Short-Term Rentals vs Long-Term | Safer Investing Strategies with Eddie Hicks

Eddie Hicks (00:00)
I’m not perfect. If I say something can be done or we’re going to do something, it’s just a little bit not perfect saying, hey, my bad, that’s on me. ⁓ But the biggest thing is I just believe in going 100 % at all times for the people because when an agent refers business to me or for previous client refers business to me, you know,

I’m an extension of them at that point. So if I do bad or I look wrong, I’m making someone’s cousin who referred me look wrong. I’m making that agent look bad. And in a market like it is where not everybody’s making what they were used to doing, they’re going to find somebody else because at the end of the day, I’m a dime a dozen. So your integrity is all you got.

Quentin (00:45)
Absolutely. Now, man, you’re doing real estate. You’re doing this thing in Atlanta.

everyone. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros Podcast. I am your host Q Edmonds. And y’all know how I say, I’m excited. I’m excited to be here today. I’m always excited anytime I get a chance to come here and interview amazing people. And of course today is no different. I have a good guy here who’s gonna tell you about some short-term rental space. know, tell you about some of the things that he’s doing within his market and his space. And I’m excited.

And so I’d like to introduce you all to my friend, Mr. Eddie Hicks. Eddie, how you doing today,

Eddie Hicks (02:56)
I’m doing good. Thanks for having me.

Quentin (02:59)
No, absolutely, man. Thank you for being here, man. I know our audience is going to get value from what it is that you have to bring and offer, man. And so, Eddie, I’m going be honest with you, man. I kind of want to dive right in. And so what I want you to do, man, I want you to take people into your world, right? Some people are getting to know you for the first time. So I want you to tell them, what’s your main focus these days and what markets are you operating in?

Eddie Hicks (03:25)
I’m a sales manager for Kind Lending. ⁓ My main market I’m going after is really all buyers buying residential property. ⁓ I’m a big believer in, for people who want to invest and get investment properties, I’m a big believer in buying short-term rentals in any areas, be it down at the beach. ⁓ Believe it not, in Atlanta, all baseball comes and gets played ⁓ in East Cobb, Northwest Georgia.

People come in from all over the globe to play baseball there. So people need a place to stay on weekends with their kids. So there’s a lot of short term options there. think more money can be made on short terms. ⁓ know, when things happen in the industry as far as some states, some cities, you know, you got a rental. You can’t get people out if they don’t pay. It gets very hard. You don’t run into that. So I think it’s a me personally. I think it’s a lot safer play when bought right or the short term rentals.

Quentin (04:27)
I hear that man, and I know we’re talking specific about business and I love that, but also talking to you, one of the things that actually stuck out to me is how you want to teach people, right? You want people to be just as good at what they’re doing as you are. And I love that. I love your educational spirit or whatever. And so I’m not sure if you want to speak more to that, but man, that’s one of the things that I loved hearing from you when we was talking earlier.

Eddie Hicks (05:42)
you know, in the South, you treat someone’s mom wrong, we got problems. So I believe in treating everybody like how I want them to treat my mom. So I should turn around, show them the computer, see the screen that I see, see why if you know, I don’t want ever

My biggest thing is I never want to do a deal and someone think Eddie did me wrong. I would literally want to get done with somebody and say, I’m gonna go do mortgages too.

That’s just how I believe in doing things.

Quentin (06:12)
Absolutely. Man, I love it. I definitely wanted to highlight that. you know, lead with integrity. I love that. You’re doing deals and it’s not always easy to keep your integrity intact and to, you know, to do the best deal sometimes because you know, you know, you know, different ways that you can maneuver, but you’re keeping your integrity intact and you’re still making deals. So I guess my question is, because that’s not easy always to combine it to what

Eddie Hicks (06:30)
.

Quentin (06:40)
has been the key to keeping the machine running smooth.

Eddie Hicks (06:44)
Just doing what if I say something to it. If I mess up saying, hey, I mess up,

I’m not perfect. If I say something can be done or we’re going to do something, it’s just a little bit not perfect saying, hey, my bad, that’s on me. ⁓ But the biggest thing is I just believe in going 100 % at all times for the people because when an agent refers business to me or for previous client refers business to me, you know,

I’m an extension of them at that point. So if I do bad or I look wrong, I’m making someone’s cousin who referred me look wrong. I’m making that agent look bad. And in a market like it is where not everybody’s making what they were used to doing, they’re going to find somebody else because at the end of the day, I’m a dime a dozen. So your integrity is all you got.

Quentin (07:35)
Absolutely. Now, man, you’re doing real estate. You’re doing this thing in Atlanta.

And as you told me, Atlanta could be a beast. There’s a lot of people out there, a lot of competition, a lot of moving there. And so I know that there are moments when things get real, right? Maybe a deal goes sideways or a time that you maybe had to pivot fast. So Eddie, you have one of those stories, man, that you can.

share with our viewers about the time when you had to fast.

Eddie Hicks (08:07)
Oof.

You’re trying to stay away from having an essay in the middle of a deal after something’s under contract in my world because you’ve got to do so much of your work up front. You know what I mean? ⁓ Things come up ⁓ and I’m as good as the people behind me. my life gets made kind of easy because I have a good crew. I have a good operations. ⁓ But the one thing that I can think of where I had to pivot quick was, you know, I had a deal.

recently where the person wasn’t going to had planned on getting a certain amount of money. And all of a sudden they were getting a gift from a grandparent. Well, all of sudden that gift went from $50,000 down to 40. Well, you know, we had to restructure things and this one of what I’m doing was I took a bath. I took less. I found a way to do a way to make it work where you know, sometimes that happens where I just took it.

Cuz at the end the day, most important thing is getting that deal done cuz a lot of other people are relying on that agents, title companies. There’s a lot of other people so sometimes you gotta be the one to take that cut.

Quentin (10:00)
Yeah. No, man, I appreciate you sharing. I appreciate your honesty. Again, you know, I can see your integrity coming through. like, hey, you know, to make this deal work, maybe I’ll take a loss. And a lot of people are not willing to do that, man. So this again shows me how you’re the difference. You’re just not trying to dabble in this business, right? You’re trying to stay in it for the long term. And the way to do that is can. Yep. Go ahead. You got it.

Eddie Hicks (10:23)
This is a f-

I actually got a better one for you. About four years ago, I had someone quit their job four days before closing.

four days before closing. Husband had no idea. You know, back that was a little bit during the COVID times. So they were very big and doing a funding verification of employment deal done. We’re just trying to tune in three, four days before closing, getting a call of employer, hey, so and so still working there? Yes, good. Move on. Send out a closing package. Find out the wife quit her job never told her husband. A good thing is she had a new job lined up. But we had to hurry up pivot, you know, because we’re off her letter said that she

Had to pass a drug test. She was all mad because we made her take a drug test real quick. But we was able to still, because of operations and my business, you’re as good as the people behind you and still stable to get that thing done.

Quentin (11:17)
Yeah.

Love it, man, love it. You said quit four days before closing. Like, come on people, let’s stay on course for now. I get it, though, man. mean, you know, people gotta do what they gotta do, but I can just imagine, like, you know, it’s like, you you’re right in the middle of something. What’s going on? But yeah, man.

Eddie Hicks (11:25)
Thank

Thank you.

As well

as conventions and everything, there’s a bar at every one of them.

Quentin (11:40)
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, man, absolutely. But let me ask you this. What are you most focused on solving or scaling next? What’s the next real goal for you?

Eddie Hicks (11:50)
Honestly, I’m focusing big time on the non QM space for people who are self employed because I think the reason that’s the big market going forward is one because the DSCR for investors also because so many people since COVID have gotten into different work. Not everybody wants to do your normal nine to five W2 that makes my life easy. of it’s big for lot of people making money on the side making and have the abilities to buy other houses that traditional financing that Fannie

Freddie, FHA, they’re not keeping up with the speed of where we’re at in 2025 of how people get income. Honestly, I believe the system’s almost 10 years behind, personally. The non-QM space fits a big mold, the loan amounts are higher, know, makes it getting the jumbo loans done. And, you know, you make the same amount on a big one as you do a small one, so why not try to do more big ones?

Quentin (12:48)
Absolutely. Like if it make more sense and it make more dollars, let’s do it. Right. So I understand. But that’s big, man. I know you focusing on the non QM, the FCR loans. I hear you, man. And that’s big. And I know, you know, the next move, could either compound things or create total chaos depending on how you play it. And so I hear you, man. Like you guys, your eyes is on the prize. And I love it. Now, listen, you know, we have people listening and

Eddie Hicks (12:52)
Thank you.

Quentin (13:17)
They can be early in their journey or looking to level up. And I know you are connected, you believe in serving people. So I think they benefit hearing this from you. When it comes to building relationships and growing your network, what has made the biggest difference for you?

Eddie Hicks (13:35)
⁓ Trying to bring value to my real-world partners. I try to sponsor CE classes. I’m doing a thing with a pest control company. True North has great leadership, so I part with them on Wednesdays. We do a wind down Wednesday at a place not far from me to invite agents ⁓ somewhere they can get, tell some more stories. ⁓ But anytime I can do anything to anything to bring a group of agents together.

⁓ I’ll try to.

Quentin (14:08)
Absolutely. Love it, man. Love it, man. So I’m gonna ask you this, man. You know, I actually don’t have too many more questions left, but I want to ask you this. And this is, like that just, especially when I’m talking to somebody that has honesty, integrity, that like to serve the people and that’s their hearts, you know, kind of, you know, coming forth, their passion. I just want to ask, man, is there anything, any kind of advice?

any kind of inspiration, maybe something you’ve been thinking about, maybe a motivation that motivates you? Is there anything that you want to just from the heart give to the audience? I just want to open up the floor to you, Eddie, to maybe do that,

Eddie Hicks (14:42)
⁓

People need to do what’s best for them, not what necessary, how it worked. I ain’t saying not ever listen to your grandpa or your parents, but we’re in a different world. all the values we should always keep to the old ways and values, but it’s a different world. ⁓ Don’t be chasing the Joneses or just because a friend did something. ⁓ Do what they want to do. Don’t be afraid to fail. The one thing as long as I’ve been in real estate mortgages for 21 years now,

I felt a lot. know a lot of people who have felt a lot, but they never give up and they always come back. Not every path is the same, especially in this business. And I think people need to be the first time home buyer who is scared to buy the house because the electrical is a little iffy. Well, you can get that fixed. There’s things to do. You got to start somewhere. And trying to listen to almost too much information out there, I would say get with a mortgage person they trust.

Get with a real estate professional that they trust and come up with a plan. Figure out all their different options and do what they think is best for them, not what they think is going to make someone else happy.

Quentin (16:34)
No, man. Eddie, man, thank you, man. I appreciate that. think that’s great words of wisdom ⁓ because, you know, we can listen to people’s advice and people can give solid advice. But the fact of the matter is nobody’s always in your particular situation and your particular shoes. So make the decision and go with what you feel and just move forward that way. And so I think

That was great advice, man, that you gave for sure.

Eddie Hicks (16:59)
I try to tell everybody’s I never tell anybody what to do. I believe in giving people options because I’ve helped people get investors, people being about that are millionaires. Some people, when you don’t approach my house, I see millionaires want to put down at least money as possible. I’ve seen millionaires put down as most of them. They always want to put down say at least 50%. Who am I to tell somebody they’re wrong? There’s more than one way to skin a cat.

⁓ And you don’t ever know what someone else has going on. You know, when I see someone financials, it doesn’t show that, you know, well, we don’t want to do this because they have a kid who’s doing sports. I got a daughter who does cheerleading. That is not cheap. Well, they don’t, you know, they kind of come to me, all this money down. Well, how about this? Let’s think about this, this and this. There’s just, you got to get to know the people and their true meaning of what they do and make them understand.

is what works for them, not might not work for someone else. And just because it worked for someone else and they said it, their situation is different only they know their situation.

Quentin (18:04)
I love it, man. I love it, man. Good knowledge, good nuggets. I knew you would bring great value to this conversation, man. So thank you. So Eddie, let me ask you, man, before we wrap, if someone wanted to reach out to you, connect with you, maybe collaborate with you, what’s the best way for them to reach out to you?

Eddie Hicks (18:22)
Old school way I think cell phones just call me

My number is 678-575-9015. ⁓

Quentin (18:30)
Yep, I needed them to get that information, man. ⁓ man, Eddie, brother, I appreciate you, man. I appreciate your time. I appreciate your story. I appreciate your perspective, man. Like, thank you for being somebody in this space that has integrity, that has honesty, and willing to be honest to people, you know, with the information and education that you give. So, again, man, I thank you for being here, sir.

Eddie Hicks (18:53)
Well, I appreciate you. Thank you.

Quentin (18:55)
Absolutely. And listen, for you who tuning in, if you got value from this, please make sure you’re subscribed. You do not want to miss out on these incredible conversations that we have, just like we had today with Mr. Hicks. And we’re going to continue to bring you great people that’s going to bring you great value. So again, and to the next time, we’ll see you later.