This episode is blazing white hot with the energy of the sun! We're talking to Steve Hochman, the owner of Solarhawk Renewable Solutions. He starts off by letting us know what inspired him to turn from a life as a producer in the entertainment industry into working to bring more environmentally friendly energy solutions to the public.
He explains to us the importance of renewable energy and how just one day of sun, when harnessed, can power the world for a very, very long time. We then discuss how the public is starting to embrace renewables like solar -- and what can be done to make even more see the reason that it is the wave of future.
We then discuss how various organizations, like the military, are incorporating solar into their energy solutions and saving tons of money by doing it. We then finish up by going into the economics of getting solar installed on a house -- and how it can pay for itself over time.
By the end of this episode, we were all impressed by the passion that Steve showed for what he does and how this is more than just a job to him -- it's a movement. We hope you give it a listen and tell us what you think!
This week on The Clarified Realty Podcast — we were supposed to talk about news stories, but we got a rant instead! Tom starts off the podcast with a story about a phone call with a real estate agent that goes from bad to worse when, even though he admittedly called the wrong number, the agent treats him like a three-year old and spends the rest of the conversation making Tom feel like crap. Tom tells the story in order to give fair warning to homes sellers out there that the agent answering their phone is the first line of defense when it comes to customer service. If a buyer’s agent is not treated nicely, or with respect, it could really cool the agent’s enthusiasm for working with you.
We follow that story up by discussing some of Ron’s tough transactions working with an agent that is less that cooperative. He tells a couple of stories about how he’s been able to keep deals on track, even though the agent on the other side is being difficult or downright uncooperative.
Tom then tells a story of another agent that was playing games during one of his current transactions. He gives us examples about why that doesn’t work to the seller’s advantage in the long run — and could have ruined a very sweet deal. When you have a golden opportunity in your hand, don’t let the get away because of greed. Recognize the sure thing and grab it with both hands. The unknown of having to start the deal fresh with someone new is never worth it.
And then, just when things couldn’t get any worse, Tom goes into a story about a Realtor he saw in the checkout line at his grocery store. The poor checker off-handedly mentioned to him that someone she knows was looking for a house — and they guy just couldn’t help but give the her the hard sell. Tom talks about his disgust agents like this and his overall condition of the industry and how guys like this make all agents have a bad name.
When the guys are able to get to the news, Ron tells us about how Blackstone, one of the biggest landlords in the country has merged with another company, Starwood Waypoint Homes, to become the biggest landlord in the country. They believe there is a movement of millennials away from buying homes and they are making a big bet on it. So, what are millennials spending their money on if not real estate? Apparently, bachelor parties.
For an episode that was supposed to be news, there sure was a lot of rant in there! But it’s a really fun listen! We hope you enjoy it — and please leave your comments below or leave us a review on iTunes!
In this episode, it's a recast of an awesome Facebook Live of The Clarified Realty Happy Hour we did at the Wework in Burbank, CA. The focus of this episode is on freelancers and people who go from gig-to-gig. How do they make it work for themselves so that they can last until the next job or show? We were lucky enough to have John Ales, an amazing actor from Bosch (Amazon) Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll (FX) and countless other movies and TV shows discuss his life and what he focuses on each day to keep his career on track. We cover such topics as second or third jobs, working on your craft for 40 or more hours a week, and when you should or shouldn't say "no" to a non-paid opportunity. It's a fascinating conversation and he takes us behind the curtain of what it takes to be a "working actor" in the entertainment industry.
We then talk to Vahan Papyan, CPA and owner of Papyan Accountancy Corporation, who specializes in working with freelancers. He guides sole proprietors, self-employed individuals, and freelancers into how they can maximize their deductions, while at the same time preparing for large purchases (like real estate). He speaks about the pros and cons of becoming incorporated and gives us advice about the best ways to go about implementing a strong tax strategy.
It's a fantastic episode and we really think there is a some amazing content for everyone to hear. Please note that there is a little bit of an audio problem with the microphones, but we felt that what went down in the discussion was incredibly valuable and worth listening to. And we hope that you will join us at our next Happy Hour! "Like" our Facebook page and we will keep you in the loop!