A new epoch of homeownership is on the horizon within the Boxcar universe, heralded by the visionary efforts of Dr. Velma Trayham, the esteemed founder of Home Access America. As we delve into this episode, we explore her groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionizing affordable housing across the nation, particularly in Arizona, where the urgent need for sustainable living solutions is palpable. Dr. Trayham's enterprise is poised to manufacture up to 100 homes daily, utilizing innovative technology to address the pressing issues of affordability and accessibility in the housing market. Throughout our conversation, we will discuss the evolution of housing, the importance of sustainability, and the transformative potential of Dr. Trayham's modular building system. Join us as we uncover the ambitious strategies that promise to reshape the future of housing and empower communities across America.

A profound exploration of the evolving landscape of home ownership unfolds within the innovative framework of the Boxcar Universe, where the fusion of sustainable living and modern architecture is paramount. In this episode, Steve Dubel converses with Dr. Velma Trayham, the visionary founder of Home Access America, a trailblazing enterprise that aims to revolutionize affordable housing solutions across the United States. Dr. Trayham's remarkable journey from her humble beginnings in Houston to becoming a prominent business leader and advocate for underserved communities serves as an inspiring backdrop to the discussion. She elucidates her commitment to addressing the pressing issue of housing affordability, particularly for workforce individuals who find themselves priced out of their communities. The episode provides a comprehensive overview of Home Access America's innovative building technology, which promises not only speed and cost efficiency in constructing homes but also sustainability through its unique panelized modular system. This approach, which has garnered interest in 120 countries, presents a compelling case for a shift in how we conceptualize and pursue home ownership in the 21st century, emphasizing the necessity of adaptability in a rapidly changing housing market.

Delving into the intricacies of contemporary housing challenges, this episode of the Boxcar Universe podcast presents an enriching dialogue between Steve Dubel and Dr. Velma Trayham. The core theme revolves around the urgent need for affordable housing solutions in the face of escalating living costs and insufficient supply. Dr. Trayham articulates her vision for Home Access America, a pioneering initiative focused on producing modular homes at an unprecedented scale, with the capacity to manufacture up to 100 homes daily. Through a detailed examination of her entrepreneurial journey, listeners gain insight into the grit and determination that propelled her from the challenges of her youth to becoming a beacon of hope for many. The conversation also touches upon the broader implications of sustainable living, as Dr. Trayham emphasizes the importance of environmentally friendly building practices in addressing not only housing shortages but also larger societal issues such as poverty and economic disparity. As she shares her insights on fostering community engagement and collaboration with public and private sectors, listeners are encouraged to rethink the traditional paradigms of home ownership and consider innovative approaches to housing solutions.

Takeaways:

• A new era of home ownership is emerging within the innovative Boxcar Universe, signifying transformative changes in housing.
• Dr. Velma Trayham is pioneering Home Access America, a groundbreaking business focused on affordable housing production across the nation.
• The evolution of human shelters has progressed from primitive huts to contemporary structures, reflecting societal advancements.
• Sustainable living is increasingly vital, and the podcast emphasizes the importance of adopting eco-friendly practices in modern housing solutions.

Links referenced in this episode:

• homeaccessamerica.com
• stardustbuilding.org
• idealhomeimprovementaz.com
• boxcaruniverse.com
• velmatrayham.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Home Access America
• Thinkzilla Consulting Group
• Google
• AZ Big Media
• Forbes
• Ideal Home Improvement
• Legacy Custom Homes AZ
• Stardust Building Supplies
• Boxcar Universe

A new era of home ownership is possible right here in the Boxcar universe.

I'm Steve Dubel with Dr. Velma Traham, the powerful founder of Home Access America.

She's opening doors across this nation and right here in Arizona, the time to make it happen is right now.

Since the dawn of time, mankind has searched for ways to shelter themselves from the elements.

Over the centuries, these shelters have evolved from bamboo huts to concrete towers.

The last few years, there's been a push to save the planet.

Are you ready to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle?

Look no further.

You're about to enter the adventures of container home living.

And now contractor, radio and TV personality and your host for Boxcar Universe, Steve Dubel.

Hi, I'm Steve Dubell, host of Boxcar Universe.

And here's what's coming up on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe.

With us today is Dr. Velma Trahan.

She is an award winning businesswoman, investor and president CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce here in Arizona.

She is making history again and we're going to talk about that history because she's launching Home Access America, a black owned business housing manufacturer capable of producing up to 100 homes per day, which is just phenomenal.

I can't wait to hear how all that comes to play.

But it is an astounding feat.

She is reshaping the future of housing across the nation.

All that and more on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe, your home for remodeling and renovating your world.

And we'd like to welcome all our listeners to Boxcar Universe as we are now officially into fall and hopefully, at least in most of the country, the 100 plus temperatures are going down or gone away.

At least we're still here after we had that tremendous storm last week here in the valley of the Sun.

And I actually got stuck outside of Arizona, excuse me.

I was coming back from Seattle and they had closed the airport because there were no inbound outbound flights.

And I saw some of the devastation that is, that actually hit Globe Arizona, which was even worse than here in the Phoenix area.

But I did see something that if you could picture carports that actually have metal roofs on.

And it's almost, I saw it at one of the commercial buildings today.

It was, it was like somebody had opened up a sardine can.

The, the metal roofing in the front, that overhang, that overhung the beam that supported it was just bent back and it opened up like a sardine can.

It was just, it was just a ma.

You couldn't, you couldn't script this stuff.

It was just, it was Mother Nature and.

But we're, you know, we're getting back to normal and we wish all our prayers to all the people in the Valley of the sun as well as around Arizona that has gone through some of this devastation and property devastation that they're in the middle of fixing right now.

So we send you all our love and prayers.

But we want to talk a little bit about, you know, we always want to be integral, in part talking about things that we can help through the podcast and what we're doing here in the Valley of the sun in a way of the community.

And it's one way that I've always felt that we need to give back to the community because they, they're part of where we live.

And I think it's everybody's responsibility to be able to be aware of, of what's going on and also the people that feel motivated to partake and get involved in different things in the community.

And with us today is Dr. Velma Trahan.

And like I said before, she's got a multitude of different accolades that she is the award winning businesswoman here in Arizona.

And Dr. Velma, thank you for being with us today.

Well, thank you very much, Steve, for having me.

I'm honored to be here today.

It's great to have you here and it's great for our listeners to actually kind of learn a little bit about, you know, if they haven't heard of you, I'm sure after they hear our podcast today, they will know a lot about you.

So why don't you give our listeners a little idea of some of some of your history and your bio and, and the things that you, you're doing.

We just, just reading the stuff that you do is just amazing.

Well, thank you very much.

So I was, I'm a Houston native.

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas to a 14 year and I was born in poverty, very underserved, underprivileged, under resourced.

And I decided early in life that my end did not have to look like my beginning.

And as I journeyed through life very early on, I knew that I was called to a bigger purpose, a bigger purpose in solving problems.

So traditional schooling.

I started my entrepreneur journey very early on in life.

I've had two corporate jobs in my entire life.

I worked for Google for nine months and I Worked for a segregation firm for a year and a half.

And then I started my entrepreneur journey.

First three companies failed, but I decided not to give up.

The average person probably would have given up.

In fact, I had a lot of people saying at the time, you know what, Velma, you should just get a job, get another job, and you should just give up.

And I thought that I was going to continue the journey of entrepreneurship.

I say, you know what?

I learned a lot in the process of building the companies.

And so those companies were, I would call them a private failure, but they weren't a public failure.

So it wasn't like a big failure, but it was a failure to me because I knew the intricate parts of things.

And so I continued to use the information in terms of what I learned from building those companies.

And my fourth and fifth company was very successful.

I was able to sell those companies.

So I'm so glad that I continued to go and grow.

And then I started a consulting company called Thinkzilla Consulting Group.

And November will actually be 13 years.

And we have offices across the US and we have an office in Ontario, Canada as well.

And Thinkzilla actually helps public and private companies to build community engagement strategies to engage underserved entrepreneurs.

So we've developed a lot of curriculum, a lot of economic development programs bridging the gap between public and private companies.

And so I continue to just go.

I am the first generation entrepreneur, first generation college degree, first generation multimillionaire, my family, first generation.

And it's a testament to when you set your mind on solving problems and when you set your mind on serving others, there's no limit to what we can do.

And so I'm here in Arizona.

It was smack dead in the middle of COVID And since I've been here, we've developed a lot of programs.

We've helped to change the narratives in terms of the underserved communities here, small businesses here, helping to increase the number of employer firms with minority businesses, closing the racial wealth gap.

And so a lot of great work has been done.

And so I have had the pleasure of working and still do consult public and private companies across the country, economic development, and just building entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country.

And so I'm honored to be here.

So that is pretty much my story.

Actually I grew up on the east coast and kind of went New York, New York, Chicago, Boston, Phoenix with a little bit of L A mixed in.

But when I decided that there was a need for someone to do quality, you know, repairs and construction in the valley because there were too many people that were just being taken out, the homeowners just being taken by people out there who were.

My good friend from Kaiko Roofing used to say, did shabby, shabby work, shabby work.

He, he was a little Scottish.

So my friend, you know, Monty Stoller.

But anyway, so I, that's when I struck out and I decided to do pretty much the same thing as like, you know, just not just to make a, a career for myself and strike out on my own because, you know, I, I worked, I worked my own business building it and working a second job for six years until finally I said, you know, enough's enough, you know, I've gotta, I've gotta drop the job and I've gotta focus on my business.

And as soon as I did it, it's like God filled in that big gaping hole and I had work and, you know, I never looked back.

And I.

Not to say I've had ups and downs along the way, but there was something to be said about, you know, when you, you hit a snake or you hit some of those failures, so to speak, that you've got to learn from them and you've got to move through them because, you know, the mission that you have in your goals, it's not going to be, it's not going to be clear sailing the whole way.

But I think we learn a lot from our mistakes and therefore the ultimate goal and successes are even better because you, you've gotten past a lot of those failures and you know how.

And then at the same time too, like, much like you, you go back, go out and be able to reach out and help more people.

That's when I started reaching and doing TV work and then reaching more people.

And it was so important to be able to do.

And I think what people liked about what I was saying was that, yeah, it was, it was good, but I was passionate and believed in what I'm saying because there's so many people, you know, there's so many people that are on TV really, you know, get on my soapbox here that are.

That shouldn't even be on tv.

Oh my God.

You know, I mean, it's like, go back to YouTube.

That's where you need to go.

But I think there's a need for people to be, to show passion, confidence and you know, because some people I remember, you know, some, some of my guests in my early years of doing radio, they were scared to death about getting on, on the microphone.

Like, oh my God, there's thousands and thousands of people listening to me.

I said, look, are you the best at what you do?

And they said, of course.

I said, well, it's my job to make you look even better than you think you are.

So you just let me take care of running the show and it'll.

You'll love it.

And at the very end I said, so how was it?

They said, oh, it's f. Fabulous, Steve.

Everything is like.

She said, like, when can we do it again?

And then I always like to break the ice, you know, at the beginning when they decide that they're a little apprehensive and they're a little nervous and stuff like that.

I said, look, just remember no one's ever left the studio bleeding.

So.

And they had to think about it for a minute, but then they're like, oh, okay.

Then they start laughing and then they just become more relaxed and it's so important.

People need to be themselves and be true to themselves and not be somebody who they're not.

They truly believe that they want to be part of the community and, and help and use their skills in their God given skills to do.

And that's what I've done to be able to go out and reach out.

So, you know, I applaud you for what you're doing and not giving up is, I think it's so important.

Yeah, and I applaud you for what you're doing as well and spreading this information.

And it's so interesting.

You mentioned some people are, you know, they have platforms like YouTube and they have microphones and they shouldn't because there is a lot of misinform being distributed and people are really trying to figure life out and it's not helping them by listening to some of the people with platforms.

And then you mentioned authenticity.

I think authenticity is key.

I have this quote that I probably should get it trademarked, but I always say I'd rather be an authentic version of myself than a cheap imitation of anybody else.

So showing up authentic yourself is important.

I like that.

That's very important.

That's very good.

You know, I mean, you know, you know, with all these people that have these bad platforms, maybe we can get Gabe to kind of, you know, turn around and shut off their mic.

What do you think, Gabe?

Just nod your head, Gabe.

Okay.

Okay.

He's good.

Yeah, let's get Gabe on that.

They have a solution to that.

Take care of all those, those bad YouTube video people.

You shouldn't even have a microphone.

Yeah.

But anyway, we're going to take a short break.

When we come back, we're going to have some more information from Dr. Velma and she's going to share some strategies that she's used to be successful and, and some of the great work that she does to be in the consulting area.

And later on the show, we're going to really get into Home Access America and talk about what's that going on because all you, all, everyone in the, in the country is aware of it and you've got, you've got a footprint in different parts of the country which we definitely want to get into.

But I want everybody hang tight.

You're listening to Boxcar Universe.

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All right, we are back and you're listening to Boxcar Universe.

And with us today is Dr. Velma Traham.

And we are talking about her tremendous career history and we're going to be getting into all the good things about Home Access America which she has created here in the Valley of the sun.

And it's going to be really, really interesting.

I want everybody to hang tight for that.

But I want to remind everybody that, you know, if you now that it's falling, if you are interested in, you know, taking a look at getting a pool to your house, why don't you take a look at getting a container pool which we can help you out here at Boxcar Universe.

As I remind everybody every week, our, our actual model container pool is over at my good friend, the Shed Gal.

She is located over on 99th Avenue and Thomas and she's got basically every size, shape, shed metal structure in the world as well as if you're looking for any moving equipment.

She is a definite person who can help you with.

She actually handles u haul trucks and trailers.

So make sure you make your way over there and you can actually see a model of a container pool, which I think is really cool, especially the ones that, that, the model that we have over there where it's a, it's a 10 by 20 container pool.

It has a, a big window cut in the side so it can be reset, it could sit on above ground and you can watch your family swim, which is really cool.

People like that.

So check that out.

And if you wanted to get more information on that, you could always email me here at, at the radio show steve@boxcaruniverse.com But let's get back to our discussion with Dr. Velma and let's talk a little bit about now.

You've got a lot of things going on throughout the country, you know, just from, you know, doing that consulting work and obviously that had to, that had to grow from your roots in Texas.

How did that all come to be?

We know how you got to Arizona and we're grateful that you're here and we're going to be talking about the things we're going to be doing here.

But how did the consulting work go?

Obviously you must have led by example.

People saw your commitment to your vision and be able to go out and be successful and break that generational mold.

Yeah, I think that's A really good question.

So the work.

So thinkzilla started as a marketing and public relations strategy firm.

We started working with mega pastors and small businesses that were looking to get marketing and PR services.

And, and in doing that, we started to receive inquiries from businesses in other markets.

And Atlanta, Georgia was one of those markets that people were reaching out.

And when I say that people and companies started reaching out, they saw the work that we were doing with the companies that we were working for.

And so I started off as a behind the scenes type of person.

I just really wanted to do the work.

I wanted to see other people successful and I really wanted to just add value.

But I also landed a contract with Atlanta Airport, the Atlanta Airport in the contracting, helping the Atlanta Airport to diversify in terms of their contracting strategies.

So their goal was to get more contractors and small businesses that had capacity to do business and provide a service and or product to Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport.

And so we did really, really good with that.

The goal was to get, I think it was 100 businesses at the time in a one year period.

And we exceeded that.

And so from the work that we did with the Airport, then we started working with other public and private companies, kind of bridging the gap and creating and helping these companies with their supply chain, diversifying their supply chain, really revamping supply chain so that they could increase their capacity and working with small businesses.

And so to your point, it, you know, it was people saw the work I led with value and the name of the company and our work, it went ahead of me.

And so when I started to meet people and they would say, hey, you know, and I would say, hey, I'm the, you know, founder of thinkzilla.

They would say, oh my God, I've heard of that company.

I've heard of, you know, have you worked, blah, blah, blah, you're the founder, blah, blah.

So had built this really big name.

And so I would walk in places and people would be like, hey, you're the girl from Godzilla.

And I'm like, no, it's not Godzilla, it's thinkzilla.

But they were on the right track.

And so I think when I think about how the, how it was staying consistent and adding value to others, when I think about the why it's consistently solving problems, I believe that we were all put on earth to solve problems.

Problems.

And so my journey has been solving problems.

And my mission in life is to end poverty through entrepreneurship.

It's a very robust mission.

And I believe, you know, ending poverty through entrepreneurship, there are gaps that should be filled and that's public and private, because a lot of public and private companies, they.

Entrepreneurship is driving our economy.

And by way of supply chains, by way of economic development, which is business attraction and business retention, it all fuels our economy.

And so that's how I think I've been able to really, really just kind of grow.

And so when I think about Thinkzilla started off with small businesses, pastors, mega pastors across the country, and then it led to economic development, then it led to, you know, just large companies.

But I think that when I think about my ultimate life mission is to end poverty through entrepreneurship.

Everything that I've done and everything that I do is based on that mission in life.

So, yeah, absolutely.

And I couldn't agree with you more because I think entrepreneurship, it not only with that ultimate goal, it's not only going to help the community, but, but obviously it's going to lift a lot of people up.

And I think a lot of people don't have the, the drive to take the things that they truly believe in because they just don't have that, that support behind them.

And that definitely, that affirmation of, hey, you know, you could do anything you want as long as you try and don't give up and, you know, reach out to people that could help you.

It's not, that's what we're all here on this planet for, to help each other.

And I think that's important that people do that.

So, so yes, I can imagine.

I could, I could see people, they get, they get so excited and they, they mistake Thinkzilla for Godzilla.

It's funny, but like you say, at least it has a memorable name.

So people are not going to forget about it.

So.

And be able to do that.

So.

And then obviously the content that you, that you give them in the consulting is, is successful to them.

So that's, it's, it's gotta, it's gotta grow.

But do you miss Texas at all?

So my family, my entire family is in Houston.

So I am in Houston once a month.

Yeah.

So of course I miss home.

That's my home sweet home.

So you're a Texan fan or a Cardinal fan?

You know what?

I'm on air right now.

So what I will say is that I don't know if I have a favorite.

Okay.

That's okay.

No, you could just say you like the NFL.

Okay.

You like football.

That's Fine.

No, I don't understand.

Hey, listen, I grew up in New York, and, you know, people say, well, do you like the Yankees or the Mets?

You know, and I'm like, okay, so they're New York teams.

I like both of them.

But I have a special thing in my heart for the Mets because my dad took me to the Polo Grounds when I was a little kid, which was right across from Yankee Stadium at the time.

And I said, why didn't you take me to the Polo Grounds, dad?

It's because I never want you to forget that you were here because that was the last season that they were going to have the stadium.

And then they bulldozed the stadium down.

They built the project.

So anytime after that, we used to go to Shea Stadium and watch the Mets every year play the San Francisco Giants.

So I always, the Mets were near and dear to my heart.

Now, I love the Cardinals, but, you know, I did six months, six years in Chicago with the Bears, you know, so, you know, I.

The Bears are near and dear to my heart as well.

Because, you know, I mean, there is, I mean, there's probably something worse like maybe going to Green Bay to Lambeau Field and watching the packers play than sitting on the lakefront at, you know, in, in Chicago at Soldier Field in the middle of winter in December.

I mean, it's, it's, you got to be a hearty soul.

So whether it's Texas or, or Arizona, I mean, yeah, I think you're okay.

I think I like all of the football teams.

I just like, enjoy the experience of football.

And I have a 14 year old.

He's been playing football since the age of five, and he is a rising freshman right now playing varsity football.

Oh, there you go.

All right, all right.

You have to, you have to root him on.

All right, but tell us a little bit about.

Okay, so, so you came here and, you know, you, you're making, you know, growing in the, in the community here with everything that you've created when you started in Texas.

How did Home Access America come to.

Come to fruition?

Yeah, so I've been working on the concept of Home Access America for over three years now.

One of the challenges that we're having, and I'm sure you can agree to this, it's affordable housing and it's workforce housing.

You have people that cannot afford to live near where they work.

And how's the housing market?

It's so expensive that people are priced out of their Homes, the foreclosure rate is very, very high.

And you know, I've just been working at this, okay, how can we solve this problem?

And so I started to work with, you know, some of our partners and we created Home Access America.

And Home Access America is a technology, an innovative technology building system to pretty much innovate the way housing is done.

It's fireproof, panelized, earthquake proof, panelized modular building system.

And so that's how it actually came about.

So was that system being used anywhere else?

Yeah, the system is currently in over 120 different countries.

It has been around for 15 years.

And I actually hold the exclusive manufacturing agreement for the United States of America.

Oh, that's very cool.

Yeah, I mean, why is it always seems like we're all so advanced here in this country?

You always seem to be, you know, bringing up the rear on certain things.

Then when it's being used all over the world, in other places it'd been successful.

I don't know why that is.

Not just, not just in housing, but in a lot of other areas of life.

Transportation.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's amazing.

I think it's a very, I think it's very interesting especially being how innovative I think America is.

It's unfortunate that we are the last to get or to have innovators to create solutions to problems.

But I also think that it is an intentional action of solving problems.

And you know, for me it's like, okay, we've got to figure this out.

And so I just began to do the research.

I began to meet with partners overseas and really came up with a solution.

It has been a journey terms of really getting the product over here to America.

We have some, we have demo homes up in a few different markets and we're actually, I'm getting ready to put a few demo homes up here in Phoenix, Arizona as well.

So it's a, it's something that's needed and I am excited to have the support.

And also just knowing that we are solving a problem, it gives me the hope to just continue really establishing Home Access America.

Yeah, I mean it has such a great, it has such great value and it's going to help definitely help the community.

I know my mission that I am strong, strongly behind and looking for is that.

And we've had some people on the program in the past couple years in the related field, but we want to be able to.

My mission would be to build container communities for homeless veterans.

Not just here in the Valley of the sun, but in different places around the, around the Country.

Because, you know, one of the things that really breaks my heart is if you drive down a street corner and you see, you know, if you can hopefully believe that the person there on the corner, it says, I'm a veteran, I'm homeless, please give, or something like that, that homeless veterans should not be homeless.

They've given too much of their life in their country to be able to, to not have a good life once they've gotten out of the service.

So.

And I think that's one of the things that a lot of, lot of business, you know, tunnel to Towers is doing work like that.

Gary Sinise with his foundation, who.

I've had one of his people on the show before talking about what they're doing to help homeless veterans.

So I think that's so important to be able.

And the thing is too, that there's, you know, we've looked into it and I've got somebody who actually, who I know who writes grants for the government, who can actually write grants and go out and help find investors that want to be part of this because they could put money towards this.

And it's not like it's wasted money, it's good invested money.

Just like people like, I know you're looking for investors for different things to be able to grow your vision.

Yeah, I think it's really interesting that you mentioned the homeless veterans and I too, totally agree with you.

In fact, I think it's despicable to see our veterans that fought for us and that served our country, you know, on the street holding up signs and not having a place to stay.

And I often wonder how the heck did we get to this point?

Why are we.

You know what I mean?

It's just like really, I wonder how when there are so many programs, so many, a lot of money that's being allocated to things.

And I'm not going to say that one thing is better than the other thing, but what I will say is I know that supporting our veterans is way more important than some of the things that I see multimillion see of dollars going towards.

And it would be great if we could focus on helping our veterans, focus on helping teachers that can't even afford to live near the school that they teach at.

You know what I mean?

And so it those.

And again, it's problematic.

But I say all that to say that I think that we are in some very interesting times.

So there are obviously disruptions and dismantling that's happening of different systems, of different our governmental systems and just a lot of Things are being disrupted.

But what my thoughts are about that is it's a great opportunity for innovative entrepreneurs to really solve problems.

I was looking at some data a few months ago that read that 40% of Fortune 500 companies over the past 10 years has been displaced to entrepreneurs.

And so this is the best time to be an entrepreneur.

It's the best time to solve a problem and it is really the best time to walk in purpose driven leadership.

Because I truly believe that purpose driven leadership and having the mantle to solve some of these problems is what's going to be sustainable in the times that we're in.

Oh yeah, absolutely.

I mean I know from my experience here with the, the remodel work that I do, as well as having the show being able to go on and, and I also involved, involved getting you know, starting Boxcar Universe as, as a, as a, as an enhanced version of my, my original show image Home Improvement was the fact that we started doing and working with solar.

So I brought on a lot of different people that I actually sought out and found to be able to build.

Like, like I had mentioned my friend the Shed Gal, her facility over on the west side, well, you know, her whole office and the other electric that she uses on her lot are all provided by a custom solar system that the gentleman that I sought out, I connected them and now he created a solar system for, for her business.

Not to mention, you know, we're talking about, you know, this more affordable housing.

Well, as long as they're doing affordable housing, let's make it as green as possible and be able to have something like solar on there to complement all the other services that we normally get.

Because we want to make it.

If we're, we're giving them homes that can actually be affordable going forward.

Once people move in, they don't want to spend.

There's no reason why they should spend an arm and a leg if the services are too high.

Well, let's try and get that utility bill down to a manageable level no matter what you do, whether it be solar or another form of energy.

Yeah, I think that sustainability is very important and I.

We have sustainable Home Access America is sustainable in a sense of it's manufactured in a facility, it's assembled on site, but there no construction on site is actually assembled.

And when I think about just some of the elements that we have within the Home Access America building system, we have tankless water heaters, hot water heaters, tankless.

Instead of our units having H vac systems, we have the split, the mini Splits.

The mini splits.

Yes.

So definitely sustainable.

And I think that as we look at the state of where we are, it's going to be important to continue to go green and continue to be sustainable, to ensure that it is really affordable.

Yeah, it needs to be affordable, and I think people are looking towards doing that right now.

But I think sometimes, like, I'm sure, you know, that sometimes they need a little nudge to get them moving in that right direction because they're just like, well, you know, people have gotten to the point where they're, it's, it's too easy just to write a check or, or, or go online and pay a bill, you know, whatever it is, you know, and not take a hard look at their income, entire budget.

Like, like, for instance, we're talking about energy for, for traditional homes.

You know, you see all these commercials on tv.

Well, you know, we could do this for your roof or we could do this for your, you know, H vac, or you need insulation or stuff like that, and they get, they get on.

Oh, wow.

Yeah, I need to do that.

But you need to take a step back.

And that's what we try and done here for years.

Get people to stand back and be.

If you're going to take a look at the energy that you're using in your house, get a comprehensive assessment by a professional.

Because just because you may want to get more insulation doesn't mean that's the answer to all your problems.

And your bill's going to go down to an affordable level.

You might be able to do that, but you could be.

You could have an old H vac unit that's really pulling a lot of amps, where if you upgraded it, it would run a lot more efficiently, you know, so these things can be, can be done, but you need to do an assessment, not just, you know, see a commercial and like, oh, wow, you know, I can get all emotional about the commercial.

You know, take a step back, relax.

Take a day to think about it.

Don't ever.

It's like, it's like the same thing.

Like, if you, you get mad at somebody and the first thing you want to do is send them a, an email back and vent to.

And at first.

And then you have to take a.

Hey, stop.

Take a moment out.

Don't send it because you, you're gonna regret it.

Yeah.

Because you don't want to do that.

Emotional.

You're gonna give Emotional.

Emotional, yes.

Emotional response.

Absolutely.

You want to have, you want to have a, A good professional response that, that has good sense to it and take the emotion out of it.

I always say, hey, we can't be emotional.

We have to be positional.

Yes, that's very good.

I like that.

Yes, you have to be positional.

Absolutely.

All right, we're going to take another break.

When we come back, we're going to have more with Dr. Velma here on Boxcar Universe.

So don't go away.

We'll be right back.

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All right, we are back and you're listening to Boxcar Universe.

And we are here today with Dr. Velma Trem and we are talking about Home Access America.

And it is, it's going to be, I mean it's, it's Dr. Velma.

We're still in the early stages of the, this correct as far as.

Because you're still working on getting those, those models built.

Yeah, I would say we're still in the early stages.

However, we have, we have investors, we have a very strong foundation.

We have models in different city in different regions.

We have a very, very strong interest and so, so I think we're off to a great start.

I would say that we're early considering the work that, that's ahead.

So.

Yeah, yeah.

So I can imagine that knowing where, you know, years ago when I transitioned a little and created Boxcar Universe, you know, people that were interested in having container homes on their, you know, whether on their property or not, they, if they, we submitted plans to the city, the city was looking at it and like they didn't know how to, how to deal with it because they had nothing to compare it to because it was all so brand new.

Do you, do you, have you found anything that with the city yet with, with your buildings that are, have become problems or things that you've had to adapt to?

I think because we have the product up in other markets, we're pretty much duplicating what's been done in other markets.

And I think they are seeing that this is a really amazing product.

And that's what I'm hearing, I'm hearing, wow, people are blown away with the product.

Obviously there are a lot of questions because it's a new product and we are prepared to, and we're continuing to explain, we're continuing to answer these questions and we're continuing to really ensure that we have a product that is, that we can scale across the U.S. yeah.

I think that's important, especially you know, with Arizona.

Like, I'm sure, you know, with all this other high tech stuff, these huge companies coming to Arizona because they'd like the dry climate they want to build, you know, whether it's, you know, semiconductors or whatever, there's definitely a need for, for housing, not to mention, you know, businesses to support the people that work in these new industries.

And affordable housing is, is so very important.

And sometimes, you know, with the mortgage rates, people just don't have an opportunity to get a house.

Yeah, you're absolutely right.

And I think that's where Home Access America is kind of filling in that gap to really create some workforce and affordable housing.

Yeah.

So as far as, like we were talking about earlier about sustainability and I'm sure that there are, you know, the R values in the walls and in the roofs and everything else.

Is it all, from what I saw stuff online, is it all flat roofs or.

There are some gabled roofs.

So the majority are flat roofs.

However, we do do have a custom, we have customization.

So we're seeing, you know, different request, shall I say.

So we're still kind of testing, but right now it's predominantly flat.

Well, pretty much.

Right.

I would imagine.

Yeah.

Because depending on where you are in the country.

Yeah.

Because like, you don't see back east, you don't see too many flat roofs or in, in the colder regions because you've got the snow load to deal with.

But, you know, out here it's just, you know, flat roofs are pretty common.

Absolutely.

Yeah, absolutely.

But the municipalities, from the things that I, I've seen is that, yes, they, they're.

Well, let's put this way, you know, I hate to say this, but, you know, they all take.

Plans take longer everywhere, no matter what municipality you're at.

And it's just something that, you know, as a builder that we have to deal with.

But I think, I think the quality of the product and what you're doing as well as, you know, whether it be a container home or the, the home access, Access America homes that are, they.

They're unique unto themselves.

And I think we've gotten to the point now where the, the city understands that it's not all, you know, brick and mortar or stick build anymore.

There are so many other alternatives out there that people need to be able to, to do and, and not to mention the, the, the education that the municipalities, these people that are doing reviews that they need, you know, I'm hoping that the city is sending them to whatever, you know, training they need to be able to deal and, and review these, these plans.

Yeah, I totally.

I.

Traditional thinking will keep us stuck.

Yes.

And right now I think we're just, we're, you Know, disruption and innovation is key.

Yeah.

So tell our listeners a little bit.

How could they, how could they get involved with Home Access America?

Yes, so we are.

How can they get involved with Home Access America?

We are actively solving a problem.

It's affordable housing and it's workforce.

Our website is homeaccessamerica.com We've opened up now for more investors.

So there are investor investment opportunities.

And yeah, so we have paused individual, individual buyers.

Right now we're just focused on working with public and private companies and investors that are building communities, housing communities.

And so we are perfecting our model and so we welcome investors.

Well, that's good.

And not just here in Arizona, is it?

Throughout the country.

Throughout the country.

Throughout the country, yeah.

We're developing models and stuff throughout the country.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's.

Now, is there.

How long does it take to assemble one building?

But of course they have to be under a gc.

But that's, it's pretty fast.

We have a pretty fast building system.

It's kind of like Legos.

I don't know if you remember when Sears and Roebuck used to sell the house in a box.

So it's kind of like that.

So it's a house that's manufactured, the panels are manufactured in the facility.

And so there are the building systems.

This is abc that interlock into D, E, F, G, H and the steel beams.

And so there we have it.

And it's not like Ikea.

No.

Oh my God, no, no, no.

Not like Ikea.

These homes, this system is fireproof, it's earthquake proof.

And you know, according to the search, the research that we've done and even some of the model homes, it will outlive a traditional build, really.

It's highly insulated.

It's just an incredible product that I know that once we actually really break into the market, it's going to be phenomenal.

Developers are going to love it because it's, it's going to cut down their lead time, their build time and things like that.

So it's, it's an incredible product that I see a lot of value for investors, a lot of value for builders, a lot of value for general contractors.

So I think it's, it's going to be incredible.

That's going to be good.

Now they made, Are they all made to be put on a slab or are there some that, that can have basements yeah.

They are made to be put on a slab.

A slab.

Okay.

Yeah.

Well, most homes in Arizona are so.

And then obviously they always have the option if they are one.

You know, being that like you said, they're earthquake proof.

If they want to do a post tension slab for the concrete.

They can, they can.

I remember when I built my custom home, I, I was like, because of the expansive soil, I didn't want to have any cracking because I did stain concrete floors.

So I did a post tension slab.

It cost, it was significantly more, but it was well worth it because I didn't want to deal with any cracks in the concrete.

And you have a beautiful stained concrete floor.

But these are some things that all this stuff, the infrastructure can be done and then you bring the building in and then two weeks later you're done.

That's right.

And you can get your, your CFO correct.

That's, I mean, how, what more could you ask for?

I mean, come on.

I mean it's faster than doing an in ground pool.

I mean, come on.

But, but no, seriously, the.

I, I think that's.

Now I would think.

And tell me if I'm wrong.

This, this has to be a viable solution for, for when disasters strike.

Especially, especially like with the LA fires and fires that were in Hawaii where, you know, people are devastated in homes and you know.

Yes.

And if the government would get out of the way and we could put a new slab down, we can have a house in two weeks, which would be fabulous.

Absolutely.

And we've, we actually have a lot of interest from federal government and municipalities and so we're in talks now.

We have a few purchase orders and we have, you know, there, the interest is there.

So we're excited to see the growth of where we're going.

Yeah, but that's so important.

I know we've had people here dealing with supplying, you know, we'll, we'll call it foldable housing from the east coast and sending it out there.

And I've had them back on the show later.

And you know, you hear once the disaster kind of fades in everybody's memory, you know, it's.

People just don't realize that the people that are affected are still going through trauma and they're still going through it.

I mean, I know one of the people I had on my show right after the LA fires, in fact, I had a chance when I went to Los Angeles a few weeks later, I had a chance to meet her at her property where her house burnt out.

The only thing left there was the pool and she was telling me she was a reporter who was reporting the fires in another part of, you know, la.

And then she got a call the following morning that the.

The custom house that her dad had built, that who had passed away burnt down.

Wow.

And it's just amazing.

But they said that, you know, the government just is not.

And it's.

It's pretty much like some of the stuff you saw on TV where the government just is in the way.

You know, they talk a big deal, but then nothing happens.

And the people are suffering, you know, which is.

That's where we come in at.

Yeah.

I mean, that would be the.

That would be the biggest thing to do.

But as long as they let you, you know, just get government out of the way and let the people do what they need to do to help their fellow man.

That's right.

I mean, life would be so much better.

I love that.

You're absolutely right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's just amazing.

But any other contact information you'd like to give our listeners before we wrap up the show?

Absolutely.

I am on LinkedIn.

Velma Trahem.

I am on Instagram Velma Trahem.

And my personal website is velmatrahem.com and that's Velma Trahem Global Houses all of my entities.

So thank you very much for having me.

I love what you're doing, and I'm sure this podcast will inspire millions of people.

Well, I appreciate those kind words.

And that's what we try and do.

It just.

We just want to make a difference.

That's.

That's all we want to do, to be able to help the people that.

That we reach, to be able to know that there is hope.

There are people out here working in a positive act, you know, aspect of whatever they're going through, you know, and it's like if you want to make a difference, you just have to, like, you just have to step out of line and strike out on your own.

Like you did.

Yeah.

And I.

And I will leave the guests with this.

Faith is the substance of the things that we hope for, and it's the evidence of the things that we do not see.

And if we are going to do anything, we've got to walk by faith and not by sight.

Yeah, that's.

That's so very true.

So very true.

Dr. Velma, thank you so much for being with us today.

We really appreciate it.

And don't be a stranger.

We want to have you back on the show.

Absolutely.

And we definitely want to come down and, you know, when those Models start coming together.

I want to see the factory, I want to see, I want to see everything.

Let's do it.

Well, let's do it.

All right.

And yes, and remember, just, just as a follow up message, it's not like Ikea, just remember.

But, but you could say, well, in a way it could be like a little bit like Lego, right?

Kind of like lego.

Kind of like Lego.

Yeah, like, like you put.

But it's sustainable, it's quality.

Yeah.

It's long lasting, it's enduro and you know what I mean?

So, yeah, it's not like an Ikea, but it is like lego.

That's right.

Yeah, that's right.

I say you believe.

I'll tell you a quick story real quick.

I used to have a guy back in my early days of remodeling and some people used to get the person they wanted to do a kitchen remodel and they wanted to go to IKEA for their cabinets.

I'm like, why, why?

What did you have for dinner last night?

Did he making you think like this?

You know, I mean, come on, you don't want to go to ikea.

And I swear there was a gentleman I met who actually did nothing.

He had to have the patience of a state.

He did nothing but contract out to people like this customer and put IKEA cabinets together.

That's all he used to do.

And I was like, you know, you know, bless you, you're doing this.

And a few years later I happen to run into, and I said, are you still putting IKEA cabinets together?

He says, no, man, I gave it up.

Huge shout out to IKEA here.

Hey, Ikea, where are your side?

Just keep, just keep filling those things, you know, I'm telling you.

All right, well, it's like eat everything.

We like always like to, you know, be a positive force and bring all this great information.

But at the same time too, we want to and have a good time doing it.

And that's what we always try and do here on Box Car Universe.

But we want to thank all our listeners for listening to Boxcar Universe.

And remember, we are your source for cutting edge information for remodeling container homes, container pools, ADUs and you know, home Access America now.

But if you have any questions at all, please give me a call or it should say email me@steveoxcaruniverse.com don't forget, you want to be sustainable and you want to take a look at putting solar on your home.

I can also help you with that as well.

And you could find Boxcar Universe podcast on any podcast player of your choice.

And always remember, let us remodel and renovate your world.

Have a great weekend.

You're a great American.

I love you.

It.