Black Hole Of Real Estate Podcast

Some Surpising Real Estate Sales Data... ...The National Association Of Realtors (NAR)  Has reported that home sales increased by 2.2%  when comparing the 1st quarter of 2026 to 2025 a lot of people were suprised when the data came out and it comes with the caveat that sales in March 2026 are down more than 3% when compared to March sales in 2025 here is what may have caused these results 1Q 2025  New President takes office The Fed stops lowering rates which hover around 6.75% a lot of change an uncertainty in financial markets 1Q 2026 Interest rates are in the 6% range in January Partial Government Shutdown In February Iran War Begins in March Interest rates spike to 6.5% To be sure, there are other factors but most people would agree that these are solid reasons for consumers to pause home buying/selling what is most interesting within the data is that there is a real opportunity in the 2Q 2026 for an increase in market activity and we could be looking at a super busy summer today's show lays out the scenario  and breaks down why there is a growing optimism despite a crazy start to 2026      

Pent Up Demand Movement... ...it seems like its happening on both sides right now There a number of reasons that buyers and sellers alike have put their plans on hold   interest rates went up inflation government shutdown war in Iran   and interestingly enough those things will fade away with time but none of them are the real reason that pent up demand will cause people to take action market sales will increase soon simply because people are ready to move   and here's why   tax season is over  tax refunds ready to deploy the end of the school year is coming up fast people have set aside their move long enough   we have seen a lot people move when interest rates were much higher inflation has been a conversation for many years those things don't need to get totally fixed for the market to pick up tune into today's show for the rest of the details  on why things are about to change in the real estate market      

Signing A Contract On Behalf Of Someone Else...     ...I am not an attorney, contact one before you do anything There are a number of reasons  where it makes senses for someone to sign a contract for another person using a power of attorney (POA)   they may be out of town they may be out of the country they may lack the competency the may not be physically able to sign   there are cases that are sensitive to talk about but its important to discuss end stages of life here as well when a person is alive a power of attorney can be sufficient to get the sale completed when some passes away before the sale is closed an executor of the estate may be required to sign the paperwork quite often a property will need to go through probate and a judge may need to sign off for the property to be sold some things to keep in mind   a property can be put on the market while the seller is alive  a POA can sign the listing contract in many cases and its likely that the POA could sign the closing paperwork   if the seller passes away during the process the executor of the estate would then be the person that would sign    there are definitely times where the sale gets interrupted and the property may very well need to go through probate which could delay or possibly end the sale   you can see why I have I have told you to get legal advice its not simple stuff I break down these topics on todays show      

Property Info Not Showing Up In Your Email...      ...We have a solution to a problem you may not know that you have one of the biggest and most common mistakes that home buyers and agents are making is not adding each other as approved contacts in their email system go ahead and laugh it sounds trivial for sure and yet there are home buyers missing out on properties that were sent to them by their agents that are sitting in their spam folder and there are agents that think their clients are ghosting them for the very same reason the simple solves the complex agents need to remind their clients that on the 1st couple of emails sent that their security settings might block emails that they want and that they might need to go fish them out its also true that many people delete all their emails when their inbox is too full and sometimes inadvertently unsubscribe to the properties they asked for it isn't a problem until it's a problem, right? buyers a lose home they want to buy agent lose clients that think they didn't send properties tune into today's show and we will give you the details on how to fix this  

The 2nd Quarter of 2026 Will Go Like This...     ...slow and then a little faster the year started off with great optimism for sure   interest rates were coming down homes going on the market was increasing buyers were active   Unfortunately, that momentum was derailed by any number of things so what needs to take place for the market to pick up   end the government shutdown end the war in Iran interest rates to drop back down below 6%   and while all of this won't happen overnight it seems very likely to happen at this very moment there is a lot of chatter about the end of the government shutdown that will get a few buyers and sellers to re-enage real estate it also seems like we are a couple of weeks away from ending the war in Iran that will get a few more buyers and sellers re-engaged the really big thing that I see on the horizon is that there is a Fed Meeting April 28-29 and its the last one that Jerome Powell will lead he may/may not lead the FOMC to lower interest rates but the new Fed Chair will start in May and it would be shocking if rates are not lowered at the June 16-17 meeting it may not take much more than that to get things moving in the right direction and quite honestly - there are way too many people on hold right now that are just waiting for the "all clear sign" to jump right back in to the market today's show solidifies the "slow and then fast" 2nd quarter forecast

The 1st Quarter of 2026 Wasn't...   ...as predictable we predicted It sure looked like:   interest rates were going to steadily decline the number of homes for sale would increase a lot the number of home sales would increase a lot   and while those things may very happen in the 2nd quarter of 2026 they didn't happen to the extent that we thought it would what didn't we see coming?   another lengthy government shutdown a war with Iran interest rates increasing but here is where it gets interesting over the next 30-45 days we will most likely see:   the government fully reopen the war with Iran come to an end interest rates to drop as the new Fed Chair starts in Mid May   which could very well be the catalyst for a solid 2nd quarter and a lot of momentum going into the 3rd quarter of 2026 buckle up for a potentially very busy summer sales season  

Fear Of Appraisals... ...is 100% real for buyers and sellers alike the buyer wants the home to appraise so they can get the loan approved the seller wants the home to appraise so the sale doesn't get cancelled there are 3 possible  outcomes on every appraisal   the home appraises for the contract value and the deal continues the home appraises for more than the contract price and the deal continues the home appraises below the contract price and the deal may fall apart   when an appraisal comes in low there are some remedies available to keep the deal going   the buyer can make a larger down payment the seller can reduce the price to the appraisal value a new price in between can be agreed upon to share the pain   in a quickly rising market you see appraisals come in low quite often as the market is surging forward and the closed sales comps are a couple of months old in a declining market, a home may appraise higher than sales price as their is a lag in the closed sales in a balanced market such as the one that we have been in for awhile appraisals tend to work out as there isn't a lot of price movement tune in to today's show all the details on what goes on during the appraisal process

One of the BIGGEST Mistakes that Home Buyers make... ...Buy The House 1st and the Car 2nd time and time again I see people making this mistake and with all of the information available it's tough to understand how it keeps happening If you missed the memo on this here is the quick version when you buy a home with a mortgage the bank underwriter is going to take a long hard look at   your income - paystubs - tax returns your credit score your down payment your debt to income ratio cash reserves   when you go to get a car loan the bank will primarily use your credit score and ask your how much $ you make they may not even ask for income verification   I am not telling you to do anything dishonest but if you understand that the lending approval guidelines are far more strict on a home loan wouldn't it make sense to start there? especially if they new car payment dramatically reduces the home purchase amount that you qualify for and you end up not being able to buy the home you really want today's show goes over the Math...  

Sometimes You Need To Lose A Home You Really Want...    ...and the biggest problem I find is that buyers quite often don't have the $$$ part figured out consumers have grown very accustomed to shopping on their own terms   its easy to shop online check prices compare features compare reviews supply is typically not limited usually paid for on a debit/credit card   so when it comes to a home purchase quite often a few things change in the buying process   supply may be limited to just that 1 home may not have as much time to research probably not swiping a debit/card to pay for it need to have bank statement for cash purchases ready at all times need to have a pre qualification ready from a qualified lender   while it seems obvious to do all of this a shocking amount of people put off doing it most just like looking around 1st and I can understand why they want to do it that way it's just a really bad strategy today's show goes behind the scenes to let you know how things can break down      

Calling The Fed's Shot This Week... ...since everyone is asking what's gonna happen I would be absolutely shocked if the Fed does anything but keep interest rates the same The USA is currently:   lobbing bombs into Iran in the middle of a partial government shutdown debating voter id registrations in an uncertain inflation environment and Fed Chair Jerome Powell is under investigation   Mark it down nothing is going to change during the March 17-18 Fed Meeting and for that matter The April 28-29 meeting will be uneventful as its the last meeting before the new Fed Chair takes over watch for interest rate drops at the June 16-17 meeting tune into today's show to learn more    

Pre Buying Your Retirement Home Before Your Retire...  ...what you need to know that you haven't thought about I am seeing a trend of retirement home buyers moving up their timeline to purchase   interest rates have come down inventory has increased new listings in this sector are selling faster prices are anticipated to increase   but some home buyers are experiencing some unexpected issues the most perplexing one has to do with financing the home if you are looking to make the new home your primary residence and want to use a lower down payment and also get the lowest possible rate the lender may stipulate that the home you buy be within driving distance to work if you want to count that employers income for loan qualifying it will typically need to be within a 2 hour drive or 150 miles this will vary from lender to lender the reason being is that banks feel that a longer commute may mean its actually 2nd home which causes a number of buyers to switch to a loan for a 2nd home the down payment may be a little higher and the interest rate may be a little higher there are some bridge loan programs that buyers are using when they are delaying the sale of their current home today's show goes very deep into the multitude of scenarios in play

Incomplete Offers Lose Homes Buyers Want... ...as sellers avoid offers that are missing key elements Most real estate agents have access to offer forms where they can fill in a series of blanks with the price and terms that a buyer wants to offer to the seller it sounds simple and it can be  if all the blanks are filled in it would help if they were filled in correctly and when this happens the sellers agent can quickly break down the bulllet points for the seller we often find that most sales come down to price and possibly a couple of terms to iron out those offerss typically find common ground and go under contract and then there are the offers that don't have all the blanks filled in don't show proof of funds are missing key deadlines are improperly worded have conflicting information are missing riders and/or disclosures have the math wrong those are the ones that batted back and forth way too many times they are the ones that lose out in multiple offer situations ultimately a buyer can miss out on homes that they really wanted to buy for completely avoidable reasons tune in for all the details on how to avoid this situation

The Sellers Disclosures Are Wayyyyyyy More Important...    ...than most home sellers probably realize and its not a shock in the past they have been looked at as an afterthought something to get done once a home is under contract some sellers - and agents for that matter have looked at them as a bit of a nuisance thing what I am seeing in today's market is that home buyers want this information upfront before they take the time to visit a property and definitely before they "fall in love with the home" the absolutely want to know: did it flood how old is the roof  how old is the ac are there plumbing issues are the electrical issues have there been insurance claims too many deals fall apart without the information readily available especially when its a largely avoidable occurence we go way down the rabbit hole on today's podcast to let you know all the details on why this issue matters

The Place To Get A Down Payment For A House... ... is right in front of you Home Loans Come in all shapes and sizes A VA Loan or USDA Loan are 2 that may not require any down payment FHA Loans can have a down payment as low as 3.5% Conventional loans typically start at 5% down payment and there some that only need a 3% down for well qualified buyers So where do you get the $$$ for that down payment Here are some of the most common ways to do it Save it on your own Tax Refund Get a gift from a direct family member Withdraw $ from a retirement account  Take a loan from your 401k Each of these methods require some work and I recommend that you document everything as the lender will want to see the paper trail if you are considering an option regarding your retirement account contact your plan administrator to learn about any interest or penalties due today's talks in depth about how you can get the money you need to help you purchase a home this year

Interest Rates Dropped to 5.99%...    ...and rates are now at their lowest point in over 3 years you would have to go back to September of 2022 to find a lower rate and there are now some really, really good things available now for consumers lets examine the math behind a $350,000 home purchase with a 20% down payment to avoid mortgage insurance and using a 30 year fixed rate loan last year the interest rate was about 7% which would have been a principal + interest payment of $1862 using this weeks rate of 5.99% it would now be a principal + interest payment of $1676 that's a difference of $186 per month looking at it a different way the same $1862 payment from last year would mean that a buyer could purchase at $389,000 this year that $39,000 more purchasing power for buyers the stage is being set for an increase in home purchases due to improvements in affordability and purchasing power tune into today's show for all of the nitty, gritty details

Why Showings Are Down...    ...without a doubt its due to Alien Intervention what else could it be? Its certainly not any of the these things, right ? economic uncertainty political unrest global conflict 3rd government shutdown no change in interest rates since December 9 Nope ! Its definitely Aliens A lot of great properties aren't selling and its not necessarily due to price or marketing its a different market than most people have gotten used to So when do showings pick up? when inventory increases after people file their taxes when the end of school year approaches when interest rates go down at next Fed meeting in March when the Aliens go away Tune into today's show for the details on what is really happening

When Is AS IS Not Necessarily AS IS... ...Especially when things go sideways without warning The #1 thing that seems to go wrong are issues that pop up during the inspection period that no one could have predicted upfront the seller may not have been aware the buyer didn't see it during the showing the agents didn't notice it during the showing the issue may have occurred after the showing so does that mean the buyer is "stuck" with that issue or is there some recourse for them if they want it resolved most purchase contracts have an inspection period and a buyer can request items to be repaired/replaced the seller is under no obligation to agree to the requests but many will agree to do some/all of what the buyer asks for as the buyer does have the right to cancel the contract and get their escrow deposit back  as long as they cancel within the inspection period AS IS contracts are used in the majority of home sales understanding the nuances of the agreements is critical today's show breaks it all down for you  

Protecting Yourself When Writing An Offer...    ...so that you don't feel trapped if things go wrong There are number of contingencies that can be put into an offer that would help a buyer feel more comfortable while under contract keep in mind that adding a lot of moving parts might make the deal more complex and less attractive to a seller  if it's a competitive offer siutation it would make sense to limit these some of the basic and somewhat customary contingencies are:   time for seller to accept the offer number of days to make escrow home inspection period appraisal contingency loan approval sale of the buyers home closing date there are a number of other contingency clauses that can be used for special circumstances and in most deals there is some give and take between the buyer and seller where they find common ground tune into todays show for all the details on contingencies  

How To Pay Less Property Tax...      ...by using The Florida Save Our Homes Amendment (SOH) this is a discount available for home owners for their primary residence it was designed to help homeowners with high property value appreciation there is a 3% tax increase cap per year the assessed value of the home is used for the tax calculation not the market value of the home this can save homeowners hundreds of dollars per year the assessed value does reset the following year after a home is sold so future owners will pay more tax in most cases there is also a portability option for those that are selling their homes and want to apply the discount to their next home when you buy a home and close by December 31, 2025 you are able to apply for this up until March 2,2026 you can purchase this year and have a similar timeline to apply as well today's show breaks it all down and gives some resources for more information

Joining The Flipping Game... ...when you are seemingly cash deficient to make it work sometimes you have the $$$ and don't realize it for anyone that bought a property in the last 5+ years there is a real possibility that you have a significant amount of equity that you could unlock to make real estate investments there are definitely a large number of people that just want to pay off their home there is nothing wrong with that others look at that trapped equity as a dead asset investors want to keep their money working and growing a home equity line of credit could be the ticket to purchasing your 1st investment property there is also a way to tap into your 401k to buy real estate definitely contact your plan administrator and your financial adviser for the details on these strategies todays show discusses the path to getting in the game

You Are About To Hire Your Friend To Sell Your Property... ...and it might not be the best decision in a market such as this pretty much everyone has a friend or a family member with a real estate license before you do anything, ask yourself these 4 questions are they active and full time in the business? did they sell more than 1 home last year? do they have a solid track record and a lot of 5 star reviews? do they have a significant marketing budget? It has been reported that 70% of all agents didn't sell a home in 2025 while that number might be a little skewed the majority of homes were sold by the top 10%-20% of all agents In reality - hiring the wrong agent may very well cost you BIG $$$ If you are even able to sell the home at all most agents use the 3 P's to sell home Put it on the mls with low quality photos Put a sign in the ground Pray that it sells if you are even thinking of hiring a friend or family member tune in to today's show for my surprising insights it will be well worth the time and make you more $$$          

Leasing Your Home When The Rent Is Lower Than Your Mortgage Payment...   ... it definitely seems like a MAJOR problem but it doesn't have to be there are a growing number of "Accidental Landlords" out there homeowners that never planned to rent out their home are finding themselves in a precarious situation where they might just have to it usually happens when the owner does not have sufficient equity to sell their home in the current real estate market and most don't want to (or can't) bring cash to closing to make the deal work so they end up trying to rent out the home and list the rental price high enough to cover the mortgage payment in many cases they find that the home sits empty  and they are forced to lower the rent to the market rate every month its unrented is money that is lost forever what if that the rental price ends up being $200 less than the mortgage payment it doesn't have to be the end of the world as there are 3 specific ways to win   1- The mortgage balance is most likely going down by at least that much each month 2- the property value will likely go up 3%-4% over the next year 3- you can get a write off on your taxes for depreciation   tune in to today's show as we break down all the details    

The Fed Is Keeping Rates The Same...       ...and its not at all shocking to me The Fed has lowered rates by .25% 3 meetings in a row for a total of .75% recent interest rate reductions The President recently authorized $2 Billion in bond purchases to add liquidity to the market and encourage more lending by banks it makes sense for the Fed to pause and examine the economy before making more moves There are 2 more meetings before the end of Fed Chair Jerome Powells' term my suspicion is that we will see a rate reduction at 1 of those 2 meetings The real moves will most likely happen once the new Fed Chair is named and we could very well see a more aggressive strategy over the summer months tune in to todays show for more details  

Pivotal Fed Meeting This Week...     ...that will set the tone for the next few months of real estate sales There is a lot of uncertainty as to the Fed's direction at this time They have reduced rates 3 meetings in a row and there is some sentiment that they will hold rates where they are  The meeting will take place January 27-28 if rates remain unchanged, they will be in a holding pattern until the next meeting March 17-18 There are a total of 3 more meetings left  before the current Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's term expires chances are that there will be 1 or 2 rate reductions before the new chair takes over and it is widely anticipated that the new chair will be more aggressive its going to be interesting to see what the fed chooses to do this week

Hidden Inventory About To Hit The Market... ...And you probably don't realize where it's coming from Most people don't recall that a lot of property listings expired on December 31 and it's true that some of them came right back on the market but most have delayed re-entry some are just exhausted from being up for sale some have been too busy catching up from the holidays some are waiting 30 days to reset days on market counters some just wanted to watch football on the weekends in peace but here is what most people aren't seeing delayed re-entry people want to sell and will be back soon more current home owners now have interest rates above 6% than below 6% the 3% interest rate tradeoff concern goes down every month there is a Fed meeting that might just drop rates again January 27-28 The new listings are on the way Today's show packs a lot into a short time - tune in

So I Just Bought A Couple Of Fixer Uppers...       ... with a couple of friends over the last 2 months but get this - we don't plan to flip them  The plan is to follow the BRRRR Method Buy Renovate Rent  Refinance Repeat There is an actual book named that Which I bought a few years back read it cover to cover a few times I just wasn't at a place in my life where I was ready, willing, and able to take action on it now I am and doing it and having some fun with it Now I want to share how it works to buy and hold these homes as opposed to flipping them I also give you a little insight as to how  3 Idiots are succeeding in a tough investor market while others are struggling you will definitely get a few laughs and you might just learn a little bit too You don't want to miss today's show      

Mixed Signals...     ...what are we supposed to believe is really going on in real estate you have heard us talk about how rates have come down into the 5's we are also seeing that most sellers are barely getting any showings so what type of market are we actually in right now? let me do my best to explain it buyers are absolutely looking at more homes online now buyers are excited about lower rates and payments buyers are still waiting to see more homes come on the market sellers that had listings expire on 12/31 are just getting ready to list again most existing sellers haven't made the necessary price adjustments to sell and here is what I am expecting to see in the next few weeks the new listings will show up the new ones that are priced well will sell super fast some new listings will get multiple offers the market pace will pick up and then even more sellers will get off the fence and go on the market the old over priced listings will linger and they will not sell todays show goes deep into explaining how all of this will play out

Why Interest Rates Just Dropped Down Into The 5's...    ...it wasn't due to the Fed lowering the rate The President ordered the purchase of $2 Billion in bonds and it was the catalyst for interest rates to drop 22 basis points almost immediately The Federal Housing Finance Agency leader Bill Pulte posted "We are on it" and will be working Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to execute the plan financial markets are buzzing and so are home buyers as the average mortgage rate hit 5.99% on January 9th affordability just increased monthly payments went down sidelined home buyers are jumping back into the market This also raises the possibility of a rate drop by the Fed at their meeting on January 27-28 given that the Fed has dropped rates by .25% at 3 consecutive meetings there has been talk of pausing rates drops for this meeting to re-evaluate things with regard to things such as GDP and inflation there will not be another Fed Meeting until March 17-18 so this meeting is a big determiner of the rates available to home buyers throughout the 1st quarter of 2026 and tax season keeping in mind that the current Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term will be ending on May 15th  there will be a lot of attention on the hot topic of interest rates tune in to today's show for all of the details    

How Sellers Can Pay Your Closing Costs...     ...when you don't have enough money to close a sale Many Home Buyers are finding it hard to save up for a down payment Let alone have enough $ for the closings on a home purchase Let's Suppose that a buyer wants to purchase a home for $300,000 The down payment for an FHA Loan is 3.5% Most conventional loans require at least 5% down That means a buyer would need between $10,500 - $15,000 saved up Closings cost can vary, but lets use 2% for this example that means and additional $6,000 is needed to make the deal work The buyer will need $16,500 - $21,000 in verifiable cash in the bank Not everyone has that kind of $$$ with the way inflation has been over the past few years and this is the #1 thing that crushes a home buyers dreams There is a way for sellers to pay your closing costs and many will do it in order to get their homes sold Lets suppose a seller is willing to pay 3% towards a buyer closing costs That's $9,000 that can be used by the buyer for closing costs, insurance, interest rate buy downs,etc Some things to know if the purchase price is $300,000 : The home would need to appraise for $300,000 The seller actually nets $291,000 (300k-9k) If the appraisal is low, the deal will need to be re-worked today's show gets down and dirty with the details  

Where did all the listings go... ...Something Just Happened To Real Estate Inventory Every year, the real estate industry seems to set a huge number of listing contracts to expire on December 31 if the property is unsold by that date which means that the number of homes available for sale drops dramatically on January 1 The vast majority of those properties will come back on the market during the month of January many of them will have: new listing agents lower pricing different marketing some renovations completed Along with that  you will see a number of brand new to market listings hit the market from the group of sellers that waited until after the holidays to sell their property the inventory levels will creep upward over the 1st 15 days of the month and by the end of January its very likely that there will be more homes available than on December 31st There will certainly be some listings expiring on January 31st but that number will be much smaller than December 31 For those looking to purchase in the New Year This is good news Tune in for all the details on today's show  

The 2026 Crystal Ball Report...   ...everything you need to plan out your real estate strategy for this year we have the receipts from last years forecast back in episode 152 check that out when you are done with this one and let me know how we did here are a few of the things that I see happening:   Interest Rates will start the year hovering in the 6% range They will dip down below 5% shortly after the end of tax season There will be a new Fed Chair in May right after the April 28-29 Meeting Which makes the June 16-17 meeting the one to keep your eyes on   Builders will continue to creatively give incentives to buyers they are paying big $ to buy down interest rates for buyers they are paying most/all closing costs buyers while holding the line on prices to keep sales comps high   The Number Of Accidental Landlords will increase sellers are more willing to pay for buyers closing costs many buyers are using loans with 5% down or less this will create a problem reselling these home the next 2-3 years  many will end up renting out these homes    Home Values Will Go UP 4.1% - not down looking back over the last 5 years prices were predicted to go down by many It didn't happen and buyers hurt themselves by waiting for it to occur a large number of current home owners have low interest rates and big equity relatively few will be forced to sell at a loss market conditions and a rising economy will make this possible   listen in, bookmark this episode, and check my receipts in a year      

The Biggest Day For Expired Listings... ...Is December 31st It has been every year since I have been in the real estate business and it means that on January 1st a few interesting things are likely to happen real estate active listings will drop dramatically some sellers won't realize that they are off the market cold calling agents will be dialing for $$$ on New Years Day home sellers that "expired" will be getting a lot of calls some sellers will choose to "extend their listings" with their current agents the marketing is already in place there could very well be momentum from the end of the year they don't go off the market when buyers jump back in Jan 1 they avoid all those calls on New Years Day the 1st 10-15 days of January will see a lot of change and it will get super competitive for sellers and then perhaps level off a bit in February/ March expired homes will be re-listed with new agents many will take price reductions new marketing will be in place the inventory level will rise back to where it was - maybe higher there is a lot to unpack here tune into todays show for a road map of how to choose the right strategy  

Why Home Buyers Should Close on December 30th...     ...There may very well be a property tax savings by doing so for the buyer it may also be a date that makes sense to the home seller for the very same reason which makes it a win-win situation qualify for the homestead exemption for the buyer start off the New Year in your new home for the buyer save a vacation day for the buyer due to the holiday capital gains tax rate locked in for seller addtional write offs for the seller if that's the case, then why not just close on December 31? its rather simple really numerous unforseen circumstances may cause a delay in a closing date and in this case it would then make the closing take place in the next tax year bank wire doesn't arrive on time overnight closing package delivery delayed banks, title companies and attorney close early many workers on vacation - skeleton crews at offices travel delays for buyer or seller something goes sideways with a double closing there are definitely scenarios where it makes sense to close after the 1st and each of these will create a unique set of circumstances that might just affect the sales price negotiation tune in for some of the crazy things I have experienced over the years      

Home Search Christmas Magic...  ... this is how some people are finding deals this holiday season let's face it - most people aren't looking at homes the week of Christmas and most sellers are facing the fact that their homes probably won't sell before the end of the year so here is how the Magic is happening there are sellers out there that will accept and offer now that they most likely wouldn't have accepted a month ago and most likely won't accept after the 1st of year most sellers just want to get under contract and start the new year off with that taken care of so they can move on with their plans to move many of these sellers have been on the market a super long time and may simply be exhausted from the sales process closure is super important to those sellers there is also the distinct possibility of them being a little kinder and open minded about an offer during this time of the year there really is no downside to testing the waters now tune in for more details on how its all happening  

Your Listing Photos Are Too Nice... ...and there are many times where sellers are overdoing it stay with me here as I explain what I see on a daily basis let's suppose that your home has a blemish or 2 and you think that a little trick photography might help so you choose to creatively avoid those things in the marketing photos it certainly will make your home look more attractive online but consider the fact  that once a buyer enters the home the will notice the very things you didn't want them to see which ultimately creates a negative experience for them we hear comments all the time like it looked bigger in the pictures it looked better online it didn't look dirty online  we couldn't see all the damages probably not what you were hoping for and other the other side of the coin there are times when the home looks better in person but the marketing photos are not done well and people scroll right by for reasons such as: the front photos were taken from inside a car they stand on a chair and shoot downward in the room people and pets are in the photos the home wasn't cleaned and there is stuff everywhere when buyers are spending a quarter of a million $$$ or more a little reality goes a long way  in attracting the right person to buy the home and there are times where bad photos "unsell the home" tune in for the harsh reality of these mistakes

How Long It Takes A Price Change To Make An Impact...   ...there could be immedidate results but what if there isn't a big increase in showings and offers it doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't effective getting into the right price position is critical then you have only 2 levers left marketing and time and when the right marketing strategy is in place then it truly is just a matter of time with that in mind a price adjustment over the holidays could have a delayed result as we are entering a time where home buyers are making travel plans to go on buying trips right after the holidays and getting your property on their radar can lead to an increase in showings and offers in January tune in for my breakdown on how it will all play out        

Your Carpeting Is Hurting Your Sales Price $$$...   ...I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out on this one I realize that in many parts of the country carpeting is preferred by many homeowners especially as we enter the colder months of the year but I am here to tell you that Florida works differently and there sure seems to be an ever increasing trend where home shoppers are favoring homes with 1 type of flooring throughout the home and they are increasingly moving away from carpeting and towards tile and luxury vinyl options easier to clean doesn't trap pet odors better for those with allergies but if you are getting ready to sell your home and you are going keep or replace the carpets here a few things I have seen recently that you may want to avoid carpeting in the doorway that is so high you can't open the front door carpeting in the entire bathroom is going to get wet by the shower door carpeting in the kitchen is going to prone to staining and food smells carpeting in the garage is going to increase dirt traveling into the home all of this is feedback that I have received from home shoppers that have recently toured homes with me sometimes your friend or real estate agent want to be nice to you and not hurt your feelings or they are afraid to tell you what you need to know tune in to today's show for a little humor about carpets    

Interest Rates To Dip Below 6%...      ...its about to happen this week we have been saying this for over a year on this podcast and its all playing out as we have consistently projected  here is how its going to happen The Fed is going to meet December 9-10 It is widely anticipated that they will drop rates by .25% and markets will be pricing that into current mortgage rates last week, the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortage was 6.19% and a 15 year note was at an average of 5.44% so with the Fed about to make a move of 25 basis points its likely that some lenders at get below 6% over the next few days keeping mind that the figures above are averages it means that some lenders were most likely very close to 6% last week and some of those very same lenders will be aggressive and push through the psychological barrier of 6%  this sets the stage for a very interesting end of the 2025 year as the President has signaled that he will be naming the new Fed Chair soon and its likely to be someone that has a track record of pushing rates lower tune in for my thoughts on how things are about to play out  

How Home Buyers Are Winning in December... ...at a time when most have taken themselves out of the market For those that want to buy before the end of the year Or those that have buy right away There is a very simple winning formula So simple that most overlook it And they end up turning the process into a complicated science project Let's begin with the building blocks Have Your $$$ ready to go If you are a cash buyer Have your Proof Of Funds available If you are going to using a home loan for the purchase Get Pre Approved By A Reputable Lender Not just prequalified online with minimal information provided But rather a full blown approval where you provide all of your financial documents and an underwriter examines your application and issues the approval letter Now that you have the MONEY part in place Many sellers are READY TO SELL NOW There may a tax reason to close by December 31 They may need the money for a different purchase There may be a life circumstance They may have lingered on the market and are tired of the process They know that there will be more competition starting January 1st When it comes time to writing the offer - KISS IT (Keep It Simple Stupid) Be sure that your offer price might make sense to the seller limit the number of contingencies  home inspections and appraisals are not usually deal breakers sales contingent on the sale of your home are not ideal but can be ok excessive demands or verbiage in the additional terms should be avoided A buyer that wants a deal should keep this in mind The more layers of complexity The greater the likelihood for each moving part to be negotiated which ultimately causes good deals to fall apart Too often home buyers think they need to devise a super tricky plan and its the exact wrong way to do it Tune in for my time tested strategy with proven results  

Why A Home Seller Is Putting Their Home On The Market Now...     ...When most home sellers are waiting until after the holidays For many people, this decision is a real head scratcher So let me walk you through their mindset on this and then you can decid if they are a bit crazy or if they are actually on to something smart and savvy Going live the 1st week of December has its advantages less competition as most people wait a month a chance to stand out to motivated December Buyers more feedback and time to make adjustments some just need to sell right now What happens after January that might affect your sales price? All of the sellers that waited will be competing against you December 31st is the biggest day for exprired listings Expired listings come back on the market as "new listings" Unsold homes will be taking price reductions that week you can easily get "lost in the shuffle" Ask yourself these questions: When will you be better positioned to get Top $$$ for your home? Is there a chance that you don't sell and linger on the market? Will you sell in the time that you want to sell? Will you need to take multiple price reductions? will you eventually have to sell for less than you want? Every situation is different and there isn't a wrong decision, right? Or is it possible that you might have just gotten clarity on the right timing for your sale?      

Pricing Your Home With Room To Negotiate Loses You 5%...    ...and its a bitter reality for many home sellers Sure, it's very tempting to price your home high thinking that you allow yourself room to negotiate and that you can always lower the price later Unfortunately, its the exact wrong thing to do in this market The National Association Of Realtors (NAR) is reporting that homes not sold within the 1st 2 months of a listing ultimately sell for 14% below the list price  compared to the homes that do sell in the 1st 2 months that are selling at 9% below the listing price the difference of 5% is a significant gap and translates into an unnecessary loss of $$$ for sellers its completely avoidable savvy home sellers are now heeding the data message and pricing their homes close to the expected sales price some other data points in the news for consideration the typical price reduction currently is $25,000 as reported by zillow and a record number of homes have delisted in the last 3 months 47% of those taking their home off the market purchased it within the last 5 years 13% of those purchased it in the last 2 years or less all this at a time when 70% of homes on the market are taking longer than 60 days to go under contract and there will only be more competition among sellers as 8% more listings have hit the market in 2025 than in 2024 and that number is expected to increase in 2026 if you even thinking of selling, listen in for the news that you need to hear       

NAR Projects Home Sales To Increase 14% in 2026... ...for many this is going to be a bit of a surprise They are also projecting a 5% increase in new home sales  The other significant projection by NAR is that they see home prices rising 4% There has been a segment of the home buyer market That has been on the sidelines the past few years waiting and hoping for home prices to come down That hasn't materialized as prices have continued to climb within all of this is the likelihood of a real estate "comeback year" more homes will be put on the market for sale which is good news for home buyers that have struggled to find the right home we are a couple of weeks away from the December 8-9th Fed Meeting and it appears that their will be another .25% rate reduction on the way affordability will increase as monthly mortgage payments will go down providing a catalyst for increased sales as we head into the new year tune in for all the details in today's show    

Fannie Mae Gets Rid Of Credit Score Minimum...   ...which might have slid past a lot of people with so much other news recently Loans submitted after November 15, 2025 are subject to the new rule Prior to that, a minimum score of 620 was required and for borrowers on the fringe of that number this is really, really good news the credit score models heavily weight collection items and as "new credit events" they can dramatically drop scores 50-100 points taking seemingly well qualified loan applicants out of the home buying game and the crazy part is that it might just something like a forgotten cable bill or medical billing for less than $100  the componenent of the mortage application that continues to matter most is the debt to income ratio (DTI) which is a comparison of a borrowers income (before taxes) and their recurring monthly bills such as student loans, car loans, and credit card debt 45% DTI is the line in the sand for most loan programs there are some compensating factors that may allow a 50% ratio a qualified lender can be a real asset for those in that situation lower interest rates would definitely help those with high DTI  as it would reduce the housing payment portion of the calculation I don't see a downside to all of this it's just great news  tune in for my tips to take advantage of this big change for home buyers  

There Is A Noticeable Difference in FSBO...  ...and the data results are quite interesting In market such as this One might think that homes sold "for sale by owner" Would be setting records - with regard to how many are doing it The fact is that records are being set just not the ones that you would expect The NAR - National Association of Realtors reports that in 2024 there was a record LOW set for FSBO sales Only 7% homes sold in America sold their own home A record was also set for homes sold by agents at 91% All of this despite a robust set of tools available for people to sell on their own what's even more suprising is that the numbers are even lower in 2025 the year to date data available shows FSBO sales at a mere 5% so why aren't more people selling on their own? digging deeper into the data we find the median sales price of a FSBO home is $360,000 the median sales price of a home sold by an agent is $425,000 40% of FSBO sellers invested $0 in marketing their homes these numbers on their own don't tell the whole story but they are certainly eye opening what's becoming very clear right now for most is that it's much easier to sell on your own when the market is hot and trending upward than it is to sell in a netural or a buyers market listen to today's show for the down and dirty details as I give some tips to those thinking about selling on their own    

Here's What No One Is Telling You About 50 Year Mortgages... ...and the reasons that you may not want to dismiss the idea There are plenty of negative ideas out there that argue against this product And they have merit 50 years is a long time you may never pay it off in your lifetime 20 more years of interest to pay much slower equity buildup but let's examine a few things that may change your mind most people do not keep their homes 30 years about 95% of payments on a 30 year mortgage goes toward interest in 1st 5 years lower monthly payments help buyers qualify for the homes they really want buyers can pay extra each month as their income increases over time to reduce interest more money available to start a family less dependency on other forms of credit there is more than meets the eye on 50 year mortgages listen in to hear more details to help you make the right choice    

BRRRR Your House vs Flipping It...  ...a guide to making the right decisions to maximize profits Most people are aware of the home flipping process It's hard to miss all of those shows that have been created on the subject BRRRR is something that is far less familiar  but is definitely worth a little investigation Buy - Rehab - Rent - Refinance - Repeat Let's face it pretty much everyone has at least imagined doing a house flip it sure looks like fun on tv and there is $$$ to be made what could be better? but when you take a closer look BRRRR might be a superior option lower taxes on profits total ROI is higher per property long term wealth strategy income for life playing with the "houses $" starting with taxes - I am not a CPA so do your own research just keep in mind that if you flip a home before you own it for 1 year and a day the tax due is based on your ordinary income rate which is most likely higher than the 15% long term capital gains tax by renting out the property you will have monthly cash flow profits that you can reinvest in more homes each property that you own will most likely increase in value in the long run and the rents should only go up over time the most interesting part is that when you refinance you may very well get all of the money back that you put into the property which provides the cash needed to do it all over again tune in to today's show to learn more about how to get started    

This is NOT The Time To Be On The Sidelines...    ...The Real Estate market is heating up in ways that some are just in complete denial of while others simply aren't sure of the dynamics in play It's actually a great time to buy homes and it's also a great time to sell homes This isn't just theory I am personally actively buying and selling in this market 2 properties sold in the past month 1 purchase closed and another offer in play right now to close in November and more of each to come before the end of the year and here's why... this is the most opportune time to make a purchase I have been saying this consistently over the past few months while the majority of home buyers are stilll hesitant there is a very active segment of early adopters making deals buyers are getting homes under contract with very little competition so why is this also a good time for sellers ? its simple - inventory is still low and prices are up in year over year comparisons I am not saying that the market is fully recovered what I am saying is that we are in the bottom of the trough and leading indicators are beginning to show an upturn if you are watching the right data and not relying on reports that are based only on emotions it might help you decide if its the right time to get off the fence tune into today's show for all the down and dirty details    

More Home Sales Contracts Are Being Cancelled... ...and the very few things that are causing this to happen Recently released statistics have shown a slight increase of 1.5% in buyers backing out of home sale contracts  when comparing year over years numbers for September 2024 13.5% of contracts were cancelled 2025 15.0% of contracts were cancelled the most common reasons for this taking place: increased repair costs from home inspections  increased homeowners insurance costs  increased flood insurance concerns hurricane season and other natural disasters job concerns and inflation in an uncertain economy and with the government shutdown entering its 2nd month we may see more sales being cancelled now before we send everyone into a panic mode 85% of all contracts are closing compared to 86.5% last year so the vast majority are still getting to the closing table intact and it very well be that things are not all that different than last year tune into today's show to hear my breakdown of what is really happening  

How To Maximize The Interest Rate Drop...     ...as Fed Chair Jerome Powell threw us a cuverball this week rates were lowered .25% at the October 28-29 FOMC meeting which was largely expected to happen what surprised many economists is the forecast that a rate drop at the December 9-10 meeting is no longer guaranteed due uncertainty caused by the 30+ day government shutdown scanning the financials this morning shows the average rate is about 6.125% down slightly from 6.19% last week as markets were pricing in the Fed drop something that I have consistently predicted since the last Fed Meeting and if a home mortage rate shopper was trying to time the market there are 2 scenarios that will play out over the next 6 weeks The Fed holds rates at the December Meeting: rates will hover between 6.125%-6.25% The Fed lowers rates by .25% at the December Meeting: rates will hover between 5.875%-6% My prediction is that the government will reopen next week military pay and SNAP benefits are running out of funds rapidly key elections on November 4 will be over public pressure will reach a boiling point and that will lead to a rate reduction in December and rates will dip below 6% to 5.875% as I have talked about for over a year the question for consumers remains will a .125% rate difference keep you on the sidelines? or have we reached the magical number on rates to move forward? tune in to today's podcast for all of the nitty gritty details

Interest Rates Set To Drop Again.. ...and the window of opportunity is opening wider for home buyers last week the national average was down to 6.19% for a 30 year mortgage and the 15 year note was down to 5.44% The Fed Meeting October 28-29 is likely to see another .25% rate drop Keep in mind that lenders have begun pricing in the rate drop in anticipation of the acutal move this week so its likely that rates go down a little more this week but not by .25%  I anticipate that there will be another .25% drop at the December 8-9 meeting and there is a big possibility that at some point between now and then a 5.875% interest rate will be available to home buyers This is causing some real movement in the real estate market Year over year single family home sales for the month of September are up 13.6% condos and townhome sales are up 8% for the same time period Tune into today's show for the details on how to maximize your savings as I break down an interest saving strategy that is simple and effective  

The Luxury Condo Market... ...Is Super Interesting Right Now Residential Single Family Homes are selling faster than condos in general this year and higher end condos have been the slowest selling in that segment a number of things contribute to that and when you think about it it makes complete sense * most people cannot afford to purchase one * many condos are 2nd homes * high end rental market is down * HOA Fees have increased * Special Assessments All of this creates an environment of opportunity for condo buyers looking for the best possible price and owners that absoutely need to sell even in a market such as this there is a price that will make sense for sellers even if its less than what they would accept in a different market today's show goes deep into how deals are being made