I Went on Couple O’ Nukes to Talk Navy Nukes and Home Loans, Here Is What Came Out

I got a call to come on a podcast called Couple O’ Nukes. The host goes by Mr. Whiskey. He’s a former Navy nuclear operator, same as me. He told me it’s rare to get two nukes on the show at the same time. I believe him. Most of us disappear into civilian life and don’t look back.

We ended up talking for over 40 minutes. Some of it was Navy stories. Some of it was hotels in Thailand. A good chunk of it was straight talk about renting, owning, and why waiting for the perfect moment to buy a house is a bad plan. Here’s the recap, plus the parts I think matter most.

Why This Show, Why This Host

Mr. Whiskey runs Couple O’ Nukes, a channel built for people who served, especially in the nuclear Navy. He knows the jokes. He knows the terminology. He knows what it means when I say I did ten years as an Enrow, working for Naval Reactors.

Talking to another nuke is different. You don’t have to explain the culture. You can jump straight to the good stuff. That’s what made this episode work. We spent a few minutes trading sea stories, then pivoted hard into home loans, because that’s where I spend my days now.

From Podunk, Alabama to Naval Reactors

I grew up in a small Alabama town. Twenty-six kids in my graduating class. The only real job option was the peanut mill. Nothing wrong with that work, but it wasn’t going to be my life.

I joined the Navy at 17. Turned 18 in boot camp. Went through power school, prototype, a couple carrier tours. Made Chief in 2001. Got commissioned as an officer in 2002 and picked up Naval Reactors duty, which meant I stopped going to sea. I told Mr. Whiskey the honest reason I went that route: I wanted off the ship. Twenty years total, then I retired in 2013 and got out of engineering for good.

The Accidental Hotel Owner

Here’s a part of the story most people don’t expect. My wife is from Thailand. We wanted a cheap retirement spot on the beach. A friend of hers found a deal on a 40-room hotel in Phuket. It looked too good to pass up.

So I sold two condos, two restaurants, and a nice vehicle, and paid cash for that hotel. A year later we bought a second one nearby, 60 rooms, that we rebuilt from scratch. Running hotels taught me the same lesson I try to teach clients every day: an asset that’s paid off keeps working even when you’re not standing behind the desk.

The Uber Eats Confession

I look at close to a thousand bank statements a year in my job. I told Mr. Whiskey straight up:

“I can’t tell you how much money Uber Eats, McDonald’s, eating out kills American savings.”

He related to it immediately. He’d just seen his own spending breakdown from his bank app and got hit with the same reality. It’s not the rent or the car payment that quietly drains people. It’s the small daily charges that never make it onto a budget spreadsheet.

The Two Stats That Changed the Conversation

When we got into renting versus owning, I gave him the two numbers I lean on the most.

“The net worth of the average homeowner is 44 times the net worth of the average renter.”

Not 44 percent. Forty-four times. That’s the long game of building equity instead of handing a landlord your money every month.

“Rent’s 100% interest, right? You get nothing out of rent.”

The second stat surprised even me the first time I read it. Kids living in an owned home average a full letter grade higher than kids in a rented home. My guess is stability plays a big part. A steady address, a quiet place to do homework, parents who aren’t moving every year. Whatever the reason, it’s a strong argument that home ownership isn’t just a money decision.

What I Want Veterans and Civilians to Take From This

People wait. They wait for rates to drop. They wait until they feel ready. Waiting rarely helps. You’re either paying your own mortgage or you’re paying someone else’s.

What actually matters is getting your three C’s in order: character, capacity, and collateral. That’s credit history, income stability, and a house that appraises for what you’re paying. I told Mr. Whiskey something I believe all the way through:

“If you get those three things and you don’t get qualified for a house, then your loan officer sucks, right?”

If you’re not ready today, that’s fine. I’ll tell you exactly what to fix and check back with you in six months. That’s the path to home ownership, not a mystery, just a checklist.

Where to Go Next

I’ve written a few books on this stuff, including VA Mortgages Declassified for veterans and I Hate Renting for anyone tired of throwing money at a landlord. Both are on Amazon and on my website.

I’m only licensed in 10 states, so if you’re outside that list, I still won’t leave you hanging. I’ve built a network of loan officers around the country and I’ll point you toward someone solid, no charge, because it’s actually illegal for me to get paid on that kind of referral anyway.

If you want to talk numbers, my phone number is easy to remember: 843-LOW-RATE. Give the full Couple O’ Nukes episode a watch, subscribe to the channel, and then come talk to me about where you stand on your own path to owning instead of renting.

Jason Sharon, NMLS 1281448 | Home Loans Inc, NMLS 1728740