Herb's Financial Sandbox

Financial Sandbox Lessons from 40 Years in Real Estate and Lending Meet Mortgage Veteran Mitchell Chernock After more than 40 years in mortgage lending and real estate finance, Mitchell Chernock has learned that the biggest financial mistakes aren't caused by interest rates—they're caused by making decisions without a plan. In a recent conversation with Herb, Mitchell shared practical insights on...

After more than 40 years in the mortgage business, Mitchell Chernock has seen just about every lending scenario imaginable—from first-time homebuyers and self-employed borrowers to complex investment property financing and DSCR loans. In a recent conversation with Herb, Mitchell shared practical insights on navigating today's lending environment, why relationships still matter more than technology...

Can Gold Do More Than Just Sit There? Most investors think of gold as something you buy, lock away, and hope you never need. But according to investor and fund manager Greyson Geiler, that view may be changing. Drawing on decades of experience that began on the Chicago trading floors, Geiler believes precious metals are evolving from a passive store of value into a productive asset capable of gene...

Why Estate Planning, Tax Strategy, and Wealth Management Need to Work Together In this episode of  The Financial Sandbox , Herb Alston sits down with attorney and Certified Financial Planner  Matthew Meredith  to explore one of the biggest challenges facing investors, business owners, and families: fragmented advice. Matthew shares how his unusual combination of legal, tax, and financial planning...

In this episode of The Financial Sandbox, Herb sit down with Spencer Goodrich, a financial service wholesaler with Forbridge Financial. Spencer has spent 11+ years helping advisors protect their clients' retirement assets with tools like life insurance and annuities. But this conversation goes beyond products—it's personal. Spencer shares how losing his mom at a young age shaped his mission to ens...

About   Angela Dunz   Lessons from LinkedIn Expert Angela Dunz Many professionals think LinkedIn is simply an online resume. According to LinkedIn strategist  Angela Dunz , it's actually one of the most powerful relationship-building tools available today. In a recent episode of  The Financial Sandbox , Angela shared why successful LinkedIn profiles focus less on personal achievements and more on...

Everyone wants media coverage. But most people pitch reporters the wrong way. On a recent episode of  The Financial Sandbox , veteran Bay Area reporter Joe Vasquez shared what he learned after 35 years in television news. His biggest advice? Stop pitching what you want to say and start thinking about what makes a real story. According to Joe, reporters are not looking for a commercial. They are lo...

On the latest episode of The Financial Sandbox, Herb Alston sits down with economist and former diplomat Mitch Ferguson to talk about what is really driving today's economy—and what it means for families, investors, and long-term property owners. From mortgage rates and inflation to AI and commercial real estate, Mitch breaks down the forces shaping the market in plain English. In This Episode, Yo...

On the latest episode of The Financial Sandbox, Herb Alston sits down with financial advisor and Inspired Money podcast host Andy Wang for a refreshingly honest conversation about money, investing, and why so many people feel overwhelmed by their finances. Andy has spent more than 25 years helping people make smarter financial decisions, and his message is simple: personal finance does not have to...

In this Financial Sandbox episode, Herb sits down with Dave Haupt, our resident Super CPA, to unpack real-world mistakes owners make when selling a business or property and planning a 1031 exchange. What you'll learn Outcome first, tools second. Max cash today, legacy for family, or max deferral? Your goal dictates the structure. Seller-carry gotchas. Balloon payments years later can create unexpe...

Finances can feel overwhelming, but we're here to simplify the conversation with facts, a dash of wit, and a lot of expertise. This week, Herb Alston dives into the world of 1031 exchanges with expert James Callejas of IPX 1031 Exchange. If you're a property owner or investor curious about deferring taxes while maximizing real estate investments, this episode is your go-to guide. Breaking Down 103...

Melissa Croll of Attlee Realty, LLC — journalist at heart, entrepreneur by instinct. From oil & gas to car wash deals, her path proves that curiosity and grit make powerful business tools. In this episode, we cover: How Melissa carved out a niche brokering  car wash  businesses nationwide What makes selling a  business  wildly different from selling a house (hello, P&Ls and DSCRs) Why  mentorship...

Melissa Croll of Attlee Realty, LLC— journalist at heart, entrepreneur by instinct. From oil & gas to car wash deals, her path proves that curiosity and grit make powerful business tools. In this episode we cover: How Melissa carved out a niche brokering car wash businesses nationwide What makes selling a business wildly different from selling a house (hello, P&Ls and DSCRs) Why mentorship matters...

In this episode of Herb's Financial Sandbox, Herb sits down with Cindy Pham, Vice President at Legal1031.com, to unpack one of real estate's most misunderstood tools: the 1031 exchange. Her advice is clear—talk to your Qualified Intermediary before closing, or you could lose your ability to defer capital-gains taxes. From forward and reverse exchanges to DSTs and "constructive receipt," Cindy brea...

In this episode of The Financial Sandbox, Herb Alston sits down with Alicia Shepard, Vice President of Keller Williams Commercial, for a straight-talk conversation about what actually drives results in sales-driven businesses. Alicia shares why training, systems, and ownership of your time matter more than market conditions — and why staying "busy" is often just distraction in disguise. Key takeaw...

On this episode of The Financial Sandbox, Herb's in Nashville overlooking the Nissan Stadium talking with Mike Hollister of NexPoint—a CPA and 20-year veteran in the real estate and alternative investments space. We dig into: Why NexPoint pivoted from "can't lose" multifamily and self-storage into U.S. specialty manufacturing (semiconductors, life sciences, medical devices) The big difference betw...

Selling a business or investment property can be a double-edged sword—your life's work turns into a lump sum, but so does a massive tax bill. In this episode of Financial Sandbox, Herb sits down with Morris Chub, CPA, a former NASDAQ CFO and M&A veteran, to break down how Installment Sale Trusts (ISTs) under IRC §453 help business owners and real estate investors defer capital gains, design steady...

In this candid conversation, Joe Williams—co-founder of the world's largest privately held real estate company—reflects on the grit, vision, and human touch that built Keller Williams from a small Texas brokerage into a global empire. What You'll Hear The early days: How Joe and Gary Keller's "head and heart" partnership became the perfect business chemistry. Agent as entrepreneur: The radical ide...