The Real Build

In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to speak with Sean Cahan, owner of Cornerstone First Mortgage.  Sean and I discussed a lot of essential topics within the Mortgage industry.  We mainly focused on critical points like best mortgages to get, interest rates, mortgage insurance, and refinancing. 

Sean is the President of Cornerstone First Mortgage and brings over six years of experience to his privately-owned bank, headquartered in San Diego. As president, he oversees the operations and production of over 2.1 billion dollars in loans annually.

 He was born and raised in Bellevue, Washington, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Washington State University. Shortly after, he moved to San Diego, where he met his wife, Chelsea. Together, they have two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys training for triathlons and travels around the world with his family.

 In 2015, Sean created his brand The Mortgage Geek to help educate the real estate community. 

Sean Cahan Website:https://www.cfmtg.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themortgagegeek/

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In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with Joe Meares, part-owner of KayJay Consulting.  Joe and I talked about real estate and all about the proper ways to invest and get started buying your first property.  

Joe Meares is a Real Estate entrepreneur with hands-on experience as an investor, capital raiser, and coach. Beginning with baseball cards at age 6, Joe has been a lifetime investor, using his high school job at a hardware store to fund his first brokerage account at age 14. After almost a decade of working on Wall Street, He began investing in real estate in 2018 when he realized that he wanted to achieve financial and personal freedom. Through the rethinking of his core goals, He worked intensively under the mentorship of KAYJAY co-founder KAYR, He went from zero to 60 units in under two years while investing in multiple cities. He is extremely interested in self-development and helping others reach their full potential through looking within themselves to find their innate worth and gifts

If you are thinking about purchasing real estate or curious about real estate opportunities, this episode is a must-listen.

Joe Meares Website:https://www.kayjayconsulting.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayjayconsulting/

Link to bootcamp: https://www.kayjayconsulting.net/kayjay-virtual-bootcamp

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In this episode of The Real Build, I had the opportunity to speak with real estate professional Liza Florida.  I was excited to have Liza on the show because Liza specializes in residential real estate, specialized assets, distressed properties (Short Sale, Pre-Foreclosure and Foreclosure), and mortgage lending.  The real estate market is on fire right now.  We are seeing low inventory in many areas and high demand.  Prices keep climbing higher, pricing people out of the market.  So are we on the brink of another real estate collapse?  Is there a significant slow down coming?

Liza is a Real Estate Professional, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Podcast Host offering outstanding qualifications from extensive work experience.

She is Armed with exceptional interpersonal skills in building strong rapport with colleagues and professionals of all levels.  She believes that what you put out into this world comes back. In addition to her professional career in Real Estate, her passion is to be of service to others, and that is carried out through her volunteer work and sharing inspirational stories on her podcast Eight Billion.

Liza Florida Website: https://www.eightbillionproject.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liza-florida-07597119/

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References From Show:

Ken McElroy

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzomXQvDl2UblYIjBoFR8aw

Kris Krohn

https://www.youtube.com/user/REInvestorTV

Neil Bawa

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOI7t7gM7Rp4oa4pFSOc-Eg

Websites

Realty Trac

https://www.realtytrac.com/

Black Knight

https://www.blackknightinc.com/

Attom Data

https://www.attomdata.com/

Fire Protection Should Be Top Priority In Every Construction Project - With Gus Gagliardi Fire Protection Engineer

In this episode of The Real Build, we discuss one of the most important topics yet when it comes to construction: fire safety.  Most often, people don't think about fire safety too much when building a home.  There are many factors for proper fire safety in commercial and multi-family construction, but not in residential. This is why I brought on Gus Gagliardi on the show.  Gus and I talked about fire safety techniques in commercial and residential real estate and what people should look for.

Gus is a Registered Fire Protection Engineer working in the construction industry. He is Skilled in Design, Fire Protection Systems, Fire alarm, Mass Notification, and Water Supply Analysis. He is a strong life safety and design professional with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) focused in Fire Protection and Safety Technology from Oklahoma State University.

Gus Gagliardi Website: https://firecodetech.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gus-gagliardi/

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In this episode of The Real Build, I sat down with Phil Ma, the owner of Vamos Group in Canberra, Australia.  Phil in I talked about many topics our customers and we face in the building industry. There are a lot of similarities between construction in the US and Australia.

Phil started his construction career in 2008 while working on the start of what is now known as the New Acton precinct in Canberra.  He studied Building and Construction Management at the University of Canberra and completed his Bachelor's Degree in 2010, including several awards throughout his degree.

Phil has been part of the construction management team on numerous award-winning and iconic projects within Canberra, including the New Acton Nishi Building, which won the International Building project of the year in London in 2015.

He has experience in all aspects of construction, including commercial, residential, and fit-out. Recently, Phil headed up the team that won Building Project of the Year at the Master Builders Association Building Excellence Awards in 2018.

Phil decided to break away from working with corporate builders and start his own company in 2018. He felt the need to push the boundaries of standard construction projects that were being delivered in Canberra. Phil’s vision is unique, and once you sit down with him and have a conversation, you will fully understand why he is one of Canberra’s top builders.

Phil Ma Website: https://www.vamosgroup.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phil_ma_/

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In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to touch on a topic that came to my mind this past week dealing with potential clients.  Demand is very high right now for new construction.  With so much demand, many builders are taking on way too much work than they can handle.  I see this in my local market, and I am sure it is happening in other places.  It's about how builders are taking on too much work.  This can lead to many issues for the customer.  Some of those issues have to do with the following:

Customer service

Quality control

Low supply - struggles to get things

Build Time

Fluctuating Cost

Customer/builder relationship

Warranty Issues.

I cover each of these topics and how you can be affected if you don't ask the right questions before choosing your builder.

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In this episode, I got to have a conversation with Mari Madrigal.  Mari is the owner of Foremost Improvements.  Mari's story is impressive.  Coming to America from Panama.  She got into construction after getting married and fell in love with it.  She loved every aspect of the industry and wanted to learn as much as she could.  She would spend many of her days talking to workers, asking questions, and researching the industry.

Mari founded Foremost Improvements in 2018, focusing on Commercial and Residential construction.

She came from a sales and customer service background which has enabled her to see this market from a customer's perspective, and as such, saw the need for quality materials and service.

She is OSHA 30 Certified and in 2019 graduated from the HACIA Contractor Training Program sponsored by the State of Illinois DCEO-Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Foremost Improvements is a current member of HACIA, Federation of Woman Contractors (FWC), National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), Chicago Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA), National Women in Roofing (NWIR), The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Mari Madrigal Website: https://www.foremostimprovements.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryh.madrigal/

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In this episode of The Real Build, I wanted to hit on a topic that I face daily—fixed cost projects versus cost-plus projects.  We, as custom builders, prefer cost plus.  But there are many people that question it.  I wanted to explain a few pros and cons to both cost-plus and fixed cost pricing.

What are they?

Cost Plus Contracts

the contractor estimates the base cost of the project. The base cost includes the price of materials, labor, and overhead. The “plus” is the profit. In a cost-plus contract, the profit is calculated separately before construction and written into the contract as an additional fee.

Fixed Price Contracts

A fixed-price contract establishes a single lump sum cost for a construction project upfront. This type of contract is an agreement to complete a project at a set price that includes all costs and profits.

Pros of Cost plus:

The biggest advantage is more transparency of costs and fees;

there really is no inflation of costs.

More decisions can be made by clients during the building process. This allows for more input into the build process and purchases.

The contractor has less incentive to save money and cut project costs, and there are far fewer quality control risks related to materials and labor.

With a fixed cost contract, many contractors aim to keep the material costs as low as possible in order to make a profit on the work done.

Peoples Fears:

Cost-plus pricing is a pricing strategy that generally doesn't establish a price before the construction starts.

Another drawback of cost-plus pricing is that there’s no incentive for the contractors to control or monitor building costs.

Positives of Fixed Cost

Fixed price pricing gives both the client and contractor a predictable cost of the construction project before it starts

The builder is looking to keep overall costs low with this method since he or she has also committed to a specific price. This can often translate into better costs for the client in addition to a smoother build process.

Downside

The estimated cost for the construction project is only perceived, and what if a greater contingency occurs?  For contractors, if actual costs exceed estimated costs, they may take a huge financial hit.

A bad contractor might be tempted to spend as little as possible in order to make more profit. Contractors are rewarded and earn profit by keeping the cost of the construction project down.

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In this episode of the Real Build, I had the opportunity to sit down with Corey Lockhart, WML Enterprises LLC owner.  WML Enterprises is a full-service demolition and site preparation contractor. I was excited to have Corey on the show and talk about what to look for prior to hiring a demolition service.

Corey is an air force veteran and also a former firefighter.  Corey started WML Enterprises with a passion for good old American dirt, trucks, and tractors with a healthy appreciation for technology. 

He prides himself on safe, ethical, and efficient business practices and differentiates himself through open communication, customer care, and the highest quality workmanship. If your project is weird, messy, or unique, WML is the right choice to clean it up.WML is named for his grandfather, a police officer, a volunteer firefighter, businessman, and father of four.

Corey Lockhart: https://www.wmlenterprises.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wmlenterprises/

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In this episode of The Real Build, I got the opportunity to sit down with one of the best custom closet designers/organizers in the country, Taiece Lanier!  Taiece is known for her keen sense of fashion, phenomenal talent for organization, and an amazing eye for detail.

Taiece Lanier is a Premier Closet Designer, author, and International Style Consultant. She helps people create the closet of their dreams and cultivate their authentic style. She has an awesome gift for listening to her clients, tapping into her incredible design and organizational skills, and delivering excellence.

Taiece is a triple talent.

Not only can she design your closet for functionality and beauty, but she can also organize your closet for optimal space and efficiency. If that weren’t enough, she can also help you edit your clothing and curate your style, which boldly expresses and represents who you truly are. Taiece understands that when a person wears the clothes that they love, they feel powerful and confident. Her ability to keep her clients looking great and feeling fabulous is unparalleled.

Taiece Lanier: https://closeteditors.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/closeteditors/

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