In this episode, we talk to Stephen Rischall of 1080 Financial Group about the specific obstacles Millennials need to overcome in order to become home owners. We discuss the importance of home ownership as a facet of a healthy financial future and how YouTube "Do-It-Yourselfers" hacking their own finances can lead to dangerous and unfortunate results. We also talk about the downside of millennials being drawn toward bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, when it's really the blockchain technology that's where the future is leading.
The pressure is intense. You went to an open house and gave all your personal information on the sign in sheet. Since then, you've been inundated by endless emails -- and potentially -- unsolicited phone calls. This is a situation all too common in the real estate industry. We'll go through the ways real estate agents "trap" your information and put you into their marketing campaigns, harassing you until you cry for mercy. We'll show you how to avoid this mess and choose a real estate agent you can trust.
Tom is getting the same question over and over - "Should I buy a house now? Or, should I wait?" He likes to hear folks be cautious when buying a home, but facts have come to light regarding the real estate market that may mean waiting is not the best choice for them. Inventory is at critical levels (meaning prices will continue to rise) and interest rates will go up. These mean that buying a house will soon be even more expensive to do. Buying a house sooner rather than later might be a better strategy.
It's the holiday season, so we're giving out tips about how you can discuss the real estate market with your family around the Christmas buffet. We know that Aunt Beatrice has heard on the news that it's a terrible time to buy a house and Uncle Bernie is saying "Bah-Humbug," telling you we're in a bubble and it's about to burst -- so, we thought it would be helpful to arm you with all the facts and strategies so you can hold your ground when you tell everyone you're looking to buy a home.
You may have never heard of them -- and there might be a very good reason for that. Most Real Estate Agents don't want you to think that they exist -- but the Transaction Coordinator is the unsung hero of the Real Estate Industry. On this episode, we interview Lauren Senecal, a Transaction Coordinator and owner of TC Advantage here in Southern California and we find out a lot about what happens behind the scenes when you are buying or selling a home that you may have never have even guessed.
We begin by speaking to Lauren about how she started in the industry and what has brought her to opening her own TC (that's what they're known as in the biz) company -- TC Advantage. We then talk about her day-to-day duties and how she assists agents with the process of buying or selling a house from beginning to end, making sure that deadlines are hit, the proper forms are filled out by the right people, and making sure the entire process stays organized.
We then talk about the various reasons why agents prefer to keep Transaction Coordinators a secret in order to create the illusion that they do everything from beginning to end. Lauren also talks about the things that she thinks makes transactions run smoothly and how she would change the process if she could. We also talk about various horror stories she's seen and how they could have been avoided beforehand.
It's another very interesting episode and we're so glad that Lauren could stop by to show us her wealth of knowledge and expertise. Please listen and give us comments below! We'd love to hear what you think and to know what we can do better. Also, if you have any ideas for future episodes, please let us know!
In this episode, we are giving tips on how to get your offer accepted in this crazy seller's market. Whether it's making sure you're completely approved by your lender BEFORE making your offer, shopping below your top price, or finding out things (other than cash) that the seller might want... There are lots of way to give you more an advantage as you go up against the multiple offers and deals that are cash. Ron and Tom give 10 solid ideas for shaking up your home search and keep you from getting frustrated at every turn. Buying a home in a seller's market may be a lot of work, but it doesn't need to be painful or scary, either!
It's Episode 24 of The Clarified Realty Podcast and Tom and Ron hit the ground running with a discussion about the difficulty companies in Los Angeles are having hiring employees due to the high cost of housing here. They discuss various ways that governments can help -- by changing zoning laws so that more inventory can be built, bringing prices down. They then bring in their guest, Brian Darling. Brian is a business manager and owner of Darling Business Management. We start off with a conversation about how someone finds that they need a business manager and how he gets to know the idiosyncrasies of each of his clients. He then talks to us about his role he takes with his clients when they tell him that they wish to purchase a house. We then discuss how working with artists and creative people is completely different that working with others -- and how they very often want others to deal with the details of their business. We finish up by talking about Brian's work with the LGBT community and if he approaches his work with them any differently. This is another really interesting episode and we hope that you'll give it a listen and tell us what you think in the comments. And if you like what you've heard, we'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment and review it on iTunes!
In this episode of The Clarified Realty Podcast, Tom is taking a deep look into the sparse inventory out in the real estate market right now and how buyers need to embrace the "Hunter Mentality" for finding a home. When fewer and fewer homes and condos are for sale in your price point an entirely different strategy is needed. Right now is an optimal time to purchase a home; prices are still rising and interest rates are going to rise soon, too. That means that waiting on the sidelines will only make buying a house more expensive the longer you wait.
Tom starts off by discussing how the market got this way in the first place and what it would take to get more supply to open up and provide more opportunities for those who want to enter the market. In all likelihood, the market will remain in this condition for some time, so there are some key things that buyers can do to make things a bit easier on themselves. They are:
- Actually go and see as many places as you can in-person.
- Make sure to pick an agent that is ok with seeing more places.
- Be ok with only putting down 3%.
- Don't fall in love with a house until it closes.
- Don't get tricky with your offers.
- Have the right strategy for bidding wars.
- Lowered expectations are a bonus.
- No whiners.
All of these strategies will help someone not only survive a tough real estate market -- but maybe even enjoy it, as well! If you're thinking that you are in the going to be buying in the next 6 to 12 months, you definitely need to give this episode a listen. We hope you enjoy it! Please leave us a comment and let us know how you liked it!