaving if they're coming in and haven't been here before,
so those are relocating on orders or whatever. Most of
them buying North Hillsboro, South Pasco. Why more bang for
your buck?
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Okay?
Speaker 6 (31:24):
And it's a pretty strong difference, you know, years ago
it was marginal, you know, like Hillsboro to Panellas, it
was maybe ten dollars a square foot difference, right, but
then taxes played a big role. Right now we're seeing
fifty sixty seventy dollars a square foot difference.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
Some South Hillsborough too. Some people don't realize just how
big Hillsborough County.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Is, largest county in the state, you know, so like Riverview, I.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Mean, what there's why, Mama, lots of new builds going
on there.
Speaker 5 (31:52):
I think, yeah, I prefer the northern part just because
you know I'm already there too, but you know South
Hillsboro as well.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
All right, and can you give the listeners maybe a
little example. I'll shoot, you know what, we got fifteen seconds.
We're gonna give an example when we get back from
the business afire after break, an idea of maybe what
can you get if you go up to spring Hill
or go north or go south, like Sennia said, compared
to what you get if you're staying right here in Hillsborough.
What is the difference to you as a buyer, and
(32:20):
what's it going to cost you? With the interest rates today?
We'll be back in the business happy Hour in just
a minute with Leon and Senia.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Let's get back to.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
The Business Happy Hour radio show with your host Frank
the bank Koto, owner of Lincoln Lending Group, and his
co host Sennia akishna.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Realtor with Mahara and Associates.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
Hey Tapa Berry.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
We are on the last segment here of the Business
appre If you have missed the entire show, you need
to hit rewind, or you need to go find us
on iHeartRadio or Spotify or wherever podcast system you use.
And you got to listen to this show because it's
been a lot of fun. With Leon Smith from Aharran Associates,
Sennia Akisha, we were talking real estate stats. If you
didn't hear it, the market it is not down. We
(33:01):
all agree we're at the bottom, but we are not down.
You're just down from the fact that you haven't realized
equity over the last couple of years. But home prices
have really not dropped. Home sales have increased year over
year for the last three years.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Right, Well, we had how many so those couple of months,
but I was happy to see the September numbers go up.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
I think August it took a dip.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
But yeah, but all that met is interest rate talk
gets them moving real.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Quick, right, it does, and when those is not if
it's when those rates drop, get ready. So we are
encouraging you to get your butt off the fence right
now and start talking to Leon or Senia about getting
that house sold, getting that new house bought, because, like
Sennia said, Leon's got fifty buyers and that first one's
going to get into the market and look and when
the rates drop, the other forty nine are coming in.
(33:51):
And we all know what supply and demand does. It
does not get you good deals. So get in now. Listen, guys,
when the rates drop or when they do a fifty
year mortgage. Everybody, you're not a genius, I promise you.
Neither am I. We're all gonna have the same idea though,
and it's not gonna be a genius one. It's gonna
be a two little too late one. So get in now.
Speaker 6 (34:11):
Leon.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I do want to touch on this because you do
have a listing that I want to make sure we
talk about. And then I want to chat a bit
about your hobby about cards, because you know, believe it
or not, there's a lot of big name people who
are involved in this, and I think, you know, I
think some of the listeners would like to know, because
if you be honest, you want to work with people
who are similar to you. And when I'm talking to
this client walking in today, you know, we're talking math,
(34:33):
we're doing this, he throws out there. When I told
him he was gonna save fourteen thousand dollars, he goes, well,
that's another ar fifteen for me. I just stopped in
my tracks and I'm like, oh, you like to hunt
and shoot. He's like, yes, I do. Boom connection. Right,
So first let's talk about your listing. Sure, when, when, where?
What are they gotta do? And then let's talk about
these cards and then real estate.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Yeah, so I have a Bridyho listener that went live
the beginning of last week. Kid's twelve hundred square foot
first floor condo right here, right literally right down on
the road from our office. Okay, two hundred and twenty thousand,
two bedroom, two bath with a fully converted Florida room.
It's a little bit older on the inside where it's
super clean, it's nice, it's peaceful.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
What neighborhood is it?
Speaker 6 (35:18):
It is in Lakeside lakeside.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Yeah, okay, so right around the corner. Yeah, got it.
Two hundred and twenty thousand dollars. That seems like a
really good deal.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
It is.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah, do you do you know how much the HOA is?
Speaker 4 (35:28):
And that's what I was gonna ask, Yeah, what are.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
So the h way if I wrote correctly, is four
to seventy.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Okay, so still respectable, respectable right.
Speaker 6 (35:35):
Right, not too crazy, especially today's climate. Yep.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
I've seen him at nine hundred dollars.
Speaker 6 (35:39):
Oh yeah, right now.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
We just had one to come in at fourteen hundred
dollars from HOA at the beach and I literally called
the guy. I'm like, bro, you know you can like
buy a three hundred thousand dollars more in a house
for that dice, like four hundred five hundred. That's run
of the mill.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
If you find an HOA under three point fifty, now
you're probably not getting anything done. Condo. So it's a
good one two bedroom, two bath. Yeah, that's a great deal.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
And if they want that, how do they reach you?
Speaker 6 (36:05):
They can call me eight one three two.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Eight.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
That's it, guys. And if you forget all this and
you reach out to me, and just say I want
to talk to Leon about that listing. We're gonna get
it done. Bill Clinton will be there for you. A
lot of news today coming out. Let's see Leon cards.
So I got to we only have like four minutes left,
but I got to ask about this card thing because
you it was my first job was selling baseball cards back,
(36:29):
you know, thirty five years ago. Right then I found
out Ray apparently that was his first job. I don't
have to call them on that tell me about this
card thing, because I think there's a lot of listeners
that might be into this, that want to work with
somebody they have something in common with.
Speaker 6 (36:40):
Yeah. So I'm well, I'm not on the sports side.
I'm on the trading card side. So I'm on the Magic,
the Pokemon, the u Gio, the Locana, so more of
the active trading card side.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
I started with Magic and Pokemon since the beginning. So
I was. I was an active player in the community
right traveled playing Matt car game. Yeah. So when Magic
first came out in late ninety four early ninety five,
I was actually in competition. I was registered to play.
I played for many years and it kept me off
the streets.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Interesting.
Speaker 6 (37:11):
So that during that time, I didn't have a home
for two and a half years, So that gave me
a community to lean on to keep me clean and
out of trouble.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
That's awesome.
Speaker 6 (37:20):
So when I started doing well in real estate, I
went back to it and turned into a business and
now that's what I do, and my goal eventually is
to open up a store to recreate that safety net
for kids today to be able to have a place
to go to play that is accepting and a safe
place for them like I had when I was young
with young kid.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
Dude, that is awesome because that that is old school. Yeah,
I mean kids, you know when I first got into it,
and Ray will probably tell stories too, That's that's what
we would do. You go hang out. Yeah, you hang
out in the card store, and like you said, it
was it was the safe place before we called it
the safe place. You got to hang out with people
that had the same interest as you. You're off the street.
I mean I never knew that about you, that that
you know, you were basically homeless and that's crazy. And
(38:01):
the cards man so and you do very I mean
I know you make money at that too. It's believe
I'm I'm not gonna say, what about your money you make,
but you do well in cards, right, tell us real
quick about this breaking thing. Tell me that in thirty seconds.
Speaker 6 (38:14):
Sure, so breaking. Essentially what it is is you go
on to like whatnot or any other stream. You sell
the packs for a price, so it pays the price
for the pack, and then you open the pack live
on video. They get to see what the hits are
and then you ship them their hits. That's crazy, and
so it allows you to connect with the community and
it's the business model is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
Wow, that said, what now I just recently heard about this.
What is it like an auction type auction?
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Yeah, so it's basically a live video auction site.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Okay, right, and people are you going to do that?
Are you going to break packs and do that for people?
Speaker 6 (38:49):
I wish I had that kind of time.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Good point. I was about to say, it seems time.
Speaker 6 (38:53):
It's a huge time consumption, right, So that's not something
that I'm personally gonna do. I do have a couple
of people that on front that are like, hey, we'll
do it for you, mm hmm. I just haven't gotten
to that point.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
So so this just kept hitting my brain the whole
time you're talking. And we're going to kind of in
the show on this Leon Smith, I think you get
the Work to Live Award today. You are the is
does he not? You are the epitome of someone who
is clearly living. I'm working to live. You work to
support your family to give that awesome home life. You
(39:25):
are working to get into that hobby. You've got a goal.
I love how you're bringing something back from your childhood
and you're like, man, this is now a business like
you know, I had that. So if you guys want
to meet somebody and want to work with a real
estate agent who truly knows the definition of why we
go to work, you have something in common with him.
He's got listings of condos that are only two hundred
thousand dollars for beats egg, and he's selling in a
(39:48):
market that's going up right, sir.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
That's right, and in six counties and in six Hey,
you meet a real estate agent that'll take you all over.
Maybe you're very flexible to your location. That's your guy.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
This is your guy, actually, And I'm gonna give an
remember out one more time. It's eight one, three, two
nine five eight two nine five nine nine two eight.
We want you to give Leo a call Leon, Leon, Leo, Leah,
don't call Leo, whatever you do, call no, no, we
call him Leon. Call Leon Smith from Aharran Associates. And
of course we love Ray, we love Cinia. It's been
(40:19):
a great show with lots of good news. Leon.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
Thank you for coming on, thank you for having appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Yes, and you guys are geting to see this all
over social media, so stay tuned and we'll see you
next week on The Business Happy our Thanksgiving episode. Stay tuned,
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Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.