The Mudcat Report: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community News & Guests

The Mudcat Report Episode 24: Chamber/Main Street

Hunter Dawkins

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 37:08

The Mudcat Report Episode 24: Chamber/Main Street 

HOST:  Hunter Dawkins -  Owner/Publisher of the Award-Winning Newspaper - The Gazebo Gazette, SuperTalk Mississippi News contributor, former Congressional Staffer, former Public Relations for the Attorney General's Office

PRODUCER:  Jeff Clark - Award-Winning Journalist, Multimedia/Podcast Host, Director for the Harrison County Senior Services; Host of the ClarkCast Podcast



GUESTS:

  • Anna Claire Perrone - Director for Long Beach & Pass Christian Chambers of Commerce
  • Wendy Diaz del Valle - President of Pass Christian Main Street Association
SPEAKER_05

The United States don't really think about what it means to show update. You're good at your teamwork inspire us every day. At USMI, we cherish our family, and our family includes community. And you, USMI builds the baddest boats with pride and coastal toughness. Gulfport roots, global impact. Sound like your kind of mission? We are accepting applications from experienced craftsmen to build real boats for real people.

SPEAKER_02

Looking for insurance coverage you can count on? Call the insurance barn, a professional agency since 1959. The insurance barn writes all-in-one policies and offers coverage for homeowners, fire, flood, commercial property, auto, boats, motorcycles, plus wind and hail protection. Visit them at 190-221st Avenue in Gulfport. Call 22886-31647 or learn more online at the insurance barn.net. The insurance barn, protecting what matters most for generations.

SPEAKER_08

Welcome to the Mudcat Report, community news, politics, and culture with a local twist. Here's your host, owner and publisher of the Gabo Gazette, Hunter Dawkins.

SPEAKER_12

Good afternoon. This is Hunter Dawkins. I am the host of the Mudcat Report. This is the 24th episode of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community News Podcast. Sponsored by the Gazebo Gazette. It's the Harrison County independent newspaper. The Beau Revise Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Nine Toes Brewing Company in Paschishan, O'Duire Realty Agent, Stephanie Makowitz, Joseph Kelly, Attorney at Law, Coast Casual in Pasker Chan, the Insurance Barn in Gulfport, the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, which will be on July 4th weekend, and we're always in the U.S. Marine Inc. Studio. I'm here with my wonderful producer of the show, Jeff Clark. Jeff Clark is a well-accomplished award-winning journalist, director of the Harrison County Senior Services, and as well my good friend Jeff Clark.

SPEAKER_11

Ah, thank goodness. I was I was getting bombed. How are you doing, Hunter?

SPEAKER_12

Doing well, doing well. I think we have a great theme, you know, with the Chamber of Commerce, Main Street. And the theme is very community-oriented, as you know, both of these organizations, and you know the guests that we have coming on with these organizations. And just, you know, uh, give me your thought about uh the chamber and Pass Christian Main Street.

SPEAKER_11

You know, the Chamber of Commerce, uh Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce is just integral to the to the to developing the coast, you know, economically, promoting the coast. Um, we we we have a a lineage of really heavy hitters here in Pass Christian. Uh Jenny Levins was fantastic when she did the the chamber for passing Long Beach. Uh we had uh Gabrielle, who was great. We got Anna Claire now. You know, the the the chambers changed leadership. Adele Lyons is no longer there. She did a fantastic job of promoting the coast and uh promoting uh the Gulf Coast Chamber. And now we got Ben Weldon, Dr. Ben Weldon, you know, who's uh married to Katie Weldon. His dad Scott works out at uh Ingalls. I met, you know, Ben was working at Ingalls when I was out there, his wife Katie works out there. So now you got Ben running the chamber, uh young guy, a lot of energy, so expect a lot of great things out of him. You know, Main Main Street is so important to the small businesses in this community or any community. So uh, you know, the the the chamber and main street, they they do a lot of things for this community, which people don't realize. So I'm glad to have these guests on to get shine some light on that.

SPEAKER_12

Absolutely, Jeff. And as we this is a community news podcast, it's talking about the different things going on in this community. What what opportunity better than to have both of these people that are in charge of this area, especially in Pastor Christian and Long Beach?

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, absolutely. Uh uh again, I'm a I'm a big fan of uh the Chamber of Commerce. I mean, you know, we had Kimberly Nastasi running the chamber down here when I when I first moved here, and I'm and she had done it for a while. Like some amazing people have come through there. Uh Katie Weldon, which I mentioned, Lisa Bradley, uh Katie Sandoz, like so many awesome people I know have worked at the chamber and done some great work. So it's uh it's good, man. It's uh it's gonna be an interesting show. So let's go to our first commercial break and we'll be right back.

SPEAKER_09

The greatest fairy tale never told is coming to Bow Revolution this summer. Everyone's favorite ogre hits the stage in the Broadway hit Dreck the Musical. Join the Dreck, Donkey, and Princess Fiona on a high-energy family-friendly adventure, June 11th through July 2nd. Tickets start at $25 with four packs starting at 60. The IP package is available. Get your tickets at BowRevolunge.com. A random production show produced a special range of music theater international MTI plus tax and service charges given to each other some restrictions may apply.

SPEAKER_07

Looking for trusted legal guidance on the Mississippi Gulf Coast? Joseph Kelly, attorney at law, has been serving the coast since 1993, helping families protect what matters most. From estate planning to securing your legacy. Joseph Kelly provides experienced, personalized legal services designed around your unique needs. With decades of knowledge in estate law, you can plan with confidence, knowing your wishes will be honored and your family protected. Call Joseph Kelly, Attorney at Law Today at 228-467-3400, or visit the office at 114 Main Street, Suite 102 in Bay St. Louis. Joseph Kelly, Attorney at Law, here for you, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1993.

SPEAKER_06

Looking for effortless style on the coast? Discover Coast Casual in the Pass, your locally owned men's and boys' boutique. Coast Casual offers a mix of coastal and southern-inspired clothing, accessories, and gifts, perfect for everything from laid back days to dressed-up nights. Known for quality and standout customer service, it's style made easy. Find Coast Casual at 100 West Scenic Drive in the Pass or visit Coastcasualms.com. Coast Casual, Relax Style starts here.

SPEAKER_12

I would love to introduce our first guest who is a very good friend of mine, Anna Claire Perone. Did I say the last name correctly? Because I don't want you guys on me like that. But Anna Claire is the director of the Long Beach Pascan Chambers of Commerce, who are directly affiliated with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce. How are you, Anna Claire? Good. How are you doing? Doing well, doing well. Thank you much. Talk to me about the mission of the Chamber of Commerce here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and their part in the communities they represent.

SPEAKER_03

So our mission is to connect, inform, and advocate and develop for our small business community. So, yes, we are the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber. We are an umbrella organization. And the Pass Christian and Long Beach Chamber divisions fall directly under the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber. We service all of the Mississippi Gulf Coast with our main emphasis on Harrison County.

SPEAKER_12

Are there any business grants the chamber provides?

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. Some we do small business grants. This year for Pass Christian, we were able to do $10,000 in small business grants, which is the most Pascal's division has ever been able to award to our small businesses. And for Long Beach, we also did record breaking for the chamber of any division at $40,000 in small business grants.

SPEAKER_12

Wow. Wow. How involved are you or fellow chamber members in activities outside of chamber events specifically?

SPEAKER_03

We're very involved in every um part or aspect of all of our community and city events functions, um, boards, everything that helps make a community prosper. The chamber and chamber board members are involved in.

SPEAKER_12

Does the chamber have any connection with the state legislature and the coastal delegation in the legislature? Not just you, but any of the members of the chamber?

SPEAKER_03

Yes. We have a lot of chamber board members, and then, of course, you know, our chamber CEO, and then a lot of our division directors, they are involved. Um, main thing our focus is is always advocating for our small businesses. Um, you know, one incidence is like this past year with the ABC and things like that, but just helping like our small business liquor stores and things of that nature when times get tough, um, you know, and they weren't able to stock their shelves and things like that. So just always advocating for our small businesses.

SPEAKER_12

What about the school districts? Uh, especially do any chamber members have any collaboration with the school districts?

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. And we also do scholarships. Um, so not only do we have board members and then myself and our division directors are directly affiliated with um our school district, um, and we help partner with them. Actually, we just agreed um at our last board meeting for Past Christian to be a strategic partner um with the Past Christian School District, um, but we also do scholarships on top of all of that. So um what we do is a little different than some organizations. So we also um kind of help direct scholarships. So let's say, like Mississippi Power, Hancock Whitney, or State Farm, Ollie Bailey, um, people like that. Um, Cat Island Coffeehouse has also done this, but just examples that they want to give a scholarship, but maybe they don't have um the applications and everything in place to be able to facilitate that. Um, so what they do is is they come to us and we already have that in place. So we have students who fill out applications for all divisions. Um that's Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascan, and Long Beach. And we select the scholarship recipients, but the money actually comes directly from those businesses or organizations.

SPEAKER_12

Nice, nice. What are the benefits of being an individual member of the chamber?

SPEAKER_03

So um an individual membership is not something that we usually promote. Um we have different membership tiers. Um, the one that we typically see the most of is the small business tier, which is uh 10 employees or less. An individual membership would be for somebody who is not actively employed and they are retired. Um, it's not somebody that is like actually employed by another company. So if you are employed, then you must join at a small business tier or higher.

SPEAKER_12

Okay. So then, of course, the benefits of being a business, a small business, what uh opportunities do y'all provide in the chamber?

SPEAKER_03

Um, so there's actually a lot of opportunities. And I think the biggest one is is a lot of times small business owners, you know, they're really not able to get out um of their business. Um, you know, a lot of them they can't go network, and networking is one of the things that the chamber absolutely does a great job at. As Hunter, you know that you come to all of our events.

SPEAKER_12

And I was gonna say that, but you know, I'll let you finish it for you.

SPEAKER_03

Um so um, yeah, we definitely appreciate all your support coming to our events. But networking is one thing we do a great job at, but it's not for every small business owner. Um, a lot of times the owners and general managers and things like that are not able to actually get out of the business. So one thing um is that we have a directory listing. Um, so anyone who's a chamber member is able to be on the directory. So as soon as you sign up for the chamber, you're prompted um onto our directory immediately. And on average, each actual small business gets about a thousand hits a month. Um, so what we found is it's not only locals who are using our website, but it's also a lot of tourists that are coming down. Um, and when they come down, they're not sure what to do or what they're looking for. So they'll go to our website or people that are moving here, you know, they're looking for a real estate agent, you know, they're looking for a photographer for their wedding, they're looking for a restaurant they want to eat at, um, a new hair salon, all kinds of different things. And they come to the chamber. Um, and I think this is one of the first places people look when either they're new to the area or if it's a resident that's just looking to make a change or try something new or you know, looking to see something maybe they didn't know about. But the average is about a thousand hits per month, which is really great on any website.

SPEAKER_12

Absolutely. Talking about does the chamber have any social events planned? Because I know you're not as social as you used to be because being a mother, how by the way, how's the kid doing too?

SPEAKER_03

Um, Elliot is doing wonderful. Um, he's actually with my mother-in-law right now, um, and she's an angel. She allows me to do this job. Um, so she's my babysitter, um, but she's great. And um, yeah, I don't get to socialize as much.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um, but definitely we always have events going on. Um, the biggest thing we have going on in Past Christian right now that we're planning for is the Mississippi Gulf Coast Mahjong Classic.

SPEAKER_12

Oh, talk about that real quick.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_12

So we have I still don't know how to play Mahjong yet, but I'm I'm trying to learn.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, you know, that's something we're in the same boat. Um, I know how to plan a tournament, which I haven't figured that out quite yet. Um, but I have no idea how to play mahjong. Um, but it is going to be a huge event. It's actually going to be two days. The welcome reception will be held at the past bungalows. Um we will have uh food provided by Bacchus. We have actually sold out the bungalows for that weekend. Um, and so they are sold out. And then that Saturday, we'll have a 200-person uh mahjong tournament at the Pass Christianity Club.

SPEAKER_12

Wow. Wow, I need to kind of get up. It sounds like y'all are having a gambling thing going on.

SPEAKER_03

Look, and they are they're all about it. Uh, people love mahjong, love it. Wow, yeah.

SPEAKER_12

Wow. Well, Anna Claire, um, it's always great to have you. And if there's any way that our audience can get in touch with you or the chamber, somehow just let us know if you wouldn't mind.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, absolutely. Um, they can always email me at anaclare at mscoastchamber.com, or they can always call my cell phone at 601-278-2683.

SPEAKER_12

Thank you, man. You take care of yourself.

SPEAKER_03

All right, thank you, Hunter.

SPEAKER_12

The Gazebo Gazette is Harrison County's only independent newspaper, publishing news from Gulfport to Bay St. Louis every Friday. Hi, this is Hunter Dawkins, owner of the Gazebo Gazette. If you're looking for local news without the hassle of sorting through story after digital story, log on to thegazeboGazette.com. Add your name to the digital audience of 250,000 plus coastal residents who already know where to find the stories that matter to them.

SPEAKER_06

Join us July 2nd to 5th at Jones Park and Gulfport for the 78th annual Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. A Gulf Coast tradition filled with fishing, food, family fun, and live entertainment. The excitement continues Friday, July 3rd, when Amanda Shaw takes the stage live at 7 p.m. Amanda Shaw will bring an unforgettable night of music to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Make plans now to celebrate the holiday weekend July 2nd to 5th at Jones Park and Gulfport for the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. And catch Amanda Shaw live at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd.

SPEAKER_00

9 Toes Brewing Company is a Gulf Coast destination for craft beer, great food, and interactive entertainment. Enjoy a rotating selection of small batch brews, a menu of comfort food favorites, and state-of-the-art golf simulators featuring world-famous courses. Whether you're meeting friends or just unwinding after work, 9 Toes delivers a laid-back atmosphere with something for everyone. Located at 110 West Scenic Drive in the Pass, Nine Toes is your spot for bold brews, big swings, and better nights. For more information, please go to ninetoesbrewery.com.

SPEAKER_12

And now we welcome our final guest, Wendy Diaz Dalval. I'm hoping that I said that correctly, Wendy.

SPEAKER_04

You sure did, Hunter. Hi, good to see you.

SPEAKER_12

Exactly. Because I know I know your husband would definitely assault me if uh if I didn't. So Wendy is the president of the Main Street Association in Pascushan. And she's also a former teacher, and above all, one of my one of my interests, she's a lover of horses, too, as well. And Wendy, how are you, my friend?

SPEAKER_04

I'm fine, Hunter. How are you?

SPEAKER_12

I'm doing well. I'm doing well. My first question, and you know, I'm sure that a lot of people thought their thoughts go on this. What is the goal of Pass Christian Main Street Association since becoming the 48th designated Main Street community in Mississippi back in January 2025?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, we were very excited. You know, Main Street has been in Past Christian um since the early 2010s, and it was designated for a while. And man, COVID really took a number on so many things, and and that designation um just wasn't affordable for us at the time. So we were very excited to get it back in 2025. And it really gives us the opportunity when state funds come available to try to grab some of those to help the city out. Um, and that's that's the main goal of being designated. Um, beyond that, though, Main Street really is here for the city, for the citizens. Um, our goal is to promote the city, um, to preserve the history, um, keep things looking pretty, you know, um, just kind of being that that little side helper for City Hall and for the citizens.

SPEAKER_12

There are many events in Pascushan right now. Are these community events, especially ones associated with Main Street, are they helping the economic impact of the city?

SPEAKER_04

We think so. You know, um Art in the Pass was uh back at the beginning of April, and it is a tremendous uh draw. We have about 10,000 visitors come to town over the two days. And considering that our population isn't quite 600, we know people are coming to town and spending money during Art in the Pass. Um, then we have Jazz in the Pass, which we lucked out with the weather this year, but some people didn't come because they were worried about it. It was supposed to rain the whole time, and the rain stayed away until the fireworks were over. So we were very thankful about that, but that's another big draw event. Um, and of course, our largest draw event uh that we participate in is we're the local contact point for cruising the coast. And you know, cruising the coast brings in quite a number of people over a three-day period. And the feedback I got from a lot of the brick and mortars last year was that they did see an uptick in foot traffic, in sales, um, and it did make a difference. So we're very excited to be here for the city for those events.

SPEAKER_12

Well, and that segue to my next question was going to be how close is the collaboration between Pascan Main Street and Cruising the Coast?

SPEAKER_04

Um, it is close-ish. I mean, we we are the local point folks. Um we make sure there's food, we make sure that the their bands, um, we help with volunteers. Um and so we we serve in that uh point. Um, it is a city event. We're just kind of the side folks that help make sure that um it's the best it can be for the locals and the visitors.

SPEAKER_12

What is the the great uh improvement you feel uh that Main Street uh should make in the future? And this is uh not necessarily just a uh thing that you know, I'm not trying to ask you, but just as far as what does your group of people talk about, you know, that you think needs to improve in the future, as far as maybe an event, maybe coming up with an event, something like that.

SPEAKER_04

Well, we um Have and we've been talking about them for two years. It's taken us a whole lot longer than we hoped it would. Um, but we have an oyster trail going in, and this is public art, and there are 17 um 54-inch tall fiberglass oysters that have been painted by mostly local artists. Um, we've had one from as far north as Soche, um, as far east as Mobile, one from New Orleans, uh, but everybody else was the Bay, the Pass, uh Gulfport, and uh Diamond Head. Um, and they're just fantastic. And they're gonna go all over town, all over the downtown area.

SPEAKER_12

So well, that's what I was gonna ask you. Well, I know that you've spoken about that at least in the city board meetings, but like where exactly the location should we expect those at?

SPEAKER_04

So we're going to put them in in a loop. Um, they're going to basically be uh there'll be one in Henderson Park, which will be the furthest west. Um, and then uh the furthest east will be War Memorial Park. Uh, and then up and down Scenic and second um Davis Avenue will have several. Um, and one will even be down by the harbor uh by Shaggy's.

SPEAKER_12

Okay. That sounds like I can't wait to see that. I can't wait to see that. What events should the public watch out for in the future for Pascant or what's going to be recurring around the timeline, also?

SPEAKER_04

Sure. Well, we have a couple of events coming up this summer. Um, the end of this month, we're having a farm to table style dinner uh that has some amazing um entertainment coming. Um, a man named Wayland Thibodeau, who is Louisiana's uh Cajun fiddler. Um, he is uh part of Dr. John's Louisiana All-Stars group. Um he yeah, that's that's gonna be an exciting evening. And there are still tickets available for that if people are interested. Um, if they go to past main street dot square dot site, uh they can see those tickets. Um and then we have our theater group, and our theater works out of the Randolph Center, which uh we helped facilitate getting it on the National Historic Register. Um, it is uh the city's um it's it's a real gym of history that still stands, you know.

SPEAKER_12

Not so much of a community center, but it's it's like that that historic place that is just in awe when you walk through.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, well, you know, it's a it was a Rosenwall school, and those have a really important place in the history of the South. Um, they were groundbreaking, they were incredibly modern, and they were traditionally the African American schools. And so um they they are so special. There were almost 5,000 of them across the South, and fewer than 500 remain, 14 in Mississippi, very few of those are intact. And you know, the whole community came together after uh Katrina and made sure that the Randolph Center, our local Rosenwall School, was back in one piece. So that really is it's one of the city's crown jewels. Um but our theater group works out of that, and this July they're doing a teen production of the Great Gadsby. Wow. So yeah, um, a huge cast, about 20 odd kids, all local. Um, and it is directed by a kid as well. So very exciting. Uh she it is she directed our last summer's teen group. Um, they did Robin Hood. And so we're really looking forward to seeing what they put on for us this year.

SPEAKER_12

Well, we thank you very much, Wendy. Tell everybody in the audience how they can get in touch with you or with Main Street in general.

SPEAKER_04

Sure. Um, we are a 501c3, uh, but our website is passmain street.com. Uh, we just got that and it worked for us, so we stuck with it. But passmain street.com is the best way to get in touch with us. Uh, there's an info at Pass Main Street um link, and we're here.

SPEAKER_12

We thank you very much, Miss Wendy. You take care of yourself. Tell Tony I said hello.

SPEAKER_04

I sure will, Hunter. Thanks so much.

SPEAKER_01

The following is a paid advertisement by O'Doire Realty Agent Stephanie Mankowitz. Call Stephanie today at 228-563-0471 for all your Realty needs.

SPEAKER_12

And here we are talking about Realty again with our O'Dwyer Realtor Agent sponsor, Stephanie Mankowitz. Let's talk about the tips this week from Stephanie about what realtors should be doing for you.

SPEAKER_10

Thank you, Hunter. As always, it's a pleasure to review realtor topics and uh hopefully it helps people, right? So, what should we do we be doing for you, the buyer or the seller? First thing I would say is, and it's in the actual disclosure everybody signs when they work with an agent, is ensure all parties are represented fairly and honestly. It's called fair and honest dealings. And if I'm helping you or anyone out before I can even show you a house, you know, you sign that disclosure. And it's not even a contract, it protects you as a person. And I'm supposed to explain that for him to you and say, hey, before we do anything real estate, I am licensed, I am liable, I am here to help you, give you fair and honest dealings, get the most I can for your house, confidentiality. I'm not gonna, if you're a seller, I'm not gonna tell people your bottom line. That's a secret. So, um, so we'll start with that. The first thing is that we are fair. And sometimes realtors get a bad rap, sometimes there's realtors that have caused that. But uh, I know I'm one of the realtors that considers myself pretty by the book and just trying to solve the problem. I just want to be part of the solution, right? So if you're selling a puppy or Avon, whatever it is, there's liabilities. When you're selling a house, times three, times ten. Okay. Alright, well, I would say uh another thing we do we we make sure that the people who maybe they were they've never sold a home before, or they've never bought a home before. We make sure that we we through the shaky buyers or the sellers, buyers that maybe aren't a good idea to deal with, we can see problems coming before they start. When a realtor's been doing this 10 years, and if it is a buyer, we're also looking for sellers that might be a problem. You know, if we're putting in a really healthy offer and it's like full price or near full price, and then we hear there's a multiple offer situation, it doesn't mean you panic. You know, sometimes you leave your offer right where it is, even though there's other offers. So we're making we're weeding through the shakiness and the things that come up that seem unpredictable. And one of the other unpredictable things, like for sellers, is you know, they get an offer and it's got 10 contingencies on it, and the price looks great, and they say they're cash, but there's all these contingencies. So um you know, you're not you're not really aware how much we help you until you actually deal with a good realtor. That's one thing I would say, and and we want to help them determine the value that's correct if they're selling.

SPEAKER_12

What are some of the things that determine the value?

SPEAKER_10

Oh okay, that's a good one. Let's start with location. You know the old saying location, location, location. All right. Uh let's start with what are things selling for around you? If you're in a nice neighborhood and and you think your house is a castle, we all kind of feel like that when we love our home. Doesn't mean it's worth three times what the market says. Uh so people will hear realtors say, Well, the market says your house is worth this. And some sellers don't want to accept that. No, no, it's it's gotta be worth more. I've got a double granite countertop, I've got a fountain that shoots out gold in the backyard, and I've got three kittens with it. So I think I should get a hundred thousand more. And we have to rein people in and say, I love your kittens, I love your granite. And the last year in your neighborhood, people have paid this amount. And though, and that's where we start thinking like an appraiser. So we're like, okay, wait, we can go out two miles and look at the last sales in the last year within two miles of this property, and we can see what people have been paying. And we also look at the square footage, and that's really important, Hunter, because if your house is 2,000 square feet and you saw one sell for a million and it had 3,000 square feet, and you're like, well, mine's worth that too. You're a thousand square feet smaller, so I can't even count that house as a comparable sale, right? When we determine the value, it is the critical, probably the most critical thing we do as your listing agent. Because that price is the first thing they see, just like the pictures. And if we priced you so high that you seem ridiculous, they're not coming. And then guess who you don't like? Me, the realtor. You don't like me anymore. So I'm kind of an upfront realtor. I think a lot of us are after we've been in a while. And we say, look, in all honesty, right now, this is what the market says your house is worth. Other things we're gonna help you with is um determining what is the inside of the house worth. Um, appraisals are gonna change next year uh across the country, and there will be different data inputs into determining what your house is worth. So we're gonna be on top of that. Um, and so if you're trying to sell on your own, you know, we can be really helpful and deal with all these unexpected things that happen when you try to uh sell on your own. Um and you know, we talked about sellers a lot, so okay, I'm just gonna put this out there. If you're thinking of selling on your own, the some of the things we're doing for you, the seller, to make it easier is photos, professional photos. We pay for those. A lot of our photographers have drones. We're taking the calls because it's our number on the sign. So if it's a looky loo, it's not an ideal buyer. We've got our radar out there, so we're taking that hassle, you know, out of it.

SPEAKER_12

If you are thinking about selling on your own, maybe ask Steph. If you would like to talk to Stephanie to help determine your next steps, call today at 228-563-0471. Or call her at the office and ask for Steph at 228-452-4242. Steph has the latest information to help you get through the process with reasonable expectations. Again, that's 228-563-0471 to speak directly with Stephanie. We gratefully appreciate you listening to this podcast, and Jeff, we thank you again. Once again, we had some really good community people, and uh, it was definitely worth talking with.

SPEAKER_11

Uh, one of my favorites, man. Just one of my this was a great episode, top to bottom. You always get great guests and you're engaging and ask great questions, and I really enjoyed this one tonight. You know, it's uh I was gonna mention this earlier. It was nice to see Anna Clare uh out of somewhere besides Walmart on Sunday morning. Like I was going after math, and she and the baby and her husband are in there, and there was like this whole period of time where Walmart had changed its layout here in the past, and so everybody was confused, and but I feel like we've navigated it. So it's great to have her on here and have Ms. Wendy as well.

SPEAKER_12

So all right, my friend. We want to thank all of our sponsors, including the Beau Rivage and Casino, Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Nine Toes Brewery in Pasch Christian, O'Duire Realty Agent, Stephanie Makowitz, Joseph Kelly, Attorney at Law, Coast Casual in Pasch Christian, the Insurance Barn in Gulfport, the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo in Gulfport, and finally the U.S. Marine Inc., who is we're always thankful for. Make sure you follow us on the gazeboazette.com where the podcast will be posted next week, as well as on Jeff YouTube, where it should be under Gazebo Gazette Productions. Am I correct?

SPEAKER_11

That's it, man, Gazebogazette Productions, or you can just search it uh in the search bar, it'll pop up.

SPEAKER_12

So yeah, that or the MudCat Report, anything as such, as well as on Facebook.com backslash the real gazebo gazette, or on X at Gazebo Gazette as the handle. The MudCat Report is available on all podcasts, including Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Amazon Music. And if it's not, you can call us and let us know, or something as such with the emails. It's pretty easy to connect with us too. And it's all under the Mudcat Report tag. We ask you to download and write reviews for us. We'll love to hear what's going on. Signing out, this is Hunter Dawkins, the host of the Mud Cat Report. Now you know the rest of the local story. Good night.