Episode 47 of The Ride Along isn’t your average chat about inspection checklists or foundation cracks—it’s a bearded, bourbon-filled breakdown of what happens when public adjusters and home inspectors cross paths.
Host Brad Lowery and special guest co-host Matt Brading are joined by Jessie Hernandez, a licensed public adjuster with a soft spot for helping policyholders stand up to insurance carriers. The trio swaps field stories (including one suspicious shower pan “crack” that turned out to be… let’s just say not a crack), sips strong bourbon, and clears up one of the biggest misconceptions out there – what adjusters actually do, and why people keep confusing them with inspectors.
Jessie dives into the nuances of working insurance claims, the weirdos that show up on-site, and how good documentation and a calm head go a long way in both professions.
If you’re new to inspecting or just getting your business rolling, this episode is a must-listen. You’ll learn how adjusters operate, how inspections tie into insurance claims, and why good communication (and thicker skin) can make all the difference when you’re out in the field.
Watch episode 47 now and subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss The Ride Along.
Transcript
Brad Lowery
And just like that, it is another week here on the ride along and we got Mr. Matt Brading sitting back here out in Texas coming in live from Houston. And how’s it going, dude?
Jessie Hernandez
you
Matt Brading
Man, it is going great. Still got that good inspection weather, man. I’m feeling it. I’m loving it out here right now.
Brad Lowery
Dude, tell me about it, man. was I was talking with some of the Porchies that I work with daily. And that’s what they call each other. I don’t know. That’s kind of it’s a little cringe, you know, but they you know, it works. It works. But no, they were you people are everywhere from Virginia out to Seattle. And I’m just sitting down here in Florida and they’re bitching and moaning about the weather.
Matt Brading
Is that what they’re called? Porchies?
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Brad Lowery
And I’m like, I’m not going to tell you that I see a cloud in the sky and that’s the most that I’ve seen all day. know, it’s just, are you? Are you? Do you want to wear that badge?
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Matt Brading
I just had a realization, am I a Porchie I feel like I’m a Poorchie I don’t know.
Brad Lowery
I think you’re a Porchie man in my mind. You’re an honorary Porchie I think it’s a great thing to be.
Matt Brading
I I’m, I think I’m, I just realized that, so I don’t know. I’m getting comfortable with it.
Brad Lowery
Yeah, well, we got to get you one of these here shirts, you know, these fancy ride along shirts. Yeah, I mean, it’s the Eddie Bauer was it kind of fits like a dad shirt or like, remember, like in the, yeah, in like the late 90s 2000s, the one that’s like you just you tied it around the waist a little bit or you you weren’t real loose. Yeah, man. Yeah, I dig it. Okay, dude, catch me up the latest the best the coolest thing that you’ve seen in the field this week.
Matt Brading
It does look nice. I’m a dad. I mean, I like the lumberjack look, man, like I’m into it, you know? I got the beard for it.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Matt Brading
Coolest I don’t man. I don’t know. I will tell you an experience I had. I’m just going to tell you an experience I had. Okay, this this is definitely not something cool. It was more of a realization. So I was inspecting a shower tile shower pan, you know, and I noticed crack tile on on the on the floor of the shower and so I reached down there to just kind of feel the crack and the crack moved.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Brad Lowery
How did the crack move?
Matt Brading
It wasn’t a crack it was a hair
Brad Lowery
Now are we talking like a long hair or like
Matt Brading
Was that you?
Brad Lowery
What are we looking at here like
Matt Brading
Was not very long. it was a. It was a yes, yes, a pubic hair. I’m assuming I guess it could. It could have been a beard hair or something like that, I guess. I’m going to go with that because it feels so much better.
Brad Lowery
It was from elsewhere upon the body. I mean, you could you be the one to know about that.
You are representing the bearded gang here. Though our guest Jesse today is bearded as well. So how’s it going, Jesse?
Matt Brading
Yeah
Jessie Hernandez
Doing well, doing well. Thanks for having me, fellas.
Brad Lowery
Definitely man, dude. Glad you’re here. It just seemed like a natural easy tie in there. We weren’t planning on just going straight to the guest segment, but you’re on the show. So let’s go ahead. You know, we have three different stages of beard growth here, right? I just know I’m gonna look at as we’re all I’m looking one side to the other. I’m like stubble two weeks growth one year’s growth. So I love it.
Matt Brading
Bring him in. That’s right. Me and Jesse should switch.
Jessie Hernandez
I don’t know. Matt definitely has me beat in the beard arena. He’s so finely groomed.
Brad Lowery
It’s, dude, it’s the signature thing.
Matt Brading
Take care of it. I take pride in it. I grew, I do. I trim my own beard.
Jessie Hernandez
I can’t do it.
Brad Lowery
But, but.
Matt Brading
You gotta, I gotta look good, you know?
Brad Lowery
But that’s what happened in the bathroom. Somebody must have done the same. Well, let’s assume it was that.
Matt Brading
Yeah, I’m gonna go with that. It feels a lot better to think that that’s what happened. Feels a lot better.
Jessie Hernandez
Ahem.
Brad Lowery
Did you wash your hands after?
Matt Brading
Mean, yeah, but I don’t know. There’s some things that soap don’t wash off.
Jessie Hernandez
Thank you.
Brad Lowery
Now the memory stays. You still do.
Matt Brading
It is what it is though, you know, that’s inspection life right there.
Brad Lowery
That’s it, man. That’s it. Jesse, we’re going to tell everybody, let’s go ahead. We’ll just jump into it. Tell everybody, first of all, what it is that you do, because you’ve got a very unique job in the real estate space as well.
Jessie Hernandez
So, I am a licensed public adjuster. And what that means for anyone who doesn’t know, because let’s face it, a lot of people don’t know, you know, there’s a couple different people who are involved in an insurance claim. We just so happen to be the adjusters who represent the policyholders against the carriers. We work with them.
Brad Lowery
All right. And you know, honestly, guys, for the watchers and listeners, thought Matt and I both thought what was we were talking about guests to bring on the show that this would be a really interesting segment because there’s kind of two people in the real estate space that I feel like inspectors get mistaken for. think maybe the biggest is appraisers. But then I also hear adjusters as well. Have you ever been mixed up with one of those, Matt?
Matt Brading
Oh yeah, people call me asking for an appraisal. They mean inspection usually. I’ve had some people that actually did need an appraisal and I was like, oh no, no, I don’t do that. But no, yeah, all the time. They mix that up all the time.
Brad Lowery
Yep. So Jesse, what is it that an appraiser does? Just first and foremost, right off the bat.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay, so I got it. I got it right. So I’m gonna adjust her right. I’m a public adjuster. We just did it right.
Brad Lowery
See, wait, I mixed it up. See?
Matt Brading
Thought you were like throwing him for a loop there. That wasn’t that wasn’t on purpose. He caught it though. He caught it.
Brad Lowery
That actually I wish I could say it was it’s just late, man.
Jessie Hernandez
Yeah. So, and it’s funny you say that because, right, there are appraisers in the insurance world, you know, they’re property damage appraisers and there’s public adjusters and they can be the same person. But, you know, they are, they have two separate, they serve two different jobs.
Matt Brading
Just in case we needed to get more confusing. It can’t actually be the same person.
Brad Lowery
That’s it. Yeah. Okay. And I want to get into what those two different jobs are, because I want to break down very specifically what it is. It’s neat. I mean, I love that we get to kind of because think about it, right? As home inspectors, Matt, you and I, we get to interact with all kinds of different people from the real estate space, right? It’s never just the buyer or just the seller. That’s the majority of what we do. But you end up crossing paths with so many different people, pest control.
Or you know, radon mitigation. You know, a lot of us test for radon, but we don’t always do the mitigation work. Plumbers, electricians, we run in with everybody, but you know, two different types of adjusters, that’s something that’s gonna be really interesting to talk about, especially because a lot of the inspections that I end up doing down in Florida are for insurance purposes with wind mitigations, four point, things like that. So it’ll be interesting to get into that, but before we do, guys, we need to do…
the drink of the day because Jesse you along with Matt and I are both we’re all bourbon guys here.
Jessie Hernandez
Definitely a bourbon guy.
Brad Lowery
All right. And before we even do the drink of the day, we do have to say, not obligatorily quite happily, that the drink of the day segment is sponsored once again by inspection fuel . Right there. Make sure that you guys go online inspection fuel.com sign up. It’s going to be September through the in New Orleans. So we’re to be having a good old time.
Matt Brading
Oh yeah!
Brad Lowery
down there in the Big Easy. It’s gonna be at the Marriott. Gonna be a fun time. Matt, we’re gonna be doing a live show down there.
Matt Brading
We are Live Podcast.
Brad Lowery
Yep, it’s gonna be good. All right, so drink of the day. Let’s go left to right on my screen here, Jesse. We’ll start with you.
Jessie Hernandez
Thanks.
Matt Brading
What are you having?
Jessie Hernandez
I am drinking the Old Forester. It’s a single barrel selection. Local group here, Bourbon Hounds of Houston. So went with a local pick.
Matt Brading
Nice, nice. Old Forster’s some good bourbon. Well, no, it’s not local. Old Forster’s not. He’s not local bourbon club.
Brad Lowery
All right, all foresters from Houston.
Jessie Hernandez
It’s a local pick.
Brad Lowery
God. Got it, got it, got it, okay, got you.
Jessie Hernandez
Yeah, so the club picked it and it is currently serving me at 129.7 proof.
Matt Brading
That’s a, that’s a bourbon. That is, that’s got a kick to it. That’s a, that’s a, you start the night with that one. You don’t end the night with that one. all right. So I guess I’m next. I, am this is, this is local actually. so, I’m actually headed out, at the end of this week, actually, Saturday I’m headed to, round rock, and on the way from Houston to round rock.
Brad Lowery
Well you will be feeling…That’ll clean off a week.
Jessie Hernandez
Thanks
Brad Lowery
That’s exactly right. My god.
Matt Brading
There is a small, not a distillery, but a little whiskey. It’s called Cooper’s family whiskey. it’s a little, you know, bar and they sell their, their blends and stuff. And this is, a Cooper’s family. this is their single barrel bourbon. they have a bunch of varieties. I haven’t had a bad bottle there yet. if you’re ever headed out that way, Jesse, it’s a nice little stop. Good place to have a cocktail and pick up a bottle. Cheers.
Jessie Hernandez
Put it on my list now.
Brad Lowery
Dude, I would love to check that out too. The beer scene I feel like is pretty good in Texas as well. I mean, you guys are known for Shiner and stuff like that. But the whiskey scene, I haven’t really tried that one out down there.
Jessie Hernandez
Ahem.
Matt Brading
I mean, there’s not much to it, to be honest with you. And like I say, this is just a blend of different bourbons. It’s probably just a bunch of Kentucky bourbons, to be honest with you. But it’s just a cool spot. And I like to pick up a bottle there whenever I’m passing by, because that’s the only place. I have actually found it in some local shops, but it’s not easily find.
Brad Lowery
You know what would be great for a drink at the day segment would be Texas wine. Because you guys are pretty well renowned for wine country down around Austin and stuff.
Matt Brading
I guess, yeah, I mean, I don’t know anything about wine. I mean, like somebody would have to steer me in the right direction. I like it. No, I like it.
Jessie Hernandez
You know
Brad Lowery
We’ll sit here and pontificate like we know what we’re actually talking about.
Jessie Hernandez
There is a distillery, the name escapes me, but it’s in High. High Texas, it’s Texas bourbon, the facilities are awesome, and it’s in wine country.
Matt Brading
Huh, that’s interesting. Look how that defined it.
Brad Lowery
Really? Are they finishing it?
Jessie Hernandez
So in the middle of all these wineries, there’s this one lone bourbon distillery.
Matt Brading
Because some dude like me was down there going, I don’t really drink wine. Let’s do something else. Oh, I’m familiar with Garrison Brothers, but I didn’t realize that was what was going on. Well, what do you got there, Brad? Hey, the traveler. I have, yeah, I got a bottle of that. That’s out of the Buffalo Tracer, Hillary, if I’m not mistaken.
Brad Lowery
I dig it.
Jessie Hernandez
Garrison Brothers, that’s it.
Brad Lowery
Alright, I just picked this up. Have you guys tried, have you tried Traveler?
Jessie Hernandez
Mm-hmm.
Brad Lowery
The one that just flooded. Thoughts on prayers. Yeah, yeah. So it’s…
Matt Brading
That’s correct.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Matt Brading
That’s also Chris Stapleton’s whiskey. Yes.
Brad Lowery
That’s exactly right. Yeah, no, so he paired up with one of their master distillers over there. And they put together quite a nice little bourbon there. But it’s got a little bit different flavor profile than regular old Buffalo Trace, but same distillery, where they crank out all their other good stuff. But do you guys know any updates on the flooding situation over there at all? you kept? No?
Jessie Hernandez
I heard it’s receded. I actually had a couple buddies who were down in Kentucky working those floods.
Brad Lowery
Man.
Matt Brading
Wow. So it’s receded, but I wonder like I mean, were they prepared for something? This isn’t the first time this has happened over there though. Right? Because like it seems like every couple years something happens at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Like. Part of it gets like damaged or something. I don’t know. Seems like I always hear about something happening, but anyway, I don’t know if anybody’s got an update on the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Call in.
Brad Lowery
Well, they’re right on that river, yeah. I’m not sure. Yeah, sound off in the comments. Yeah,
Jessie Hernandez
Do we need to stock up?
Brad Lowery
We want to hear it. We want to hear it.
Matt Brading
Yeah, I I buy a bottle every time I go into the store because right now it’s the normal price so whatever.
Brad Lowery
And for now, yeah. All right, cool. Well, now that we got what we’re sipping on here, let’s talk about what we’re here to talk about, which is, clarify for us, if you would, the differences between those two different adjusters, a public adjuster and insurance adjuster. What are the roles? What are the jobs?
Jessie Hernandez
So there’s to confuse it more Brad. I’m gonna throw in one more, right? So the carriers, know, the Allstate State Farm just so people are familiar they know them. They see them on TV all the time. They have people who work directly for them. They are called a staff adjuster, right? And sometimes some of these smaller companies or even some of the larger ones, they will farm out their work to kind of independent adjusters or independent adjusting firms. So have these guys who kind of work for themselves or maybe they work for a firm, they don’t work directly for the carrier, they’re an independent. And then you have us rebels who work for the people and we work specifically for the policy holder.
Matt Brading
See, this is where I think I like this kind of line that we’re drawn between that and inspection because so do we like as third party inspectors, know, people are like, you know, builders have their inspectors and the city has their inspectors and everyone thinks that somebody’s in somebody’s pocket, but we are hired by the buyer, you know, and so our interests are only aligned with the person that’s buying that house. And so that’s what we found out what you were doing and I didn’t even really know this existed and Jesse tells me that’s what he was doing. I was like, wow, you know,
Jessie Hernandez
You. Okay.
Matt Brading
I immediately thought we need to get this out there and let people know. And I was anxious to have you on the show because you are working for the people and that’s what we’re doing. And so I feel like that’s we’re very much aligned in that way.
Jessie Hernandez
Yeah, absolutely. You know, we are beholden to the policyholder, right? You know, we’re technically considered a fiduciary agent. We got to look out for the best interest of our policyholders and, you know, that’s what we do.
Brad Lowery
Now that’s great man. where, tell me if this even happens, does a public adjuster ever end up running, having a run in basically with the insurance companies where you go out there representing the policy holder and you’re looking and checking what’s going on. Your numbers don’t line up with what their guy is saying. How do you reconcile that? What’s the process like from there?
Jessie Hernandez
So that happens almost exclusively, right? Like, and a lot of times the gap is so big and it really depends. I would say it’s law specific, Brad. You know, you could have a case where,you know, you need to go take that appraisal process we were talking about, or maybe we just take another visit to the property, right? Let’s go out.
You know, I’ve written my estimate, you’ve written yours. You know, these are all the line items like that. We’re different. You know, what are we looking at? What’s our difference? Right. Let’s go back out to the property. Let’s do a re-inspect and let’s go look at why I have this and you have that. Right. And then we’ll just go back at it, meet them on property and just kind of go and compare or, know, just ask questions, right? Like, how is it that, you know, I’m removing and replacing this. You want to just, you know, clean this. Right.
What’s going on here? And you know really it’s just kind of going back out to the property getting eyes back on it and being able to Explain and articulate why something needs to be done.
Matt Brading
What is the percentage that like you as a public adjuster win that battle?
Jessie Hernandez
You know, and that’s a tough one to say, but probably more times than not, because we don’t really try to fluff our scopes, right? It’s legitimate damage is there and we can prove it. So if it’s provable and we can obviously articulate why we are putting that into our scope, chances are we’re going to get it flipped. Right.
Matt Brading
Interesting. So, I mean, that’s the deal. Like you are working for the people to make sure that they are getting all they need out of their claim and not getting shorted.
Brad Lowery
Yeah, and that process.
Jessie Hernandez
Yeah, there’s so many different things in the policy map that most homeowners never read their policy. In fact, most homeowners, they’re not even getting their policy until after they’ve purchased it, right? Which is weird. Like you purchase this policy, you get it, and then what happens? You throw it in the drawer and a file cabinet. You never look at it again until you actually need it. And then at that point, you have no idea what your coverage is. You have no idea what kind of coverage, what’s covered, what’s not, what’s a loss, what isn’t.
Matt Brading
Yeah, I’m totally guilt.
Jessie Hernandez
I see it all the time and that’s what we do. We’ll go through those policies, review the coverage with them, let them know what coverage can be applied, what they don’t have, and just kind of start from there.
Brad Lowery
And again, with those policies, do you make yourself familiar with them before you get there on site? Or are you just so used to working with the different insurance companies, you kind of have a good idea of what their policy is going to be. And then specifically for damages that you’re looking at, how do you kind of reconcile those with those policies, if you would?
Jessie Hernandez
So mean in this day and age, policies vary. You’ll see a lot of the same repetitive endorsements and policy language per carrier, but it’s all kind of interpreted differently. Every insurance company interprets those a little bit differently, but really I tend to get as much information prior to going out. If I can read your policy or if I can read your declaration page, see a few photos before I get on site and prepare myself for what I’m gonna see.
You want to do that first because the last thing you want to do is get a policy. You see that the damage was invisible next to nothing or maybe they don’t even need a public adjuster. They just need some good advice, right? You don’t necessarily need to sign every claim. There’s a lot of stuff that you can kind of help policyholders through to the next stage without ever even signing them as a client, right? It’s just more goodwill. But I’d say for the most part, I don’t really go out unless like I know it was a really bad loss.
I try to tend to prepare myself by looking at photos, any documents they have, the scope if they have one, and that policy.
Brad Lowery
Man, I got so many questions coming off of that. Number one, like, how do people find you and look you up? Is it the same way that they kind of go about looking for a home inspector? Like, they’ve got this need. There’s one guy that’s going to fix that. They’re not going to trust just the insurance guy. So they’re going to go, they’re looking at Google reviews. Are they looking at just personal recommendations? Or do they talk to an agent? How do they find you?
Jessie Hernandez
So it’s funny you ask. Here in Houston, it really depends. A lot of markets kind of have several ways. I’d say one of the very, like just probably the most popular or most common way to find a public adjuster is a contractor, right? Contractors usually hit a homeowner. They knocked the door for a roof claim.
Maybe it was a plumber who went out for a water heater, exploded, whatever the case may be. Maybe you’re here in Houston, there was a hurricane. Contractor referrals by far take the cake. Past clients, they refer clients pretty regularly. Google helps a ton. SEO these days does magic. Here in Houston, and there’s a few other large markets, we actually go out and kind of solicit fire claims from time to time or daily. Depends on who you are.
Matt Brading
From time to time daily.
Brad Lowery
That’s a strategy right there, man. No, I love it. And so now that they’ve found you, get on site. Matt and I, when we go through house, looking at properties. He’s got his process by going through a home. I’ve got mine. Every inspector is a little bit different. Is there kind of a standard of practice for public adjusters as far as what you’re looking at and the way you go about evaluating the home? And what’s that look like?
Jessie Hernandez
So mean, everyone kind of does their own, you know, has their own inspection process. You know, I typically start with the policy and then depending on the loss, you know, if there’s exterior damage and interior damage, right, there may not be conclusive of each other, but generally starting outside, working your way around, starting inside, working your way around, really kind of law specific as well, right? I’m not going to go and document the interior of a house when I’m looking at the roof for.
You know if there’s damage through the garage and you know not really looking at the other side of the house. So really depends on the loss. know documentation is key in this industry and you want to make sure that you’re capturing damage from literally every angle possible and from anywhere that it could be.
Brad Lowery
That’s good. Following that following the estimate You know we get we get called deal killers all the time as home inspectors, right? Where somebody’s getting ready to you know, they’ve got this house either for sale or you know the agents really really trying to get to closing and We find all of these issues and we’ve killed the deal Is there anything that’s kind of like that on the adjuster side where it’s like somebody comes back and was like, yeah You know, he got us all of this money, but then our policy just went through the roof afterwards
Jessie Hernandez
Hahaha
Brad Lowery
You know screw that guy like is there anything that happens like that that blows back on you or?
Jessie Hernandez
No, mean, really we’re kind of a help, a helping hand all the way through from, know, as soon as you guys get us pulled in. And sometimes that could be, you know, the middle of a loss. Like maybe you’ve been underpaid, your contractors kind of told you like, Hey, you probably need a public adjuster or maybe we get called in the very beginning because it was like a really bad loss and it’s very complex. so there’s not really a kind of a ton of blowback from having a public adjuster other than getting properly.
You know, put back to pre-loss condition. I will say, you know, if the carrier here in Texas, we have a rescission period with our contracts, right, which is 72 hours, so three days. So if you have a major loss and the carrier comes out and they deem that to be a total loss and they’re going to pay policy limits and they give that in writing, then we don’t have to do a thing, right? Our contract goes away and you don’t even need the public adjuster, right? So that’s kind of a way that we poof disappear and he didn’t really need us even though we were there.
Brad Lowery
Got it, got it, okay. Dude, Matt, I almost wonder, like, what would a dad do if he was following an adjuster around instead of following an inspector around? know what I’m saying?
Matt Brading
That’s interesting. Yeah, for sure.
Jessie Hernandez
It happened.
Matt Brading
Like you got like the buyer’s dad that shows up during the inspections. Yeah, I can totally see the same. The dad would do the same thing. It would be the same thing. It’d be the same guy. Hey, you got a look on the backside of that thing. Make sure you check that side of the roof over there too. That got affected too.
Brad Lowery
Yeah. I would have.
Jessie Hernandez
It happens, I get the dance.
Brad Lowery
Evaluated that at least $200 more.
Matt Brading
You get the dad.
No, I can totally see it. I can totally do it. And like there’s like some damage that happened that’s nearby, but it’s not related. But the dad’s like, yeah, this was part of it too. This is part of it too. Trying to throw that in the trash. Yeah. Yeah. He actually overflowed a sink, but he’s like, no, but yeah, this came from the leak in the garage, you know.
Jessie Hernandez
I get to Hahaha
Brad Lowery
Yeah, how’d that get there? Yeah. So do you ever see anything like that? does like the dad show up on site, Jesse, and this is kind of the same way we have to deal with.
Jessie Hernandez
I’ve had dads, I’ve had uncles, I’ve had business partners, ex-husbands, sons, daughters, everything.
Matt Brading
Okay.
Jessie Hernandez
Everyone wants to be a part of it.
Brad Lowery
Are he is? Yeah, what is that? What does that look like? They’re like, what is the most annoying thing that they do? While you’re trying to get the job? He’s everything. Right.
Jessie Hernandez
Everything. They bring no value, right? Like if you knew what you were doing, you wouldn’t need me. Right? So, I mean, it’s funny. I love it. Help. But a lot of times I see that it almost hurts more than it helps, right? Because it’s opinion more than facts or any relative information.
Matt Brading
Right. It always must. Yeah. mean, they’ll base, there are some of their opinions and some personal experience maybe that they’ve had, but I mean, like they don’t have any actual experience in the field. And I mean, this is, this is the inspection buyer’s dad. It’s the exact same thing. I mean, we deal with all of the, all of the exact same things. I didn’t, I didn’t think about that until you mentioned a Brad, but we’re very much in line with that, with that aspect too. That’s crazy.
Jessie Hernandez
You. Hahaha
Brad Lowery
Yeah. I mean, I’m just I’m just thinking how annoying it is when they’re trying to like their whole goal on an inspection is making sure that you know, their son or their daughter their pride and joy just gets the best possible deal on the house that they can, you know, and they want to make sure that they’re not getting ready to buy a lemon. But I’m like, you throw money in the game now. baby. Right. It’s like, well, we could get way more for that. You know, like, just I cannot even imagine how that is. But I okay.
This is where, again, we’re kind of coming back to a little bit of like a crossroads here between how we work and, you know, Jesse, how you would work as an adjuster and that we both have to communicate our value to a sometimes less than less than cooperative client.
Jessie Hernandez
Ha ha.
Brad Lowery
So what’s your method for doing that? mean, because for me, you know, as an inspector, I’ve always kind of tried to take as much of a, you know, defuse the situation tone as possible. I got to be the cool head in the room. Well, sometimes also very diplomatically.
Putting the dad figure or whoever it is kind of in their place a little bit. You know, I’ve got jargon that I’ll break out that I would not use for a normal home buyer, right? All the technical language, but how do you manage that situation? What’s that look like for you?
Jessie Hernandez
You know, working with multiple personalities in this industry, I think it’s really just kind of like educating them from the beginning that, you know, oversharing can do more harm than good. And when you explain that to them, when that adjuster is coming, it tends to shut them up a bit, right and it’s smart though right because the last thing you want to do is say something that’s relevant or has no relevancy and kind of damages the claim and you know no one wants to say too much no one wants to be that guy so I just kind of say that
Brad Lowery
No, I don’t give a…
Matt Brading
That’s interesting. That seems effective.
Brad Lowery
No, most definitely. So how many do you fit in in a day? Because with inspection, Matt, how many do you do normally? You do two tops? OK. Yeah, most like.
Matt Brading
Two. Yeah. I’ve done three before, but it’s been like, small things like a re inspection, maybe a phase construction, and then a final or something like that. But I’ve done that one or two times that even that is borderline too much because you still got three reports to deal with.
Brad Lowery
Sure, yeah, yeah, it’s a late night every time, yeah. Most I would ever do was three. There was a couple times where I would like check in a fourth condo or something, because it was tiny. But yeah, then I, no, I was writing a report until midnight and then getting up at five the next morning to finish it before going out again, you know? But Jesse, how many sites do you tend to fit in in a day? Or how many claims do you tend to file?
Matt Brading
My god. That’s
Jessie Hernandez
What? You know, so most of what I do is going out and actually obtaining the clients, you know, and then there’s the actual inspections and I’m there for those and then maybe there is an investigation and I’m there for that or maybe there’s a re-inspection. So if you count all the things, you know, it could be one, it could be five or six. That’s a really busy day. And then tomorrow it could be one again, right? Or maybe I have a
Brad Lowery
Okay.
Jessie Hernandez
An off day, It’s just, you just never know. Claims are a little bit more inconsistent. You know, one day you’re hit with three and then the next day, hey, it’s a slow day, right? It averages out though and you stay pretty busy once you put your name out there and you’ve made a name for yourself and people trust you.
Brad Lowery
Yeah, yeah.
Matt Brading
I gave your name out today. I gave your number to somebody today. Well, I gave your number to my wife who gave it to somebody because this guy called, she answers my work phone most of the time and somebody called her and was like, yeah, yeah, I need an inspection. He started going off on everything that he needed and he was talking about some damage that had happened and this argument between the insurance company and stuff. And I was telling her, I was like,
Jessie Hernandez
Great.
Matt Brading
Whoa. Like he does not need a home inspection. Like he needs something else. And she was like, well, what does he need? And I go, he needs Jesse. And he’s just to give him this number. He needs a public adjuster. So I gave him, I gave him your number, but I mean, everything she said, I was like, this is perfect. This is actually, this is a perfect candidate. I don’t know if he actually called you or not, or maybe you will.
Jessie Hernandez
Hahaha! Sorry.
Brad Lowery
Do you, Jesse, do you refer a lot of inspectors? Again, because with working with insurance companies, one of the things I’ve found in Florida is some of the best leads that you can get as an inspector down here is through insurance agents, because there’s so many insurance inspections that are needed. So do you end up crossing spheres in a sense with inspectors where you end up referring them out?
Jessie Hernandez
So me kind of almost pivoting to that industry, me being in the reconstruction space and public adjusting, I kind of tend to cross, and being an investor, I tend to cross a lot of real estate people, lot of relationships, and I do refer inspectors. And oddly enough, only two. Matt being one.
Brad Lowery
Bet we got one.
Matt Brading
I’ve never gotten one call.
Jessie Hernandez
Matt being one and then the, so one of my, a buddy of mine, I told you this before. So a buddy of mine who was, you know, he’s a home inspector was, you know, kind of is the one who got me kind of going on the industry. And so, and him, you know, and, know, he’s a vet and does great work. He’s done a lot of work for me and my family anytime we buy a house. And then, you know, Matt, like,
Matt Brading
Work off. Really only one is just saying that because I’m on the show.
Jessie Hernandez
Know, Matt’s got such a great voice, a big voice in the Houston market and just really awesome guy. So it’s very hard not to just say Matt. Texas Edge, man.
Matt Brading
Cheers. I like that.
Brad Lowery
Texas Edge, hey look, I’m even still wearing my own Texas Edge hat that I picked up from right here, how about that? You know, I need to get some clarity inspection hats from wherever you ordered these, because they fit so good. And it is so tough to find a hat that actually fits well. Yeah, yeah, they’re quality, man.
Matt Brading
Look at that. Looks dang good on you, I know, these good hats, that’s for sure.
Brad Lowery
So, okay, we didn’t really talk about this. We talked before we started recording live, but Jesse, you were considering being a home inspector. You were telling us before the call, before we started, what kind of led you to go down the route of being a public adjuster as opposed to joining Matt in the inspection sphere?
Jessie Hernandez
You know, think I was I did the national test Pass that started working on my test. I did I Did I actually I was pretty far I was testing everything like I was about to get licensed and
Matt Brading
I didn’t know you did that. I didn’t know you got that far.
Brad Lowery
That thing’s a pain,
Matt Brading
Yeah, I mean, if you took the test, then yeah, you’re steps away from getting licensed. Okay, okay.
Jessie Hernandez
Yes, I was like right there, like just about to cross the finish line and a buddy of mine calls me up and pitches me on, you know, fire claims and it’s like, wow, you know, seem like a really good fit, you know, come check this out. And it just, made a lot of sense. And I’m used to being in sales guy, you know, not necessarily like being a trade. And so it was just a more natural fit.
And it just kind of got me interested. made that pivot and, you know, lo and behold, public adjuster.
Brad Lowery
Hey, worked out, man. It seems like it’s a heck of a career for sure.
Matt Brading
All right.
Jessie Hernandez
It’s fun, it’s interesting, you never know what you’re gonna see or who you’re gonna meet. Very much like being a home inspector. I’m sure you guys have come across some crazy stuff in a house.
Matt Brading
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Sometimes some gross stuff. You know, I mean, it seems like you’re really passionate about what you do. And so, I mean, like, I think that’s always like a good fit for you whenever you find something that you can just be passionate about, you know, something that you could sit there and talk about for hours. And it seems like you could do that. So it sounds like you found a really good fit for yourself.
Brad Lowery
Did you?
Jessie Hernandez
It’s fun, Matt. I think at the end of the day, I just like being a problem solver and helping people. It’s not so much like it’s the industry itself. It’s just that, you know, so many people who have claims, you know, they get taken advantage of. And I didn’t know this industry existed till a few years ago. Right. And then I found out about it. I’m like, this is a thing. I’m like, all right, well, seems kind of cool. Like, and I just kind of landed into it and
Matt Brading
Yeah.
Jessie Hernandez
you know now I’m you know working with the company uh… developing franchises creating more public adjusters and you know helping people escape the nine to five but they’re also get to go into a trade where they get to help people and you know i get to help so many people because time is you know finite but building more of these public adjusters i get to help more people and you know at the end of the day that’s what’s fun it’s
You know what’s going on in the industry because you get an insider’s look at it every day. I tell people all the time, when you see homeowners getting paid cents on the dollar or what they’re due, if you know that’s going on, you got to do something about it. Tell someone, help someone out. Be that guy who just helps people. And that’s really what it’s about.
Matt Brading
That’s awesome, man. That’s awesome. I really like that.
Brad Lowery
Very good. And last question that I’ve got for you. What got you into bourbon, man? Because I feel like we’ve all got a little bit of a backstory. When did that bug bite you?
Jessie Hernandez
Whoo! Man, it’s been a long time. It’s been a long time. My bourbon journey’s come deep. It’s come a long, long ways.
Matt Brading
You
Brad Lowery
This is gonna be a separate episode, but I’m here for it.
Matt Brading
Yeah.
Jessie Hernandez
It really is. You know, I think I remember growing up as a kid, know, my dad, you know, just kind of being my dad with would drink bourbon from time to time. And to me, it just always seemed like, an American, you know, the masculine drink, the man’s man’s drink. I’ll tell you what, I remember I was watching a show.
And it kind of sparked everything, I guess. It was a show on FX, Justified. Right? And I started watching it and they were, yeah, they’re in Kentucky, they’re in Bourbon country, and every other scene, they’re pouring a bourbon. And it’s like, you know, and I just started giving it a chance. I started with Eagle Rare. Next thing you know, it’s Elmer T. Lee and George T. Stagg. And then, you know, next thing you know, I’m spending way too much money on bourbon.
Brad Lowery
Ooh, okay, yeah, yeah.
Matt Brading
Hahaha.
Brad Lowery
Dude, I hear that. I it’s almost the same way. I mean just kind of very similar you when you mentioned watching a show I this is about years ago. I started to dabble in cigars and I moved back home from Florida to Virginia. I’m back in Florida now and An old friend of mine. His name is name was Pablo Awesome, dude. He he was like, you know, if you really like cigars, you should try pipes
And so I was like, I’ve never never thought about trying pipe seems like an old guy thing, you know, but then I was watching. Gosh, it was Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. And there was this this part of the show where this train car is getting mowed down by a machine gun. And he just hits the deck. He and Watson hit the deck and he takes his pipe out and lights it up. And Watson looks at him and he’s like, you picked a heck of a time to be taken smoke and he’s like why I mean he’s like I’m gonna they’re gonna run out of ammunition at some point I might as well enjoy it you know and I was it was just such a badass moment that I was like I called my buddy I was like Pablo I need to get a pipe man and unfortunately he passed away a couple of years ago but his his fiance called me a while later and said you know I’ve got some things of Pablo’s that I want you to have and one of them was this pipe right here.
Jessie Hernandez
Hehe You
Matt Brading
You
Jessie Hernandez
that
Matt Brading
nice.
Brad Lowery
Um, got to share it with a proper pipe carver out of, um, uh, Gosh, he’s in Columbia, Tennessee, I think. Um, but, uh, just South of Nashville anyway, but he looked at it. He’s like, how do you this? That was actually pretty freaking decent. Like this was like hand carved by somebody in, in France in the South of France or something. But I mean, Hey, hats off to Pablo for getting me into pipe tobacco and hats off to justified for getting you into bourbon.
Jessie Hernandez
There you go.
Matt Brading
See you tomorrow.
Jessie Hernandez
Right on.
Brad Lowery
Cheers to that.
Matt Brading
So I met Jesse early in my bourbon journey, relatively, because I did the whole bourbon thing really weird. I went to Scotch first and then bourbon. I think it’s a little backwards for most. It was really just because like back in the day I was playing blues guitar. I was in a blues band with my buddies and we just decided like in order to be cool, we had to drink Scotch. Like that was the only way we could be cool. And so we just started to drink Scotch just because we were idiots. And then we developed a taste for it.
Brad Lowery
Ooh, a little backwards, okay, yeah.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay.
Brad Lowery
Yeah.
Matt Brading
And then I was like, okay, well, Scotch is pretty good. Like let me try bourbon. And I was like, oh yeah, I like bourbon. I was trying to kind of figure it out or whatever. Jesse, he told me one thing a long time ago. I don’t remember it specifically, but he told me one thing a long time ago, cause I can’t remember why the topic of bourbon being or not being smooth came up. But Jesse told me like bourbon, good bourbon is not smooth. There’s a bourbon. It just is not smooth. If it’s like it.
Jessie Hernandez
Yeah. Okay.
Matt Brading
And I totally get it now. Like it’s funny because like as you, as you develop a taste for bourbon, you start drinking higher proof stuff. Like, I mean, it does,
Brad Lowery
You’re
Matt Brading
But it’s such a good way. You know what I mean? Like, and, and, so, you know, you, you almost crave that. Whereas like, you know, I mean, this stuff that everyone thinks is smooth really just is just super low proof and not even really.
Brad Lowery
Yeah.
Jessie Hernandez
Yes. Okay.
Brad Lowery
Well, you got some that’s like that’s good to sip on and then you got others as good to really enjoy. You know what I’m saying? It all depends on what your experience is or what you’re looking for.
Matt Brading
I mean, it’s just how you want it. I I don’t really care. You know, like, whatever you like, drink it however you want and drink it, you know, with whatever you want, mix it if you want, do whatever you want at your journey. But, but, but yeah, I remember Jesse telling me that like bourbon just like isn’t smooth. I can’t remember the word you used and maybe you remember, but, that stayed with me for sure.
Jessie Hernandez
Cheers.
Brad Lowery
That’s it.
Jessie Hernandez
I love it.
Brad Lowery
That’s good, man. That’s good. Well, guys, I’ve enjoyed sipping with you all here tonight. Talking about kind of the cross the intersection here between public adjusters and home inspectors. hey, for all of you listening, seriously, what we want to know a couple of things. Number one, what’s your favorite bourbon? Two, I want to know if you smoke pipe tobacco or not, because that inspection fuel, I feel like we need to have like a smokers like we’ll find like a cigar lounge or something or a fire pit. We’ll all light up.
Jessie Hernandez
Okay. You
Matt Brading
Yeah, I’m bringing a small humidor full of cigars. So if anyone wants to have a cigar, hit me up. You can have pipe, pipe’s fine too, but I’m bringing cigars.
Brad Lowery
Yeah, I’m so freaking lootley. Let’s go. Dude, it’ll be a good time, man. But anyway, yeah, so sound off. What do you like to sip on? And you know, hey, have you guys ever had a run in or been confused with an adjuster? I want to know that story as well. Put that in the comments. And of course, obviously, be sure to subscribe to the show. Jesse, are you on social media, by the way? All right, where can they follow you? Because I want to plug you here a little bit too.
Jessie Hernandez
I am on Instagram at thejessehernandez.com.
Brad Lowery
Right good stuff. Well, you guys will see some bites from the show there If you enjoyed it, be sure to share it go give Jesse a follow Jesse dude Thanks so much for joining us here today, man. It’s been a lot of fun
Jessie Hernandez
I’ve had a ton of fun. Matt, appreciate the invite. Brad, great to be here. Keep up the good fight. And my favorite bourbon ever, George T-Stag.
Brad Lowery
All George T. Stagg. I haven’t either to be honest. So, but we’ll look. Look, I’ll tell you what though. I mean, I’m looking forward to inspection fuel in New Orleans. Just plug that one last time. Cause my favorite cocktail is a Sazerac and New Orleans is the home of it. So yeah, we’re to be enjoying that. if you Sazerac dude, it’s going to be a heck of a time and you know, a live. What’s that?
Matt Brading
Nice, I have yet to try it. It’s hard to find and expensive. Here you go. There you go. That’s right. That’s right. It’s as racks and cigars and pipes.
Jessie Hernandez
Hey, let me know when.
Matt Brading
Yes, September, what is it September what
Brad Lowery
September 8th through the 10th. Yeah, you coming Jesse? I mean you might as well. took the test. Dude, you know what?
Jessie Hernandez
Sounds like a good time.
Matt Brading
I mean, it almost seems like maybe a vendor opportunity or something. I don’t know.
Brad Lowery
I kind of feel like it. Yeah, yeah, get that name out there. I love it. I love it. Well, definitely. You guys go sign up and you know, enjoyed it. Matt, always a pleasure, buddy. And we will see all of y’all once again next time right here on, you want to say it, That’s it. Cheers, guys.
Matt Brading
Yeah, it’s going to be a good time for sure. The Ride Along.
Jessie Hernandez
Cheers fellas.
