Good evening, I'm your host, SD Class, and this evening we are chatting to an absolutely amazing guest. But as you know, we have amazing content coming to you live every weekday this night. We have Zaman Tungua Kumalo with the private property podcast at 7pm, where she chats to the banks, where she chats to property investors, people who have been in the game for years now. So definitely that's something you do not want to miss. And of course, if you're interested in farming and agriculture, that's every Tuesday and Thursday at 8pm. And if you're interested in purchasing your first home or your second or third home while Chad is traveling around South Africa, looking at amazing mansions, townhouses, apartments. It is a jam-packed week, so stay warm and stay safe. And without further ado, tonight I'm sitting with an absolutely amazing guest who we've taken a while to meet, eh? We've taken a while to meet. I'm sitting with Lesecha Tuna over here. And tonight's discussion is, again, about property. And as much as this is the first-time home buyer show, we have guests who come on the show who educate first-time home buyers. We do not only speak to first-time home buyers. And tonight, Lesecha has been in the property game since 2008. And just before we carry on, Lesecha, please say hi to our guests this evening. Good evening, good evening, guys. And nice to be here. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me. And let's talk about this. First introduce us. You do quite a few things. Your bio is this long. Very long. So let's talk a little bit about that. Tell us about, who is Lesecha? All right. Thank you very much, Stia. Lesecha, it's a very young guy. Am I young? Oh, yeah. It's a very young, dynamic individual. I'm a father of two.  And I'm a property investor. I started investing in property from 2008. And I'm still a full-time employee. They call it nine to five. But even by five, unfortunately, some of us will still be in Zoom meetings. So there's absolutely no nine to five for us. Exactly. And how is a juggling all of that? It's quite difficult. It requires a lot of discipline. It requires a lot of sacrifices. And being away from your family, because pre-COVID, we used to travel. I used to travel a lot as well. So I would be away from my family as well. And over the weekend, I try as much as I can to navigate my property journey and make sure that I do deals and go in view because you're not going to do deals if you don't do your property. Of course. And now, what was it that inspired you to get into property? I don't think there was a moment that actually inspired me. It was more of a natural progression. I was first a home buyer. And before I became a home buyer, I wanted to understand the environment in terms of what it actually means to be a property owner. So I then ventured and started looking for property. While looking for properties, there were a lot of things that I actually did not understand. I think at that time, we did not have YouTube, we didn't have these kind of shows as well, where one could actually tap into to go and look for things that, you know, as a first-time home buyer, we should actually look out for. I signed my first offer and during the week, you know, I signed it over the weekend, during the week, I cancelled that offer because I wasn't certain on a lot of things. Then eventually, I then joined one of the estate agents company as an intern, mainly to, not to any income, it would have been a bonus, but mainly to learn so that I could understand the environment and understand what is really going on as a property owner. And I'm all for experiential learning. And I think that a lot of the young kids and especially students when you are studying, it should take that opportunity to volunteer and to offer their free services to learn this because I feel like knowledge is power and no one can take that away from you. Absolutely. You said you didn't have YouTube so you gave away your age. You didn't have YouTube and now you know. No, we didn't have YouTube at that time. Let's talk about that home buying experience. That's because you said that, you know, you withdrew the offer a few weeks later. Within the week. Within that week, yeah. So what was your first time home buying experience like? Look, I don't think I had a checklist sort to say. I didn't know what I was actually looking for. What I knew that was that I don't want to rent anymore. And you know, it was time for me to, I didn't have a family at that time by the way. So I was staying with my brother. So I said, you know what, we've been renting. So it's time for us to go and look for a property. So we started looking for property. What kind of property where I really didn't have sort of a defined direction that I want to stay in Proterra North for an example. I'm looking for a flat. I didn't know the pros and cons of actually owning a flat, the pros and cons of owning a townhouse or a standalone house.  Yeah. I'm looking for a property to stay in. And now you know the pros and cons. Now I do. I do. I do know the pros and cons in terms of, you know, what kind of properties one should actually look at. And you know, your area as well, what are the things that you need to look at? Because there's signs behind each and every, whether you're talking about your strategy, whether you're talking about your area, because you don't just wake up. There is a children for example, but within the children, there are areas that you can look and say, this is what I want to focus on in century. You just spoke about strategy. And this is one of my questions actually, because you speak about it with in your introduction to me, you spoke about everyone needs to have a property strategy. Yes. Or even just a life strategy. What is your strategy to get by? Absolutely. You know, what is the strategy? My current strategy at the moment, it's just normal buy to let. And I've actually been doing buy to let for the past, you know, when I started in 2000, when I bought my first investment property, which is funny how I actually bought it in 2000 and 2009. So I've been doing buy to let. It was not a strategy that I adopted, because I was not conscious at that time that this is what I wanted to do. I just said I need to have a rental property. So not as an investment property, I did not know how to go about it as an investment. So from 2009 up until today, it has been more on buy to let. And what I'm actually focusing on at the moment is actually my to let and small block of flats. Okay. So that's your strategy. That is my current strategy. You said something happened with your first time you did this. Tell us that story. It was a Saturday. It is quite crazy. I think one thing that I actually only learned about it recently. One of the coaches we did a, I think they call it was dynamics. So it put me under a dealmaker. So I'm of a dealmaker. So conclude the deal and leave it on the table that people wouldn't just need to tie it up and ensure that the property does or they put a team basically, I think the power of the team actually comes in. So in 2009, I had a problem with my cell phone. It was a contact phone at that time. So I was working to stay in Putora North. I was working to, to under park more that I saw a bot auction, 11 o'clock the bot to the right. And just about 15 minutes before the auction. Remember, I only had my idea with me because I had a problem with my phone. So I then went to, to, to, to go to the auction just to see what was going on when then about four or five people just looking and the lady the auctioneer asked me, do you want to register? I said, no, not here. I just wanted to view. So no, you can't register. And I said, I don't have money to pay for registration fee. He said, no, there's nothing. I said, but I don't even have the deposit. Should I be a successful dealer? Because I did understand some of those terms and terms and a little bit of them at that time. Because remember, I started in 2008 as an intern agent. So I then went only to find that I was only one of those people who were there who, who registered. When the auction started at 11, and when the auction started, they started exactly at the time. If it's 11, it's 11. Don't come at five minutes after 11 and thinking that, you know, you, they will wait for you. They don't use African time. So to say, so 11 o'clock, it's 11 o'clock. So it started, you know, there were two properties, two bedroom, two bathroom, and a one bedroom flat. So two flats. And I raised my hand. I was the highest bidder. Did I do diligence? Absolutely not. I didn't do any due diligence, but I had the numbers in my mind. Say, I should buy it for so much because I knew what the rental was, although I did not take into account other costs of property ownership, your maintenance of work costs and so on. I just knew that if the rental is 3000 rent, and on average, I'm going to pay about 3000 rent, I must at least buy it for about 300,000 rent. So I had that sort of psychological number in my head because I do work with numbers at work. So that's how I actually put the properties on my way to go and solve my, to go and solve my issues. Then I end up buying two properties. It's a sign. I mean, that's not a coincidence. You talk about one of your skills being deal-making, right? And I think that that goes hand in hand with negotiating, the power of negotiating, which we always talk about on the show. And just to the viewers at home, we just spoke about a strategy. Let us know in the comments right now, what is your strategy? What is your property strategy? What do you have planned? How can you make the property journey easier for you? And how can we all, you know, build our property portfolio? Because I think that's the goal at the end of the day. And you've continued to do that. Yes, I've continued to do that. So let us know a little bit about that. Well, I've regarded it as a business because I went through training, attended seminars. I went through, you know, I've got a coach at the moment as well, because I said I want to take this as a business because the intention is at the end of the day, the passive income that one gets from it should be able to sustain us. And I should decide whether I want to continue with my nine to five, which is not nine to five, it could be nine to 11 o'clock in the evening. So I should actually decide. So that's actually the conscious decision that I took. I said, I'm going to invest as much as I possibly can. I remember one guy when I told him that I could pay about 70,000 rent for coaching. Whether it was worth it or not, it's another discussion altogether. So I paid about 70,000 rent for coaching and you could actually get that with one deal. Right. You understand, you could actually get that with one deal. So it's more of an investment rather than an expense that you think has. So I view that as an investment. Someone actually, someone, a previous guest on our show posted something recently. One of her mentors paid almost like a few hundred thousands for coaching. And she was like, why, why would you do that? And the way that he explained it was that the return on this is going to be so much better, so much bigger. So how important do you think it is to have a coach or a mentor? It's very important because those are people that will, that will work you through the journey and hold your hand so that you're not alone in this journey because there's so many mistakes that you can make. And you need to make sure that it is someone who's already paid the school fees and they are doing what you want to do because you want to either get at their level or be above what they've achieved. So it is very important that you, that you actually get a property coach or a mentor so that they are there. Once you get a deal, someone says, I've got a deal because sometimes you need to make a decision within an hour. Exactly. So you should be able to balance it with your coach and say, how do I handle it? Can I make that offer? Can I sign the offer? If I sign the offer, what are the conditions, the suspension conditions that I can put in that offer? Because those are actually important. Exactly. So if you don't have a mentor, if you don't have a coach and you're a first time home buyer, for example, or a first time investor and you don't have someone to hold your hand, so it could be a bit tricky. And the other thing is the coaches would actually help you.  It's either you can end that through 10 properties or with just one property, same effort. Yeah. You mentioned that even first time home buyers should have a mentor or a coach. I would advise them to do that. Yeah.  We're probably still not even permanent at our nine to five. And we want to buy property. And I think a lot of us, what we do is we rush into it. We're like, no, this is an investment. It's going to make me money. I'm going to do it. But then once you're in it, you realize levies, you realize all the hidden costs, and you're just bombarded with all this information. And I agree with you. I think it's extremely important to have a mentor. And not every mentor is expensive. They are mentors out there who can, you know, provide all the help, but at an affordable cost. Not even for free. Or even for free. Yeah, people. I was on a call with someone from Namibia, because we don't start chatting on Facebook in my DM. And so he sent me, I sent, you know, at his best, just send me a WhatsApp, although I think about a day to respond to his WhatsApp with all his questions. Then I said to him, you know, it would be better if we could just have a Zoom session for 15 minutes. Right. End up, it ended up being a 45 minute session. So he's in Namibia. So, and he was shocked that I'm still doing a nine to five, by the way. He was, he was shocked and say, but you're still doing this and you're still posting, you're still doing all these other things because it's a passion of mine as well. So there are people who are there. I'm not yet at the level that I think I can actually mentor someone because of, I just don't have time. Because I said to him, he said, no, can you mentor me? I said, a lot of people actually asking me that I could, you know, mentor them. But I said, unfortunately, I'm not available because one, I don't want your money. And then the next thing tomorrow you're going to accuse me that, you know, I, I, and I should, I should change you. So I don't want to do that. So I'm not yet available to, to mentor them to respond to a Facebook post. I can do that to respond to a DM. I do. And it actually takes my time. Exactly. So, so, so the, the, the pearls that I can, the pearls of wisdom that I think I can give, you know, the same as what you could actually be paying for thousands of land from, from someone else. And I think it's about shooting your shot.  And then if you have time to help me, you would. And I think there are mentors out there who are at the capacity, who are, who have the time, who will be willing to do it for free. I think the other thing is that the world has changed so much. There's information out there. Although you just need to know which information to filter. There's information out there. You can go to YouTube and say first time home buyer. There are a lot of YouTube videos that you'll actually get. You know, if you go to Google and Google, you know, there are a lot of people that have actually written about the experience of first time home buyer. So the experience is there. You just need to know and filter. Those that you believe is actually relevant for you. Exactly. Before even go out and look for a coach. Exactly. That's actually very true. And we always talk about research, research, research, research. Just a few weeks ago, we did a live panel discussion and it was about first time home buyers and what they need to consider. And you spoke about this earlier that there were things that you did not consider in your first time. Could you name like just three of the top of your head, three key points that you think? I think the first one would be the cost. I did not know the cost associated with property ownership. I see a lot of people posting on social media who then say, I did not know how much the, you know, the costs are involved in property ownership, especially when it comes to sectional titles. And there are people who don't understand sectional titles and full time title to say when it's come to sectional titles, there are levies. And levies can be quite expensive. Could be about, you know, almost a two thirds of your, of your boundary payments, by the way. So that's quite expensive. So the first one would be the cost associated with property ownership. The second one would be the area that you want to buy. So take as much time as you possibly can to research about your area. Like I said, there are, there is an area, there's a centurion, for example, as an example. And within centurion, there are areas that you can look at and those that you, you know, they may not actually be good. So all, all areas are actually not the same. Sometimes within the area, it could be that this street is worse than the other street. So you would then whittle it down and say, I have actually looked at the area. I'm looking at the section within the area and the street within the area as well. So those are things that are actually important. So I said, mentioned the cost, I should mention the area. I also mentioned the, you know, I think the cost, it also relates to your affordability as well. So don't think about now. People are buying now because the interest rate is 7%. Tomorrow, what if it goes up? So I always say stress test to your, your finances. I work on 10%. I take that interest rate currently is 10%. So if I go and apply to the board and I get 7% 7.5, it's all good. So I have actually built a buffer in my, in my, in my cost so that, you know, 10% it could go there in the next two, three years. So I'm still, I'm still covered. And I would have built my reserves as well. Exactly. Always be ready for the change that could happen. And we spoke about this with Netbank a few weeks ago on the show. You know, someone who was from the home loan department and she was like, yeah, it's all great and well now that property is, you know, it's a great time to invest. But what happens when we need to just shift everything and the interest rate just boons again? Are you ready for that? I love that you said we need to do a stress test on our finances because a lot of us don't do that but we're like, okay, cool. I can afford this. And then we go and we just invest. You spoke about the first time, you know, you said that lots of things came in your way that were like red flags almost. And I'd like to, I don't even want to know about the red flags. I want to know how we as first time home buyers can avoid these red flags. And what are, what are the red flags? Well, do your homework, know the area, know how much it will actually cost you to own the property. And also if you buy from either from developers or you buy, understand if you buy from developers, what are the pros and cons of buying directly from the developer? What are the pros and cons of buying? What I would say the second hand property. So understand all those costs and the dynamics. And also if you're going to buy into a sectional title, there's a portion that you own. This is what then you've got common property. So probably, you know, the cup hot may not even be yours. It's just sectional. It's yours, just that little space. But the entire property is common property. And what does that mean as well? And if they're making noise upstairs, you know, what does that mean as well? Is it an environment that you'd want your kids to grow up? If you don't, if you've got kids, if you don't have kids, is it an environment that you'd want to grow up in? And the other thing is, I don't think there was so much emphasis in terms of the offer to pay chase. I don't think it was actually explained to me thoroughly in terms of the, the terms of, I think it was before the CPA. So it was not thoroughly explained to me in terms of what are my obligations and what am I right? And what is it that is actually expected of me? And what are the consequences should I fail to deliver? So it was not thoroughly explained to me. So when I, with the benefit of hindsight, I then went back home and say, you know, I don't think it's something that I would want to, to continue with. So I then called them and, and I canceled. Fortunately, they didn't give me a hustle. Oh, nice. So there was an easy process to do. It was an easy process. And so I think the most important lesson here is how to avoid these red flags or is to do your homework is to, you know, whether it means getting a coach, whether it means researching on the internet, whatever you need to do to help yourself understand, because again, the terminology and the jargon used within the property sector is also a little bit intimidating for someone who knows absolutely nothing. True. But of any of the, but also don't server analysis by paralysis as well. So you analyze it too much that you end up not even taking action. I like that. I like that. So then there's a balance. Do your homework research as much as you can. Don't research. And at the end of the day, you are unable to take decisions. You need to take it this end of the day, because you need to go into your properties. You're not going to buy a property if you don't do that. But I, but a few that I did not view, but don't do that. I'll not advise you to do it. You bought a few that you didn't. But a few that I didn't see. So how did you see it? The only time I went to see those properties was when I went to fetch the keys. How did you know? How did you know that don't do it at home? Don't do this at home. Don't try this at home, ladies and gentlemen. It was an online, I think before, before long before COVID in 2016, the first one that I bought was in Rustenbeck. So I did a bit of research though, in terms of, yeah, you know, it was bought at the previous owners, it was a developer, bought it at 650,000. So I got it at 300,000. So I gave myself, I always give myself a buffer and say, you know, what if the kitchen, I need to replace the kitchen, it will cost me about 15,000. If I need to, if I need to replace the entire, you know, tiles, for example, this is how much it will actually cost. And fortunately when I went there, I just needed to replace a few tiles. The kitchen was still intact. The bath was still intact. So I got myself a. Oh, that was a bargain. It was a bargain. But don't try this at home. Don't try this at home. So I want to talk about a little bit of the lessons that you've learned, right? What are some of the lessons that you learned being on this journey? And if you could advise your 10 year old self, no, 18, 18 year old self, because you didn't have YouTube. If you, if there's something that you could tell your 18 year old self now about investments, what would you tell them? Well, investment is a long time, it's a long time gain. And it's, you know, you can buy a property today and start to get a tenant for two months. So build a buffer for that. So it's something that you then need to build into it so that you don't buy it today hoping that immediately get a tenant. Exactly. If you don't get a tenant or you don't get the tenant at the right price, what is going to happen? Are you prepared to, are you prepared for a situation where you may have to adjust your rental, for example, because you need to be quite flexible. So it is, the first thing is it is a long time gain. Be there for the long haul. And secondly, learn as much as you can.  Like I said, shoot your shot. Don't be afraid of shooting or DMing someone and saying, I like what you're doing, you know, I need assistance with one, two and three. Can we do this? And a network with as many people as you possibly can. And, you know, like now, at times I couldn't kind of even believe it, that this particular person is calling me and saying this is this particular deal that I wanted to look at. Can we go for it? People that I've been looking up to never thought that would, would. Now, partnering with you. Quite strangely, it's people that we have not even met in person, but we've been meeting each one because of COVID. Yeah. So I think besides the lessons that you've learned and all the advice that you've given us now, right, I think it's so important to understand that to not beat yourself up about it, you know, to always look at how far you've come and look and be grateful for, you know, you've made these big steps. There are some people like you said, you've never even met them. And again, that's, it could be risky. It could be like, do I want to do a deal with this person or not. And again, research about the people that you work with is also important. You talk about a power team. And you've said how we can make up that power team is about networking, shooting your shot, meeting people and just being open to not only making these deals, but also open to change. Right. And I think it's so important because I always say this is that, yes, cool. It's great to do things alone. It's great to, I feel like for me, a team is so important to do this with a group of people, whether it's a sister, a brother, your wife, your husband. But to have someone, a support structure is very important for me. And to have that throughout the process is obviously beneficial in the long run. So again, on the topic of power team, right, I'm sure there are some mornings where you're just like, I can't today. I can't. I have to do a nine to five. I have to do my other hustles afterwards. What keeps you motivated? I think it's the fact that I, the vision that I have for my family, I want to buy my time back. So that at the moment, I don't have my time. So my time is mostly dictated by the type of work that I do. You know, I can decide that I'm going to go to the gym at six o'clock. Then, you know, just before you go to bed, you get a message that you need to have a meeting at seven o'clock or at six o'clock. As an example, you decide that, you know, I need to go to, you know, see my friends after hours, six o'clock, for example, in the evening. At six o'clock, you're still in the meeting. So I want to buy my time. So I should work because I want to. And also the type of the future that I want for my family, they are the ones that are actually keeping me going.  My son was complaining that Daddy, which was telling the mother yesterday, that I think it would be better if Daddy was waking at three o'clock. So they also thought, because pick and pay is just here. So he thought that if I was waking at pick and pay, you know, they could always go there and see me because they had to see me at times. Although I do type my utmost best to be there because he plays soccer, I want to watch him play. And we discuss his soccer when we come back from work. So it's mainly the future that I want. And also the fact that I believe that there is so much that I also, I'm a giver. And, you know, you can't give from an 80 cup. So there's so many people that I still want to help. And there are many people that I'm helping as well, where I can. And so I think there's still room that one can actually, you know, can actually give. And can only do that once you've got sufficient assets and sufficient income. But you can actually assist other people. You spoke about helping and giving back. And when I read a little bit of your introduction, you spoke about the importance of property education. Why is property education so important for you? I think as to avoid making mistakes. Because if I have made mistakes, why should the next person could be hiding and making the very same mistakes? Because I should be able to say to them, you know, these are the pitfalls that you need to avoid. Don't make these mistakes. I've already made these mistakes. Why? There is already a template that you can use for you to propel you to go to the next level. You might have taken me five years, for example, to end 10,000 rent per month income, net income, it can actually take you just one deal. It doesn't have to take you 10 years or five years. But it has actually taken other people. So I think the important of education is that you are empowered. You know, even if you lose a deal, I can go and make another deal.  So if I want to make 500,000 from a deal, I can actually do that. And as an investor, I always say we are there to solve other people's problems. And in the process, we'll get paid. How do you ensure to inspire others besides educating them and helping us not make the same mistakes? I want to take it back. We are in June. Let's talk about the youth. Let's talk about how you inspire. How do you ensure to inspire the youth just before they get into property, before they even decide what they're going to study at university? Look, the theoretical education is important. But practical education is even important as well. Or should I say, important. So it's actually important as well. And I actually volunteered while I was still a student. I was, you know, we used to run a Saturday school. So I volunteered my services. So share of people that you aspire. Look at them. And I always say, I was saying, TJ the other day that, you know, he has actually been mentoring me from a distance. So, you know, we haven't met, but we are moving along in terms of some of the, you know, projects that we wanted to do. And so you don't have to be so closer to a person for them to aspire. Look at them. What is it that you like about them? And what are the lessons that you can learn from them and take from them and own them? You don't have to replicate what they are doing or copy them, be yourself, but find your niche and look at them and say, if I could be like Lesita for an example, who's doing a nine to five? Who's also a property investor? And who's also involved in all these other things? You know, why would it be impossible for me to do? It is possible for everyone to do. So I think what I would be the inspiration to them is, you know, there's a lot of things that you still need to do. And, you know, you need to, they need to work hard, unfortunately. And if you find yourself that you still need to do your nine to five, you knock off at eight o'clock, then you must then say between eight and 12 o'clock, it's your time for your property journey. If you're doing property, whatever that you're doing. So give it your time and say between this time and this time, you know, I'm not going to sleep at nine. You know, you're going to have to sleep at 12 o'clock and slot it for for the next five years until you've really achieved the thing that you actually wanted to achieve. Because that is important. And I think it's so important to also set deadlines, right? Deadlines and putting out the certain time that you're going to do this thing because we also can't reach burnout and overwork yourself. And I think what's so important is a lot of people need to understand that doing nothing is doing something. If there's a time that you need to take an hour to just sit and read and not worry about anything, and that will get you refocused again. I think that's something that we need to be okay with. It's not really unproductive. That's something that I learned recently. Just before we close off, I have one more question. Your property journey, it's since 2008. If you could write a book about this property journey that Lacecha went through, and tell us what the title would be, and then tell us what the ending would look like. I think the title of, let me start with the ending. The ending of that book would take the reader through the journey of where one started and also what is possible. If I say you could buy a private jet, it is possible that you can actually do that. So the journey would be the success of a person in terms of enjoying the time with your family and enjoying the time with the loved ones. You don't have to wake up at five o'clock because you have to. You just wake up at five o'clock because you want to because you are inspired. You enjoy what you're doing. And the title of my book, I've actually not ever thought of it. I remember we were having a debate the other day with Dumiz from Ekkasi Properties. And I was saying to him, no, he even did a poll on his Facebook page and said, between you and I, we should write a book. And his follower said, no, it's him. And I said, it's something about the Ekkasi properties. So I think if I could write a book, it's something that I'll think about. We don't have to answer that now. So we're going to follow you on social media. And we're going to follow up with this book, you know, because I feel like whether it's a movie, a book, like the title kind of defines everything. Let's say after two years, two years, we're giving, we're going to hold you accountable. 21, 21, 2023, 2023. We are going to hold you accountable to this, myself and the viewers. I agree. Two years. Thank you so much. Last, last, last question. Very important question for me. I finally defined it for myself a few weeks ago. Generational wealth. What does that mean for you? Generational wealth. It actually means that my kids will, doesn't mean that they're not going to work. They are going to work even harder, but they know that they are actually secured. So they don't have to go and look for a job and to go and hand out CVs. They know that there is a business at home and they will be working in the business. So the generational wealth for me, because I always say, I'm not preparing for my kids. I'm preparing for my great-grandchildren. Yes. That is the future that I'm actually preparing for. Even the way the portfolio is actually structured. It's not for my kids. It's for my great-grandchildren. So the generational wealth for me, it basically means that my kids will not have to worry about the finances. They will not have to worry about having to work. They've got all the freedom for them to explore their talents. If they don't want to work, they want to be a ballerina dancer. They want to be a soccer player. It is entirely up to them. Thank you so much. Do you have any final words for first time home buyers specifically? Well, I'll actually say to them, look, go and view as many properties as you can and don't be wood winged either by an agent or by the seller and go for the first house that you see. View as many houses as you possibly can. And once you've viewed the house, the one that you like, always saying go at night, around eight, nine, because if you view the property around five, it could be quite, go and view the property in the evening as well. Just drive around the neighborhood, not necessarily the house, but around the neighborhood. Is it a neighborhood that you can stay in at night? Is it a neighborhood that you can stay in in the evening? So that's my advice to the first-time home buyers. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. To everyone at home, that's absolutely amazing advice. I think I've never heard that one before. To drive around in the evening, because that's when you can understand the neighborhood, understand the neighbors, understand what you're going to be dealing with for the next couple of years. And if it is going to be your home, you're going to be loving there for a few years. If it is a property investment, understand what your tenants are going to be experiencing. Because I think the best property investors are those who can, someone once said on the show, if I can love you, then I can put tenants in you. So always keep that in mind. You don't want to buy a property in an area where you can't even take your kids with. Exactly. So thank you so much. To everyone at home, thank you so much. Please join us again next week Wednesday, same time, same place. And do not forget we have absolutely amazing content coming to you every weekday.


We're in one shape or one thousand here. We're in Whispering Pines state park or forest or whatever. Yeah, what are we doing? We're geocaching but We're gonna try out. She's already started. So I guess she couldn't wait. It's a sub above Jersey Mike subs Okay, now I've never had them and she hasn't either. How is it monk? I Just took our cache back over and put it back where it was Like I said, we're geocaching. So I'm gonna give this a shot Now this place is really cool Just opened up here in our town I've never heard of them She heard of them, but she's never been out been there before so this place like they cut their own cheese and they put it out there and Your meat they actually cut it right there with the slicing machine So they don't have it all. It's not like all pre-packaged It's kind of like a deli style. So it's pretty cool.  Sorry about the lighting. It's it's actually what time is it like Right here It's uh, 245. It looks dark, but I don't know if you can hear off in the distance. It's thundering and I got a giant one here Monkey just got a regular And I just got ham and provolone on mine and jalapenos and mayonnaise and there's bacon on here. So let's give us a shot See if we look at all that All right. Got mine on white bread. She's got hers on wheat Mmm Wow Ten times better than subway.  That's all you're getting a salad on a bun. Yeah and Like I'll ask I'll ask for extra meat and extra cheese And they'll give it lettuce thing in tomato. I'm like, no Are you sure because it doesn't cost extra?  I'll give it I'll give it an eight out of ten. Oh, yeah, definitely Yeah, very good very fresh um Yeah, uh, so Definitely eight out of ten eat. I've had better and I'm gonna give it nine Or nine out of ten. What do you think? Huh? Yeah. Yeah Okay guys, so there you go Here it is Jersey mikes subs The sub above instead of the cat above It's pretty cool Sorry, I got to hurry but looking like it's going to storm it's supposed to so Anyway guys So All right, so yeah, I give it a nine two thumbs up Uh So anyway Yeah, show it to you again Awesome. So please in the comments below. Please let us know if you've been there Or if you have one near you that you haven't been yet and you're planning on it. Let us know Let's uh start a conversation, huh monk? So it's pretty cool. Jersey mikes. What's that say? I don't know. Oh, she's got oh there's something on the back Help nourish help flourish be a sub above I'll read it to you real quick and then we got to go because A sub Can be more than just a well-made meal a sub Can say something actually a sub can say a whole lot of things About where it comes from About the people who made it Excuse me About how they made it A sub can be a declaration That ingredients matter The people matter and the sandwiches matter too a well-made sub can say it all Without ever saying a single word jersey mikes.com Pretty cool. All right. I got a goal monk Monkey says she's out for now y'all She's taking a drink. Mm-hmm. Sorry like I think it's gonna blow over. I think we'll be fine. Well, there's a couple more in here So I'm gonna eat half this sub and then we'll see if we can find another one. Yeah, these are fun We already found one in here, but it was way over on the other end over there So we're gonna I'm gonna eat this and we'll look for another one. We'll see if we can find it So Uh, I don't want to tell you that this is totally a different video Shea bear the myth man legend. I'm gone for now. I forgot I'm making a video in a video. So Okay I just ate mine. We'll see you guys soon. Bye. Bye and take care. That's fun


This time on Partners, it's a voyage to the Pacific Islands, from a Hawaiian farmer's battle with a banana-killing virus, to Panipay's hope for economic independence through the power of pearls, to a Guam 4-H agent's quest to reach youth at risk through fishing. Pacific land-grad institutions are hard at work serving the residents of this vast region. We are working with the people there to help improve their lives. Welcome to Partners. In the next half hour, we'll travel the nation and see breakthrough work in research, education, and extension. That's what CSR EES is all about, helping universities generate valuable knowledge for those who need it, and educating our next generation of Americans. And now, it's time for Partners. For many, the Pacific conjures up images of blue ocean, palm trees, and idyllic beaches. But this vast region is much more complex than a simple postcard image. The area is famous for its diverse indigenous cultures, small rural villages, bustling urban cities, and distinctive agricultural endeavors with crops such as papaya, taro, and breadfruit. Far from the shores of the continental United States is a group of dynamic land-grant educational institutions that are meeting the challenges of this unique region. They are American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia, the University of Guam, Northern Marianas Community College, and the University of Hawaii. The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service of USDA has taken a keen interest in supporting various projects of these Pacific land-grant schools. Our agency has a responsibility to work with the agricultural partnership out there of the land-grant to help those institutions work to make a better life for the people of the islands. Because of this, CSR EES has financially supported the land-grant educational institutions throughout the region and ADAP, the Agricultural Development in the American Pacific Program. The partnership strives to solve problems involving natural and human resources. For the next half hour, we'll embark on a 7,000-mile journey halfway around the globe and see just a few of the innovative projects spearheaded by the land-grant institutions of the Pacific. This is a land of lush vegetation, friendly people, crystal clear waters, idyllic bays, and while Panape appears to be paradise, like any other place, it also has its problems. Depending on the study, officials estimate unemployment here anywhere from 22 to 70 percent. Jobs are scarce and subsistence living is a way of life for many. Some get by producing wood carvings of exquisite beauty, but finding buyers is a problem. Panape's tourism industry is in its infancy. Because of its remoteness, the island only receives about 4,000 visitors annually. Others who can't find work get by the best way they can. With an average age of 19, Panape has an extremely young population and the need for work opportunities is paramount. We get people that call in almost every day looking for jobs, young people, able people. Cingero Cingeo works for the College of Micronesia, the island nation's land-grant institution. The Federated States of Micronesia has an agreement with the United States called a Compact of Free Association. And while the country presently gets annual USAID, the most recent arrangement stipulates that the nation has 18 years in which to become economically independent. In response to this, Cingero and others at the college are exploring new ways to create jobs on the island. If we are able to establish some sort of pearl farms in some of the islands based on the technology that has been adapted to simple ways of handling it, then it will be easier for the farms to be established in these many other islands and for young people to have jobs. Pearls mean big money for some Pacific islands. In the 1970s, French Polynesia began to develop a black pearl industry that now grosses over 120 million dollars annually. Understandably, they have been protective in sharing their production techniques in order to preserve their niche in this lucrative industry. The black pearl is highly coveted and fetches top prices in international markets. Pearls also have the advantage of not being perishable, and transportation costs from remote islands are minimal due to their diminutive size and weight. With Ponape's rich nutrient waters, the stage was set to develop an aquaculture industry. Or was it? We knew there are some pearl oysters in the islands, but we couldn't produce enough to have farm, and so that's why we needed the technology to do this. Enter Masahiro Ito, a marine biologist by trade. Masahiro is an accomplished scientist in pearl aquaculture. But it's his ability to choose appropriate technologies for the developing nations in Micronesia that has proved most valuable. We don't need high technology equipment, and we just need long lines, ropes, ropes, and oyster, and they have a natural environment to grow oyster and pearls. With limited resources, Masahiro has established a nursery, trained a local staff, and conducted research with Ponape oysters to see which will produce the optimum color of gem. The pearl production is a complex, multi-step process, taking several years to deliver a product. The first step is that we go to this lagoon and natural environment, and then collect, find the oyster. The goal of this oyster search is not to find pearls. In the wild, only one out of 10,000 oysters may produce a pearl. Rather, these natural specimens will provide the sperm to fertilize the eggs of the next generation of oysters. Then bring back to the hatchery here and propagate. At the hatchery, we spawn them. Masahiro has taught his staff low-tech methods to complete the spawning. For instance, since hot seawater is needed to stimulate the secretion of the sperm, Dr. Ito instructs his staff to use abundant local wood for the fire, rather than expensive electric heaters. Each oyster is carefully handled by the workers during the spawning. 400,000 larvae will be produced from this process. In three weeks, that will produce 100,000 baby oysters, about an inch-and-a-half in diameter. After hatchery, we transfer these babies to the grow-out farm and grow them two years. This is the ocean nursery phase of the project. Baby oysters nurtured in the hatchery are placed in nets and transported by boat to protected natural lagoons. To encourage pearl production, mature oysters are removed from the nets so that an implant can be inserted. In response to the implant, the oysters begin to produce pearls. The team checks the condition of the oysters and nets monthly, removing sea growth that is detrimental to the process. It is a labor-intensive business, one that promises great financial returns and precious jobs for the people of Micronesia. Last summer, they were able to extract the 10-month-old pearl that showed that pearls of such quality, roundness, and right color could be produced in this area using the hatchery technology and all the procedures that he has taught to his boys. That training has paid off. Masahiro Ito and his staff have established three ocean nurseries. One on remote Pakinatol off the coast of Panipay will eventually offer its 30 residents relief from their subsistence agricultural existence. Today, however, the crew heads to nearby Param Island to inspect the oysters there. Masahiro When he first came here, we agreed that his job is to train Micronesians to show the technology it can work. That was part of the intention, was to make something very simple that when people look at it, they want to say, ah, we can do this in other places. We focus on those programs that help raise the level of quality of life for people, whether it's in nutrition, youth, employment, projects like the pearl. And I really believe that without the land grant funding that we're receiving, I think we really, a lot of these things cannot be happening. The College of Micronesia serves three nations, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. It is an area as large as the continental United States, with residents speaking seven native languages. Here on the big island of Hawaii, less than a mile from the Windward Coast, is the fertile plantation of the Mauna Kea Banana Company. Its owner, Richard Ha, has been farming on this island for the past 30 years. People eat a lot of bananas, it's the most popular fruit. And we grow it here with the largest farm in the state. And that also means it's the largest farm in the United States. Bananas are popular in Hawaii, generating $10 million annually. It's easy to see why at the weekly farmers market here in Hilo. Hawaiian grown varieties account for most of the bananas consumed by the state's residents. The local crop provides fresh, affordable nutrition for the islanders. Banana prices haven't gone up in the last 10, 15 years as long as I can remember. But all the other costs have gone up. So we really operate on a very thin margin and we're competing against Central America as far as labor is concerned. So it's a very precarious situation. That situation became even more serious when Richard's farm was hit by a disease called Banana Bunchy Top Virus, or BBTV. As the name suggests, the tops of the banana plants become contorted or bunched up. Inside, the virus enters the cells, taking over the protein and DNA synthesizing machinery. This saps the plant of its energy to produce fruit. That means fewer plants and fewer bunches to harvest. So the plants are significantly diminished in their health such that they do not grow and they do not yield properly at all. Scott Nelson is an extension plant pathologist from the state's land grant institution. The University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has been working with Richard Ha on the BBTV problem. When we find diseased plants, it's important that they are removed as quickly as possible from the field so that they do not serve as a source of disease for neighboring plants. We found the Bunchy Top Virus on our farm in KL and it was widespread enough that it was going to be impossible to just take out the ones that were infected and still have a viable farm because there would be too many holes in it. So we took the whole thing out and to do that out of the blue, it kind of gets your attention. The infestation cost Richard 100 acres of productive trees. In the competitive banana business where daily operations are fine-tuned to shave even a cent off the per pound price, the impact was dramatic.  Bananas are probably one of the most important staple food crops throughout the Pacific. If we can develop some technologies to prevent banana Bunchy Top from destroying this valuable food source, what it means is almost indescribable to the people of the Pacific because they rely so heavily on this plant for everyday food. Back at the University of Hawaii's main campus in Honolulu, scientists and students from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources are attacking the problem. The research, funded by CSREES, is focusing on how the virus spreads to banana plants. Part of the project incorporates global positioning system satellite technology. We gave growers that are participating in the project GPS units like this one and they go out in the field and as they're sampling for sick plants with Bunchy Top they just press a little button and gather the GPS position of that one plant. Back at the lab, co-investigator Mark Wright plots each plant on a grid. Distances between the plants are precisely measured and the spread of the virus caused by the banana aphid insect is tracked. What we hope is that at the end we can come up with a system where if the farmer finds one sick plant he can cut that one plant and maybe cut a few more plants surrounding it to avoid the spread of the disease. You want to be sure that you have the least number of plants removed so that the farmer is still profiting from this management strategy but you also want to be sure that he's reducing the amount of disease out in the field. Finding that fine balance is just one part of the research. What Rigo and his team are also taking on Pentalonia nigronervosa, the banana aphid responsible for spreading the virus. This slide here shows one approach to decreasing the insect's numbers. That's a little aphid banana aphid which was inoculated or infected with a fungus and the fungus is growing inside the aphid and killing the aphid. We're looking at some fungal biocontrol agents that may help reduce aphid populations and there's also a little fly that can kill the aphids that we're doing some research on. Back on the big island, growers like Richard Ha are glad to work with the University of Hawaii in finding solutions for virus control. That effort is just in time. In the aggressive world of banana production, strong healthy plants are vital to their future. It's a thin margin business and you've got to really be careful and there's not much room for error but the disease is manageable. With CSR EES support, ADAP, the agricultural development in the American Pacific Program has started many projects from satellite communications between the five land grants to healthy living in the Pacific. Saipan is the most populated island in the CNMI, the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. But much of this U.S. territory is rural, with rich farms meeting blue ocean. This is basic island farming, where many supplement their food supply with a pig or two. With veterinarians in short supply, especially on the more remote islands, CSR EES has funded an innovative program that teaches local people to become paravets, trained volunteers who help farmers with livestock care. I was born here, raised here.  Jeffrey Castro has just completed the paravet training administered by Northern Mariana's Community College, the local land-grant institution. Today, he visits George Salas to take a look at his pigs. There's a real demand for paravets. There are so many farmers that I spoke to and ranchers that have no idea what to do, where to seek help, who to talk to in case there's an outbreak or a sickness in their livestock. We don't charge any fee. We're just here to help the ranchers, so they learn how to treat their animals. The first paravets of this program were trained in American Samoa, but the project extends beyond the American land-grant system. The Fiji-based secretariat of the Pacific community was instrumental in the project's curriculum development and is now administering the project to other islands in the region. Having a safe, local food supply is fundamental to all the islands of the Pacific. With the popularity of pork and beef here, healthy livestock is essential. We were able to get a lot of help from land-grant as far as husbandry of the pigs and using of the salas and also composting. We've been quite grateful for their assistance and helping us maintain our hog operations. Back in Saipan, it's the weekend and family seaside picnics are in full swing. Having a paravet program will help ensure safe meals for all residents here. For the local people of the CNMI, they could expect more services from animal health, animal nutrition, animal husbandry management. In addition to being a veterinarian, Alan is an extension livestock specialist. He led the paravet training in the northern Marianas that drew students from many of the surrounding islands. Back at George Salas's farm, Jeffrey inoculates some of this year's new piglets. I really love to help ranchers and I really love to not only educate them in a way but to consult with them what's happening to their livestock and what can they do to try and prevent sicknesses. As of early 2005, the paravet program has certified 45 new paravets, now serving farmers throughout the Pacific region. Today, this group of fouragers is boarding Island Girl at the Agana Boat Base in Harbor. They are part of an outreach project developed by the University of Guam to teach teens life and leadership skills through fishing. Volunteer and former member Paul Long. It's great when you know how to catch something and you go and catch something you're looking for. So I try to pass on what I know so that they can have the same experience. Paul and the group are out for a day of deep-sea fishing off the coast of Guam. These are serious waters. The largest Pacific Marlin ever caught came from here. So before the kids embark on this adventure, they are well-schooled in the fine points of fishing. I learned how to tie lures. I learned how to tie knots. I learned about tides in the water, what fish come out at what times. Paul went through the same training as these teens years ago when he was only 10. Now he teaches others what he knows about fishing. Members are taught how to make their own lures, take care of equipment and learn about water safety. Guam, a U.S. territory, is like many communities on the American mainland. There's traffic congestion, fast food strips, and the usual problems that can put youth at risk. The 4-H fishing program helps keep their members occupied. You know, when you have youngsters and they get bored and stuff like that, they know that there are other things out there besides computers, you know, shopping. There's outdoors. Fishing helps them to want to just fish instead of go out and do other things. A little bit about selling your fish. A lot of kids fall into drugs and alcohol, drugs most especially. Since we've joined the program, you know, why do that?  The group hears from a local fish broker about the economics, processing, and marketing of fish. When the program started 24 years ago, it only demonstrated the cultural aspects of fishing. They've learned the basics. And the basics is hard work. You know, I've been taught from the beginning that you always have to work to be successful. You'll never be successful unless you work hard. It's really linking experiential learning to life skills, and that's what we wanted to do with the kids. The partnerships Ted has established with volunteer trainers and local vendors, like the Big Hook Fishing Shop, have made this program possible. 4-Hers receive a discount on all gear in the store. How we work with the boat, how we work with the stores, you know, it's really a community project. But CSRIES provide really the basic funding for our staffing. Back on the boat, the fish are starting to hit, and now the kids have a chance to put their newly learned skills to work. I'm tired. Go for it. All right. Soon there's another strike. This time it's a mahi-mahi, with a lot of fighting. It's been a busy day aboard Island Girl. Five fish were landed, and a five-foot shark was brought to the boat but then released. Afterwards, the gang gathers on the bow to swap fish stories and tell a few jokes. For Ted Ead, it's been another successful day for his group on the water. He takes all of us in extension and research and the whole community to provide projects like this. We hopefully help our young people succeed in life. From 4-H fishing on Guam, to the Paravet Program of American Samoa and Saipan, from the Black Pearl Oyster Farm of Ponepe, to the Banana Disease Research on Hawaii, the accomplishments of the Pacific Land Grant Schools are many and diverse, and CSRIES is dedicated to supporting their quest to help people of the Pacific, now and in the future. On the next episode, Partners explores the 1890 institutions of the Land Grant System. These are institutions that are willing to serve people, to allow people who otherwise might be denied education, accessibility to that education, and I think it is a gift. From North Carolina ANT's research with biosensors that speedily detect food contamination, to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluffs Aquaculture Program for River Delta Farmers. 1890 Land Grants are serving the people of America. That's all next time on Partners. For more information on Pacific Land Grants, log on to this website.


My name is Sam Wagner. I'm the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited. Ambient abuse, also known as gaslighting, is the stealth, subtle, underground current of maltreatment that sometimes goes unnoticed even by the victim herself until it is too late. Ambient abuse penetrates and permeates everything, but it is difficult to pinpoint and identify. Gaslighting is ambiguous, equivocal, atmospheric, diffuse, hence its insidious and pernicious effects. It is by far the most dangerous kind of abuse there is. Ambient abuse or gaslighting, they are the outcomes of fear, fear of violence, fear of the unknown, fear of the unpredictable, the capricious, the arbitrary, the pending. Ambient abuse is perpetrated by dropping subtle hints, by disorienting, by constant and unnecessary lying, by persistent doubting and demeaning, and by inspiring an air of unmitigated gloom and doom. Ambient abuse, therefore, is the fostering, the propagation and the enhancement of an atmosphere of fear, of intimidation, of instability, unpredictability and irritation. There are no acts of traceable, explicit abuse. There are no visible manipulative settings of control. Yet, ambient abuse yields an irksome feeling, a kind of disagreeable foreboding, a premonition, a bed omen, it's in the air. In the long term, such an environment erodes the victim's sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Self-confidence is shaken badly. Often, the victim adopts a paranoid, or schizoate stance, keeps away from society, and thus renders herself exposed even more to criticism and judgment. In ambient abuse, the roles are reversed. The victim is considered by everyone to be mentally deranged and unstable, and the abuser is universally acclaimed as the suffering soul and victim. There are five categories of ambient abuse, and they are often combined in the conduct of the same abuser. First of all, there is inducing disorientation. The abuser causes the victim to lose faith in her ability to manage and to cope with the world and with its demands. She no longer trusts her own senses. Her skills, she doubts her skills, she doubts her strengths, she doubts her family, doubts her friends. She doubts fundamentally the predictability and benevolence of her environment. The abuser subverts the target's focus by disagreeing with her way of perceiving the world, by arguing with her judgment, by disputing the facts of her existence, by criticizing her insesence, and by offering plausible, but specious, wrong, fallacious alternatives. The abuser constantly lies, and by constantly lying, he blurs the line between reality and nightmare. By recurrently disapproving of her choices and actions, the abuser shreds the victim's self-confidence and shudders her self-esteem. By reacting disproportionately to the slightest mistake she makes, he intimidates her to the point of paralysis. Second type of gaslighting is incapacitating. The abuser gradually and surreptitiously takes over functions and chores previously, adequately, and skillfully performed by the victim. The victim finds herself isolated from the outer world, a hostage to the good will, or more often the ill will, of the abuser, of her captor. She is crippled by his encroachment and by the inexorable dissolution of her boundaries, and she ends up totally dependent on her tormentous whims and desires, plans and strategies. She needs his permission to go out to the world and to interact with anyone. Moreover, the abuser engineers impossible, dangerous and unpredictable situations that are unprecedented or highly specific. And in these situations, he makes sure that he is solely needed. The abuser leverages his knowledge, his skill, his connections or his traits as the only applicable and the most useful ones in the situations that he himself has engineered. The abuser generates, thus, his own indispensability and forces in the victim, growing dependence. The third type of ambient abuse is what is known as shared psychosis, or previously, it was called foley à deux in French. The abuser creates a fantasy world, and in this fantasy world, this fantasy world is inhabited by himself and by his victim. And it is besieged by imaginary enemies invented by the abuser. He allocates to the abuser, to the victim, the role of defending this invented and surreal universe. She must swear to secrecy, she must stand by her abuser no matter what. She must lie, fight, pretend, off escape and do whatever it takes to preserve this oasis of inanity and insanity. Her membership in the abuser's kingdom is cast as a privilege and a prize, but it is not to be taken for granted. She has to work hard to earn her continued affiliation in this world. She is constantly being tested and evaluated by the abuser. Inevitably, this interminable stress reduces the victim's resistance and her ability to see strength. The fourth type of ambient abuse involves the abuse or misuse of information. From the first moment of an encounter with another person, the abuser is on the prowl. He collects information. The more he knows about his potential victim, the better able he is to coerce, to manipulate, to charm, to extort, to convert the victim. The abuser does not hesitate to misuse the information he had gleaned. Regardless of its intimate nature or the circumstances in which he had obtained the information. This is a powerful tool. Finally, there is control by proxy. If all the previous tactics fail, the abuser recruits friends, colleagues, mates, family members, the authorities, institutions, neighbors, the media, teachers, anyone, any third party to do his bidding. He uses these people and institutions to cajole, to coerce, to threaten, to stalk, to offer, to retreat, to tempt, to convince, to harass, to communicate and otherwise to manipulate his target. He controls these unaware people and instruments exactly as he plans to control his ultimate prey. He employs the same mechanisms and devices to move his third parties and proxies around. As he does later to order the victim around. And he dumps his props unceremoniously when the job is done. Another form of control by proxy is to engineer situations in which the victim is forced to abuse a third party. Such carefully crafted scenarios of embarrassment and humiliation provoke inevitably social sanctions. So the victim is condemned or even physically punished. Society or a social group thus become the instrument of the abuser. He first provokes the victim into socially unacceptable behavior and then uses society to punish the victim.