Latest / The APAJ Hard Charger Podcast / Hattie Lees Properties Featured on APAJ's Hard Charger Podcast with a Real-Talk Interview
Transcript
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: This is APAJ coming with you live and direct right here at the APAJ Real Talk Podcast.
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: Good show today.
- 0:33SPEAKER_00: I have a formal co-worker.
- 0:37SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna call her let's say Renee.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 0:42SPEAKER_00: So with no further ado, let's bring on in and get this music down a little bit.
- 0:50SPEAKER_00: And guys, guys, music.
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
- 0:55SPEAKER_00: Renee, how are you doing?
- 0:57SPEAKER_03: I'm doing good, thank you.
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: Well, welcome to the APAJ Real Talk Podcast.
- 1:04SPEAKER_00: And so, how was your day?
- 1:08SPEAKER_03: It was great.
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: Did your favorite party uh win?
- 1:13SPEAKER_00: Or did they they sure did?
- 1:15SPEAKER_03: Oh, good for you.
- 1:21SPEAKER_00: Oh, that sounds good.
- 1:23SPEAKER_00: Well, we got a happy camper.
- 1:25SPEAKER_00: She sounds like she's so happy.
- 1:26SPEAKER_00: So, you know, just to let everybody know your you know background and you know, real brief, what what you used to do and what you're doing now, you know, and then we get into some you know Q ⁇ A's, right, Quiz.
- 1:42SPEAKER_03: Well, I started with a USCIS back in 2001, December.
- 1:51SPEAKER_03: And it was interesting because I went to Lee Summit, Missouri, had moved out there from Seattle, Washington.
- 1:59SPEAKER_03: So Kansas City was very different, but Lee Summit was good.
- 2:04SPEAKER_03: I learned a lot because I started off as a advocation, I mean uh immigration immigration service officer.
- 2:12SPEAKER_03: So I've kind of worked my way up to the application adjudicator, ISO too.
- 2:22SPEAKER_03: It's been a journey.
- 2:24SPEAKER_03: It's been a journey.
- 2:25SPEAKER_03: I've been working for the government oh my gosh, 32 years.
- 2:29SPEAKER_03: So it's it's been very interesting.
- 2:36SPEAKER_03: I've got to travel, meet, and that work with a lot of people.
- 2:42SPEAKER_03: Well no, just my father was in the Marine Corps for 30 years, so it's it's been my to the veteran.
- 2:52SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm a veteran, right on.
- 2:55SPEAKER_00: Right on, Pops.
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: All right, my condolences for the Marines, but you know, I'm an army guy, so you know how that works.
- 3:03SPEAKER_00: So, Renee, let me let me ask you, getting into a question of, you know, you being an insider and your views as to strict rules of the current laws, you know, administrative laws and stuff, do you can you elaborate on that?
- 3:21SPEAKER_00: What do you think about as a once insider, the strict administrative laws now?
- 3:27SPEAKER_03: You think it's too strict or well it's I think it's a good law.
- 3:34SPEAKER_03: It can be a little too strict on some classifications, I think.
- 3:39SPEAKER_03: It could be some leniency on some of it.
- 3:42SPEAKER_03: But the Title VII is basically the rule book that immigration officers have to follow every single day.
- 3:51SPEAKER_03: It outlines every step for how people enter, stay, apply for st and apply for citizenship.
- 3:58SPEAKER_03: Having these rules is essential because they keep the process uniform and fair across the country.
- 4:06SPEAKER_00: Indeed, that's true.
- 4:08SPEAKER_00: And we're talking about legal newcomers or legal immigrants, right?
- 4:13SPEAKER_00: We're we're not talking about illegal, we're talking about legal.
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: So that's interesting.
- 4:17SPEAKER_00: So when handling cases involving immigrant children, I I'm that's your specialty.
- 4:23SPEAKER_00: And by the way, we and I are retirees and we were co-workers, so just to let you know.
- 4:29SPEAKER_00: So with the immigrant children, that that is that was your specialty.
- 4:33SPEAKER_00: I know you've done many other things, but can you tell us about how you know the U.S.
- 4:39SPEAKER_00: citizenship, how that whole operation works?
- 4:44SPEAKER_03: Sure.
- 4:44SPEAKER_03: Um the biggest holdup with the children's cases, like derivative or acquired citizenship applications, usually come down to tracking down historical documentation, proof of legal status, continuous residence, or parental custody records from years prior are often missing, incomplete or hard to verify.
- 5:09SPEAKER_03: Now the children derive, the the children derive from the grandparents.
- 5:14SPEAKER_03: So it depends on how the grandparent entered into the United States.
- 5:19SPEAKER_03: And then also if they became a U.S.
- 5:21SPEAKER_03: citizen at a certain time frame, because they're then they had children, and then the children, uh their children immediately derive citizenship if they're here in the United States, and then what would happen is the children have the children and their children derived from their grandparents.
- 5:39SPEAKER_00: Wow.
- 5:40SPEAKER_00: So that's so can you give us a an example of your worst case scenario?
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: I know uh versus the best case, you know.
- 5:49SPEAKER_00: In other words, where you couldn't really, you tried with due diligence to help someone, but you couldn't.
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: And then on the other end, could you tell us the one that made you happy and of course the recipient as well?
- 6:03SPEAKER_03: Well, I have an example reviewing a form in 600 for a child, we might need a parent's precise record of physical presence in the United States dating back decades.
- 6:17SPEAKER_03: If a document is missing or a translation isn't certified correctly, the whole case pauses.
- 6:25SPEAKER_03: Now, what happened there when something like that comes about, we would go into our system and locate when the grandparent came in.
- 6:37SPEAKER_03: Now, we have systems that we work with every day that we could go in and check the entry date of the grandparents, and then also the parents, if they were born in the United States, now if they were born outside the United States, and then they came in with their parent, and the parent was a U.S.
- 6:54SPEAKER_03: citizen, and then the other parent was an immigrant, then we would be looking for when did the the US citizen parent come into the United States, and then the child.
- 7:07SPEAKER_03: So it there's several different ways we can go into the I-94 system and check for information.
- 7:14SPEAKER_03: And it says we have and it's like kind of looking over the application thoroughly, and then we questions to the people.
- 7:23SPEAKER_03: It says we have uh, you know, it's like we have to issue a request for evidence and wait weeks or months for the applicant uh to track it down, which can be heartbreaking when you just want to get a child and their citizenship finalized.
- 7:39SPEAKER_03: But we had ways that we would go as far as the request for evidence.
- 7:44SPEAKER_03: I would just go ahead and email the applicant and see if they could get the information from their parents to finalize the paperwork and the entry dates and all that for the child.
- 7:57SPEAKER_00: So you kind of expedite it, you know, just moving it along, more or less.
- 8:02SPEAKER_00: Correct.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: Wow, that's correct.
- 8:04SPEAKER_00: So, you know, uh again, being immigration deals with, you know, the presidents and the Congress and and from one four-year to the other four-year things changes, and so such as attitudes and people.
- 8:20SPEAKER_00: So that you mentioned both a scenario of good to bad, back to good.
- 8:27SPEAKER_00: So when you say with due diligence, you've been back there.
- 8:29SPEAKER_00: So let me ask you something.
- 8:31SPEAKER_00: You were civil servant, 30 something plus years, right?
- 8:34SPEAKER_00: And the fact that you I could say army brat.
- 8:39SPEAKER_03: So am I Marine Corps brat?
- 8:42SPEAKER_00: I wanted to say army, but I knew it was Marine, so I'm just kidding.
- 8:45SPEAKER_00: So you're you're doing something totally different now.
- 8:48SPEAKER_00: You transition into a community consultant, frontline properties manager.
- 8:53SPEAKER_00: What is that all about?
- 8:54SPEAKER_00: And and and what inspired you to do that?
- 8:57SPEAKER_03: Well, actually, Hadley's property, I named it after my mother because she was a Marine Corps wife.
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 9:05SPEAKER_03: Still's wife, and also she worked on Camp Resume on the base.
- 9:10SPEAKER_03: So, and she always did help families that were either hungry or had didn't have a had a for like a temporary stay, stayed at her house, and um, she always made dinner or she's always doing something to help somebody.
- 9:27SPEAKER_03: So that's what inspired me to do the business.
- 9:31SPEAKER_03: We, you know, we moved around a lot and I loved it.
- 9:35SPEAKER_03: And my mom, she uh anywhere we moved, my mom would always help families and children and their kids, and so this this is what inspired me to do this, to help the veterans for months.
- 9:49SPEAKER_03: But then here where I'm living at, we had to pivot a little bit to medical workers, CNA workers, gig workers, students that go to a college here.
- 10:01SPEAKER_03: So, but but my main reason for starting the whole program was the veteran.
- 10:08SPEAKER_00: Indeed.
- 10:09SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
- 10:10SPEAKER_00: So I have a couple of little follow-ups to that, but are are you close to your mic?
- 10:14SPEAKER_00: I mean look like and stuff.
- 10:16SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure if it's on my end or yours or it's the bad weather, but I'm sure I can take that out.
- 10:21SPEAKER_00: Hey, and with your new business and your experience, because you have a lot, decades of it, it brings a new career.
- 10:31SPEAKER_00: So how are you taking your past career, what you were doing with immigrants, legal immigrants, how is that helping you work your your career now, what you're doing now relative to Hattie's uh, you know, properties, Hattie Lee's property?
- 10:48SPEAKER_03: Well, well, with my knowledge and skills that I have learned throughout the years with immigration, I've learned to network and reach out to people and also uh have reached out to the VA.
- 11:03SPEAKER_03: And it's just, you know, talking to the property owners, getting information, knowing the address, kind of rolling down the streets and figuring out where places are at so I can kind of give information to the veteran and or gig worker, CNA, doctor, lawyer, whoever comes in, because here where I'm living, we we really have a lot of oil workers, oil fill workers, and windmill workers.
- 11:34SPEAKER_03: So I try to give them as much information as I can about the location of the place and if they need to be close to the hospital or school or something like that.
- 11:45SPEAKER_00: So it's a necessity in a sense.
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: So with that stated, so do you encounter unexpected fundamentals?
- 11:52SPEAKER_00: In other words, those little blind spots when trying to, you know, get those temporary and rental housing and families.
- 12:00SPEAKER_00: In other words, it's smooth for you, or are you still encountering some you know ups and downs, how hiccups, or how's that working out?
- 12:09SPEAKER_03: Well, as for blind spots, the biggest shock was realizing how fragmented local housing markets are.
- 12:15SPEAKER_03: Oh, in government, you rely on standardized nationwide database.
- 12:21SPEAKER_03: Out in the private rental market, every landlord, local utility, and vendor operates differently.
- 12:27SPEAKER_03: Bridging that gap to secure immediate stable roofs for families took a lot of creative coordination that my federal desk didn't fully prepare me for.
- 12:39SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 12:40SPEAKER_00: So it in the public eye, you know, you work with teams, and so I I'm sure you you have a team members now you're working with.
- 12:51SPEAKER_00: And so how is that working in the private sector as opposed to your federal team players?
- 12:58SPEAKER_00: Are I mean is it any issues there, or you feel that, hey, you transition fine from the federal government and there's no problem?
- 13:07SPEAKER_03: Well, that really it really comes down to separating personal option, opinions, and options from professional day and focusing heavily on consistency.
- 13:18SPEAKER_03: Uh, when you're managing an office or a team, whether it was at the Milwaukee Field Office or the NBC National Benefit Center, the rules are there to ensure fairness and national security.
- 13:31SPEAKER_03: So just like with me, with starting out the business, I have really networked with people to talk to them.
- 13:40SPEAKER_03: I have a cleaning person, I have somebody that can do the yard work, I have somebody who can do maintenance if I need it.
- 13:47SPEAKER_03: So it's been really great in them coordinating with the rental of furniture and things like that for my properties, for people to move in and be comfortable.
- 13:59SPEAKER_03: So, and then also I have also reached out to different businesses just to give people information about how if they want to do some massages or go wine tasting or doing something like that.
- 14:12SPEAKER_03: I've reached out to some businesses to help me with that too.
- 14:16SPEAKER_00: Wow.
- 14:16SPEAKER_00: So you basically are my follow-ups, the operational integrity, uh your deliverable, commendable results and under tough conditions and online commentaries, uh, misguided ecosystems.
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: And, you know, like you said, uh there's some blind spots, but with immigration, it's always blind spots.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: So if you for 30 years can handle that type of atmosphere, I'm sure this career that you're in now, it it is commendable, it is something that people need.
- 14:51SPEAKER_00: And so that's a good thing, Renee.
- 14:53SPEAKER_00: I I just like to let you know that you know, that you can coordinate, you can transition and right into with boots on the ground, ready to run and help people.
- 15:04SPEAKER_00: And that's that's what you were doing with immigration as well.
- 15:07SPEAKER_00: So with that, you know, drawing on your combined experience inside the system as an insider and the uh the what you know, the most single critical structural performance improvement of local communities.
- 15:21SPEAKER_00: I know you and I talked and you said something about you have partnered up with other people to help.
- 15:28SPEAKER_00: Can you just elaborate on that real quick?
- 15:30SPEAKER_00: How how how these people helping you and your your business and your team transition, you know, into the communities?
- 15:39SPEAKER_03: Well, just there again, just networking, talking with people, the thing, the single biggest improvement we need is better communication groups between federal policymakers and local community organizations.
- 15:52SPEAKER_03: Like right now, federal systems operate in one bubble and local housing and support groups operate in another.
- 16:01SPEAKER_03: If we built a bridge where federal data and local resource availability could talk to each other in real time, we could prevent massive bottlenecks.
- 16:13SPEAKER_03: So it's been good.
- 16:15SPEAKER_03: It's been good here.
- 16:17SPEAKER_00: Well, as we say, real child and keeping it real, you mentioned about the logistics and everything.
- 16:22SPEAKER_00: So tell us how the Halloween's teams partner up with these places.
- 16:28SPEAKER_00: Now, I mentioned that before, but what I mean is, are you seeing results or do you anticipate finding other partners?
- 16:36SPEAKER_00: And if so, how can they reach out to you?
- 16:40SPEAKER_03: Well, yes, and now maybe right now, uh, since I'm so small and I'm just starting out with one person helping me as part of my background, my paperwork, and things like that.
- 16:52SPEAKER_03: And and like I have this group of people that I can call for maintenance, cleaning, furniture, things like that is a good thing.
- 17:04SPEAKER_03: And no, our our the the business is going well.
- 17:07SPEAKER_03: It's just that getting the people I have to get out.
- 17:11SPEAKER_03: I have sent out emails, talk to like the DFPS, the Department of Family and Protection Services for Children.
- 17:19SPEAKER_03: I've talked to the VA about the homeless shelters.
- 17:24SPEAKER_03: I've had to reach out and talk to homeless places where they bring homeless people too, veterans also, and that you can volunteer to help feed them, help them with services, and get them on the road to getting some help for you know, let's say substance abuse or you know, anything they're having issues with.
- 17:46SPEAKER_03: So it's it's been great since I've been here.
- 17:49SPEAKER_03: It's just really a small town, so it's really they the VA really focuses on sending a veterans more into section eight.
- 18:01SPEAKER_03: But you know, then but then also they were saying if if you know somebody came in and said they were looking for a place, there they have my information.
- 18:10SPEAKER_03: I sent them my information.
- 18:12SPEAKER_03: Everybody has their information here.
- 18:14SPEAKER_03: So I can I can give out our our address, you can email me or you can call our number.
- 18:24SPEAKER_00: Okay, so I'm gonna give you a little follow-up.
- 18:27SPEAKER_00: What what have you learned about the importance of building relationships to those people you mentioned?
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: And how how is it making your business grow?
- 18:38SPEAKER_00: And are you learning from because you mentioned, you know, what you said, it entails footwork, calling, logistics, planning.
- 18:47SPEAKER_00: It's a lot.
- 18:48SPEAKER_00: So you you know, it's easy to say that on on you know, on paper, put it on paper or said and on a show, but when you look at it, it takes a lot.
- 18:58SPEAKER_00: And you just a startup, and that's a good thing.
- 19:01SPEAKER_00: So what I really want to ask your relationship, you know, with your company, your business, and is it is it making you feel that you want to go further with this and spread out from where you are now, you know, do a national thing.
- 19:19SPEAKER_00: But I know all things starts at home.
- 19:21SPEAKER_00: So once you get that, do you think you you'll be reaching out?
- 19:24SPEAKER_00: And would you take donors if so people want to say how I get in touch with her, how can I donate to her cause?
- 19:30SPEAKER_00: Do you have like an email or something, a website for them?
- 19:35SPEAKER_03: I do.
- 19:35SPEAKER_03: I do, I mean, the email would be the the heady's properties at gbeon.com.
- 19:43SPEAKER_03: So that would be the email.
- 19:45SPEAKER_03: And yes, that we we would be more than happy to take donations.
- 19:51SPEAKER_03: It's it's really uh a blessing to be have to have the people here to talk to them.
- 19:58SPEAKER_03: To and they have also whoever they talk to, they always tell them about our business, and they say, well, you know, give them my flyer or a phone number or email address or something.
- 20:12SPEAKER_03: So here in Lubbock, it's kind of small, so uh it's it's like they talk whoever they talk to outside of Lubbock, they give them my information medically.
- 20:22SPEAKER_03: I've talked to, speaking of medically, I've talked to like the head of the hospital here, and they sent me out to a nursing place in Seattle, and I sent them our email and phone number information.
- 20:41SPEAKER_03: So if they have nurses that come in, they could call.
- 20:44SPEAKER_03: It's like I said, it's just starting.
- 20:47SPEAKER_03: So we really haven't had anybody yet, but we're still talking to property owners and you know, property owners are some have said no, some have said okay, some said, you know, ask the questions, they want to know more or they want to know less.
- 21:02SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 21:02SPEAKER_00: So balancing that business community needs, can you just you know, just a little synopsis of what that entailed?
- 21:11SPEAKER_00: Uh, because you mentioned, I think I'm not sure about the financing.
- 21:16SPEAKER_00: That that's why I mentioned donors, because anybody knows as a startup, you you're gonna have to have help.
- 21:23SPEAKER_00: And this is a very noble thing, people.
- 21:25SPEAKER_00: So again, I'm gonna put her information on our show and you can uh reach out to her that way or just reach straight out to her.
- 21:35SPEAKER_00: So just to let her know that this is in one of the stops that she can get uh you know, information out there to to the APAJ and family.
- 21:45SPEAKER_00: So just you know, a little snippet of your properties.
- 21:50SPEAKER_00: Are these properties how do you go about getting these properties?
- 21:55SPEAKER_03: Well, I have to go out to Willow and look for a property.
- 22:00SPEAKER_03: Owners that are you know renting out their home.
- 22:05SPEAKER_03: So I go to Zillow and I emit the list and I go through the list and I send them out to my business partner and she sets up a full email to the people and then they'll reach back out to us and either say yes or no or they'll say please call, we have more questions, or they'll ask us questions in the email, and then we'll we'll email them back, whatever they want to get.
- 22:31SPEAKER_03: No.
- 22:33SPEAKER_00: That's good to know.
- 22:34SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of people, I mean, who is this, right?
- 22:37SPEAKER_00: So yeah, is this a part of Section 8 type thing, right?
- 22:41SPEAKER_00: That's what I don't know if anyone threw that at you, but if you're a novice at this and you hear somebody like you saying this, and like, oh, you do you work for the government?
- 22:50SPEAKER_00: No, you you're doing this, you you did work for the government hell over three decades, but you it's like giving back, correct?
- 22:57SPEAKER_00: What you're doing now?
- 22:58SPEAKER_00: Correct.
- 22:59SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 22:59SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, sir.
- 23:00SPEAKER_00: So in the long-term vision and growth, what do you see?
- 23:05SPEAKER_03: Well, I see us helping as many people as we can, making sure that people have homes to live in, cover as long as they need.
- 23:16SPEAKER_03: Right now we're going for, you know, six months to a year, and we're looking to maybe make that a monthly thing if somebody just needs temporary housing.
- 23:26SPEAKER_03: So and we do, we will work for families and people moving into our area and looking for a place to live, we'll do that.
- 23:36SPEAKER_03: So it's kind of we kind of leave it open to for options for people.
- 23:42SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 23:42SPEAKER_00: So can a business uh, you know, someone in that business, as far as you cooperating with them or them with you, could they also contact you and say, hey, we like what you're doing as an extension to what we're doing?
- 23:59SPEAKER_00: Can we partner up with you?
- 24:01SPEAKER_00: Are you guys okay with that as well?
- 24:03SPEAKER_00: That type of Yeah.
- 24:04SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's good because that helps too.
- 24:07SPEAKER_00: Anything helps when you're trying to get out there.
- 24:09SPEAKER_00: I mean, so where do you get this energy to do all this?
- 24:13SPEAKER_03: Well, it's you know, I I mean, goodness, I mean, I just stopped working what well last year in July.
- 24:21SPEAKER_03: So I've been on the go since then, and I finally got a chance to just sit down for a minute, and then when I was sitting down, I was like, I need something to do.
- 24:31SPEAKER_03: And I was thinking about my mom, and I was thinking about my dad, and uh, you know, all the traveling we've done, and all the people my mom helped throughout my my life.
- 24:42SPEAKER_03: And so I said, Well, let me look into something that can help other people.
- 24:47SPEAKER_03: So I took a class and I uh a little class and it was really good, it really sounded interesting to help veterans, and you know, and it it it's it's really good to help people.
- 25:00SPEAKER_03: So that's really what I want to do, is just help people.
- 25:02SPEAKER_00: Right, because you expanded this, right?
- 25:04SPEAKER_00: Initially, this was going to be what for for immigrants is it or just No, it was just veterans.
- 25:12SPEAKER_00: Veterans, okay.
- 25:12SPEAKER_00: So is it anyone Renee now, or is it just veterans until you change that platform?
- 25:20SPEAKER_00: I mean, how is that?
- 25:21SPEAKER_03: Anyone anyone anyone now?
- 25:23SPEAKER_03: We're fine with students, gig workers, medical staff, we're fine.
- 25:29SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 25:30SPEAKER_00: For an example, if someone, because I have actually seen this not too long ago, you see where people close to the hospitals renting their places out.
- 25:40SPEAKER_00: And I guess that would be temporary, right?
- 25:42SPEAKER_00: For clinicians to come and stay and stuff like that.
- 25:46SPEAKER_00: And you mentioned about the uh oilers, the people who need to, you know, come and do an assignment maybe for six weeks, six months.
- 25:54SPEAKER_00: So that's the type of thing that you reach out and help them with, correct?
- 25:58SPEAKER_03: Right.
- 25:59SPEAKER_00: Wow.
- 26:00SPEAKER_00: And and just think if you do this for other endeavors, not just, you know, just for those people, just for people who are temporarily uh, you know, they had a a fire or something and they need something for at least four or six, eight weeks and they don't know who to go to.
- 26:17SPEAKER_00: And just you happen, you and your business happen to be there, you know, at at least properties, and that makes sense.
- 26:24SPEAKER_00: So folks, I'm gonna tell you right now, you know, very intelligent young lady.
- 26:30SPEAKER_00: She she's a go-getter, she's not a slacker.
- 26:32SPEAKER_00: She, if you tell her something, she sticks with it.
- 26:35SPEAKER_00: I know that when dealing she was dealing with the uh children overseas trying to get their citizenship, she will go out her way.
- 26:44SPEAKER_00: And so I'm saying beyond her way, above her way to get the job done.
- 26:49SPEAKER_00: So if she takes that tenacity with her and doing what she's doing now, we I could tell you folks, you got to win her.
- 26:56SPEAKER_00: You know, so Renee, do you have for any reflections, do you have anything you'd like to say, you know, to get people to your, you know, to you to help you to for your services you would like to say on that behalf?
- 27:11SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, if you would like to donate, that's great.
- 27:14SPEAKER_03: That'd be great.
- 27:15SPEAKER_03: You know, because I'm always looking for some some financial help from somewhere, which is fine.
- 27:20SPEAKER_03: I mean, if we if if we don't have it, we we make it, we make it because with the people coming and going, you never know.
- 27:29SPEAKER_03: And I don't have a storage room to l to buy furniture.
- 27:33SPEAKER_03: That's the only reason I don't buy.
- 27:35SPEAKER_03: But I just kind of include the rental within the rent of the room or the house or you know, whatever they like.
- 27:45SPEAKER_03: So it it, you know, if there's a way there's will we make it work.
- 27:49SPEAKER_03: Um always willing to work with people because people come, you know, come and go, you know.
- 27:56SPEAKER_03: So it's always a a W or an L.
- 28:00SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's it's okay.
- 28:01SPEAKER_03: Yeah, you know, I'm okay.
- 28:04SPEAKER_00: So, so is it fair to say that when people ask, there's there's no, as they say, there's no dumb question, right?
- 28:11SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of people are, you know, probably on the edge about contacting a business like yours because they don't know, okay, what's the duration, how long this temporary thing, do they have any input when they come to you, or are you doing a talking to those homeowners or those rentors or whoever?
- 28:30SPEAKER_00: Uh, because you like the uh the in-between person, is that correct?
- 28:34SPEAKER_03: Well, yes, they they would be dealing with me only.
- 28:38SPEAKER_03: People that move in would be dealing with me, and I would deal with the property owner.
- 28:42SPEAKER_00: Right, there you go.
- 28:43SPEAKER_00: That makes sense to me.
- 28:44SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of people, both ends, you know, because you'd you'd be the expert and you can be able to talk to me.
- 28:49SPEAKER_00: I'm coming to you and say, hey, look, I need a place for at least three months because yada yada, whatever happened, so you would be able to negotiate that.
- 28:58SPEAKER_00: Is that like the negotiator, immediate or whatever?
- 29:01SPEAKER_00: And that's correct.
- 29:02SPEAKER_00: That that's good because a lot of people don't know how to talk.
- 29:05SPEAKER_00: They just in need, and they just hoping they put their best in you, and you would do with with due diligence, get the best results.
- 29:15SPEAKER_00: Wow.
- 29:16SPEAKER_03: Correct.
- 29:16SPEAKER_00: That sounds good.
- 29:17SPEAKER_03: Because it's gonna be a furnace, you know, a furnace place.
- 29:20SPEAKER_03: They're gonna come to a place with a bed, a couch, you know, kitchenware, bathroom where so all they need to do is just come and do what they got to do, and they can go.
- 29:30SPEAKER_00: Okay, there's no no no food, nothing like that, right?
- 29:34SPEAKER_00: It's just something just for because I I want to get this right.
- 29:37SPEAKER_00: We'll talk.
- 29:38SPEAKER_00: Some people would think, would they help, you know, because you just alluded to what go would go in there, but they're responsible for put providing for themselves as far as food and stuff like that.
- 29:49SPEAKER_03: For groceries, yeah.
- 29:51SPEAKER_03: For groceries and yeah, and if they, you know, things that you know, personal items that they need that would be on, you know, on them.
- 29:58SPEAKER_03: Unless they talked to me and said they needed something that, you know, they couldn't bring or something.
- 30:04SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 30:05SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
- 30:05SPEAKER_00: So do they is it a contract involved or is this just word of mouth, hearsay, or how how does that work, Renee?
- 30:12SPEAKER_03: It would yes, it would be some contract between me and and them and I, and then you know, I would give them a copy of it, and that way they would follow it because it would be like a co-living shared kind of situation.
- 30:27SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 30:27SPEAKER_03: If there's two other people in the house, it's a three-bedroom, per se, and everybody would have it's you know, like uh instructions to follow to clean, you know, clean the area where if they're going to the bathroom, you gotta clean your bathroom, you know, clean the kitchen if you use different things, clean up, pick up after your stuff, pretty much.
- 30:49SPEAKER_03: Keep your you know, keep your spaces up.
- 30:51SPEAKER_00: Right, like like these some you alluded to business people, you know, and yes, business people can be just as dirty as as anyone else, because they own the goal so much, right?
- 31:02SPEAKER_00: So there any penalties uh involved as such as if um they don't adhere to the contract, contractual agreement, do you give them a warning or just hey, you messed up, you out?
- 31:16SPEAKER_03: Well, you know, uh it depends.
- 31:18SPEAKER_03: It really depends on what what situation is at hand.
- 31:22SPEAKER_03: If if they you know, if they're in there disrupting the house, then I would have to ask them to leave.
- 31:27SPEAKER_03: If there was some, you know, drug paraphernalia or anything like that going on, there would definitely there would be no second.
- 31:35SPEAKER_03: There would be no zero tolerance.
- 31:38SPEAKER_03: Right.
- 31:39SPEAKER_00: Well, how about, hey, I I told you, hey, you got me a place for six weeks, right?
- 31:45SPEAKER_00: It it's it's super I need it, but I didn't tell you I was bringing my significant other with me.
- 31:52SPEAKER_03: Well, you can bring, you can bring your husband, wife, or you know, kids or whatever that's up to you, just let me know.
- 32:00SPEAKER_03: Right.
- 32:01SPEAKER_03: And that way we can adjust the the rent accordingly.
- 32:06SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 32:07SPEAKER_03: So yeah, yeah, just honestly reach out.
- 32:09SPEAKER_03: And if they have a pet, you have to let me know if you have a pet because some property owners require a pet deposit.
- 32:16SPEAKER_03: So I would let them know.
- 32:17SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 32:17SPEAKER_00: How about insurance?
- 32:18SPEAKER_00: And they how oh yeah, how can you tell us about that?
- 32:23SPEAKER_03: Yes, I'm I would do, we would call like lemonade.
- 32:26SPEAKER_03: We use lemonade for the insurance.
- 32:29SPEAKER_03: So I would get a policy for the insurance for the rental of the property, and that would be between the property owner and and I.
- 32:37SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
- 32:38SPEAKER_00: So they I mean you have to cover yourself too, right?
- 32:42SPEAKER_00: As a proprietor, you you want to make sure that person's place is is you know good and nobody falls, hurt themselves, and all that other stuff.
- 32:51SPEAKER_00: So again, this is a very noble thing to do.
- 32:55SPEAKER_00: And what what if volunteers?
- 32:57SPEAKER_00: Some people say, you know what, Renee, I like what you're doing.
- 33:00SPEAKER_00: I have so much X amount of time.
- 33:02SPEAKER_00: How can I help you in your community?
- 33:04SPEAKER_00: And if you spread out, how can I help you be and do it in my community but work under your guidance?
- 33:11SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, they can do that too if they want to deal with some information on who to talk to, who to network with, how to get in touch with people, to get people to move into their properties, or if they have owners, even if they own something.
- 33:26SPEAKER_03: If they own a home and they want to rent out a room or something, you know, I could give them some names and some people to reach out to.
- 33:33SPEAKER_03: And then, you know, because we're well, actually, we're on all social media, we're on Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, we're we're out there and and and people do reach out to us.
- 33:45SPEAKER_03: Like we had one scenario is we had somebody reach out to us from Facebook Marketplace.
- 33:52SPEAKER_03: And and they're gonna be here from for a month.
- 33:56SPEAKER_03: So, you know, app sadly we didn't have any inventory at the time, but we we're happy that the the ad is being reviewed out on like social media and that people are trusting us to, you know, say, hey, you don't need a place for you know 30 days, 40 days, you know, 50 days, can you accommodate?
- 34:19SPEAKER_03: And I'm bringing a pet, um I'm bringing my husband, or you know, my husband works in an oil pill and I'm coming out later, we just need a place today.
- 34:28SPEAKER_01: So that's it really it yeah, it is good.
- 34:32SPEAKER_03: Now see, and and like if somebody came up to me and said they had a property and they didn't have a person, you know, to rent out to, then I would let them know, hey, do I have somebody available?
- 34:44SPEAKER_03: You know, so I I like to work with people, so I'm not gonna gatekeep.
- 34:49SPEAKER_03: I'm going to share what I know.
- 34:52SPEAKER_03: And if I have something available, hey, you know, I have something available.
- 34:58SPEAKER_03: Uh, here's our number, just give them a call, let them know you what you have, and how much you charge.
- 35:03SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 35:04SPEAKER_00: So there's no hidden fees, everything doing this transaction, contractual agreement.
- 35:09SPEAKER_00: Everybody know their part, what's going to be coming in, what's going out, all of that's discussed.
- 35:16SPEAKER_03: Correct, correct.
- 35:17SPEAKER_03: Because I mean, we have water, electricity, right, you know, internet services.
- 35:23SPEAKER_03: So that that kind of combines in with into the rental of the property.
- 35:28SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I'll just let them know how much it is to move in and how much it would be a month.
- 35:34SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 35:35SPEAKER_00: So if a person wanted to extend, let's say you have a guy for four weeks and he the job is saying, hey, we'd like you, you know how jobs are.
- 35:43SPEAKER_00: I'd like you to stay a couple more weeks.
- 35:45SPEAKER_00: Do you have because it's all about booking, because you may have another, you know, he just told you how far in advance they give you, you know, a notice, because he just told you I need four four weeks, but yet his boss just told him, Hey, I'm giving I need three more weeks out of you.
- 36:01SPEAKER_00: So how how what's the you know the room that you have to work with?
- 36:08SPEAKER_03: Well, if he's already if he's already gonna be just four weeks, uh well, you can say 30 days, but he's only gonna be four weeks, so I would say maybe two weeks prior, because that way we can let people know, hey, this place is not gonna be available until you know, until we have someone already there, they're gonna be there another couple weeks or a week or so.
- 36:29SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 36:29SPEAKER_00: So you guys have room for people can make reviews and say, hey, the Hattie Lease Place properties is great because, you know, for whatever reason, uh, you know, that they're uh saying that because you need that, those type of reviews where people can say, I mean, if it's not great, they would say that as well, but keeping it positive and they go on and somebody else see that and say, because let's let's face it, people can afford temporary more than they can permanent.
- 36:57SPEAKER_00: Because they they they're moving around.
- 37:00SPEAKER_00: I know if I'm going somewhere and my job's sending me, I'm looking for a hotel.
- 37:05SPEAKER_00: A lot of people are not into hotels and all of that.
- 37:07SPEAKER_00: So they looking at security first and foremost.
- 37:11SPEAKER_00: And I was gonna ask you locally, how do you, your your business, how to leave properties that would, you know, city and village ordinance and stuff.
- 37:20SPEAKER_00: Do you are you talking to any local governments and letting them know what you're trying to do as well?
- 37:27SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, I am.
- 37:28SPEAKER_03: I had to talk to the code enforcement just to make sure that we can have more than so many people in a three or four bedroom home.
- 37:36SPEAKER_02: Right.
- 37:37SPEAKER_03: And then I I I went and got my DBA and I'm registered with the with the city here.
- 37:43SPEAKER_03: So I'm a good dad.
- 37:45SPEAKER_03: So yeah, everything is good.
- 37:48SPEAKER_00: You're a busybody.
- 37:49SPEAKER_00: So you have lots of work.
- 37:54SPEAKER_00: Wow, so you you you retired.
- 37:56SPEAKER_00: Well, we retired, and look at me, I'm doing podcasts, right?
- 37:59SPEAKER_00: You know, so uh and and hate everybody when they was we we had to like more or less put kind of dissolve our not-for-profit organization that kind of hurt us because things was going very slow.
- 38:13SPEAKER_00: People didn't want to give us information without, yeah, and that was kind of sad.
- 38:18SPEAKER_00: It still hurt me because I think that a lot of people have a lot of, you know, I mean immigrants and stuff.
- 38:24SPEAKER_00: And I just want to say, I don't know if Renee's aware of this.
- 38:27SPEAKER_00: We have this thing that they call the foundational black uh Americans, and then we have the diaspora black immigrants, and there's a little tug-of-war fight going on here and there with that.
- 38:39SPEAKER_00: So the thing is the business that you have and the business that you come from, that that compounds itself.
- 38:46SPEAKER_00: She has absolute decades of international experience, folks.
- 38:52SPEAKER_00: So you coming from a different country, you looking for a temporary spot, seeing Hattie Lee's properties, right?
- 39:01SPEAKER_00: And if you're in that area, and this is why it's so important, because people got probably got that mindset like Renee has, but they don't want to do it, but they need leadership.
- 39:10SPEAKER_00: And so they should reach out to her and her team and and say, hey, look, we we we come from Country X, we here legally, and we just looking for something until you know we got a house, but we need something for at least five, six weeks.
- 39:26SPEAKER_00: And that give you to my point.
- 39:29SPEAKER_00: I would mention about if a person wants to extend, what if a person is in that scenario I mentioned, and they say to you about they need uh five or six weeks and they come to you and then all of a sudden they need something a little bit quicker.
- 39:44SPEAKER_00: Are you flexible with that?
- 39:47SPEAKER_00: Or you just have to say, I'm sorry, or you know, as a business person, how do you handle that?
- 39:53SPEAKER_03: Well, sometimes it depends on our inventory.
- 39:56SPEAKER_03: If we have some property owners that have something readily available, then we can reach out to them and see if it can be worked out to where we can get it, the property to them to move in.
- 40:08SPEAKER_03: Um, and and and we're uh, you know, we're looking to have six months to a year leases, which would be great.
- 40:14SPEAKER_01: Whoa, yeah.
- 40:15SPEAKER_03: But you know, you can stay as long as you want, you know, but we start off the six months to a year.
- 40:20SPEAKER_03: But then if if like I said before, if they come in and and we have some inventory to where, you know, they need to say a month, two months, four weeks, six weeks, whatever, you know, we can reach out to our property owners and talk to them about it and see.
- 40:36SPEAKER_00: Well, there's an important thing come to mind.
- 40:38SPEAKER_00: You mentioned about furniture, right?
- 40:41SPEAKER_00: And how if if someone damaged the furniture, is that going to be the responsibility of the Hattie Lee's properties, or would it be that and that person for which you purchase it from, releasing it to them?
- 40:56SPEAKER_00: How would that work?
- 40:58SPEAKER_03: Well, for the properties that we rent, I know they have uh uh some insurance on it when we rent it.
- 41:05SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 41:06SPEAKER_03: So we kind of get that coverage for the furniture particularly.
- 41:10SPEAKER_00: And that's for theft too, right?
- 41:12SPEAKER_00: For theft as well.
- 41:13SPEAKER_03: Well, yeah.
- 41:14SPEAKER_03: You know what, Andre, I'm glad you said that because I don't think we ever thought about somebody taking the furniture, so I never asked about the that, but I thought that'll be Apache, A-P-A-J.
- 41:28SPEAKER_00: Apache, you still say Apache.
- 41:30SPEAKER_00: But nevertheless, people do crazy things, right?
- 41:33SPEAKER_00: It doesn't make, I mean, you can be rich.
- 41:36SPEAKER_00: You see something, asteroid looks good, you take it.
- 41:40SPEAKER_00: You take it, but it's on your property uh list, right?
- 41:43SPEAKER_00: And you ready to turn things in, so hey, what happened to the asteroid?
- 41:47SPEAKER_00: You know, it's worth$40, right?
- 41:50SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 41:51SPEAKER_01: Right.
- 41:52SPEAKER_01: So thank you.
- 41:53SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, that's what we like minds.
- 41:55SPEAKER_00: That's why we hear, you know, we're talking about such an important thing for people.
- 41:59SPEAKER_00: And it is so many people that's homeless and all of that.
- 42:03SPEAKER_00: They work though, right?
- 42:05SPEAKER_00: They actually work and they're homeless.
- 42:07SPEAKER_00: And that's who I want to say that's to you guys and ladies out there, living in your cars.
- 42:12SPEAKER_00: Look at look what Hattie Lee Professor is offering.
- 42:16SPEAKER_00: If they, you know, they're a second eye for you, a pair, a pair of eyes, uh uh, you know, four eyes, six eyes, where they can actually look out for you while you're in distress.
- 42:26SPEAKER_00: You actually living in your your work, you go to work every day, you go to these places and witchy-watchy, you know, and get and get ready for work, and you just come home to the car.
- 42:36SPEAKER_00: You need a break.
- 42:37SPEAKER_00: So if there's um you got the money to to rent it out, hey, that's what they're there for as well, for those persons as well.
- 42:45SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's it's again, I don't know if I could do all that.
- 42:51SPEAKER_00: Oh my God.
- 42:52SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I can do all that.
- 42:53SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm having a hard time putting my uh podcast.
- 42:56SPEAKER_00: This is actually the fourth one, and I got more to come.
- 43:00SPEAKER_00: But uh, you know, you only get better because a lot of, you know, I was reading, well, you got to have this and that.
- 43:06SPEAKER_00: I will go in the future, I will go have a what they call a video type thing, you know.
- 43:12SPEAKER_00: I I don't want to be that type of person just for clickbaits.
- 43:16SPEAKER_00: This is real talk, this is real issues with real concerns.
- 43:19SPEAKER_00: And what you doing, you ladies are doing makes a lot of sense.
- 43:24SPEAKER_00: And I I can only say, you know, if I'm in my town and you're in your town, but I want to have something like that, again, I reiterate that I don't know how.
- 43:34SPEAKER_00: Well, reach out to Hattie Lee's properties.
- 43:38SPEAKER_00: And that, my friends, is a thing that is a noble.
- 43:42SPEAKER_00: Look at her.
- 43:43SPEAKER_00: She should be, she's from Hawaii originally, right?
- 43:46SPEAKER_00: And and she should be somewhere, you know, getting that good uh weather and that good old sun and all of that stuff, but she just can't stop, you know.
- 43:57SPEAKER_00: She retired into a career.
- 43:58SPEAKER_00: I mean, how many people can say?
- 44:00SPEAKER_00: That you retire into a career.
- 44:02SPEAKER_00: So it is.
- 44:04SPEAKER_00: Well, I as always, uh, and and I'd like to know in closing, do you feel that this time next year with your with Hattie Lee's properties you we're gonna all say you want expansion, right?
- 44:18SPEAKER_00: Do you feel that and I mentioned to you as well about there are certain grants and all of that stuff out there?
- 44:26SPEAKER_00: Do you yeah, do you feel that there's a need?
- 44:29SPEAKER_00: And there's so many grants.
- 44:31SPEAKER_00: Folks, if you hear this, there if you know of any grants that the uh Hattie Hattie Lee's properties and their staff could go out and get, please, by all means get in touch with her or or or I and I will put you know, send it to her and let her know because this is a very noble thing.
- 44:48SPEAKER_00: So you have tried, I understand, working with grants as well.
- 44:52SPEAKER_03: Oh yes, we have applied for a couple.
- 44:55SPEAKER_00: Oh, great.
- 44:56SPEAKER_03: And we're just waiting now to hear the hopefully it should be, they said by the end of the year we should hear something.
- 45:04SPEAKER_03: So I'm hoping that we get enough grant money to where I don't have to, you know, really go out for a lot of donations, but I don't mind.
- 45:13SPEAKER_03: But why not?
- 45:15SPEAKER_00: There's donations.
- 45:17SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
- 45:18SPEAKER_03: And oh, I was gonna tell you one more thing about that.
- 45:20SPEAKER_03: We we're gonna reach out to like Costco and Sam and see what they have, if they have any grants.
- 45:27SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 45:28SPEAKER_03: I did call Costco, they do donations, so we gotta apply for that.
- 45:33SPEAKER_03: And then uh Sam's Club, I gotta call them too.
- 45:36SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I'm just just reaching out to everybody.
- 45:39SPEAKER_00: I don't want to bust your bubble, but did you know, as far as corporate concern, there are a lot of people who would be looking at this and because they got dollars to write off, right?
- 45:51SPEAKER_00: So if you guys happen to be at home at leisure and you're listening to this, please reach out to Hetty Lee's properties because you know, you for sponsorship or whatever, hey, she she won't be mad at me.
- 46:04SPEAKER_00: I'm sure and and that's a good thing because if you can do that, I mean, you know, you build and you're building from there.
- 46:11SPEAKER_00: And that's what this is all about.
- 46:12SPEAKER_00: Not only, you know, you have to understand you're doing something, but you gotta get something in return.
- 46:18SPEAKER_00: You just can't, you know, give, extend yourself so much without taking stuff in.
- 46:22SPEAKER_00: So I'm hoping and I'm pretty sure this time next year.
- 46:26SPEAKER_00: But you know what?
- 46:27SPEAKER_00: I want you to come back.
- 46:28SPEAKER_00: We'll do a live show where people can hear you and your partner and whomever you have.
- 46:34SPEAKER_00: I'm sure people are gonna be getting back with you after hearing all of this.
- 46:38SPEAKER_00: And then maybe you could have a start networking with the right people who have those grants and donations and willing to say, hey, I I can give, but I don't want to too much participate.
- 46:51SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
- 46:52SPEAKER_00: But here's what I can give you and you know, help your business along.
- 46:57SPEAKER_00: Well, I am so glad that I hooked up.
- 47:00SPEAKER_00: I know you say you have somewhere to go.
- 47:02SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
- 47:03SPEAKER_00: And as always, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- 47:07SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
- 47:09SPEAKER_00: Okay, we hit all right, all right.
- 47:14SPEAKER_00: Oh, you guys got you.
- 47:18SPEAKER_03: Oh my, okay.
- 47:19SPEAKER_00: Okay, well, again, my friend, we must talk again.
- 47:23SPEAKER_00: And as always, you be safe out there.
- 47:25SPEAKER_00: And again, what's the name of your company?
- 47:31SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna put that and post it for everybody.
- 47:33SPEAKER_00: So, Renee, you be safe out there, and I will talk to you soon.
- 47:38SPEAKER_03: All right, thank you.
- 47:39SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
- 47:40SPEAKER_00: Bye bye.
- 47:40SPEAKER_03: Okay, you too.
- 47:41SPEAKER_03: Bye bye.