On today’s episode of the Real Estate Diplomat, we're embarking on a truly inspirational journey with Tony and Thera Messina. A couple whose life story reads like an adventure novel, yet it's their heart and purpose that truly captivate. I had the privilege of meeting Tony and Thera in 2023, and it was an honor to assist them in selling their home—a pivotal step that has enabled them to pursue their lifelong dream of traveling the world and volunteering to make a difference wherever they go.

The Messinas shared their incredible story of leaving their corporate jobs to embark on a global journey of exploration, philanthropy, and self-discovery. They discussed their motivations, the fears they overcame, the lessons they've learned, and their visions for the future, including a fascinating segue into creating a wellness and community center in Costa Rica. With experiences across 60 countries, their journey is a testament to personal growth, the kindness of strangers, and the universal spirit of giving back. For those inspired to follow in their footsteps, Tony and Thera shared practical advice on budgeting, travel, and making a positive impact while exploring the world. It’s a compelling listen for anyone interested in adventure, philanthropy, and living life on their own terms.

Learn more at: https://tonyandthera.com/

Get engaged in this global community by joining our Facebook Group by clicking here. Follow for updates and more content on Instagram @therealestatediplomat

From Chicago to Costa Rica: The Real Estate Adventure with Rebecca Clower

Host Aaron Masliansky talks to Rebecca Clower about her transition from a Tampa realtor to a real estate industry leader in Costa Rica. On her journey, she moved from property management to real estate, eventually venturing into property development. She discusses her company, Blue Water Properties, the importance of ethical standards within realtor associations, and her role as president of the Association of Real Estates Agents in Costa Rica. Co-existing with the cultural diversity in Costa Rica has influenced her business operations significantly. The conversation covers the benefits of MLS in property marketing, challenges surrounding foreign financing, and insights for potential investors in Costa Rica. Rebecca also promotes her forthcoming YouTube series, 'Purchasing in Paradise,' which showcases life in Costa Rica and the essence of the real estate business there. The dialogue concludes with a warm invitation for listeners to visit Costa Rica and explore the country's real estate potential.

00:00 Introduction and Host's Background

00:48 Exploring the Idea of International Real Estate

01:39 Guest Introduction: Becky's Journey

02:15 Becky's Early Life and Move to Costa Rica

03:07 Transition from Tampa Realtor to Costa Rica Real Estate Luminary

04:42 The Evolution of Becky's Real Estate Business

07:09 The Challenges and Rewards of Moving to Costa Rica

12:51 The Impact of Bilingualism and Biculturalism on Becky's Career

14:07 The Role of Media in Becky's Real Estate Business

18:04 The Importance of Professionalism in Costa Rica's Real Estate Market

19:59 Discussion on Current Controversies in Real Estate

22:44 Building Relationships with Clients

23:15 Challenges and Successes in Implementing MLS

24:02 Impact of the Pandemic on Real Estate

25:27 Buying Property in Costa Rica: The Process

29:44 Financing Options for Foreigners

30:57 Property Management and Rental Services

34:23 Introducing 'Purchasing in Paradise' Show

38:43 Future Plans and Ventures

40:47 Contact Information and Final Thoughts

More Information on Rebecca:

Website: https://bluewaterpropertiesofcostarica.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becky.savitskyclower

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebeccaClower

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaclower/

Welcome back to the Real Estate Diplomat podcast! In this exciting episode, we come to you live from the beautiful landscapes of Costa Rica, specifically from Guanacaste! Joining us on this captivating journey are two esteemed guests who are leading figures in the real estate industry.

Our first guest is Linda Hattar, the Chairwoman of the Global Real Estate Council for the Chicago Association of Realtors and the Vice President of Aco Commercial. Linda's extensive expertise and leadership have made a significant impact on the real estate landscape in Chicago and beyond.

Accompanying Linda is the dynamic Alonzo Abron, the Vice Chairman of the Global Real Estate Council for the Chicago Association of Realtors and the President of A Progeny Global. With his wealth of experience, Alonzo has been driving innovation in the real estate sector, leaving a profound mark in the industry.

Together, we are here on a trade mission with the Chicago Association of Realtors, getting the chance to meet visionary leaders of the Costa Rica Global Association of REALTORS and connect with local Realtors. Along the way, we have explored real estate developments and experienced the rich culture of Costa Rica.

In this episode, we dive into the invaluable insights gained from exploring a new real estate market and understanding its intricacies. Being on the ground, meeting people, and witnessing real estate transactions in action offers a unique perspective that we can't wait to share with you.

Join us as we uncover the boundless potential of the Costa Rican real estate scene, and how international collaborations are shaping the industry. Whether you're an investor or a prospective buyer, this episode promises to provide fresh perspectives on the global real estate market.

Tune in for riveting conversations with Linda Hattar and Alonzo Abron, and gain a deeper understanding of the power of real estate in a global context. Subscribe to the Real Estate Diplomat podcast for more captivating stories from around the world and learn more at https://www.therealestatediplomat.com/

#RealEstateDiplomatPodcast #CostaRicaRealEstate #GlobalRealtors #ChicagoAssociationOfRealtors #RealEstateTradeMission #GuanacasteAdventures #carincostarica #carglobal

Introduction: In today's insightful episode, host Aaron Masliansky brings you a deep dive into the world of real estate videography with special guest Phil Piszczako. As the seasoned videographer for Dream Town, Phil has a wealth of experience and insights to share. They discuss the importance of video in the industry, how it's rapidly evolving, and how AI is disrupting traditional practices and creating new opportunities.

Episode Summary: Aaron and Phil touch on various aspects of real estate videography, starting with the power of storytelling through video to demonstrate long-lasting generational value. Phil shares his unique perspective on how emotion can be harnessed in videos and the importance of differentiating content in a saturated market.

He delves into the technique of highlighting key features of a property to create engaging and cinematic videos, emphasizing the role of the realtor as the brand. They also discuss the balance between creating catchy content without sounding overly promotional.

Phil speaks candidly about his business, which is centered on video production for realtors. He shares insights into his course "Video for Real Estate Agents," which he designed to empower realtors with the know-how to leverage video content effectively.

The discussion takes an exciting turn as they explore the future of the industry, with Phil highlighting the transformative role of AI in areas such as language translation for improved client communication. Phil reveals his embrace of AI, mentioning that his entire website is AI-generated.

Key Quotes from the Episode:

Phil Piszczako:

"You really did. And it's easier to tap into that if you can tell something that has long-lasting value with like generations..."

"Tapping into people's emotions in a way that's you're not supposed to think that way... It gave me a perspective and I think a skill to look at things a little differently."

"If you can make a cinematic video...that's how you tell the story. You find the key features of the house and you highlight 'em first basically."

"You are the brand. You can come in and you can bring the brand to the video by talking in the video..."

"So it's mainly about catching interest, that it's hard to not sound infomercially..."

"It all starts with the brand. Video brand is a whole different story. It's about figuring out what your voice is..."

"Tony B's entertainment, he's entertaining me. That's the value. So what I would suggest, and I can. Guarantee. This is how he did it, is when you figure out which one of the ways you're bringing value, let's say it's humor with entertainment like Tony B, I bet you Tony B is a funny guy in a regular life. So what you want to do is just take you and amplify you by 10."

"my main business is video of any kind for realtors...we created video for realtors made easy...I'm starting to put my face to it a little bit..."

"An agent is having an email issue with a client who doesn't speak English. And I just went, have AI translate that email for you and send it back."

"My whole website is AI generated."

Phil's Contact Information:

• Linktree

Welcome to this week's episode of The Real Estate Diplomat. This episode was recorded on March 8, 2023, just a few days prior to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Many elements of this conversation lend more credence to the idea of crypto becoming a backstop currency, whether it be due to financial instability or global conflict. On today's show, we sit down with Nelson Rosario, founder and partner at Rosario Tech Law, LLC. Nelson works with clients in the cryptocurrency industry and other emerging technology industries on legal issues related to property, privacy, and power.

Nelson's expertise has been recognized in various publications such as the New York Times, TechCrunch, CoinDesk, Law360, and more. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the United States Patent & Trademark Office. He holds a JD from Illinois Tech, Chicago-Kent College of Law, a BS in Computer Science from Florida State University, and a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Minnesota.

In this episode, we dive into the world of crypto, blockchain, AI, and global security. We also explore how these technologies relate to real estate purchases and how the real estate industry can benefit from blockchain.

To learn more about Nelson Rosario, you can visit his website at https://rosariotechlaw.com/ or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NelsonMRosario.

To connect with Aaron Masliansky, the host of The Real Estate Diplomat, you can visit his website at https://www.therealestatediplomat.com/ or follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter using the links provided below:

Website: https://www.therealestatediplomat.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-masliansky-4b937217/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/633849318025738 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronmasliansky

Tune in to this episode for an insightful discussion on the intersection of real estate and emerging technologies.

This week, on Inside the Skev, we sit down Jennifer LaMell Goldstone from Horwitch, Goldstone & Shaw, Deanne Cooper from Fidelity National Title Insurance and Beth Lewis from CrossCountry Mortgage. We speak about the work of attorneys, title companies and lenders, how these industries support real estate investments here locally in Chicago and the United States. We also discuss the current state of the real estate market in February 2023. This episode was also released on my Chicagoland podcast, Inside the Skev. 

According to Beth Lewis, she issued the following update regarding the mortgage market:

Mortgage rates jumped to their highest levels in a month this week because of last Friday’s Jobs report. Due to most of the focus being on inflation and the possible Fed rate increase, it was easy to overlook employment which is the other marker the Fed uses to gauge the strength of the economy. The most recent jobs report showed that there were more than 500k new jobs created. Pandemic years aside, this quarter typically sees a reduction in job creations and increased unemployment due to seasonal holiday jobs ending. The expectation was for 185K new jobs so 517K really blew predictions out of the water. Right now any positive economic news is bad for rates, and while the volatility is stressful we have to remember the opportunity it gives us to be advisors to our clients.

For clients concerned with the raising Fed Funds rate, remind them that this does not impact mortgage loans. The Fed rate is separate, it is the rate that banks charge other for overnight loans controlled by the Fed Reserve. Typically changes to the Fed Funds rates are reflected in advance of the actual changes and there were no changes to mortgage rates due to last week’s increase. One indicator that the economy is slowing is the unemployment report from this week. It increased new filings by 13k over December’s figures. It goes without saying that I would never want anyone to lose their job, but this is the second metric we should be paying attention to in order to see if we are heading towards a recession. A recession would bring lower rates. My opinion is that rates will hover right around where they have been for the last month until the Q1 earnings are released, and we have more data to really understand where the economy stands.

My advice to clients right now is to concentrate on the big picture. “Why do you need to buy or sell a home today and how do we get you a payment that fits your budget?” It’s impossible to time the market and we can only use the facts and tools that we have today, which are temporary buydowns and knowledge that there are many loan level price adjustments coming in April that will make home loans more expensive. We also know that rates will drop if we are in a recession and the Fed starts buying mortgage-backed securities.  None of us can know when that is or what the bottom will be, but my team is here if a refi opportunity presents itself.

To learn more about the guests, go to the following websites:

Jennifer LaMell Goldstone: https://www.hgslegal.com/

Deanne Cooper: https://www.fntic.com/ or Deanne.Cooper@fnf.com

Beth Lewis: https://crosscountrymortgage.com/Beth-Lewis-Team/Beth-Lewis/

To follow Inside the Skev, go to https://www.skevanston.com/

Connect with Aaron Masliansky!

Website: https://www.therealestatediplomat.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-masliansky-4b937217/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/633849318025738

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronmasliansky

Get engaged in this global community by joining our Facebook Group by clicking here. 

This week on Inside the Skev, we are joined by Dr. Daniel Aschheim. He currently serves as Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. He was appointed to this Chicago-based post in September of 2020 where he assumed the role as Consul for Public Diplomacy serving as the spokesperson for the Consulate's nine-state Midwestern region. This episode is also being released on my sister podcast, Inside the Skev. 

In this episode we discuss a multitude of topics such as the role of the Consulate; Israel's programming within the Midwest; issues relating to terrorism and Iran; Israel's response to the Pandemic; Israel's stance on the war in Ukraine; American investment in Israel and Israeli investment within the Chicagoland area. 

More information on the Israeli Consulate to the Midwest can be found here: https://embassies.gov.il/chicago/Pages/default.aspx

This episode is dedicated to my late grandfather, Eugene Chez, who passed away on June 23rd. 

Sign up for the newsletter and reach out to Aaron Masliansky at aaron@skevanston.com with any questions or suggestions. Get engaged in this global community by joining our Facebook Group by clicking here. Shoutout to First Class Moving & Storage and Lapin Systems for sponsoring this episode!

In this episode, Aaron is was joined by NAR’s Senior Economist, Director of Housing and Commercial Research Gay Cororaton to discuss the impacts the war in Ukraine will have on our industry. This interview was conducted under Aaron's role of the Chairman of the Global Real Estate Council for the Chicago Association of Realtors Global Insider Series. 

Global Real Estate Council for the Chicago Association of Realtors Global Insider Series: https://chicagorealtor.com/watch-our-global-insiders-series-about-the-how-the-real-estate-industry-has-been-impacted-by-the-war-in-ukraine/?fbclid=IwAR11hoCE3VI2sWuG2FsUMbNp4TPjsTjN6uToXPmT_liEm_6xYgJAIhHfmCg 

Gay Cororaton: https://www.nar.realtor/scholastica-gay-cororaton