How AI Helps Real Estate Investors Find Tax Deed and Tax Lien Deals

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (00:00)
The research that is involved is the hardest thing. And there’s a lot of county websites that are broken, that are showing you raw data that isn’t processed, parcel numbers.

that you have to skip trace and actually find a street address so that you can Google maps it and see what it looks like stuff like that. And some of these PDFs are, you know, super old. when it comes down to doing the research, very hard to understand. So that’s probably the trickiest part. And that’s where the majority of people actually just quit,

I was like, man, how can I automate this entire process so that again, while I’m working or while I’m doing my other job, I can have a agent look through all these deals for me, gather all this information, put everything in one place so that when I’m done with work and I have free time, I can log in, you know, and view everything from a bird’s eye perspective and everything is there ready for me. If I’m interested in Deeds I can filter that out. If I’m interested in liens, I can filter that out.

Quentin (00:37)
Yeah.

Hello everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I am your host Q Edmonds and I’m excited to be here today. Y’all know me. I love to talk to new people. I love when we get to learn from each other’s experience. That’s the lifeline of what I do. I think it’s so important to us as individuals is that we can learn from each other. Y’all know, you know, I quoted here the late Kobe Bryant before he passed away. He said, nothing in this world moves without story.

Like story is what powers us, man. And everybody has a story. Everybody has a position on what they do best. And today is no different. So I got a gentleman here and we’re going to peek through his lens. Software guy, tech guy. I really want to help out investors really, you know, he is helping investors. And so I am so excited for us to get to peek through the lens today of Mr. Zuriel Galvez. Mr. Zuriel, how did I do, man? Did I do all right with the name brother?

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (03:30)
⁓ now you nailed it. That was perfect.

Quentin (03:32)
Look,

you couldn’t see, but when I had my mouth up like this, I was practicing it. I was saying it to myself. So, but look, man, I’m so glad you’re here, ⁓ Listen, brother, I’m the type, I like to dive right in. So I would love for you to tell the people, what’s your main focus these days? If you don’t mind, give us a little bit of an origin story, kind of how you got into the space that you’re in. We love the origin stories, man.

And then tell us kind of what part of the world you’re in. We love to know where people are geographically as well. So what you’re up to, your origin story and where you are. My friend, you have the floor,

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (04:07)
Perfect, man. Yeah. And again, Quentin, I want to thank you for the opportunity to even be here today and, you know, be in front of the community and just be able to share about what I got going on. ⁓ Me personally, ⁓ I’m from Miami, Florida. That’s where I was raised and grew up. That’s where I live right now. I was born originally in Puerto Rico and my family’s Peruvian, so I’m Hispanic. But I’ve been interested in real estate all my life. You know, I grew up with a single mom.

And throughout the hardest times in life, the one thing that always ⁓ held us down was my mom had a rental property and it was just one rental property and it gave her enough income to where, you know, we lived a good life. She was able to provide for me and her. know, I never ⁓ missed a meal or, you I always had nice clothes on my back, you know? So ⁓ I saw the power of real estate very young and I understood.

that in order to be successful and really ⁓ have that financial security, you needed to invest into assets that would ultimately help you make money while you sleep, you know, while you’re working another job or whatever the case is. So I’ve been involved in real estate for like the last 10 years directly hands-on in the market, ⁓ you know, going through leads, dealing with sellers, buyers, investors. You know, I’ve started off wholesaling like

Everyone with little money starts wholesaling and just trying to sell contracts, sell paper and make a return. Then I got into tax delinquent ⁓ investing, tax delinquent properties.

I got into that because in wholesaling, you would learn how to reverse engineer the county pipelines and go after these tax delinquent properties, properties with code violations, pre-foreclosure homes.

go to these lists and skip trace the information and call all these people. That’s what I was doing. ⁓ I understood tax delinquent properties, tax Deeds, tax liens. For those that don’t know the difference, a tax deed is basically where the county sells you the property for a fraction of what it’s worth. You’re able to purchase it. For tax liens, you kind of become the bank and you pay for what the tax delinquent

amount is owed on the property and the homeowner pays you back and they have a specific time period they can do that in and if they don’t pay you back then you take ownership of the home. That’s basically how that works and I understood that but I never really looked past that for a long time. ⁓ And then I came across Dustin Hahn which is a real estate investor. He’s been doing this for a very long time. He helps a lot of people. He’s a great person and I was able to work very closely with him.

watched a lot of his videos as well. And, you know, that’s how I was able to leverage that education and get into the market, you know, and one thing that I will say is the strategy of investing into these type of deals is very easy to understand. It’s not hard.

The research that is involved is the hardest thing. And there’s a lot of county websites that are broken, that are showing you raw data that isn’t processed, parcel numbers.

that you have to skip trace and actually find a street address so that you can Google maps it and see what it looks like stuff like that. And some of these PDFs are, you know, super old. when it comes down to doing the research, very hard to understand. So that’s probably the trickiest part. And that’s where the majority of people actually just quit, you know, they throw in the towel and if they make it past that it’s very easy for them to make mistakes and stuff. And I felt

victim to that as well. You know, it got very frustrated. It took me very hard to get past that. And that’s the barrier of entry. And it’s a good thing. You understand, because that means that there’s a lot more opportunity for those that put in the work. Regardless of it, technology is advancing, you know, in today’s world and AI is being optimized and put into everything. So me being young, being savvy with the computer,

I was like, man, how can I automate this entire process so that again, while I’m working or while I’m doing my other job, I can have a agent look through all these deals for me, gather all this information, put everything in one place so that when I’m done with work and I have free time, I can log in, you know, and view everything from a bird’s eye perspective and everything is there ready for me. If I’m interested in Deeds I can filter that out. If I’m interested in liens, I can filter that out.

Quentin (09:04)
Yeah.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (09:28)
If I’m interested in a specific area, specific budget, whatever it is, I can set those parameters, look at those deals without having to download a public county list of tax delinquent properties that’s 10, 20, 30, 40, hundreds of pages long, and then sort out which deals are good, which deals aren’t. So that’s pretty much a little bit of how I got into this and how this is all kind of being created right now.

Quentin (09:48)
Yeah.

Yeah, man, sir. Listen, man, thank you. Thank you so much for taking me through the journey, showing me where you are, how you got to where you are and what you do now. Told you at the top of the show, man, I love stories, man. So when you talk, man, I’m actually, I see in pictures. So as you talk, it’s like, to me, it’s like a movie being played out, man, right? And so I’m listening, man. So what I want to do, I’m going to give you a brief summary of what you said. I want to make a statement to ask you a question. All right? So.

You’re from Miami, but born in Puerto Rico, right? Grew up with a single mom. And man, mom is brilliant because one of the things that she had that was really able to help you out, sustain y’all, that she had a rental property, right? So she had a property. So you saw the power of real estate from a young age, man. So now you’ve been in, 10 years you’ve been in the real estate game. You started out wholesaling and you got into tax delinquents.

Met up with Dustin Hahn, worked with him, seen some videos, and really started leveraging the information that you learned from the video. And now, man, you have learned how to leverage AI. Right? Pretty good summary? That’s cool, right? All right. Perfect. Perfect. So I do this summary specifically because I often say this, I say destiny has no wasted moments. I’m going say it one more time. Destiny has no wasted moments.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (10:59)
Yeah, that’s pretty spot on.

Quentin (11:15)
meaning, and you pretty much can synthesize probably what that means. But it’s like, we don’t waste no moment. We even learn from the lessons. We learn from the losses. We learn from the success. Like while we are on a journey, our mindset is being reinforced and it helps us be the people that we are today, right? And we don’t waste none of that when we borrow it all and we implement it in different facets of our life. So brother, man, I would love to know, man, throughout the journey, what has the journey taught you about yourself?

Has it taught you discipline? Has it taught you patience? Has it made you humble? Has it increased the tenacity? Like what has the moments taught you about you,

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (12:26)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. That’s a great question. And I love that quote, you know, how destiny doesn’t leave any moments wasted because that’s powerful, man. I, know, as a kid growing up, my mom having me, you when we were young, she would force me to go to that rental property and sweep the house out and clean the garage out and paint the walls. You know, I mean, all these things that homeowners have to do when they’re managing these properties directly.

So, you when I was young, was like, man, I hate this, it sucks, that and the third. But, you know, growing up, ⁓ I really understood what it took to manage a rental property, you know, because I did it firsthand, you know, and I really understood what it was like watching my mom hustle with these contractors and get the best price possible for work and renovations and this, that and the third and dealing with realtors because she ended up selling that property once we got older and now she’s using that for her retirement. So,

Stuff like that, you know, and my mom is, you know, more active in the real estate market now. Once she sold that property, she’s been making some smart investments, but ultimately leading up to who I am now. I mean, you know, that has all molded me, you know, going through that journey, being a wholesaler, understanding the grind, you know I mean? I used to call people in other States. I used to drive for dollars locally, knock on people’s doors, leave letters at people’s houses.

Quentin (13:32)
Yeah.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (13:44)
So I understand the journey. understand that the grind and the grit that goes into really making this all happen. So I never really underestimated the work that was necessary, you know, and even working with Dustin, you know, I don’t work with Dustin one-on-one a lot or anything like that. You know, I have just taken advantage of the community and what he has available. He’s a great teacher. Um, but ultimately he says something that’s real important, you know, sometimes you think it’s going to take you X amount of time.

99 % of the time it ends up taking you twice as long, you know, and that’s the truth, you know, and getting the right guidance will definitely help expedite that process. But even then, sometimes I think just we underestimate ⁓ what it really takes, you know, and that’s kind of what I said when I said the strategy of investing is super simple to understand the research, the work that goes into it. That’s where most people quit, you know, so I want to be able to help people. ⁓

expedite that process and I want the research part to be easy. I don’t want that to fatigue people or let that be the barrier, you understand? Because there’s so much opportunity just to put it in perspective.

Last year, I believe there was 20 plus billion dollars worth of tax delinquent properties on the market. Only five billion of that was actually purchased. So only a quarter of that. So there’s literally a bunch of properties sitting in county records right now, just waiting to be purchased. Some of them are not good deals. Some of them could be garbage. And that’s exactly why the research is important.

Quentin (15:19)
Yeah, yeah. Man, I love it, man. I love your outlook. And I couldn’t help but think, you know, when you talked about what mom made you do in those houses, you know. It’s amazing, man. When we get older, man, we look at our parents differently than when we was growing up. When we was growing up, we was like, why the hell y’all got us knowing all this? But man was like, so my parents, man, they adopted five kids at one time. So was eight of us total, right? And so growing up, you like, you know, you see things from a total perspective.

Now that I’m old, I got two kids and I’m like, how in the world did y’all do that? And I know my parents’ occupation, they wasn’t bringing in a whole bunch of money. So I’m like, yo, how? So quick shout outs to mom. Shout out to mom for what she developed in you, And so I love it. I love your perspective. I love your outlook, sir. What’s next for you, I know what you’re trying to do, but tell me a little bit. What’s the next real goal? What are you looking to solve a scale next, man?

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (16:13)
Yeah, for sure. That’s a great question, you know, and this is the thing. I’m not ⁓ some super big shot investor. You know, I’m a regular person. You know, I’m not a millionaire. I don’t have some Lamborghini. I’m not trying to sell you on real estate or some program either. You know, my goal is to ultimately ⁓ connect with other investors, other people that are interested in this and use this as a stepping stool. You know, I’ve been able to make this tool.

And the way that I’ll be able to make money is by saving you time. So you can use this tool. You know, I’m not selling you leads. I’m not selling you a program. I’m not selling you a dream. You know, that’s not real. You know, what’s real is the data is real. It’s public and it’s super hard. It’s a pain to go through. That’s what’s real. And that’s really the only problem worth solving. You understand? So that’s what I’m, I’m here to do, you know, basically just provide investors an easier way to go through this.

And at the same time, connect with these investors. You understand tax liens and Deeds more often than not is used as a stepping stool. We’re talking about purchasing properties 60 to 40 % below market value, pennies on the dollar. These are deals that you can invest three to five grand into and make 10, $20,000 in profit and easily begin to compound and use it as a stepping stool. So I want to connect with other people that are hungry, that are ambitious.

that are looking to really grow in this space so that one day I could start doing syndications and way bigger property ⁓ projects and just working on really great stuff. And, you know, I also want to be able to give back to the community, you know, and give back to people that are less fortunate. And, you know, the world is a scary place, you know, with everything that’s going on. And, you know, in this time, I feel like it’s important that individuals like you and me, Quinton, that have the opportunity.

to do something like this so great to be able to share and just give back so that we can share that light, you know?

Quentin (18:50)
Yeah, man, we are definitely in sync with that. you literally you walk me up to my next question, man. And so I want to get your perspective on this word. I like to get it from everybody. I want to get it from yours, your perspective, because I’m sure it’s going to be unique. So, man, when you hear the word relationship, when you hear that word, what comes to mind to you?

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (19:13)
Yeah, for sure. That’s a really good question, you know. ⁓ And ultimately, the truth is, the majority of my relationships are transactional. You understand? So and that goes for everything. If you have a good friend, that could be your best friend. It could be a relationship that has nothing to do with money, but still transactional. You guys are exchanging time, memory. You understand? And sometimes that’s worth more than money.

Quentin (19:37)
Yeah.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (19:41)
But ultimately, when I think of a relationship, I think of transactions. You know, what are we exchanging? What type of value are we sharing with each other? You understand? And real estate and further deeper than real estate life. It’s really not about what you know. It’s about who you know. You understand? I’ve been able to travel the world, sit courtside tickets at some of the, you know, coolest games out there at no cost, just because

Quentin (19:50)
I’m sorry.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (20:06)
I knew people that looked out for me, you know what mean? And those are just silly examples. I’ve been able to have a lot of doors open because of who I know, you know? And that’s why relationships are so powerful, you know? And the more we can exchange and transact with each other, you know, I think the better.

Quentin (20:23)
Yeah, yeah. Now, I’m glad you didn’t run away from saying relationships are transactional. I know sometimes we don’t want it just to be transactional, but as you said, we are exchanging something. Like we’re exchanging something. So always equate relationships with community. Like, you know, and I think a community supports each other. If you go outside, walk your community, your neighborhood, you’re going to see transactions. You’re going to see gas stations.

You’re going to see, you know, whether Bodega’s or, you know, 7-Elevens or convenience stores. There is a sense of transactional, but you protect that community because these are the resources that we need within the community for us to thrive. For me to get that gas, to go where I need to go. For me to get them quick eggs so I can come home and cook them. Like the community supports itself. So you’re absolutely right. Relationship is transactional and there’s a healthy sense of transaction that needs to take place within a community. And so I love it,

Love it. ⁓ Mr. Zuriel, is there anything that I have not brought up that you would like to talk about? Or is there any other word of inspiration, education, motivation? I don’t know. Like if you came in with a thought on your mind that you want to help viewers or listeners to know, I kind of want to open up the space so you can land that message.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (21:38)
Yeah, for sure. And I appreciate the opportunity again. ⁓ I think we covered a lot, you know, in such a little amount of time. It’s great. I think there’s a lot of value here. ⁓ You understand. And obviously ⁓ as impactful as we want to be, there’s no way we could do it in 20 minutes. You know, that’s why people have to subscribe. People have to, you know, check out Deed Flex the website I’m working on so they can stay connected, you know, and build that community and ⁓ really just continue to build these relationships.

So what I will say, and we can end off with this is, ⁓ Deed Flex is an institutional grade intelligence for regular people. You understand? It’s going to be something that is super complicated, broken down into plain English. So regular people can understand it and savvy investors will be able to understand it as well. So all I want to do is really give people the opportunity to use a tool that can save them time.

And time is the most precious thing, you know? So yeah.

Quentin (22:39)
Bro,

you took the words out of my mouth, man, because I was going to double down. I was going to say, and this is what we do. We do things to gain back our time. That’s what we do. So I’m excited about Deed Flex. And listen, man, how can people get in contact with you? If wanted people to, you know, if someone wanted to reach out, collaborate, connect with you, learn more about what you’re doing, how can they reach out to you,

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (23:00)
Yeah, for sure. my website is called DeedFlex.com and you know, it’s launching right now. I haven’t officially launched, but you can definitely go get access to it. Create a free trial. ⁓ you know, reach out to me directly at [email protected] You know, I’ll be more than happy to extend your free trials so that you can use the actual software and take full advantage of it.

and you know, network and you know, build a relationship however we can and I can show you value and we can exchange. Now also you can follow me on Instagram. That’s where a lot of people message me and I’m active. You know, it’s not really a professional. Like I said, I’m not some big shot investor. I’m a regular person. So, you know, my personal stuff is on there and that’s fine. You know, I’m willing to share that with the world. My Instagram is zurigbaby Z U R I G baby.

and you can follow me on there and look at all the crazy stuff and fun stuff I do in life. And, you know, I talk about Deed Flex on there from time to time. So yeah, a lot of cool stuff.

Quentin (24:00)
Absolutely. Well, listen, man, let me say three things to you sincerely. First, thank you for your time. You know, like you said, time is our most precious commodity. And so the fact, I I know how podcasts work, right? know, podcasts is what it is, but still you valued us with your time. I can’t do this podcast, this episode by myself. You know, I can’t go from one screen to the next. So I want to let you know, sir, I value your time. Thank you so much, man, for being here and choosing to be here.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (24:26)
Yeah.

Quentin (24:28)
Appreciate it. Yeah.

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (24:28)
Yeah. And thank you again for the opportunity. And you know, you see, we built a good relationship. were able to transact something and it’s a win-win. That’s the type of relationships I like.

Quentin (24:38)
I love it, man. So yeah, definitely, man. Again, thank you for your time. Secondly, man, thank you for your story, bro. I said at the top of the hour, I put a premium on stories, And I believe stories have a way of planting seeds in people. We may never see the growth, but the seed is still there. And that seed can take root and grow at any given time.

two years from now, five years from now, they can listen to this next week or listen to this 10 years and it still have the same impact. So man, thank you for your gift of vulnerability. Thank you for your gift of transparency. Thank you for your gift of authenticity. Thank you for telling your story. Lastly, bro, thank you for your mindset, man. Thank you for the way you think and bringing that mindset to this platform. Sir, I really appreciate you coming on today,

Zuriel (Deed Flex) (25:07)
True.

Hey, thanks so much, Quentin. I really do appreciate you even giving me an outlet for me to share the way I think and my life. So again, you know, it’s all thanks to you really.

Quentin (25:33)
for your search brother. Well, listen, man, listen, y’all cannot tell me y’all did not get the nuggets out of this conversation. Please go to the show notes, connect with my man. Please do. Let him save you some time. We all need our time back. And so let’s take the pressure off, some time, that way we can go do something that we want to do and still make money. about that, right? So definitely check out my man, but definitely make sure you are subscribed here because I promise you.

We’re going to continue to bring up amazing people just like Mr. Zuriel. So sir, I say thank you again, my friend, and to everyone else, y’all have a fantastic day.